“No Telugu person needs an introduction to the legendary artist and film director Bapu (late Sri Sattiraju Laxmi Narayana). Though, he is physically not with us any more, his paintings, his illustrations, his cartoons, his writing style, and his films make us feel his presence among us for ever. The NRI Telugu community in USA cherishes its long lasting association and the bonds it developed with late Sri Bapu,“ said Mr Mohan Nannapaneni, President, Telugu Association of North America (TANA), the largest and the oldest Telugu Association, working for the last four decades to serve the Telugu people in America, and to preserve, protect, and propagate the Telugu culture across the world.
Dr. Chowdary Jampala, Executive Vice President of TANA explained the association of late Bapu with NRI Telugu community in general and TANA in particular.
In 1985 Sri Bapu was a special invitee facilitated at the TANA Conference in Los Angeles, where a special exhibition of his art was held. Later in 1995, at the 10th TANA Conference in Chicago, TANA had the privilege of celebrating the Golden Jubilee (50 years) Anniversary of the first publication of works by Sri Bapu and his close friend and collaborator Mullapudi Venkata Ramana.
TANA commissioned a special book, Bomma- Borusu, to celebrate the occasion and the contributions Bapu and Ramana made to Telugu culture. A special art exhibiton and a retrospective of his films were held to mark the occasion.
Sri Bapu has regularly and generously contributed illustrations and paintings to TANA Patrika, the popular magazine of TANA, and to several TANA Conference Souvenirs over the years. TANA Patrika also serialized his illustrated narratives of the great epics Ramayana and Bhagavatha, to familiarize the Telugu American children with their cultural heritage.
Mohan Nannapaneni, President of TANA & Satish Vemana Secretary of TANA jointly announced, “In honor of the great contributions made by Sri Bapu to enrich the Telugu culture, and to commemorate TANA’s association with him, TANA now proposes to unveil the statue of late Sri Bapu in his birthplace, Narsapuram (West Godavari Dist) on the banks of river Godavari on his birthday, 15th December, later this year (2014). TANA has already taken the necessary initiatives and is coordinating with the family and local authorities. Mr Satish Vemana, Secretary of TANA will be coordinating the execution this prestigious program”
Mr. Mohan Nannapaneni also said, “We are also planning an Exhibition of Bapu paintings and cartoons in December as part of TANA’s Chaitanya Sravanthi celebrations in India and also at our forthcoming TANA Conference to be held in Detroit on 2-4 July 14. We want to do everything we can to keep Sri Bapu’s memories alive forever.”
Please donate for this cause: www.tana.org/donate
Mohan Nannapaneni
President
[email protected]
(508) 612-6676
Satish Vemana
Secretary
[email protected]
(703)731-8367
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