What's in a Family name?

A family name/Sir name used is an Indication to family lineage, hierarchy, Geneaology and behavioural traits.

I grew up mostly in Krishna district as my mother moved away from Chennai to Kolavennu to be with her mother in law. The very many Sirnames I knew in Kolavennu were Kancharla, Kovelamudi, Adusumilli, Tummala, Yalamanchili, Peravali, Kakani, Mukkamala.

Kovelamudi decimated to a single-family in Kolavennu with my Appu the only heir and it lost its significance as a family name with none alike my great grandfather(Grandma's dad) Gopalakrishnayya Garu rose in education, service or wealth. His elder son deceased early with the only daughter and second son Bhaskar Rao Garu turned early Tollywood producer. He made few movies but is more known for a large family without family planning and also for causing monetary harm to both his brother's daughter and sister son my dad who both are fatherless children to question his misdeeds. He too returned Vijayawada from Chennai in 70's alike my father returning kolavennu post Anna durai's demise.

Several Kovelamudi members migrated to Pamarru, Vijayawada, Guduru, Gunturu etc. Some went to Ornament making, Some in theatres, some in Bicycle shop, some farmers none had achieved a stature of Gopalakrishnaiah Garu. Kovelamudi Prakash Rao Garu was roped by Bhaskar Rao Garu from Mumbai where he was working for an Insurance company. later followed his footsteps M/S Bapaiah whose mother was from Guntupalli and Raghavendra Rao who in their early days lived with my father was told. they have grown in material wealth but not in social synergy and philanthropy. Was told few wore Silk clothing and some ardent white followers. Notorious Kovelamudi was a serial Cab driver killer caught for murders in Punadipadu. Prakash Rao Garu ruined my dads project Ramudu Bheemudu and caused enormous financial loss which forced him to shelve it and with my dad's generosity Ramanaidu became a producer and his life changed forever. Had come to know from several that it was a recurring shameless phenomenon this gentleman kept doing ruining several aspiring families.

Kovelamudis are very commercial people they are more self-centred with what is in for me kind of an attitude. Have not seen a single person who is full of generosity or virtues in all my walk of life until now.

Kancharlas there are some 10 families I have known of but my grandfathers family is the largest landholder in Krishna with 500 acres in Kolavennu alone with houses in Kolavennu, Kankipadu and Vijayawada. But this family is also self-centric to their well being and egos. Though Kanchukota Narayana Rao Garu and Madhava Rao Garu have been known for their generosity and especially helping filmi lot and my father his early years lived mostly in Chennai is known to those only. They didn't have political or social inclinations and leaning.

With my grandfather's early demise at 35 years and his parents offloading most of the property to second son my father and his brothers had no male overseer so no controls. whoever was around is there for a reason to enjoy material wealth and them being close to Glamour most of them have all nuances of this glitterati. These were not united and somehow failed to create a lasting empire in Cinema or Industry or Agronomy. There are others including my father's cousins but none have the stature of these or even looks and lifestyle. Now in 5th generation, we are still looking for that elusive greatness which one of my grandfather's friend( Koduru Reddaiah Garu) told me that there would be no comparable second to Chandrasekhar Rao Garu. we have a highly notorious member known for gambling, dishonest practices, several default cases spreading pan India. what I have seen in this so-called elite is that they have lost the sense of accountability and shame and mingle/participate with head held high with high pitched voices so as to pose as their misdeeds are sugarcoated with glossy clothing, ornaments, cars and perfumes la page three glam life ...

There are some Tummala Families in which one is Yesu Garu(Venkateswar Rao) he is my mother's maternal uncle. He was quite agile and always on move. he tried in Cotton, Poultry etc but he has not succeeded and his only daughter Malleswari deceased due to cancer, him and then his wife leaving the only son of Malleswari Akka. she was quite good looking and married to Guntur cotton milling family. now we see another Tummala seen as the president of Kolavennu just opposite to Yesu Tata's home. I don't know much but he is in circulation now. Tummalas of Kolavennu are not that visible or wealthy alike other rich families nor known for any contributions.

Adusumillis of Kolavennu are almost on par with Kancharla and were used to be called North/South elite family. These are a united lot and had a better bonding than rest in the village. The most famous and elitist of these is ASR Anjaneyulu Garu and him too alike Kancharla Producers lost wealth in Telugu Industry and his son has repaid all his debts. was told director Raghavendra Rao also used to frequent him alike my father in their hay shining days. Alike my dad two families Baburao Garu and Chinnabbai garu used to have Ongole bulls which used to compete in the circuit a very notoriously costly hobby alike horses. Two adusumillis daughters of cousins were married two one my own brother Sarath Chandra Sekhar and earlier to him by cousin KC Sekhar Babu. we also had Goginenis two cousins married into family nieces of Acharya N G Ranga but these are Guntur Goginenis not manikoda ones. ASR Anjaneyulu garus wife is Manikonda gogineni. we had one Boppana in our family subbamma garu of Tamirsa village my grandmothers grandmother who came as caretaker to my nayanamma as she lost mother and husband early and needed support. She was a dominant character she had no children and she adopted Krishnamoorthy garu and gave her wealth in Tamirsa to him after handing substantial land to Government. was lucky had been with her most of my childhood.

The third richest family is Yarlagadds Eswaramma mamma, I remember this is the lone family of yarlagadda in kolavennu and our neighbour. Have no hesitation to say she is most generous of all families and she adopted children as she had none. but alike us this family all also lost wealth and significance. Both neighbours lives ended disarray. They used to say any public servant of significance who came to the village never left without her hospitality she contributed Village library.

There was lone Jasti, Narayana Rao Garu who was a close friend to Kanchukota Narayan Rao Garu. The house he resided was earlier owned by Kovelamudi Gopalkrishnaiah Garu it seems do not know how it changed hands. his first wife deceased and his children moved to the US, he remarried and had a son at a very late age. later that house also was sold to adusumilli Pasi. Pasis father grew from a very humble beginning to a rice miller shrouded in mystery. anyhow the effluent adusumillis somehow never treated these as one of them.

Then Peravalis who used to do farming on leased lands and some business activity also stabilised entering finance companies in Vijayawada for trucking and others. This gave them footing and mileage in building liquidity. They used to shadow Mr.Vadde shobanadeeswar rao who was a minister in TDP. Some entered poultry and one also in liquor syndicate. some also associated with Siticable was told this gave some tummala/Peravali people a good fillip.

There were few Kakanis but somehow these were poorer dont know reasons but were really strugguling. One of these lived with my father in Chennai it seems while in filmmaking.

We also have mukkamala family in this village don't know if there are more in number earlier. These are below middle class who made a living of Kirana shop slowly they bettered and with children's education have made some visibility. Uncanny, unreliable and for the last two generations they placated roots of families who have entered into nuptial ties.

There is Mikkilineni family also and character actor Mikkilineni is from this village only.

There were yalamanchili and one of them worked in NASA and he moved India but due to SHAR politics, he left back to the US. Yalamanchili sarveswar Rao Garu also had Ongole bulls he too is quite fanatic about them.

We have two MLA's that originated from this village M/s Akkineni Bhaskar Rao and Adusimilli Jayaprakash. of both at any point Mr Bhaskar Rao has been a better politician and accommodative and had a long political life. The other is a deal maker/political facilitator/frontman swapping parties/ideology, people and has not much political base.

Our neighbouring village Punadipadu which is also our Tatamma Kotammagarus home is known for Polavarapu family from which she hailed and her brother Rambrahmam garu was active in politics then. Walden Sobha is from that family granddaughter of Madhusudhan Rao Garu my tatammas younger brother.

Then there are Anumolu and PAP Subbarao Garu is from that family and ECC Ramakrishna Garu also with the same surname. then there are Pidikitis, Maddalis etc whom I knew. Maddali is also affluent in Punadipadu alike Pidikiti.

In maternal grandparents village Kodali saw Tummals dominating my grandmother was tummala's daughter who were strong/relevant, Gummadi was Ok but was told roots of Gummadi were from Gudiwada taluk and migrations happened generations ago.

The Surname is not genealogy, Roots it stands testimony to behavioural traits and family tradition, upbringing, civility, etiquette and resilience that is the reason why people say look at 5 generations of family roots to get to know the person and family.

Saw Katragadda, Koneru, Veeramachineni, Atluri, Ramineni, Guttikonda, Chilakapati, Vallabhaneni, Nalluri, Vemuri, Gottipati, Mandava, Chukkapalli etc in schools at NSM, St johns, Siddhartha and GITAM. I have known others but knew little.

Earlier in college used to draw a family tree of my family which made one of my classmate's mom inquire about my nayanamma and family as they knew her in early years, it seems. people tend to attach significance to your lineage after you have social status now earlier it was vice versa it was family name first followed by wealth. whatever reasons maybe still this name has significance to ideate and also study greatly on personality traits. This is still relevant in matchmaking and also enduring friendships and business partnership...