Bhagvatulu Ramakottaiah

🪔 About

Bhagavatula Ramakotaiah was a renowned figure in Indian classical dance, particularly celebrated as a prominent proponent of Kuchipudi in the Telangana region. He played a pivotal role in establishing Kuchipudi in Telangana during the Nizam era. Ramakotaiah received his training in the art form from esteemed gurus Vedantam Raghavayya and Venkatramayya, who taught him both solo items and Yakshaganas. In 1961, Ramakotaiah founded a dance school in Hyderabad, marking him as perhaps the first artist to establish such an institution on Telangana soil. His dedication extended to performing, and in the early 1970s, he was noted for his performance of 'Ramanatakam' at Thyagaraya Ganasabha, where his five-year-old son, Sethuram, also participated. Ramakotaiah's teaching legacy is carried forward by his son, Bhagavatula Sethuram, whom he personally trained in Yakshaganas until Sethuram was 19. After Ramakotaiah's demise, Sethuram took over the mantle of his father's institute, Sri Kuchipudi Nritya Nilayam, continuing his father's work in preserving and propagating the Kuchipudi tradition.