Acharya Biruduraju Ramaraju Early Life
Biruduraju was born on 16th April 1925 in Devanoor village, Dharmasagar Mandal hanumakonda District, and died on 8th February 2010 in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy. He completed his primary education at Devanoor and Madikonda and higher education at Hanamkonda for about eight years.
Biruduraju Ramaraju Education:
Prof Ramaraju graduated from Nizam college and post-graduation from Osmania University in 1951. Then he completed his Ph.D. in Telugu language and literature and folklore studies at Osmania University, Hyderabad and Ramaraju was the first Indian scholar from Osmania University who completed his Ph.D. in folklore studies.
Prof Rama Raju did his graduation from Nizam College and postgraduation in Telugu from Osmania University in 1951 and then completed his Ph.D. from Osmania University in folklore studies.
In the year 1995, the Government of India honored him with the award and distinction of a National Research Professor for his dedicated service to the literature. This award was also honored to Prof. Yash pal for science, the late Bharat Ratnas Ustad Bismillah Khan was also awarded for Hindustani Music, and M.S. Subbulakshmi was awarded for her contribution to Carnatic Music.
But he was involved in politics for some time. Prof Ramaraju’s first thesis was on Folk literature in South India he was awarded a doctorate in 1956. He also contributed to Sanskrit Literature and he re-wrote the literary history of Sanskrit bringing into the limelight of many neglected writers and their poetic works.
Rama Raju’s Ph.D. was not only Osmania University’s first-ever Ph.D. in Telugu language and literature, he also created history by becoming the first Ph.D. in folklore studies in entire South India. His Ph.D. dissertation ‘Janapada Geya Sahityamu’, published in 1955 which continues to be the Bible for all those interested in Telugu Folklore studies. Then later he becomes the Dean of Studies and Head of the Telugu department, which rejected his Ph.D. proposal previously.
Biruduraju Ramaraju History
Biruduraju Rama Raju was the oldest child, and he completed his matriculation at a very young age during the independence movement, he volunteered for Mahatma Gandhi in 1946. Even then he was imprisoned for participating in the congress Satyagraha movement in 1947.
Also Visit: Pakhal Lake Khanapur, Warangal, Telangana – History & Significance, Wild Life Sanctuary!
Biruduraju Ramaraju Contribution to Telugu sahithyam
For the first time, he tried to translate the works of very well-renowned writers like Sharat Chandra Chatterjee and Munshi Premchand into Telugu. Prof. Raju had a mastery of Urdu; He pursue his interests by publishing a book ‘Murarram folk songs in Telugu’ and further became the first person to edit the first-ever Urdu-Telugu Dictionary.
Prof Raju was fascinated by the old palm leaf manuscripts started in 1953 and then soon he did an M.A. and got a Ph.D. in Sanskrit and published his thesis as a book titled ‘Contribution of Andhras to Sanskrit Literature. And this incredible work was never introduced before, for the first time, over three hundred lesser-known scholars and poets from Telugu states have made their big contribution to Sanskrit literature.
Prof. Raju continued to pursue his interests in arts and literature till his last day. Among academic circles, he was known as the ‘Godfather of Telugu Folklore Studies. He had published over a hundred seminal research papers, forty books in over half a dozen languages, and edited many more titles, he also mentored his students and now they have become vice-chancellors of universities. His large collection of lakhs of rare books, and rare manuscripts, many of which are research papers has been donated to the C P Brown Memorial Library in Cuddapah in the Rayalseema region.
For all his lifetime work in the region and selfless service to folklore studies, he will be remembered as one of the founding fathers of post-independent India’s folklore academics. A person like Prof Raju worked effortlessly transcended these boundaries with their extreme knowledge, but not all his work is just founded in the corner of libraries and universities, everyone has forgotten about Prof Raju.
Also Visit: Muthyam Dhara Waterfalls – Laknavaram Lake, Tadvai Forest Camp
