Category: Heritage

A versatile poet and writer of more than thirty three books on different subjects, Dasu Sreeramulu was born in Andhrapradesh. Even as a teenager, he wrote ‘Satrajiti Vilasamu – yakshaganam’, and also performed ‘Avadhanams’ in both Telugu and Samskrit.

Though a lawyer by profession, he evinced great interest in literature, music, and dance. Eminent Kuchipudi artists of his time, Vempati Kodanda Ramaiah and Tadepalli Vissayya, used to take scholarly advice from Sreeramulu. By 1887, he composed many krutis, padams, and javalis, particularly on Venugopalaswamy of Totla Valluru. Devadasis like Chadalavada Pitchai, Rajaratnam, and Pinapala Bhavani were helped by him with suitable lyrics and compositions. He also founded a famous music school at Eluru. He is the author of ‘Abhinaya Darpanam’ a good treatise on music and dance.

Sreeramulu’s speeches in literary conferences used to be spiced with musical rendering of poems and songs. His magnum opus is ‘Sri Devi Bhagawatham’ a popular ‘parayana grantham’ in temples even today. This memoir is only one aspect of his multi-faceted personality.

Mudra (indentity): Dasu Rama

This information is taken from the Dasu family website but it may be very useful:

ధార్వాడ,గోల్కొండ,వరంగల్,బందరు,నూజివీడు,చరిత్ర తెలిసినంతవరకు అనగా 1560-1600 ఏ .డి నాటికి అక్బరు కాలంలో వీరు మహారాష్ట్ర దేశంలోని ధార్వాడ నగర వాస్తవ్యులు.

These details about Govinda Prasad Dasu are different from Govinda Rao Dasu and Govinda Dasu himself. The number of Govinda’s in the Dasu family is large.

The genealogy of Dasu family can be traced back to 1650 with Mr,Raghunath Rao as the earliest known member of this family hailing from Dharwad now in Karnataka state of India. At that time it was in Maharashtra and he appeared to have been an army officer. His successor Mr. Haridas Gangoji is understood to have lived in Hyderabad . He is known to have been a Hari Bhakta and a Haridas from whence the Dasu name appeared to have been adopted. The next descendent Mr. Raghunayakulu came to the coastal port town Maachilipatnam along with a Portuguese delegation work and settled down there. His successor was Mr. Gangaraju appeared to have gone to aplace called Nuziveedu in Andhra Pradesh as a Dandapathi.

Mr.Gangaraju had three sons, Janakiramayya, Sunderaramayya and Venkatramayya. Little is known about Janakiramayya and Venkatramayya’s descendents. However Sunderaramayya had a son Mr. Gangaraju (II) who was married to Mrs Chennamma who lived in Machilipatnam during 1750 /1760 working for East India company while it was being set up there. The progeny continued through his three sons Mr Akkiraju, Raghunayakulu and Brahmayya. Through their joint efforts they acquired large landed properties in various villages in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Akkiraju did the benevolent act of consecrating the temple of Lord Somalingeswara in Alluru village. Mr Raghunayakulu married Mrs Atchmma He worked as Diwan (Chief Advisor) for a local Zamindar at a place known as Guraja in Andhra pradesh.

The lineage of the present generations of Dasu family members is connected to Mr. Gangaraju(II) through his son Mr.Brahmayya and grandson Krishnayya. The illustrious member of Dasu family Mr.Sreeramulu(I) is the grandson of Mr.Krishnayya through his son Mr. Kannayya. As can be seen from the genealogical tables there is a division of the lineage branches during 1700 and little is known of the family members and descendents of Mr.Akkiraju and Mr.Raghunayakulu as of today.

We are now trying to preserve and maintain genealogical details to the extent that are available and could be collected. The data beginning from Sri Raghunatha rao till Dasu Sreeramulu garu was based upon the compilation made by Late Sri Dasu Vishnurao (I) . It is our earnest wish and hope that all Dasu family members who are now well spread out all over the world can use this as a media of tracking relationship and origin to one another.

This is my grandfather’s brother.

ధార్వాడ,గోల్కొండ,వరంగల్,బందరు,నూజివీడు,చరిత్ర తెలిసినంతవరకు అనగా 1560-1600 ఏ .డి నాటికి అక్బరు కాలంలో వీరు మహారాష్ట్ర దేశంలోని ధార్వాడ నగర వాస్తవ్యులు.

He was an important lawyer Hyderabad. He was married to a doctor.

The etymology of my name Govinda Dasu is very rich.

Govinda and Gopāla (Sanskrit/Hindi: गोविन्द/गोविंद and गोपाल) (also known as Govind, Gobind and Gopal) are the names of Vishnu which mean “The finder of Veda” & “Protector of Veda” as ‘Go’ means Veda, Cow and also senses. So Govinda, Gopala means Cowherd or Protector of Cows, or one who gives pleasure to senses. These names are also popularly addressed to Krishna, referring to his youthful activity as a cowherd boy. This name appears as the 187th and the 539th name of Lord Vishnu in Vishnu Sahasranama. Lord Vishnu or his complete incarnation Krishna are regarded as the Supreme God in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition. (citation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govinda)

Gopala Krishna of Krishnaism is often contrasted with Vedism when Krishna asks his followers to desist from Vedic demigod worship such as Indra worship. Thus the character of Gopala Krishna is often considered to be non-Vedic in one interpretation, while it can also be based on the popular understanding or rather misunderstanding of the Rig Vedic texts.^[1]

According to Klaus Klostermaier, Kumar Gopijanavallabha, Krishna the lover of the Gopis, is the latest stage in the historical process resulting in contemporary Krishnaism, being added to the worship of Bala Krishna (the Divine Child Krishna), and the original cult of Krishna-Vasudevawhich may date back to several centuries before the Common Era.^[2]

I am Govinda Dasu. In this website I will include facts about the Dasu family, 6000 Nyogi Brahmins, and excellent poetry by my ancestors.

The genealogy of Dasu family can be traced back to 1560 with Mr. Raghunath Rao as the earliest known member of this family hailing from Dharwad now in Karnataka state of India. Currently information pertaining to 15 generations is documented.