Veluri Venkata Krishna Sastry (23 October 1934 – 21 August 2012) was an archaeologist and historian in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Early life.
Krishna Sastry was born on 23 October 1934, Chirivada, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India to Veluri Partha Sarathi and Veluri Anasuya. He graduated from Gudivada College in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, and received his master's degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. He received his PhD from Karnataka University, Dharvar, Karnataka, India.
Sastry's name is associated with almost all the developments and achievements in the archaeology of Andhra Pradesh that happened from the 1970s to the 1990s. He is credited with the identification of a large number of prehistoric, historic and Buddhist sites in Andhra Pradesh. He is also considered the grandfather of Nizam-Telangana History or Nizam-Telangana Charithra Pitamahudu. He is remembered for his scholarly works on Telugu history, both in his birth state of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State. The man was a legend for his unmatchable contributions to the history of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Sastry wrote over one-hundred papers in numerous research journals, and has also published ten books in his field.
A festschrift in his honour was edited by P. Chenna Reddy.
Career as an archaeologist.
Sastry started his career as a scholar trainee at Nagarjunakonda with the Archaeological Survey of India, in 1959. 1961–68 he worked as a technical assistant for the State Department of Archaeology and Museums, Andhra Pradesh. 1968–79 Sastry worked as assistant director of archaeological excavations at the Department of Archaeology and Museums and as chief technical officer at the Department of Archaeology and Museums, from 1979–81. From 1981–92 he worked as director of the Department of Archaeology and Museums. From 1989 to 1991 he also officiated as director of State Archives and Oriental Manuscripts Library.
Sastry unraveled the mysteries in some of the most important Buddhist sites at Chandavaram in Prakasam District, Kesanapalli in Guntur District, Dhulikatta and Kotilingala in Karimnagar district. Sastry proved through his excavation that Keesaragutta in Medchal Taluq of Rangareddy District was ruled by Chalukyas during the post-Satavahana times of 4th–5th centuries AD. The Buddhist sites excavated by Sastry on the hilltops of Totlakonda and Bavikonda are now developed as tourist centers by the Indian Government.
Some of the ancient temples once situated in the submerged area of Srisailam have been reconstructed in the newly built villages Somasila, Erladinne, Siddheswaram, Bhujangeswaram, and Kyatur. They stand as testimonies to the planning and execution skills of Sastry.
Sastry's efforts in establishing museums resulted in the construction and opening up of district museums at Anantapur, Warangal, Nalgonda, Kurnool and the site museums at Chandavaram. The district museum of Nalgonda built adjacent to Pachchala Someswara temple at Panugal has now grown to be an important tourist attraction.
Salvage archaeology.
Under Salvage archaeological operations in the submergible area of the Srisailam Project a large number of ancient temples have been dismantled and reconstructed at higher altitudes. The Somasila Group of Temples, the temples of Siddheswaram, Bhujangeswaram were transplanted and reconstructed.
The fourteen temple group of Somasila was dismantled bit by bit and reconstructed at the newly built Somasila village that it now stands aloft in the new Somasila village due to the unceasing efforts of Sastry.
Professional achievements.
Sastry retired as Director, Department of Archaeology and Museums, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was Sectional President for the Indian History Congress held at Kolkatta. He was Sectional President and later General President for Andhra Pradesh History Congress. He was General President for the South Indian Numismatic Conference held at Cochin.
He is a Member on the Salarjung Museum Board, Member of the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, Chief Compiler in the Telugu Encyclopedia Revision committee of the Telugu University. He is also the President of the Historical Society of Hyderabad.
Awards.
In 2002 Sastry received the Eminent Citizen Award as an "Outstanding Archaeologist" by the Sanatana Dharma Charitable Trust, Hyderabad.
He was awarded the Title of "Esasvi" by the Helapuri Fort Group Eluru, West Godavary, Andhra Pradesh.
Publications.
Sastry's book "Proto Historical Cultures of Andhra Pradesh" was published in 1982.
His book in Telugu entitled "Bharatiya Samskruti Puratatva Parisodhanalu" written as a dialogue between grandfather and grandson described by a journal as the ‘Puratatvopanishad’ was received exceedingly well by the scholarly world.