Annamacharya Jayanthi 2024 date – Annamayya Jayanthi

Annamacharya Jayanthi is the birth anniversary celebrations of Saint-Poet Annamayya, who composed more than 32,000 devotional songs extolling the glory of Lord Venkateswara, the lord of Seven Hills in Tirumala Tirupati. Annamacharya Jayanthi 2024 date is May 23 as per Tirupati Balaji Calendar. This is the 615th birth anniversary celebrations of Annamayya.

Sri Annamacharya was a saint composer in the fifteenth century and he hailed from the Tallapaka village in Cuddapah District, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is one of the earliest popular composers in Telugu.

Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya began to sing lullaby during Ekanta seva in Tirumala Temple. It has become a custom and his descendants are singing lullaby even today.

Annamaiah who has been popularly known as  “Pada Kavitha Pitamaha” and “Sankirtan Acharya”, was a staunch devotee of Vishnu never missed any opportunity to praise his glory.

His Jayanti is annually observed on Vaishakh Purnima Tithi.

Short Biography

Annamacharya Charitramu, a poetic biography composed in dvipada (rhyming couplets) by Tallapaka Chinnanna, grandson of Annamacharya, describes the life and contributions of the saint. A Nandavarika Brahmin couple, Narayana Suri and Lakkamba, were struck by a dazzling light from the sword of Lord Venkateshwara while they prostrating in front of the flagpole, dhvajastambha, on a
visit to the Tirumala Temple. Soon thereafter, on Vaishakha Purnima in the year 1408, in Tallapaka village in Andhra Pradesh, the family welcomed a baby boy, Annamayya. The baby was devoted to the Sri Venkateshwara from birth; he cried incessantly, stopping to no lullaby unless it was the sweet sound of Vishnu’s name.

Annamayya started composing poetry at the age of sixteen, inspired by a vision of Goddess Alamelumanga and Bhagavan Venkateshwara while on pilgrimage to Tirupati. A sage in the Tirumala temple initiated the boy into the Srivaishnava tradition, then sent him home, where he married Timmakka and Akkalamma. He then became a disciple of Shathakopamuni, from whom he learned Vedanta.

A Great Find - The year 1922 was momentous for the Carnatic music community. A priceless collection of 2,500 copper plates inscribed with 13,000 padams (musical compositions), along with corresponding ragas, were found in a special vault (later named Sankirtana Bhandara) inside a small chamber opposite the hundi (donation box) in the Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati. These devotional offerings were composed by the illustrious 15th-century composer-saint Annamacharya.

A Song by Annamacharya

Muddugare Yashoda

Ragam: Kurinji, Talam: Adi, Language: Telugu

He is the lovely pearl of Yasoda, playing in her front yard.
He is the all-powerful and perfect son of Devaki.

He is the ruby of all gopikas. He is a diamond-like weapon for the
adamant Kamsa. He is the emerald of the three lokas, radiating light.
He is little Krishna staying with us.

He is the coral of beautiful Rukmini. He is the agate that lifted
Govardhan mountain. He is the cat’s eye in conch and discus.
He is the lotus-eyed. He is our savior.

He is the topaz on the heads of Kaliya (serpent). He is sapphire. He is
the divine gem in the ocean of milk. He is Padmanabha moving like a
boy amongst us.

I am constantly amazed by the wealth of life truths and wisdom in his compositions and the profound philosophy therein. I also like his sweet language and dialect while describing God.” —Venkat Garikapati, author, speaker, Annamayya scholar & banker

“Annamayya was such a genius that his writing encapsulated complex ideas in descriptive phrases, often employing the vernacular to connect with the common man. This adroit use of language and ideas offers immense choreographic possibilities to the dancer.” —Dr. Anupama Kylash, Annamacharya scholar and senior practitioner of Kuchipudi and Vilasini Natyam