The People's Poet, Revolutionary, and Voice of Telangana
Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu — the people's poet of Telangana
Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu (22 July 1925 – 5 November 1987) was a Telugu poet, writer and lyricist whose life and work were closely associated with the anti-Nizam movement in Hyderabad State and the Telangana armed struggle of the late 1940s. His poetry combined literary expression with social and political themes. He is especially remembered for the celebrated line "Naa Telangana, Koti Ratanaala Veena", which became an important cultural expression during later Telangana statehood mobilization. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974 for Thimiram Tho Samaram and served as Poet Laureate of Andhra Pradesh from 1977 until 1983.
Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu was born on 22 July 1925 in Chinnaguduru, in present-day Mahabubabad district of Telangana. Biographical accounts describe him as coming from a Vaishnava family and as having developed a strong interest in classical Indian literature and languages.
He became proficient in Telugu, Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Persian and English. His later literary work reflected this multilingual background, particularly his engagement with Urdu poetry and his Telugu renderings of Ghalib.
He studied at Khammam Government High School and later enrolled at Osmania University. Biographical accounts state that he left higher education and became involved in the movement against the Nizam's rule.
He became associated with the Andhra Mahasabha and the wider political and social mobilization in Telangana. His experiences during this period strongly influenced his later revolutionary poetry.
During the movement against the Nizam's rule, Daasarathi was arrested in 1947 and imprisoned in Warangal Central Jail before being transferred to Nizamabad Central Jail. Accounts of his imprisonment describe him composing poetry despite restrictions on writing materials.
Biographical traditions state that he memorised verses and wrote some poems on jail walls using coal. These experiences became closely associated with the story of his early poetry collection Agnidhara.
After his release, Daasarathi continued his literary and political writing. Accounts state that he worked in journalism and wrote against the Nizam's rule before the integration of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union in 1948.
Claims that he was deliberately poisoned in prison have appeared in biographical accounts, but they should be treated as an unverified personal account rather than an established historical fact. There is insufficient evidence to state that poisoning caused his later illnesses or death.
Agnidhara, generally dated to the late 1940s, is among Daasarathi's best-known early poetry collections. The work is closely associated with the atmosphere of the Telangana struggle and his experiences under Nizam rule.
Its celebrated expression "Naa Telangana, Koti Ratanaala Veena" became one of the most recognizable literary formulations of Telangana identity.
- Rudraveena
- Mahandrodyamam
- Punarnavam
- Mahabodhi
- Kavithapushpakam
- Ghalib Geethalu – Telugu renderings of the poetry of Mirza Ghalib.
- Thimiram Tho Samaram – the poetry collection for which he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974.
Daasarathi entered Telugu cinema as a lyricist, with Vaagdanam identified in biographical sources as his debut film. He subsequently wrote approximately 2,000 lyrics for Telugu films. He also contributed to films including Pooja.
His film writing brought his literary style to a much wider audience and established him as an important Telugu lyricist.
- 1967: Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Akademi Award for Kavithapushpakam, according to biographical accounts.
- 1974: Sahitya Akademi Award for Thimiram Tho Samaram. The official Sahitya Akademi awards list confirms the 1974 award. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- 1975: Kalaprapurna honour from Andhra University.
- 1976: Honorary D.Litt. from Agra University.
- He was also associated with the literary title Abhyudhaya Kavi.
He also worked in broadcasting, including associations with All India Radio and later television-related work.
By G.O. Ms. No. 862 dated 19 August 1977, the Government of Andhra Pradesh appointed Daasarathi as Poet Laureate in Telugu with effect from 15 August 1977. The original appointment was for five years.
On 30 May 1981, G.O. Ms. No. 514 converted the appointment into a life appointment. These details are recorded in the 1984 Andhra Pradesh High Court judgment. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
After the N. T. Rama Rao government came to power in 1983, Daasarathi's Poet Laureate appointment was terminated. The precise political motivation for the decision should not be stated as established fact without documentary evidence.
Daasarathi challenged the termination before the Andhra Pradesh High Court. On 13 July 1984, the court dismissed his petition. The judgment records the earlier government orders establishing his appointment and its conversion to a lifetime appointment. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Daasarathi's later years were affected by health problems, but detailed claims connecting those illnesses to alleged prison poisoning remain unverified. Accounts of his life describe continued literary activity and visits from admirers and fellow writers.
Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu died on 5 November 1987 in Hyderabad, aged 62. He was subsequently remembered through literary commemorations and celebrations of his contribution to Telugu poetry and Telangana cultural history.
Daasarathi's expression "నా తెలంగాణ, కోటి రతనాల వీణ" became especially prominent during the Telangana statehood movement. It expressed a strong sense of regional identity and cultural pride.
His poetry and songs continue to be studied, performed and discussed in Telangana's literary and cultural institutions.
Telangana was formed as a separate state on 2 June 2014, three decades after Daasarathi's death. His poetry subsequently received renewed public attention as part of Telangana's cultural history.
Accounts attributed to Daasarathi describe harmful substances allegedly being mixed into his food during imprisonment. This claim appears in later biographical material, but it should not be presented as an independently established fact.
Similarly, it is not established that alleged poisoning caused his later illnesses or death. The safest historical wording is that Daasarathi was reported to have made such a claim.
The documented record establishes that his appointment was made in 1977, converted into a lifetime appointment in 1981, and subsequently terminated in 1983. He challenged the termination and lost his case in the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1984. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Whether the termination was motivated by political considerations remains an interpretive question and should not be stated as settled fact.
The strongest documented elements of Daasarathi's legacy are his poetry, his association with the anti-Nizam movement, his contribution to Telugu cinema, his translation and engagement with Urdu literature, his service as Poet Laureate, and his 1974 Sahitya Akademi Award.
Daasarathi's poetry remains closely associated with Telangana's cultural history. His famous refrain "Naa Telangana, Koti Ratanaala Veena" became a powerful expression of Telangana identity and was widely invoked during the later statehood movement.
Chronology & Milestones
Places Associated with Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu
Chinnaguduru – His birthplace in present-day Mahabubabad district, Telangana.
Warangal Central Jail – One of the prisons associated with his imprisonment during the anti-Nizam movement.
Nizamabad Central Jail – Another place associated with his imprisonment during the late 1940s.
Hyderabad – Where Daasarathi spent his later years and died in 1987.
Vijayawada – Associated with his post-release literary and journalistic work in biographical accounts.
Summary – The Voice of Telangana
Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu was an important Telugu poet, writer and lyricist whose life intersected with the political and social history of Telangana. His involvement in the anti-Nizam movement, imprisonment, revolutionary poetry, literary translations and film lyrics established him as a major figure in modern Telugu culture.
His Agnidhara, Rudraveena, Ghalib Geethalu and Thimiram Tho Samaram remain important parts of his literary legacy. His Sahitya Akademi Award in 1974 and his appointment as Poet Laureate of Andhra Pradesh in 1977 were major recognitions of his literary standing. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
His celebrated expression "Naa Telangana, Koti Ratanaala Veena" became one of the most recognizable cultural expressions associated with Telangana identity. His poetry continues to be remembered as part of the region's literary and cultural heritage.
- Sahitya Akademi – Akademi Awards List
- Wikipedia – Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu
- Telangana eLibrary – Daasarathi Krishnamacharyulu
- Dasarathi Krishnamacharyulu vs State of Andhra Pradesh (1984)
- K. M. George (ed.), Modern Indian Literature: An Anthology, Sahitya Akademi, 1992.
📌 Historical note: Some popular biographical details, including the alleged poisoning during imprisonment, should be treated as personal or later accounts unless independently supported by documentary evidence.