Preserving India's Heritage, Art & Culture
Mana Samskruthi Seva Trust works towards preserving the rich heritage, art and culture of India for its future generations and makes conscious efforts to ensure its continuity and enhance avenues for livelihood of traditional artisans and craftsmen. The MSST's key initiatives are aimed at working towards protecting and promoting India's arts, culture and heritage through various promotional and developmental projects and programmes, supporting preservation of traditional art and handicraft as well as documenting India's rich heritage for the benefit of future generations.
Andhra Pradesh is a land of colors and enriching history that takes pride in its deep attachment to its roots. The state offers a diverse tapestry of brilliant culture; Andhra Pradesh is a rich state of various religions, ethnicity, traditions, cultures, beliefs, and practices. The rural traditions and modern lifestyle come together in splendid harmony that thrives in the state. People, regardless of religious beliefs, come together to celebrate festivals and ceremonious occasions. Many citizens still believe in age-old traditions like Muggulu and pursue them with sincerity. These practices are prevalent in many households and often vary according to ethnicity.
Some famous Carnatic music composers are Kshetrayya, Annamacharya, and Bhadrachala Ramadasa. The folk music of Andhra Pradesh is also considered to have originated from Carnatic music. The musical elements, themes, and underlying meanings of the songs make them attractive. A distinctive feature of the Carnatic style of music is that the song molds in itself the personality of the composer, which increases the expressiveness of the music.
The most prominent dance form of Andhra Pradesh that is practiced and celebrated in the state is Kuchipudi. It is a dance form with similarities to Bharat Natyam and is performed mostly by women. Many other dance forms, like the graceful Perini, have also emerged from the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Perini is like a warrior dance, which is also known as the ‘dance of Lord Shiva’. The ancient ‘Trinity of the Poets’ includes Nannaya, Tikkana, and Yerrapragad. They were responsible for reviving the Telugu language through popular translational works like the ‘Mahabharata’.
Art and culture bring the bonding between people that they encourage, and the awe they can evoke in human beings of disparate ethnicities and upbringing. The magical is ever-present in all great art and the cultures from which they spring. Much less ubiquitous is the understanding, the backing, and the encouragement required to ensure that such magic is not lost to future generations through neglect and apathy. This is a real concern as the march of modernity continues. It is the spur for initiatives such as those pursued with fervour by different forms through Mana Samskruthi Seva Trust in a wide range of areas — the conservation of traditional arts and crafts, the restoration of architectural showpieces, and the revival of institutions and forms of music.
