Adibhatla hailed for ‘devotion par excellence’

Speakers at the 160th birth anniversary celebrations of Harikatha exponent Srimad Ajjada Adibhatla Narayanadasu hailed him for his ‘devotion par excellence’ and appealed for the revival of the art form of Harikatha.

At the event ‘Harikatha Vaibhavam’ organised by the TTD’s Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishat (HDPP) here on Sunday (August 31, 2025), renowned scholar and ‘Pancha Sahasravadhani’ Medasani Mohan explained how Adibhatla glorified the art form of Harikatha in a befitting manner with his expertise and eloquent narration style.

Citing the example of Bhakta Prahlada, Medasani Mohan recalled how Adibhatla also started professing ‘Hari Bhakti’ through the art form at a tender age to become an authority over the issue. “Devotion alone is the true path to attain the grace of the Almighty in this eon Kaliyuga,” he said.

HDPP artistes performed the compositions of Adibhatla Narayanadasu, while Y. Venkateswarlu Bhagavatar delivered a discourse on ‘The role of Harikatha in the propagation of Dharma’.

P. Varalakshmi Bhagavatharini spoke about the life and contributions of Narayanadasu. Renowned Harikatha artiste M.V. Simhachala Sastry Bhagavatar performed ‘Bhakta Markandeya’ and Parayitam Narayanacharya Bhagavatar on ‘Bhakta Shabari’.

In the evening session, storyteller M. Ramudu Bhagavatar presented ‘Parvati Kalyanam’ and Venkateswarlu Bhagavatar on ‘Gajendra Moksham’. HDPP Secretary Sriram Raghunath, Additional Secretary Rama Gopal and Assistant Executive Officer Ch. Satyanarayana also took part.