TCA History at a Glance (1957-2009)

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Research & Compilation by Sri Vanguri Chitten Raju

  • 1957: First Telugu Family arrives in Houston (Dr. D A A S Rao)
  • 1973: First Movie Stars visit Houston (Vanisree, Rajababu, Gummadi and others)
  • 1975-76: Initial thoughts and Discussions on starting a Telugu Association
  • 1976: First Sankranthi (January) First Bommala Koluvu (Bala Chavali, Padma Tamirisa, Sarada Polani, Sakunthala Gangadharam, Vasantha Putcha and others)
  • April, 1976: First Constitution drafted (Dr. D A A S Rao, Dr. Potu Narasimha Rao, Tammareddy Chandrasekhara Rao)
  • January, 1977: First Official Organizing Committee formed.
  • March, 1977: First Ugadi Celebrations
  • 1977: First Telugu drama enacted in Houston (Written by Vanguri Chitten Raju and directed by Anil Kumar)
  • May 1977: The only Official delegation of TCA sent to First Telugu Conference of North America (Vanguri Chitten Raju, Anil Kumar, Duvvuri Suri, Ratna Papa). First ever Burra Katha in North America performed by Houston team.
  • 1978: Publication of “Madhura Vaani” Magazine begins. (Vanguri Chitten Raju, Vasantha Lakshmi Putcha, Editors)
  • April 1979: First Ugadi Special Souvenir Edition of Madhura Vaani published.
  • August 1980: First Directory of TCA with 154 families published. (Compiled by Vanguri Chitten Raju, Mallik Putcha, Kodali Subba Rao).
  • 1982: 16mm movie projector and audio system purchased by TCA.
  • 1980: Non-profit status as 501 © 3 received from IRS. (Polani Janaki Ramayya & Thota Surya Rao)
  • 1980: First Telugu School established (Chavali Ramasomayajulu, Kalapatapu Venugopala Rao, Sita Mutyala)
  • 1980: First fancy dress competition held for children (Eluru Gopala Krishna, President)
  • 1979-80: The only year TCA has three Co-ordinators in the same year serving partial terms (Susarla Sarma, Polai Janaki Ramayya, Adavalli Janardhana Reddy)
  • 1981: “Mahakavi” Sri Sri visits Houston. “Siprali” -a collection of three sataka padyaalu published for the first time in his own hand writing which is the first Telugu book to be published in North America. (Vanguri Chitten Raju)
  • 1982: Mobile Telugu Library where Telugu books are taken to all programs for people to check out. (Kalapatapu Venugopala Rao)
  • 1983: First Carnatic Musical Concert – Sri Nukala Satyanarayana (Vavilala Krishna Sastry, President)
  • 1983: First visit of Sri Vempati China Satyam dance troupe (Vavilala Krishna Sastry, President)
  • 1984: First typed Madhura Vani printed in India (Vavilala Krishna Sastry)
  • 1984: First Youth Festival
  • 1985: Official visit of Chief Minister N T Rama Rao (Bellary Shyam Sundar, TCA President)
  • 1988: First and only contested election with secret balloting for TCA Committee.
  • 1989: 7th TANA Convention (Vinta Janardhana Reddy, Convenor, Vemulapalli Kesava Rao, TCA President)
  • 1989: First ever Avadhanam in North America (Dr. Medasani Mohan, Avadhani)
  • (Organized by Polani Janaki Ramayya & Vanguri Chitten Raju)
  • 250 page Madhura Vaani as TANA Souvenir is still a record with Bapu’s original illustration of Madhura Vaani. (Vanguri Chitten Raju, Chief Editor). This is Bapu’s first illustration of Souevenir cover in North America.
  • 1990: TCA becomes first organization in USA to introduce yearly scholarships to meritorious high school graduates with surplus TANA Convention funds. (Sita Mutyala, Organizer)
  • 1991: First Sports Competitions (Tennis etc) (Subba Rao Yalamanchili, President)
  • 1993: TCA Coordinator position renamed President (Mutyala Padmasri)
  • 1996, May 17: First visit to Houston by BAPU and movie star Jamuna
  • 1996: First visit by Sri Sri Sri Tridanadi China Jeeyar Swamiji to Houston.
  • 1996: July: 4th ATA Convention (AVN Reddy, Convenor, Kanakam Babu Inampudi, TCA President)
  • 1997: TCA Student Scholarship initiative expanded with surplus ATA Convention funds.
  • 1997: First TCA web site created (Ravi Tamirisa, President, Sudesh Pillutla, Web Master)
  • 1998: TCA co-hosts the on-going bi-annual Texas Telugu Sahithi Sadassulu.
  • 2003: TCA Silver Jubilee Celebrations (Yalamanchili Rajasekhar, Convenor. Chitten Raju Vanguri, President)
  • 2004: TCA leadership passes on to younger generation and becomes high-tech with new web site and electronic communications. (Kishore Dannapaneni, President)
  • 2004: Board of Trustees added as an additional Organizational Entity.
  • 2004: First Annual Telugu Competitions for children (Reading/Writing/Speaking) held. (Kishore Dannapaneni, President)
  • 2005: First Annamayya Aaradhanotsavaalu as an yearly cultural feature. (Ram Cheruvu, President)
  • 2006: Major humanitarian efforts to help the needy Telugu people (Ravi Atluri, President)
  • 2006: TCA Co-hosts Sixth America Telugu Sahithi Sadassu with Bapu as Chief Guest. (Ravi Atluri, President)
  • 2007: First set of Telugu books placed in Houston Public Library (Ramesh Desabhotla, President, Vavilala Krishna Sastry)
  • 2007: Vaggeyakaarulu & Siddhendra Yogi Day begin to celebrate Telugu classical music and Kuchipudi dance. (Ramesh Desabhotla, President)
  • 2008: Telugu Badi formalized in several Houston locations (Sangita Vennelakanti, President)
  • 2008: First Telugu Pauraanika Natakam with Houston talent (Sangita Vennelakanti, President, Sudhesh Pillutla, Producer & Director)
  • 2008: Houston Sahithi Lokam internet group starts (Ram Cheruvu, Sudesh Pillutla)
  • 2008: “Nela Nela Telugu Vennela” Monthly literary meetings start (Ram Cheruvu, Sudesh Pillutla, Vanguri Chitten Raju, Ram Pakala, President)
  • 2009: First Janta-Avadhanam by two great Avadhanis (Medasani Mohan & Kavitha Prasad)
  • First visit by Prajakavulu to Houston (Suddala Asok Teja, Amdesri, Goreti Venkanna) (Ram Pakala, President)

Some selected points of interest about Telugu people in Greater Houston area in the first 25 years of TCA (1976-2003)

  • 1973: First ever Indian Restaurant in all of Texas: “Maharaja” started by Anil Kumar, Suri Duvvuri and others in Rice Village.
  • 1975: Anjali Center for performing Arts, First organization of its kind in South West USA (Rathna (Papa) Kumar Papa.
  • First three Telugu films screened in Houston in 16 mm format in Business School auditorium of Texas Southern University):  Sudigundaalu -1977 (In the presence of Producer U. Visweswara Rao), “Malleswari” –March 11, 1979, “Veerabhimanya” – March 25, 1979
  • The persons who served as TCA Presidents for more than one year are Ravi Tamirisa, Adavalli Janardhana Reddy, Subba Rao Yalamanchili and Anjaneyulu Koneru. (1980-81)
  • 1992: First Telugu Radio Program hosted in Houston for almost one year by Anil Kumar (Producer: Dr. Rao Nandeti).
  • 1993: First Telugu movie produced in Houston with local artists: “Aalaya Naadalu” (Uma Bharathi)
  • 1994: First organization dedicated exclusively to promote Telugu literature in North America established in Houston (Vanguri Foundation of America)
  • Sita Mutyla is the artist who drew most of the covers of Madhura Vaani.Vanguri Chitten Raju is Founder & Editor of Madhura Vaani for most of the years (about 20 years) since 1977 until its publication ceased after 2003. Other Editors include Vasantha Lakshmi Putcha, Susarla Kumari, Hira Duvvuri, Venugopla Rao Kalapatapu, Showri Nandagiri, Ashok Kumar, Aanada Kishore, M. Bhaskara Rao and others.
  • Persons who became Presidents of TANA and ATA from Houston area. Almost all of them served as Presidents of TCA before they became national leaders.(Jithender Reddy, AVN Reddy, Pinnapureddy Srinivasa Reddy, Mutyala Padmasri, Chalasani Mallikarjuna Rao, Prabhakar Chowdary Kakarala,).

A few of the dignitaries, legendary artists, and famous people who visited Houston and honored by TCA

  • Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao,
  • Guru Vempati China Satyam,
  • Radha Reddy & Raja Reddy,
  • Swapna Sundari,
  • Akkineni Nageswara Rao,
  • N.T. Rama Rao,
  • Sri Sri,
  • C. Narayana Reddy,
  • Bapu,
  • Arudra,
  • Balamurali Krishna,
  • P. Suseela,
  • Janaki,
  • S.P Balasubramanyam,
  • Jamuna Rani,
  • L.R. Eswari,
  • K. Viswanath,
  • Jandhyala,
  • Gummmadi,
  • Jamuna,
  • Puranam Subramanya Sarma,
  • Jikki,
  • Madhavapeddi Satyam,
  • P. Leela,
  • Shobha Raju,
  • Jaya Prabha,
  • Volga,
  • Nobel Laureate Dr. S. Chandra Sekhar,
  • Nerella Venu Madhav,
  • Emani Sankara Sastry,
  • Chitti Babu,
  • NedunurI Krishnamurthy,
  • Yalla Venkateswara Rao,
  • Lavanam,
  • U. Viswesvara Rao,
  • Akella,
  • L. Subramanyam,
  • Shavukaru Janaki,
  • Medasani Mohan,
  • Rallabandi Kavitha Prasad
  • Nagaphani Sarma,
  • Garikipati Narasimha Rao,
  • Chandra Mohan,
  • Vanisree, Rajababu,
  • ManjuBhargavi,
  • J V Somayajulu,
  • J V Ramana Murthy
  • Jaya Sudha,
  • Dr. A. Anasuya Devi,
  • Sita Vinjamuri,
  • Vamsee Ramaraju,
  • Murali Mohan,
  • Rallabandi,
  • Brahmanandam,
  • Sarada,
  • AVS, Rumya Krishna,
  • Kota,
  • Gummadi Gopala Krishna,
  • Indraganti Srikantha Sarma,
  • Pulikanti Krishna Reddy, Madhurantakam
  • Rajaram,
  • Gollapudi Maruthi Rao
  • Akkiraju Gopalakrishna
  • Suddala Ashok Teja
  • Gorati Venkanna
  • Andesri
  • Cartoonist Jayadev
  • and many others.

A few of the Telugu movies screened by TCA on its 16mm projector:
Sudigundalu, Malleswari, Veerabhimanya, Manavudu-Danavudu, Sampurna Ramayanam, Pandava Vanavasam, Nathana Sala