Pranam Leni Pranam
A Greeting from the Dead
Setting: Old Hanamkonda smashanam (Warangal).
In English: A Greeting from the Dead. A Lighted Tales original Telugu horror story, written in Romanized Telugu (Tenglish) with Telangana dialect.
A Greeting from the Dead
Old Warangal District Gazette, November 2024 Issue — Page 7, "District Miscellaneous" column (archival reconstruction): Old Hanamkonda division lo Paakala-side smashanam lo last 15 years ga every cremation end lo a unseen "namaste" gesture phenomenon observed aytundi ani local priests-lo 2024 September lo documented ayyaru. Aa particular smashanam, 1962 ninchi private trust maintained. Keeper: Sitaramaiah, 68 years, retired 2024 October. Successor: Narasimha Acharya, 41, village priest and part-time smashanam supervisor. New supervisor Acharya, ee phenomenon ki witness ga oka specific day matladi after take-over. Full write-up below...
Ee gazette fragment naa journalist friend ki dwara mundhu access ki vacchindhi. Ippudu backward ga cheptaanu — reveal first, build-up last.
Aa 2024 November 15, Narasimha Acharya Old Hanamkonda's Paakala smashanam lo 4th cremation complete chesi vaatsyayanaru akkada kooda nilabadi oka namaskaara gesture observed chesaaru — specifically, oka chita's opposite direction nunchi, family members gundhu lo, oka oka invisible form bowing — aa namaskaram kosam ayina bend aayintam. Aa pattern aa roju 4th cremation ki cushion chesthe, ippudu Acharya ki aa gesturing form visible ayindi.
Idhi eightheenth manual — 18th cremation aayana take-over lo — kaani first time aa form ni properly chusaadu. Eight cremations ki mundhu — Sitaramaiah ki chedinchinappudu — aa form ni Sitaramaiah visible ga chusi identify chesaaru. Koduru, Sitaramaiah, retire ki mundhu Acharya ki cheppanu ani vaatsyayanaru — "naa vaipu aayana gurinchi choose chesi cheppatanu. Nuvvu pujari ga lovli chesinappudu nuvve chusthaavu."
Idhi mystery ki undi. Ippudu aa form chupinchadu. Acharya chusaadu.
Aa form — oka old woman. Thin, frail, tellati saree, hair tied in oka simple bun, face ki oka soft lighting. Kaani she wasn't in the visible world — aayana matladanuuleka poyaadu, body lo kalisi poladu Acharya. Aayana oka shadow la oka translucent form, but sharp enough that Acharya ki age estimate, saree color, posture recognize chestane wavadhu.
Aa old woman prati cremation end ki chita vaipu ki nadichi, family members vaipu ki thirigi, okka namaste gesture — rendu chetulu chest level ki kalipi, thalayaaka slight bow — icchi disappear avutundi. Time — chita niprulu aagipoye daarike daggara chapter. Family members ki gesture kanipinchedi kaadu. Acharya matrame chusaadu. Sitaramaiah 15 years ga chusaadu. Oka chain of transmission.
Ippudu rewind cheddam. 2024 September 10. Acharya take-over kala kanna oka month mundhu. Sitaramaiah aarogyam depletion aipothundi — blood pressure chaala bad, diabetes advanced. Aayana koduku Hyderabad lo government employee, Warangal ki roju nunchi raavdaaniki kastame. Sitaramaiah decision tisukunnaaru — retire aipothunnu, successor cheppali. Aayana ooru lo young priest, Narasimha Acharya, already temple duties chesthunnadu. Smashanam ki expand cheyyadaaniki aayana is candidate.
Sitaramaiah Acharya ki training chesaaru — rituals, family-protocols, specific chita preparation styles. Kaani "namaste phenomenon" gurinchi aayana last roju matrame mention chesaaru. Aayana ki hesitancy — Acharya skeptic aaithe nammaledu, Acharya ki chaala meeda load padutundi ani.
2024 October 26. Sitaramaiah ki oka mini stroke. Intlo vuntunnadu. Acharya ki direct handover aa date nundi. Sitaramaiah rendu weeks tarwatha improve aiyiyanu, kaani pani ivvaledu.
Rewind further. 2024 September 15 evening. Sitaramaiah Acharya ki oka tea-time matladutu specific revelation chesaaru. "Acharya, ee smashanam lo 15 years ga oka particular woman — invisible form — prathi cremation end ki family vaipu namaskaaram isthundi. Adhi 2009 September nunchi started. First 3-4 years naaku kaanipinchaledu. Konchem konchem ga oka feeling — oka additional presence. Later visual. Ippudu roju chusthaanu. Kaani aa woman asalu evaru ani — naaku teliyadhu. Nuvvu kuda chustaavu, maybe. Ready ga undu."
"Adhi yenduku important ante — aayana family vaipu namaskaram icchedi ki, family chita ki complete ga velpoyi, peaceful ga lokaniki voting ki oka sign la undi. Prathi cremation lo aayana kanipisthe, family peaceful ga move chesthundi. Edenaa oka roju aayana ivvakapothe — adhi oka different situation."
→ Idey theme lo inka oka katha: Mamayya Marana Shayya
Acharya: "Sitaramaiah gaaru, asalu yedurivaru adhi?"
Sitaramaiah: "Acharya, aayana gurinchi nenu oka 5-6 saarlu alochinchi chaala thinking chesaanu. Naaku oka hypothesis undi. Chepthaanu. Kaani you see for yourself first."
Further rewind. 2009 September. Ee phenomenon first appeared oka specific cremation tarwatha. Aa date — 2009 September 14. Aa cremation — Saraswathi Devi ani, 69 years, Warangal rural side lo oka Dr. Sastry's widow. Dr. Sastry Hanamkonda lo 1990s lo Ayurveda practitioner chaala popular. Saraswathi Devi husband's death tarwatha 15 years ekka okka intlo untu service chesthundi — temple lo prathi roju naivedyam pampeelu, smashanam keeper ki oka annam-packet prathi week, poor families lo deham available availability prathi pujya shradham daaraka.
Saraswathi Devi death September 2009. Cremation perform chesinappudu Sitaramaiah, aa afternoon deeksha lo aa family ki (oka only son, oka daughter-in-law) oka small blessing oral ga icchaaru: "Mee amma oka purity soul. Ikkada matter peace ga velthundi."
Aa night Sitaramaiah intiki vellataniki mundhu, niprulu final check chesthunnappudu, oka vishayam observed chesaaru. Oka woman's figure chita daggara, family already vellipoyaaka, nunchoni undi. Figure Saraswathi Devi la kaadu — different woman, older, taller — kaani same smashanam lo phenomenon ithar. Aa woman oka namaste gesture chesi disappear ayindi.
Aa tarwatha prathi cremation ki — same woman, same gesture.
Sitaramaiah 15 years lo research chesaaru. Records tragi Paakala smashanam history lo okasaari — 1967 lo oka woman of age approx 50, local village elder, smashanam lo rendu rojulu stay chesi lekapoyindhi. Aayana peru — records lo Ramavva. Aayana life story: Paakala smashanam ki daggara ga oka goshala maintain chesindi. 1960s lo Hanamkonda ninchi ye bhadrata ivvale ka widows kosam aa goshala oka chinna shelter ga pani chesindi — maybe 3-4 years. Ramavva 1967 lo tannu husband maata gurchuka thikka-podicchi aa smashanam ki vacchi, oka night stay chesi, morning ki chanipoyi deham kanipinchindi aa smashanam bank pakkana.
Aayana deham Paakala smashanam lo cremate chesaaru — kaani cremation antha proper ga ivvaledhu aa period lo (low-caste widow, no family, no ritual funds). Just a chaala simple chita, lit-and-left. Ritual properly follow kaaledu. Aayana lokaaniki velle complete clean-up ledu.
Aa tarwatha 42 years — 1967 nunchi 2009 waraku — aa smashanam lo Ramavva's form dormant ga undi. 2009 lo Saraswathi Devi — oka devotional widow, puja-observant, her ritual purity spotless — cremate chesinaaka, her energy aa smashanam ni "cleanse" chesindi oka sthaayi lo. Aa cleansing Ramavva ki oka chinna oppurtunity — "namaskaram" form lo community ki ee dosha completion cheyyali.
Ramavva ki ippudu pani undi — prathi cremation final moment ki, family ki aa smashanam nunchi oka blessing la namaskaram icchadam. Adhi aayana 1967 lo cheyyaleni ritual ki compensation, oka kind of ongoing seva ki lokaaniki entry pay ayyetalnu.
Sitaramaiah ee whole picture 2014 ki connect chesaaru — Paakala archives, village elder interviews, aayana own 45 years' observation. Acharya ki cheppinappudu, aayana ee history summary ga cheppaaru.
Further forward rewind — 2024 November 15. Acharya aa 4th cremation tarwatha Ramavva ni first visible ga chusaaru. Acharya aa moment lo chita vaipu bent chesaaru aayana own namaskaram return ga. "Ramavva thallee, mee service continue cheyyandi. Mee place ikkada secure." Ramavva oka faint smile return chesi disappeared.
Aa tarwatha Acharya prathi cremation end ki himself oka silent namaste Ramavva form ki isthundi. Family ki teliyadu, Ramavva ki telusu, Acharya ki telusu.
2024 November 22, one week tarwatha, oka specific family ki cremation — local family, oka 58-year-old man. Cremation smooth ga aipoindi. Last moment — Ramavva kanipinchaledu. Acharya ki amanantra — first time seven years lo Sitaramaiah ki, first time ever Acharya ki, Ramavva skip chesindi.
→ Pakkana ee story kuda chadavandi: Aakari Samskaramu
Aa family intiki vellaaka, Acharya pani ninchi oka hour ga aagaadu. Alochinchinadu. Ee family ki specific ga oka emptyness ki reason aaithe? Aa deceased's life lo oka unresolved issue?
Aa night family lo oka small domestic incident — son-in-law tho kood-wife ki oka argument, father-in-law poyinaa kuda "you didn't care enough" ani blame game — escalated to physical. Neighbours intervene chesaaru. Police complaint lodge ayyindi maru rojuki.
Acharya ki message clear — Ramavva's namaskaram acceptance oka "peace transfer" la undi family ki. Acceptance lekapothe family peaceful ga move cheyyaledhu.
Aa tarwatha Acharya own protocol add chesaaru — prathi cremation before starting, oka small family blessing ritual — "mee bhavishyath shaanti ga undali, mee irudi sangatanalu settle ga undali" — silent prayer. Ramavva namaskaram rate almost 100% ki thirigindi.
Ippudu forward again — 2025 February. Sitaramaiah death naturally — old age, intlo. Aayana cremation same smashanam lo — Acharya performed. Final moment ki — Acharya chusaaru — rendu namaskaaralu. Ramavva, and oka second form — Sitaramaiah himself, young-version, early 40s age, both of them bowing together family vaipu.
Sitaramaiah's namaskaram prathi cremation tarwatha ippudu continues — 15 years lo accumulated service ni ippudu same form lo repay cheyyadaaniki.
Real-world context: Wikipedia — Telangana
Acharya ippudu cremation ki rendu namaskaar-lu lookout chestharu. Rendu forms visible. Family members ki blessings.
Adhi peace. Smashanam oka transit point — kaani properly maintained, aa transit itself oka blessing.
Author's note
Warangal ki 2024 November ki nenu oka weekend trip vellinappudu, Hanamkonda side lo oka old temple priest tho matladutu, aayana specifically Paakala area lo "namaste phenomenon" gurinchi mentioned chesaaru — aayana manager assistant oka chinna smashanam lo pani chesevaadu, aa phenomenon 10 years ga roju chustunnadu ani. Nenu ee story ni aayana share chesina mundari frame lo backward ga narrate cheddam anipinchindi — reveal first, aayana history last. Paakala smashanam real ga exist chestundhi, kaani story lo keeper names fictional. Mana Telangana lo smashanam keepers chaala unnoticed ga unna community — vaaru daily lo antha intricate unseen rituals observe chestharu, chaala respect ki pathamu. Maa Karimnagar lo chinnappudu nenu Manair Dam side oka smashanam daggara oka pedda manishi velli chaala chaavalarchina — ippudu retrospectively aayana kuda oka kind of namaste-guardian la anipistundi. Meeku ilanti keeper stories telusa? Comment lo share chesondi. Podcast version youtube.com/@Lightedtales lo untundhi.
— Sai Kiran · Lighted Tales
© 2026 Sai Kiran Pandrala / Lighted Tales · https://teluguhorrorstories.blogspot.com
Original Telugu horror fiction. Folk-source material where referenced is public domain.
Modern characters, apartments, companies, and phone numbers are fictional.
Any resemblance to real persons, businesses, or events is coincidental.
Audio version: youtube.com/@Lightedtales
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