Meraka Veedhi Telaga

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Merakaveedhi Telaga
Warrior Clan
Country	India
State and City	Andhra Pradesh and Rajahmundry
Warriors associated with	Till 1652 in Vijayanagara Empire Till 1750s in Maratha armies Till 1765 in Rajahmundry Nawab Army Later in Madras Army

Meraka Veedhi

Merakaveedhi Telaga
Shown within India
Location	Rajahmundry, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, India
Coordinates	17°00′08″N 81°46′20″E Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed.
Type	Fortification and Warrior site
Part of	Old Nawab Fort
Area	107 acres (43 ha)
History
Abandoned	Occupied by few of Merakaveedhi telaga's but most of it is occupied by others.
Associated with	Merakaveedhi Telaga's
Site notes
Public access	It serves the main market of Rajahmundry.

Merakaveedhi Telaga or Chandragiri Balija is a common name given to a sect of Aristocratic Families living in Merakaveedhi of Rajahmundry. The warrior families who migrated from Chandragiri serving as the private counsel of the Vijayanagara Royal Family and served for a century in Maratha armies and came to Rajahmundry in 1757, who continued to maintain their legacy in Military, Politics, Economy, Business for two centuries. These Merakaveedhi Telagas were said to occupy the Nawab fort of Rajahmundry. Thus later when the name Merakaveedhi is heard, it resembles telagas who lived there.

Surnames of these Families

• Aaduri,
• Lingampally,
• Amajala,
• Muttangi,
• Vogeti,
• Ande,
• Mondreti,
• Bayyapuneedi,
• Meda,
• Chebrolu,
• Mandiga,
• Dodda,
• Malneedi,
• Erra (Yerra),
• Mancham,
• Edla (Yedla),
• Miriyala (extinct),
• Gundugula,
• Namana,
• Jangeti (extinct),
• Narra,
• Kandula,
• Pothula,
• Kanchumarthi,
• Ramineedi,
• Kunche,
• Suri,
• Kottu,
• Surabathula,
• Kattula.

Merakaveedhi Telaga History

Merakaveedhi Telaga's are very well known warrior families. Who, during British times were highest grade Native officers. There are many folklore poems on these families during the 18th century. There are many inscriptions of people from these families building temples and so on. These families trace back their history to Vijayanagara Empire where they worked as Senathipathis and Dandanayakas who after the fall of the Empire in 1565 reached along with them to Chandragiri, where they served as private counsel to the King. Even now, people can find villages named after the surnames of these Merakaveedhi Telaga families and also find their names in inscriptions. For example villages like Yerravaripalem, Narravaripalem, Muttangi in Bidar District of Karnataka etc. The ladies of these families use to sing a song with charanam Chandragiri Bhamallara Gobbillu. One can also find swords in those families even now. They were first called Chandragiri Balija. After the downfall of the Vijayanagara dynasty in Chandragiri in 1652, last ruled by Sri Ranga Rayal, he was taken as a refugee along with his private council to bejapoor by shahji Bhonsle, father of the great chhatrapathi. Later Shivaji gave the widow and sons of sri ranga rayal a jagir of 100 villages and this private council thus entered into Maratha armies and they continued in Mahratta armies. The area these Merakaveedhi Telagas occupied starts from the Back door of Sri Venugopala Swamy temple, Kshetrapalaka of Rajahmundry and comprises the whole area from kandakam road to the starting of Innespeta involving even few areas in Innespeta. Many streets and markets in this locality were named after the surnames of these Merakaveedhi Telaga families. Such as Kanchumarthi vari veedhi, Surabathula vari veedhi, Muttangi vari veedhi, Muttangi vari market, Erra vari veedhi etc even now.

Insurrection and Settling in Rajahmundry

After the bobbili war tragedy in 1757, these merakaveedhi telagas who were then serving in the Maratha armies entered Rajahmundry plundering on their way. First few of them entered the province and plundered the wealth. Later they occupied the vacant Nawab fort leased to Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju who was Murdered by Tandra Paparayudu. After occupying the fort the rest along with their families reached Rajahmundry. Then they served in the French armies and later under Hussain ali beg, appointed nawab by Nizam who ruled until 1769 when this province was completely undertaken by British. Until then they were appointed as Mokhasadars and Hazari's to stop pithuris and were allotted to live in the Merakaveedhi where they built huge courtyard houses. From then these Telaga families served in the British army. These families fought along British in various wars right from then and were awarded many medals and swords. Few families from this sect bought Zamindaries and various huge estates while others entered the money lending business and trade and were called shavukars. They later emerged into politics and created their space in the history of Rajahmundry. They entered Municipal Elections, Zilla board memberships and also many were Honorary magistrates, district munsiffs, lawyers, Bar-at-law, Doctors, MLC, MLA and other high posts even before Independence. They also served as Deputy Superintendent of Police, Circle-Inspector and many other highly respectable posts during British Indian times.

Customs

These Merakaveedhi Telagas built a chividi(hall) called Rachabanda Bhajana Chavidi. The street where the Rachabanda use to stand is called Rachabanda street of Meraka Street.

Few Notable Personalities From These Families

Landholders

• Raja Vogeti Ramakrishnayya, Zamindari Landholder, Honorary Magistrate, Municipal Councillor, Wealthy Landlord, Banker, Trader, trustee of Venugopala Swamy Devasthanam etc.
• Raja Kanchumarthi Ramachandra Rao, Zamindar of Dharmavaram, Honorary Magistrate, Municipal Councillor, Banker, Trader, Freedom Activist, joint secretary of 1911 coronation durbar committee, trustee of Korukonda Devasthanam etc.
• Muttangi Butchiramayya, Zamindar of Nandigama, Jaggampeta, Prakkilanka etc. estates.

Military

They have taken up officers positions in native forces of the East India Company and later British India, right from the later part of the 18th century till the end of the 19th century. Many of them excelled in their military prowess and earned great honours and titles to quote a few,

• 1. Jammadar Bayyapuneedi Jogayya Garu was awarded a "Medal of Honour" on 4 May 1799 for his valour in Srirangapatanam war.
• 2. Subedar Erra Ayyanna Garu of the 38th Native Infantry Regiment was honoured with a title of “Sardar Bahadur” and was awarded a gold plated sword with the following inscription “In token of the Gallantry at Prome and Exemplary conduct while in attendance on the British Envoy at Ava 1826, This sword is presented to Subedar Ayyanna, 38th Regiment N.I. by the C. Government of Fort St.George A.D.1829”. He was also awarded the Medal of (OBI) Order of British India.
• 4. Subedar Major Kandula Appaiah Garu was honoured with the title of “Sardar Bahadur” and conferred with Order of British India in the year 1855. There are many other Subedars and other Subedar Majors from these families.

Civil

The second part of the 19th century has seen number of people from these families rise in civil positions to quote a few,

• 1. Erra Subbarayudu Garu - First Grade District Munsif (1875-1900)
• 2. Vogeti Ramakrishnayya Garu - First Class Honorary Magistrate (1875-1900)
• 3. Namana Kondalarayudu Garu – Retired as a Thasildar in 1902 and he was also honoured with the title of “Rao Sahib” etc.

Barristers and Lawyers

Many from these families have qualified themselves as Barristers and Lawyers, as early as 1930's and before, to quote a few,

• 1. Kanchumarthi Narasayyah Garu – Practiced law in 1870's in District and Session court.
• 2. Kandula Veera Raghava Swamy Naidu garu - obtained Barrister Qualification, and was a Bar-at-law, Municipal Chairman, MLC, MLA etc.

Doctors

Many from these families have qualified themselves as Doctors in 1930's, to quote a few,

• 1. Dr. Muttangi Jagga Rao Garu

All the Doctors have worked for the then State Government and District Boards. In addition to these

• 1. Erra Venkataswamy Garu has authored and published “Vastugunadeepika” a voluminous book about Materia Medica of Ayurvedic herbs, medicines etc. in 1883 and in 1900 the book was improved and edited by his son Erra Subbarayadu Garu by including Hindi, Sanskrit and Botanical Names of all the herbs mentioned in the book. The book is being widely used and published even today.
• 2. Vogeti Seshagiri rao garu established the first travels in Rajahmundry with bus number G.O.137 under the name of Godavari Bus Services Limited. The bus travelled from Rajahmundry to Gokavaram.

Further reading

Balija Kula Charitra by Kante Narayana desayi.

References

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