|
The case of false unities in general and the collections of statues we see here in modern Andhra Pradesh in particular are, in a sense, attempts at category creation from above, the inverse of the process outlined in this work for Telugu speakers of the nineteenth century. Whether they succeed in these attempts is yet to be seen. At first glance they represent interesting lists of historical figures. Upon further examination, they test the observer's good sense and any knowledgeable on-looker's understanding of the experience of the great cultural diversity in modern Andhra Pradesh. See the conclusion for a brief discussion of this issue. The Tank Bandh at Hyderabad exhibits 33 statues of individuals who together purportedly comprise the range of ideas and inspiration that make up the culture of Andhra Pradesh today. The north and south entrances to the bandh have gateways modeled after the gates erected at Warangal by the Kakatiya rulers of the 12th and 13th centuries. The unity of the statues at Visakhapatnam represents an even greater stretch on the historical imagination Hyderabad
|