About MaNaSu Foundation
Preserving the rich literary heritage of Telugu culture for current and future generations
Our Story
Founded in 2006, MaNaSu (Mannam Narasimham Subbamma) Foundation was born from a heartfelt vision to give back to the community by preserving Telugu literature. The idea began when our founder, Sri M. Venkata Rayudu, embarked on a personal project to translate Shakespeare's works into Telugu – striving to bridge classic English literature with Telugu readers.
This passion for literature quickly expanded. Realizing the vast wealth of Telugu writings at risk of being forgotten, Rayudu joined hands with his cousins Dr. Gopi Chand Mannam and Dr. Mannam Chandra Mouli to establish a formal foundation dedicated to literary preservation. What started as a family initiative has since evolved into one of India's most extensive voluntary digitization movements for regional literature.
In the early years, the foundation focused on identifying and collecting rare books, manuscripts, and old periodicals of Telugu. Our goal was two-fold from the outset: preserve the past and enrich the future.
2006
Year Founded
Our Journey
From a family initiative to a nationwide movement
Project eChitrapuri
Launched our digital archive for vintage Telugu cinema music and memorabilia, digitizing thousands of songs, photographs, and audio recordings.
Digitization Center
Established a dedicated center in Varikuntapadu, SPSR Nellore district. Equipped with high-quality scanners to accelerate book preservation.
25M+ Pages
Over 130,000 books and 70,000 magazines digitized, freely accessible to anyone with an interest in Telugu literature.
Our Mission & Vision
Our mission is simple yet profound: to preserve and pass on the literary richness of Telugu to future generations. We envision a world where Telugu culture thrives in the modern era, with its literature, art, and history accessible to all who seek it.
This means rescuing aging books from decay, digitizing them with care, and sharing them freely online. We operate with a strong sense of responsibility and humility – the works we archive do not belong to us, but to the public and to posterity. Our role is that of custodians.
In line with this vision, all of MaNaSu Foundation's projects are non-commercial and service-driven. We do not sell the knowledge; we serve it. By harnessing technology and volunteer efforts, we aim to bridge the past and the future.
The People Behind MaNaSu
A dedicated team combining expertise in technology, medicine, and media
Sri M. Venkata Rayudu
Founder & Visionary
An electronics engineer and entrepreneur based in Bengaluru. His passion for literature and commitment to community service defined MaNaSu's ethos. Popularly known as MaNaSu Rayudu.
Dr. Gopi Chand Mannam
Co-Founder & Mentor
A renowned cardiac surgeon from Hyderabad, celebrated for his medical philanthropy. Founder of Hrudaya Foundation for child heart health, bringing compassionate outlook to MaNaSu.
Dr. Mannam Chandra Mouli
Co-Founder & Literary Advisor
A veteran journalist, publisher, and key figure in Telugu media (notably with TV9 Telugu). Guides the selection of works for digitization and republication with decades of publishing experience.
Our Volunteer Network
These founders are supported by a committed advisory panel and a volunteer workforce that spans continents. Our volunteers include retired professors, young engineers, librarians, and students – all united by a love for Telugu culture. Each person contributes in their own way: proofreading scanned texts, coding our website and book-loading application, or even helping physically restore old books for scanning. We believe the strength of MaNaSu Foundation lies in this collective effort.
Looking Ahead
After years of quiet, steady work, MaNaSu Foundation has built a reputation as a trusted guardian of literary heritage. We remain committed to preserving Telugu's literary voice – keeping it free, accessible, and timeless.
Expanding Our Platform
Improving the online library where users can search and read archived books, and adding new features to make contributing and accessing content easier.
Preserving Endangered Material
Continuously on the lookout for out-of-print books by forgotten authors or old community newsletters – saving and sharing them before they disappear.
Join Our Mission
If you have books to suggest, want to volunteer, or are simply curious to explore, we welcome you wholeheartedly. The story of MaNaSu Foundation is, at its core, the story of a community coming together to celebrate and protect its culture.
Explore Our Archive