The vibrancy of Telugu language, culture and traditions came alive in Baltimore, Maryland, on Friday as thousands of Telugu people from across the United States gathered for the 19th American Telugu Association (ATA) conference, celebrating their shared heritage while strengthening ties with their roots.

The three-day convention is bringing together Telugu families settled in the U.S. along with their children born and raised in America, offering them an opportunity to reconnect with their cultural identity through traditional dance, music and authentic Telugu cuisine.

The conference was inaugurated in the presence of Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, a Telugu born in Hyderabad, lending a special connect to the celebrations.

A host of dignitaries from India attended the inaugural session, including Telangana Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy, Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, MLAs T. Rammohan Reddy, Yennem Srinivas Reddy and Manohar Reddy, besides Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao.

The event also witnessed the presence of noted film personalities, including veteran actor Rajendra Prasad and playback singer Sunitha Upadrashta, who added glamour to the opening ceremony. Organisers said several more film personalities would participate in the remaining sessions of the conference.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is scheduled to join the celebrations on Saturday.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Sukhender Reddy lauded the Telugu diaspora for preserving their language and culture despite living abroad and for contributing to the development of both Telugu States.

The ATA also presented Lifetime Achievement Awards and other honours to distinguished individuals for their contributions in diverse fields, including community service, science and technology, performing arts, sports, medicine, entrepreneurship, business and journalism. Among the awardees was Ravikanth Reddy Ramasayam, who was honoured for excellence in journalism.

Other recipients included Kiran Chukkapalli, Sashi Gundala, Dr. Ravinder Regatte, Dr. Ramamohana Reddy Appannagari, Sudheer Rao, Raghunandan Nallanchakravarthula, Ashok Chintakunta, Madhavi Soleti, Akshara Devalua, Nitish Reddy Sudini, Sai Teja Reddy Mukkamalla, Esha Nagireddy, Dr. Ramya Chitrangada, Bala Reddy Indurthi, Dr. Vandana Devalapalli, Yennem Srinivas Reddy, Narsimha Reddy Koppula, Ram Matiapalli, Bhanu, Ram Annadi and Goutham Amarneni.

ATA president Jayanth Challa, national coordinator Sharath Vemula, co-coordinator Zeenath Kundar, convenor Sridhar Banala and several past presidents attended the inaugural session.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sharath Vemula said ATA’s contribution to the Telugu community in the United States over the last 38 years had been unparalleled. He said the association had played a vital role in bringing together Telugu families while helping younger generations born in the U.S. reconnect with their language, culture and traditions.