The Chekurapadu Village was primarily agricultural-oriented and about one hundred small and marginal farmer families used to live in the early sixties of the nineteenth century, along with many other tradespeople who supported the farmers. There were no basic facilities in the village, and people used to travel through mud and dirt roads for any work in surrounding places in those days. There was only one primary school in the village for studies, and students needed to travel to faraway villages or towns for further studies. Not many students pursued higher studies due to difficulties in travel and communication.
Upon witnessing the painful experience and difficulties of the students for higher studies, Shri Sirigiri Peraiah garu expressed the need to establish a school in Chekurapadu to facilitate children in pursuing their studies. The whole village not only supported the idea but also made contributions of financial and physical labor to establish the school.
It’s worth appreciating that late Sri Sirigiri Venkat Rao garu donated the land he inherited from his grandmother for the establishment of Sri Venugopala Swamy Oriental High School. Initially, school classes were conducted in a kutcha/straw house, and Sri Peraiah garu used his influence to gather the required funds from his fellow tobacco farmers to build school buildings in a very short period.
Sri Peraiah garu approached the honorable central minister Sri Bejawada Gopalareddy garu through his friend late Sri Dara Gopalashatri garu, and he forwarded it to the education department for favourable action. Since the government was providing special grants to schools for promoting Sanskrit, it was felt easy to establish a Sanskrit school. Sri Venugopala Swamy Oriental High School at Chekurapadu was established, named after the Sri Venugopala temple in the premises. The first correspondent of the school, Late Sri Uppalapati Satyanaraya garu, used to get the necessary administrative permits from Hyderabad.
Sri Venugopala Swamy Oriental High School at Chekurapadu was inaugurated by central minister Sri Bejawada Gopalareddy garu on 7th September 1962 at 4 PM in a grand ceremony, where people from surrounding villages also participated in the inauguration through a huge procession of joy. Since students got admission for the first batch of class 6th in 1962-63 even before regular teachers were appointed, Late Shri Vaddella Verraiah garu and Late Sri Sirigiri Subba Rao garu, who passed PUC those days, voluntarily took classes for the students until regular teachers were appointed.
It’s heartening to note that even though the committee couldn’t pay the salaries to the teachers on time due to the delay in the release of grants, the teachers continued to support the school committees through their dedication to the well-being of the students and the school. Late Sri Sathyanarayana Pillai garu took charge as Headmaster and made an untiring effort to ensure the release of grants worth Rs. 60,000 to streamline the financial position of the school.
As the number of students increased in the school, a temporary straw shed was made to continue the classes without interruption. During the period of Headmaster Shri Tanniru Guravaiah garu, Sri Neppala Subba Rayudu garu, an NRI and alumni of the school, sent a donation of Rs. 6 Lakhs to build a permanent building for the school, which was built under the supervision of his younger brother and also alumni of the school, Sri Neppala Krishnamorthi garu.
It’s truly a witness and a testament to know that the students of Sri Venugopala Swamy Oriental High School are making their presence in all corners of the world ever since the school was established through their significant contributions. It’s also heartening to know that students of our school are winning many events in games and sports at district and national levels.
In spite of many challenges during the last 61 years, Sri Venugopala Swamy Oriental High School has grown stage by stage in providing quality education to many students, including surrounding village students, and has produced some of the highly talented citizens to the country who have making significant contributions in various fields in building our nation. We wish that Sri Venugopala Swamy Oriental High School continues to produce great citizens for the country through quality education for generations to come in the same spirit it started in nineteen sixties and the souls of those who strived for the school may have peace for the quality of fruits its yielding by producing quality citizens from a small tiny village of Chekurapadu.