Garimella Satyanaraya Garu

Garimella Satyanarayana (Telugu: గరిమెళ్ళ సత్యనారాయణ) (1893 – December 18, 1952) was a Poet and Freedom Fighter of Andhra Pradesh, India. Satyanarayana Garimella was a great nationalist who influenced and mobilized the Andhra people against the British with his patriotic songs and writings for which he was jailed several times by the British government.

Name : Garimella Satyanarayana.
Date of Birth: 14-JULY-1893.
Date of expiry: 18-DEC-1952.
Fathers Name : Venkata Narasimham.
Mothers name : Surramma.
Place of Birth :Gonepadu, Narasannapeta, Srikakulam, India.
Profession : Poet.

Garimella Satyanarayana Career He was born in a poor Brahmin family to Venkatanarasimham and Suramma. He was born in Gonepadu village near Priya agraharam in Narasannapeta taluq of Srikakulam district in 1893. Garimella Satyanarayana is identified by his famous song - “మాకొద్దీ తెల్ల దొరతనం ” (We don’t need this white rule). He himself used to sing this song. This particular song was a popular in the households of Andhra Pradesh during the Indian independence movement. He was helped to study by a kind lawyer, called Kannepalli Narasimha Rao and finished graduation (BA). He worked as a clerk in collector's office of Ganjam district and as a teacher at a high school in Vijayanagaram. He gave up his studies by the call of Mahatma Gandhi to participate in civil disobedience movement. During this time, he wrote his famous song Maakoddee Telladoratanamu for which he was jailed in 1922 for one year. After the release from Jail, he continued his participation in the movement by singing songs in villages. For this he was sentenced for two and half years rigorous imprisonment. His entire family (wife, father and grandfather) died when he was in jail. He died in a destitute state on December 18, 1952 after spending several years in poverty. He wrote many songs and his most famous song was ‘makoddi telladorathanamu’. He used to inspire the people in the struggle with his songs and he was the main person to go to jail for writing the poems. During his punishment of two years, his father died and the British asked him to beg pardon to see his father but he did not beg for pardon.

Garimella Satyanarayana Garu's Works-

1) Swaraajya geetamulu (1921).
2) Harijana paatalu (1923) .
3) Khandakaavyalu, baalageetaalu (1926) .
4) Telugu translation of the Economic Conquest of India by Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
5) Telugu translation of “Tirukkuraalld” and “Naandiyar” from Tamil.
6) Telugu translation of "Tallikota" from Kannada.
7) An English poem “Heart of the Nation,”
8) Several articles in various daily and weekly journals like Grihalakshmi, Krishnapatrika, Aanandavani, Dhanka,Aandhraprabha and Bhaarati.