The writing on the wall:Writing has been another way of celebrating the life for Dr AVS Raju for over five decades. Amidst the demanding schedules of construction and other business activities, Dr Raju always saved some time for literary pursuits. What it started as an unwinding avocation gradually culminated into a passionate profession. He chose writing as a method of expressing inner feelings in an explicit style. His scripts in Telugu literature portray both classical and contemporary trends.

Ahumble beginning:Hailing from a remote but vibrant village Antharvedipalem in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh State in India, Dr Raju belongs to the generation of families in modest construction business. Dr. Raju is the founder-chairman of Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd., Today Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd is the fastest growing construction company in India, generating direct employment to more than 4000 people, and indirectly creating employment opportunities to thousands of families.

For a person who strongly believes in traditional value system of Indian culture, and staunch follower of “Work” principle, it is not a surprise that he reached pinnacle of the fields he touched. Either it is business, philanthropy, charity, or writing, religion Dr Raju has shone like a rising sun only due to his sheer hard work and venerating vision. His quest to access the top in any arena he walks in, is a learning point to the present youth, as Dr Raju never let the stepping downs in the success path to shrink his zeal for excelling.

A writer with fighting spirit:A devotional disciple of Satya Sai Baba, Dr Raju has been immensely influenced by the spiritual speeches and notable social service rendered by the saint. He began writing about the life and mission of Sai Baba in 1996. A few lines grew into hundreds of paragraphs. Spontaneous prose and poetry in pure Telugu literature flew from the pen of Dr. Raju like a natural water fountain springs in a woodland brook. Practically there was not a single day that passed on without Dr. Raju penning his thoughts. There was an incredible occasion, which his acquaintances still recall, narrating about his relentless penchant for writing and his sagacity of bravery.

A couple of years back, one of his legs –above the knee- was to be amputated, as it got septic owing to some germ bite. He insisted on going with local anesthesia applying to his infected leg portion. He would not listen to doctor’s otherwise advice. Hospital doctors performed the operation to remove his leg with local anesthesia while our Dr. AVS Raju went on with his writing with his personal assistant holding the book in the air for him to go on with his passion. This incidence only confirms Dr Raju’s dedication to his task.

The History of Guinness World Records: During a shootingparty in Country Wexford, Ireland, in 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver – the Managing Director of the Guinness Brewery – was involved in a dispute as to whether the golden plover was Europe’s fastest game bird, but in the host’s library he couldn’t find the answer using any of his reference books. In 1954, another argument arose as to whether the golden plover was faster than the grouse. Sir Hugh realized that such questions must be causing arguments in everywhere – in pubs, in homes, on shooting fields, – and that a definitive containing the answers would be of great use to the world (and would sell more Guinness!). Chris Chataway, the record-breaking athlete who was working as an under-brewer in the Guinness Park Royal Brewery in London, recommended twins Norris and Ross McWhirter as the ideal duo to compile the book. Chataway had met the brothers at university, and knew of their love of facts.

The twins, who had been working as sports journalists since 1950 – and also ran an agency in London supplying facts and figures to Fleet Street newspapers – were commissioned to create what would become The Guinness Book of Records. The first edition was bound on 27 August 1955, and was an instant success, becoming Britain’s number one bestseller before Christmas. It then gained popularity and recognition with incredible speed to become the leading authority for world records around the globe. Guinness World Records receives thousands of applications to break records in various fields every year, and while they are extremely judicious about which record attempt to accept and ratify. The shrewd and typical process of acceptance, scrutiny and approval has made the Guinness World Record more enviable among the aspirants.

Entry into Guinness World Records – An apt honour for Dr. AVS Raju :By 2007, the book on Satya Sai Baba blossomed into thirty two volumes. By this time Dr. Raju’s book, named, “Sai Sudha Madhuri” already entered into Limca Book of National Records consecutively for four years being the largest writing on a single theme.

Then what is impending? Obviously, it is the Guinness World Records, the most revered dream of extraordinary performers. Dr Raju sent all the relevant claim papers, documents, proofs, statements and the book itself to the Guinness World Record office as a matter of doing the duty. The reply he received in the form of “GUINNESS WORLD RECORD” CERTIFICATE – acceptinghis book ‘Sai Sudha Madhuri as the “largest single volume biography”- in the month of Sep 2008 from the Guinness office London was not a surprise. It was just a matter of certainty. Dr Raju waved at the certificate once, thinking that “OK the certificate came”.

A small smile; that is all, all over again he carried on with his writing. Now the number of volumes reached thirty-four from the previous year’s thirty-two. The work still goes on. This is what we comprehend about the monumental personality of Dr. AVS Raju. Neither towering achievements nor daunting drawbacks can dampen the dazzling spirits of this indomitable person, nor can stop him from continuing of what he does. Here is a person who enjoys his work to the tilt.