FIRST TIME (LAST TIME) ATTENDING TANA CONFERENCE..... EXPERIENCES OF OUR FIRST VISIT TO USA-2 : VANAM JWALA NARASIMHA RAO

EXPERIENCES OF OUR FIRST VISIT TO USA-2

VANAM JWALA NARASIMHA RAO

FIRST TIME (LAST TIME) ATTENDING TANA CONFERENCE

The following day we reached Cincinnati, that was on 3rd July 1999 we had been to the TANA conference that was being held in that city for the first time. It was a great fun. While the first day, the 2nd July was totally devoted to the business seminar with no active participation from others the remaining two days there was some entertainment focusing the non-resident Indians. Over ten thousand from all parts of USA with family members attended the TANA.

The Cincinnati Convention Center chosen for this event is a large three lakh square feet facility located in the heart of DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI in the state of OHIO. It is architecturally beautiful, high class, and high tech. Every element of this center is designed with meeting the customer need in mind. It is readily accessible from major high ways. Over ten thousand parking spaces are available near the center. The main Exhibit hall along with its stage and dressing rooms was used for this conference and the same was equipped with state-of-the-Art audio-visual system with multiple monitors.

The Grand Ball room with a capacity of over two thousand people was used for the Awards Banquet and Youth activities. Elaborate arrangements were made with the Cincinnati police to provide security around and in the center. More than a thousand rooms were booked for the stay of guests in Hyatt, Regal and Omni hotels. All these hotels are connected via sky walk to the convention center. A number of committees were formed to ensure proper arrangements like the Registration Committee, Hospitality and Reception Committee, Venue committee, Food committee, Alumni Reunions committee and Public Relations committee as well as many more. Each of these were headed by one of the active TANA members.

The highlights of the program included a business seminar, a forum on religion, a meeting on continued medical education, an Arts and crafts exhibition, classical dance competitions, cultural activities. discussion on women issues and many more.”

While one could see the great artist CHANDRA (a good friend of mine) anxiously waiting for patrons to purchase his all-time great art pieces in one of the corners of the commercial exhibit hall. By the end of the convention and on the last day almost all his artifacts were marketed successfully.  Others also could watch popular social worker and women lib leader from Hyderabad (Late) Malladi Subbamma campaigning for sale of her books including her invaluable autobiography priced at two dollars. Cabinet rank the then AP Film Development Corporation Chairman was busily seen searching customers for his PLOTS along with other such luminaries. All-time great comedian RAJENDRA PRASAD was busy trying to find market for his newly made DVD audio-video cassettes. It was an elevated Vijayawada Railway Platform in several aspects! 

That apart eloquent speeches by Dr. Jayaprakash Narayana former bureaucrat and Loksatta Leader, excellent comparing by film actor Rajendra Prasad, songs from Vandemataram Srinivasa Rao, comedy shows put up by Brahmanandam party, performances of Nagarjuna, Tabu, Ramya Krishna and couple of others were really great. Special attraction worth mentioning was the ASHTAVADHANAM of Madugula Naga Phanisharma attended by over four thousand audience.

The enthusiasm exhibited by each and every nonresident Indian deserved a pat and the way they were trying to sustain the tradition and cultural heritage of their native country was really great.”

Special mention needs to the efforts of some nonresident Indians to bring unity among Telugu community and to bring together ATA and TANA, the American Telugu Association and the North American Telugu Association- both fighting for supremacy!

Majority of those who attended the conference were from USA who settled there since a long time. Some of us like us who either incidentally happen to be there or specially went to attend were also part of gathering. Large number of those who attended and actively participated had lot of commitment adoration to Telugu Language and Literature, as well as Telugu and Indian culture. The Telugu Ashtavadhanam was performed on equal level or may be even more than that as was done in any part of India. The credit should go to the participants and Avadhani and his team. Avadhani Team members who quizzed him on many aspects in the capacity of PRUCHCHAK were all from America. They practiced this literary talent by being there.

Among the Pruchchaks, Chekuru Ramarao Avadhani, who presided over the meeting, was amazing and the way he introduced the Avadhani reflected his command over Telugu language and literature. In the same way, Mrs Pattishapu Shakuntala who quizzed Avadhani with DATTAPADI questions; Venu Dasigi who gave Avadhani the SAMASYAA PURANAMU; Bandla Hanumaiah the VARNANA PRUCHCHAK; Samudraala Baburao who asked to recite AASHU KAVITVAM; the NISHIDHDHAAKSHARI PRUCHCHAK Mrs Damaraju Laxmi; DHR Sharma who handled APRASTHUTA PRASANGAM etc. were in no way inferior to any of the Telugu Literary Exponents. Similarly, Chodavarapu Laxmanababu who conducted the whole proceedings did an excellent job. None of them uttered even one single English word in their speeches.         

Couple of new acquaints whom we met in the convention, who were mainly Telugu NRIs affectionately invited us to their home. Prominent among them was Mrs Sai Laxmi whose literary zeal knows no bounds.  She wrote a beautiful and interesting poetic prose titled “Chakkanaina Andhra Chukka” in the special edition brought out during TANA meet namely TELUGU PALUKU. In Chakkanaina Andhra Chukka” she wrote in Telugu: అందమైన అమెరికా వనితను నేను, చక్కనైన ఆంద్ర చుక్కను నేను...సముద్రాలు దాటి వచ్చిన మగనిచాటు జవరాలిని, వేషభాషల మార్పులున్నా నుదుటి బొట్టునొదలని ఆంధ్ర బొట్టును”.

Mrs Kallakuri Sai Lakshmi Rao lived in Hamilton, Ohio. She wrote couple of stories and poetry. She also wrote commentary on Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotram. She was an active member of TANA conference’s literary committee. In the introduction to Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotram she wrote like this:

శ్రీ లలితా సహస్ర నామ స్తోత్రం అంటే, శ్రీ లలిత దేవతను తనకున్న వేయి నామాలతో పఠిస్తూ స్తోత్రం చేయడమే! ఈ వేయి పేర్లు 365 పంక్తులలో పేర్కొనబడ్డాయి. “లలిత వ్యాఖ్య” అనే శీర్షికతో పుస్తక పరిచయం చేసిన అవధాని మాడుగుల నాగఫణి శర్మ, బ్రహ్మ జిజ్ఞాస వున్నందువల్లే శ్రీమతి లక్ష్మి గారు లలిత సహస్ర నామాలకు వ్యాఖ్యానం రాయగాలిగారని అంటారు. 365 పంక్తులున్న లలిత సహస్ర నామ స్తోత్రం ప్రతిరోజూ చదువుకుంటూ పోతే, సరిగ్గా ఒక సంవత్సర కాలంలో పూర్తిగా చదవచ్చునని అంటారాయన. 

ఉపోద్ఘాతంలో శ్రీమతి లక్ష్మి గారు, మానవులలో నిగూఢ౦గా దాగిన శక్తి స్వరూపిణి శ్రీలలితాదేవి అని అంటారు. ఒక బిందు రూపంలో ఉన్న వేయి సూర్యుల ప్రకాశంతో వెలుగొందే దేవత అని అంటారు. తనలో దాగి వున్న తనకే తెలియని శక్తిని వెలికి తీయడానికి తద్వారా సంపూర్ణ మానవునిగా మారడానికి దోహద పడేదే ఈ లలిత సహస్ర నామ స్తోత్రము అని అంటారావిడ. అంతే కాదు: భౌతిక, ఆధ్యాత్మిక, సాంఘిక, మానవ జీవితపు నిజమైన అర్థం లలిత సహస్ర నామాలలో గోచరిస్తుంది అని కూడా అంటారావిడ. స్థూల, సూక్ష్మ కారణ రూపాలైన పంచ భౌతిక దేహాన్ని శుద్ధి చేస్తుందీ స్తోస్త్రం అని కూడా అంటారామె. బాల్యం నుంచే కొంత మోతాదులో తనలో ఆధ్యాత్మిక చింతన వుండేదన్న విషయాన్ని తానూ కొంచెం ఆలశ్యంగా గుర్తించాననీ, గృహిణిగా, ఉపాధ్యాయురాలిగా, సహస్ర నామాలలోని గొప్ప తనాన్ని గుర్తించ గలిగాననీ చెప్పారామె.  

ఆమె వ్యాఖ్యానంలో ఒక్కొక్క శ్లోకానికి విడమర్చి విశదంగా ఆంగ్లంలో సులభ శైలిలో అర్థం చెప్పారు. మాడుగుల నాగ ఫణిశర్మ గారు చెప్పినట్లు, విదేశాలలో నివసిస్తున్న భారతీయ తత్త్వ జిజ్ఞాసాపరులకు సాయి లక్ష్మి గారి వ్యాఖ్యానం ఎంతో ఉపకరిస్తుంది. ఎంతో సులభావగాహ్యమైన సరళ సుందరమైన వ్యాఖ్యానమిది.     

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