North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper proclaimed May 28 - June 3, 2023, as ‘Telugu  Heritage Week,’honoring Telugu culture and the Telugu community for their immense contributions in diverse fields to the state’s development.

According to the proclamation, the Telugu tradition’s contribution is immense to the Indian cultural, demographic and linguistic diversity, “Telugu is one of the oldest surviving ethnic languages, renowned for its rich literature and unique etymological formations, with inscriptions dating back to 400 B.C.E.”

The proclamation acknowledges that the North Carolina State is home to several Telugu-speaking families and plays a crucial role in preserving and enriching Indian heritage and culture, thereby enhancing the diversity of the state. Significantly, the community has led the effort to build North America’s tallest Hindu temple structure at the Sri Venkateswara Temple of North Carolina in Cary.

The proclamation also mentions the late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, affectionately known as NTR, the legendary Telugu film actor and the former Chief Minister of the combined state of Andhra Pradesh for hissignificant mark on Telugu films, politics, and culture, becoming an iconic figure for all Telugu-speaking communities.

To mark the birth centenary of NTR on May 28, the North Carolina Telugu community will gather on June 3, 2023, to commemorate and celebrate his life as Telugu Pride Day and showcase their unique heritage and culture, the State Proclamation announced.