Nanne Choda

Nanne Choda was a 12th-century Telugu poet renowned for composing the famous work Kumara Sambhavam. He holds the titles Tekanadityudu (టెంకాణాదిత్యుడు) and Kaviraja Sikhamani (కవిరాజ శిఖామణి). He is regarded as the first composer of Prabandha. The trio of Nanne Choda, Mallikarjuna Panditaradhya and Palkuriki Somanatha are referred as Śivakavitrayam (i.e. Trio of Saivite Poets). These trio along with Piduparthi poets and Yathavakkula Annamayya pioneered the Veera Saiva movement in the Andhra region.

Dating The exact timeline of Nannechoda's life is debated in Telugu literary circles. Chilukuri Veerabhadra Rao suggested that he lived between 925 and 940 CE. He based this on a particular verse, indicating that Telugu poetry flourished a hundred years before Nannaya. However, due to various interpretations of that verse and the uncertainty regarding its authenticity, Veturi Prabhakara Sastry concluded that it is difficult to prove Nannechoda's antiquity compared to Nannaya. The similarity between verses in Somnatha's 12th-century works and Nannechoda's Kumara Sambhavam has led scholars to believe they might have lived around the same period. Nannechoda's Kumara Sambhavam is not a literal translation of Kalidasa's work but an original prabandha that draws on various Puranic sources. His work demonstrates a blend of classical and local traditions, highlighting his skill in adapting stories for the Telugu literary landscape. He has dedicated his work to Jangama Mallikarjuna, who was his guru.