Jaya Jayahe Telangana Lyricist Ande Sri Passes Away

Renowned poet and lyricist Ande Sri, the creator of the Telangana State Anthem "Jaya Jayahe Telangana", passed away in Hyderabad today at the age of 64.

Earlier in the day, he was found lying unconscious at his residence. Family members rushed him to Gandhi Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

He is survived by three daughters and a son.

Born in 1961 in Rebarthi village of Siddipet district, Ande Sri - whose real name was Ande Yellaiah - rose to prominence in Telugu literature despite having no formal education. He began his life as a shepherd and later worked as a construction labourer before gaining recognition as a poet.

Yellaiah played a pivotal role in the Telangana movement. His song "Jaya Jayahe Telangana" became a rallying cry during the struggle for Statehood, and was later adopted as the official State Anthem. He also gained fame with the popular song "Mayamaipoyindamma Manishannavaadu".

In 2006, Yellaiah received the Nandi Award for the film Ganga. Kakatiya University honoured him with a doctorate for his literary contributions, and the Telangana government recently presented him with a cash award of Rs 1 crore during the State Formation Day celebrations.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Union Minister Kishan Reddy, former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, TPCC President Mahesh Kumar Goud, BRS working president K T Rama Rao, and leaders from across political parties expressed profound grief over his demise, describing it as an irreparable loss to Telangana's literary and cultural community.

Revanth Reddy directed that Ande Sri's last rites be performed with police honours and instructed officials to make the necessary arrangements.