Blind Mathematician: Lakkoju Sanjeevaraya Sharma
By Bibhuprasad Mohapatra
“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
It is popular belief that disable persons are unable to do something great. But it is not fact at all. Lakkoju Sanjeevaraya Sharma was a little known Indian mathematician from Andhra Pradesh. He was born blind and gave many Mathematical Avadhanams (Ganitavadhanams) and surprised the elite and educated people.
He was born on 27 November 1907 at Kalluru village of Proddatur mandal (Block) in Cuddapah district in a pious Brahmin family. His parents are Lakkoju Pedda Pullaiah and Nagamma. He had no formal education. He was married to Adilakshmamma at the tender age of 19.
He gave his first performance at Andhra Mahasabha at Nandyala (Kurnool District) in 1928 chaired by Indian philosopher and statesman Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975). Nandyal is a town; originally called Nandalluru, is a major centre of trade, commerce, education and industries in the region. He was also invited to New Delhi by the then Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) and performed before the 1st President Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963) and other dignitaries. He was widely traveled and gave about 7,000 performances in several states e.g. AP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and New Delhi (UT but state status). One of the memorable performances was given on December 7th 1966 at Sri Krishna Devaraya Andhra Bhasha Nilayam, Hyderabad. He has prepared Indian Calendar for 4000 years. He has received many Gold medals, honors and felicitations.
He was invited to USA in 1993 by the Telugu community but could not attend due to Visa problem. He got honorary Ph D from Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati in 1996. It is a tragedy that a mathematical giant spent his old age in utter poverty in an asbestos room at Srikalahasti, a holy town and a municipality in the Chittoor district. But the Government showed lukewarm response to support such type of stammering personality. He was playing Violin every evening at Kalahasteswara (Lord Shiva) temple and used to get some honourorium from the Devasthanam (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, TTD) authorities. He died in 1998.
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