Nidudavolu Venkatarao

He was born to Nidudavolu Sundaram Pantulu and Jogamma on 3 January 1903 in Vizianagaram town in Andhra Pradesh, India. He was married to Palakodeti Lakshmi Kanthamma and he had five sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Sundareswara Rao was also a well-known research scholar. Venkatarao was a voracious reader, possessed extraordinary retention, which earned him the reputation jangama vijnanasvarasvam (Moving encyclopedia).[1]

He earned his bachelor's degree in 1925 and master's degree in 1940. Apart from academic qualifications, he had read Telugu and Sanskrit classics extensively under his father's tutelage. His memory power was considered phenomenal.[2]

Venkatarao started as a clerk in the Imperial Bank of India (now State Bank of India) in Vizianagaram in 1926. After a year, he was transferred to Kakinada, where he worked until 1939 where he met with the Pithapuram Maharaja, who invited him to work on his dictionary project, Suryarayandhra Nighantuvu.

In 1940, he went to Madras to earn his M. A. Degree and returned to Kakinada to work as a lecturer in a college. In 1942, he returned to Madras University, where he worked as lecturer, reader and Head of the Department of Telugu until 1964.

While he was working in Madras university, he undertook a little-known work tripurantakodaaharanam, and published it with elaborate annotations in 1935. He continued to work on the genre, udaaharana vanjmayam, and published udaaharana vanjmaya charitra (History of udaaharana literature). Among his other works with extensive revisions, Panditaraadhya charitra, Basava Puranam, and Poets in South Indian Literature are considered valuable in the history of Telugu literature.

After his retirement, he moved to Hyderabad. He was a Professor of University Grants Commission, a special position created for retired professors, 1964-1968.

Government of Andhra Pradesh and Sahitya Akademi granted him one hundred rupees per month each until his demise in 1982. The Andhra Pradesh government raised the sum to five hundred in 1982.

Venkatarao embraced Saivaite tradition in his life. He died on Shivaratri day at midnight on 15 October 1982, at the age of 79 in Hyderabad.

His grand daughter Jayasudha is also a well known Telugu Cine Artiste.

This is partial List of the works by Nidudavolu Venkatarao:

• Cinnayasuri jeevitamu: Paravastu Chinnayasuri krutha Hindu dhramasastra sangrahamu sahitamugaa, 1962
• Dakshinadeseeyandhra vanjmayamu, The Southern School of Telugu Literature. (With preface in English) 1954
• Kopparapu sodarakavula charitra. 1973.
• Nannechodunu kavitaavaibhavamu: Nannechoduni padyaalaku ruchira vyakhyaanamu.. 1976.
• Potana. 1962.
• Telugu kavula charitra. 1956.
• Udaaharana vanjmaya charitra. 1968
• Vijayanagara samsthaanamu: Andhra vanjmaya poshana. 1965.
• Andhra vachana vanjmayamu. 1977.
• Andhra vachana vanjmayamu: pracheena kalamu nundi 1900 A.D. varaku. 1954
• Bhamaakalaapamu, edited by P. Jayamma. 1999

• Sri Nachana Somanathuni hamsaadibakopakhyanamu (uttara harivamsamu, chaturtha aswaasamu). Commentary by Nidudavolu Venkatarao. 1972.

• Sivatatthva saaramu by Mallikarjuna Panditaaraadhyulu. Edited with extensive annotations by Nidudavolu Venkatarao, 1968.
• Prabodha chandrodayamu by Nandi Mallaya. Edited by Nidudavolu Venkatarao, 1976.
• Sabdaratnakaram by Bahujanapalli Sitaramacharyulu (1827–1891). Revised by Nidudavolu Venkatarao. 1969.

• Sakalanitisaaramu, by Madiki Singana. Edited by Nidudavolu Venkatarao and Ponangi Srirama Apparao. 1970.
• Manavalli rachanalu. Edited by Nidudavolu Venkatarao and Ponangi Srirama Apparao. 1972.
• Telugu Kannadamula samskrutika sambandhaalu, by Nidudavolu Venkatarao, et. Al. 1974.
• Telugu, Kannada, Tamila, Malayala bhashalalo saati samethalu, compiled by Nidudavolu Venkatarao, et al., 1961.

• "Vidyaratna" awarded by Andhra Saraswata Parishad, Narasaraopet.
• tripurantakodaaharam, edited with elaborate annotations by Venkatarao won Telugu Bhasha Samiti award.
• Kalaprapoorna title, conferred by Andhra University in 1970.
• UGC Professorship from 1964–67

• Nistala Venkatarao's book on Nidudavolu Venkatarao.
• Malathi Nidadavolu. Article on Nidudavolu Venkatarao