Veluri Venkata Krishna Sastry

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Veluri Venkata Krishna Sastry (23 October 1934 – 21 August 2012) was a renowned archaeologist and historian from Andhra Pradesh, India. He was born in Chirivada, Krishna District, and studied at Gudivada College, earned a master’s degree from Osmania University, and a PhD from Karnataka University. Sastry began his career with the Archaeological Survey of India at Nagarjunakonda in 1959 and went on to hold senior roles in the Andhra Pradesh Department of Archaeology and Museums, eventually serving as director from 1981 to 1992. He also led the State Archives and Oriental Manuscripts Library from 1989 to 1991. Sastry identified many prehistoric, historic, and Buddhist sites across Andhra Pradesh, including Chandavaram, Kesanapalli, Dhulikatta, and Kotilingala, and showed that Keesaragutta was ruled by the Chalukyas in the 4th–5th centuries. The Totlakonda and Bavikonda Buddhist sites were developed into important tourist centers under his guidance. He organized salvage and reconstruction of temples displaced by the Srisailam project, including the Somasila temple group. Sastry helped establish district museums in Anantapur, Warangal, Nalgonda, and Kurnool. After retiring, he remained active in the field, holding several leadership roles in history and archaeology bodies. He received the Eminent Citizen Award in 2002 and the Esasvi title for his contributions. Sastry authored over 100 papers and about ten books, including Proto Historical Cultures of Andhra Pradesh (1982) and a well-regarded Telugu work Bharatiya Samskruti Puratatva Parisodhanalu.