KASI YATHRA

kasi yathra by enugula veera swamy

I have been recently reading the above book, which makes interesting reading. It is a travelogue written in 1830, nearly 180 years back. The author was head interrupter in Madras Supreme Court (a big rank at that time).He started from Madras reached kasi via Tirupati, Karakambadi, Kadapa, Srisailam, Hyderabad, and Nagpur. Gone to Kolkatta. Returned to Madras via Barampur, Vizianagaram, Simhachalam Bandar, Bapatla, Nellore, Gudur, Naidupeta etc.

He gives a very detailed account of the people, habits, culture which gives us glimpses of the past.

More interestingly, this is the path he traveled. After crossing Krishna and entering Guntur and Nellore dts

KANAGALA

BHATTIPROLU (LANJALA DIBBA)

CHANDAVOLU
BAPATLA

CHINAGANJAM

AMMANABROLU

KOHAPATNAM

EEHAMUKKALA

AKULALLURU

VELAGAPUDI SATHRAM

KAREDU

RAMAYAPATNAM

KOTHA SATHRAM

JUVVALADINNE (birth place of Potti Sriramulu)

PANTALALLURU

KODAVALURI SATHRAM

NELLORE SAHAR

MANUBOLU

GUDUR

NAIDUPETA

BRAHMANA PUDURU

DORAVARI KONERU

MANNARU POLURU

CHILAKALA PUDI

PONNERI

VICHURU

THIRUVATAYURU

THANDIAR PETA(His house)

KAVALI is NOT mentioned. The route is entirely along the coast. Grand trunk road was not formed by that time. The path was called dandu bata, meaning army route. The road is still there but of course occupied as fields. May be kavali was not a big village then. . They say it was full of agriculture fields and people used to go for kavali meaning watching. Later when the village developed the name was retained. When G.T. road was laid, it was passing through kavali and later railway line also came in 1850 or so. May be Singampalli Lakshmi Narasiah came to kavali at that time, seeking his fortunes.Kavali exists on map because of G.T road, railway line and recently due JAWAHAR BHARATHI COLLEGE.

He describes Nellore as having 1000 houses, with plenty of milk, vegetables available. The men and women are of short stature, light black(chamana chaya)color, beautiful features and with innocent nature.

Another interesting fact he mentions is that 6 thousand Brahmins (our sect), who became village karanams, earned good properties, were living in big houses. But when travelers like him came and sought hospitality, they used to refuse saying “go and find some Brahmin house”, as if they are not Brahmins

These are only some of the interesting things mentioned.

You can down load the book at http://www.archive.org/details/kasiyatracharitr020670mbp

P.S.1 The reference to Bhattiprolu where a Buddhist aaraamam was existing as lanjala dibba, has the following meaning. Buddhism was propagated , patronized by kings and whole a.p. was under Buddhism. The religion degraded and people who become sanysis or sanysinis just do nothing, roam about in streets , get food and indulge in adultery. Thus the name

P.S 2. Singampallis also have the habit of maintaining tour diaries(refer recent ladakh tour by krups and am waiting for similar diary from krupa) .One favorite book of SVSR was Dakshina Bharatha Desa Yatra and Uttara Bharatha Desa Yathra.Details about Tour diaries by SVSR (senior), SRM and grand mothers in a later post