Poetry, Power, and the Making of Gods and Kings in Telugu South India

FAIN: FT-278260-21

Harshita Mruthinti Kamath
Emory University (Atlanta, GA 30322-1018)

Research for a book on the South Asian poet Annamayya (1424-1503) and his role in the history of the Hindu temple at Tirumala in south India.

My proposed project, “Poetry, Power, and the Making of Gods and Kings,” will culminate a critical history of the poet Annamayya (1424-1503 C.E.), his songs inscribed on 2,752 copper plates, and his impact on shaping the powerful presence of the Tirumala temple, which is located in Andhra Pradesh, India. My project examines the life of Annamayya and his songs in order to trace the rise of Tirumala from a regional sectarian site to the most popular Hindu temple in the world today. By examining the intersection of religion, poetry, and patronage in Tirumala, I challenge current scholarship that poses a separation of religion and kingship in South Asia, suggesting that poets like Annamayya had the power to make both gods and kings.