Hyderabad, Chikkadpally, Trinet News, August 24: The release event of 'Aranya Shatakam', another century-verse (Shatakam) collection written by prominent journalist and humorist Shankara Narayana—whom Gana Sabha President Kala Janardhana Murthy praised as 'Shataka Narayana'—was held at the Kala Subbarao Kala Vedika in Sri Thyagaraja Gana Sabha. The event was organized by Gana Sabha with the patronage of the Department of Language and Culture.
Attending as the chief guest, Kala Janardhana Murthy unveiled 'Aranya Shatakam' and spoke on the occasion. He explained that while Shankara Narayana has written fifty previous Shatakas based on spiritual themes, he composed the verses of 'Aranya Shatakam' to emphasize the necessity of forests in protecting the environment and nature. He appreciated the meaningful comparison of Mother Forest to a fountain of nectar (Amrutha Valli).
On the stage, Shankara Narayana formally dedicated his poetry collection to renowned writer and senior forest department official Devanapalli Veena Pani. Speaking on the event, Veena Pani noted that writing a hundred verses centering on forests within just ten to fifteen days, as Shankara Narayana told her, is a testament to his mastery over the language. She urged everyone to read the easy-to-understand 'Aranya Shatakam' and grasp the importance of forests.
Shankara Narayana stated that writing one hundred Shatakas is his ultimate goal. He shared that he wrote 'Aranya Shatakam' with the inspiring thought that "one who raises a dog is a mere mortal, whereas one who nurtures a sapling is a sage."
Children's literature writer Chokkapu Ramana and film director Mallam Ramesh were present on the stage.
