Which of the following best describes Annamacharya's contribution to Indian devotional music?

Question

Which of the following best describes Annamacharya's contribution to Indian devotional music?

1. A. Composed Sanskrit hymns on caste rituals
2. B. Wrote over 32,000 songs promoting devotion and equality (Correct answer)
3. C. Restricted songs to temples and priests only
4. D. Focused only on melody, not on social reform

Correct Answer

Option B — Wrote over 32,000 songs promoting devotion and equality

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Wrote over 32,000 songs promoting devotion and equality.

Key Points

• Annamacharya (Annamayya, 1408-1503) was a Telugu composer-saint of Tirupati, devoted to Lord Venkateswara.
• He is credited with composing around 32,000 sankirtanas, and his verses carried devotion to ordinary worshippers in accessible Telugu rather than restricting it to Sanskrit liturgy.
• His songs criticised caste distinction and affirmed equality before God, which rules out the options describing him as ritual-bound or temple-restricted.

Additional Information

• He is regarded as the pada-kavita pitamaha — the grandfather of Telugu song-writing — and is considered a forerunner of the Carnatic *kirtana* form.
• His compositions were inscribed on copper plates and preserved at Tirumala, where many were rediscovered in the 20th century.
• Related composer-saints: the Carnatic Trinity — Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri — along with Purandara Dasa, called the father of Carnatic music.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा विकल्प अन्नमाचार्य के भारतीय भक्ति संगीत में योगदान का सबसे उपयुक्त वर्णन करता है?

1. A. जातिगत अनुष्ठानों पर संस्कृत भजनों की रचना की
2. B. भक्ति और समानता को बढ़ावा देने वाले 32,000 से अधिक गीत लिखे
3. C. केवल मंदिरों और पुजारियों तक ही सीमित गीत
4. D. केवल राग-रंग पर ध्यान केन्द्रित, सामाजिक सुधार पर नहीं