Photo: Wikimedia Commons Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) – the 10th Prime Minister of India (1991–1996), widely regarded as one of the principal architects of India's economic reforms and remembered by many admirers as "Modern India's Chanakya" . Born in Laknepalli village in the present-day Warangal district of Telangana, and raised in Vangara village (historically in Karimnagar district, now Hanamkonda district) after being adopted at the age of three, Rao became the first Prime Minister born in South India and the first Telugu native speaker to become Prime Minister of India . A renowned polyglot reputed to know around 17 languages, he…

Master of Labial-Free Poetry & Court Ascetic of the Kakatiyas fl. late 13th – early 14th century CE | Patron: King Prataparudra II (r. 1291–1330 CE) | Warangal, Hanumakonda Introduction The Ascetic Poet of the Kakatiya Court Narasimha (also known as Nrisimha-rishi or Narasimhamaharshi ) was a prolific 13th‑century Sanskrit poet, scholar, and ascetic who served in the court of the Kakatiya king Prataparudra II (r. 1291–1330 CE). Recognised as a “high calibre” poet, he left a remarkable literary and epigraphical legacy in the Warangal region. His works – many preserved as “lithic kavyas” (poems inscribed on stone) – include commentaries on the Rigveda, historical chronicles, prose romances, pl…

Sri Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) – The Greatest Emperor of Vijayanagara – the most celebrated ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, who reigned from 1509 to 1529 CE. A master strategist, polyglot, poet, and patron of the arts, he is revered as Andhra Bhoja , Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana , and the embodiment of the empire at its zenith. His Telugu magnum opus, Āmuktamālyada (The Giver of the Worn Garland), is counted among the five great literary classics of Telugu. He not only expanded the empire from the Krishna river to the southern tip of India but also left an indelible mark on the Deccan's cultural landscape. His campaigns in present-day Telangana – subduing the Gajap…