Question

Who were called as "ashtadiggajas"

Answer 1

Ashtadiggajas was actually the title given to the group of people consist of eight telugu poets .

The era of these poet are from 1540-1600 AD
 This title was given to them by the "Sri Krishna Deva Raya" the Emperor of that time. These all eight was considered as the eight pillars of the literary assembly of the Empire . Most of the people of this group are from the area which today known as "Andhra pardesh" state.

Answer 2

Ashtadiggajas is a collective title given to the eight Telugu poets who were in the court of the emperor Sri Krishna Deva Raya who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire. These poets were Allasani Peddana, Nandi Thimmana, Madayyagari Mallana, Dhurjati, Ayyalaraju Ramambhadrudu, Pingali Surana, Ramaraja bhushanudu and Tenali Ramakrishnudu. 

It literally means elephants in eight directions in reference to the old Hindu belief that eight elephants hold the earth in eight directions.

The eight poets were regarded as the eight pillars of the literary assembly in Sri Krishna Deva Raya's court.

The Telugu literature and culture reached its zenith during this period called as the Prabandha Age and the eight poets together composed the Prabandha Kavyamu and the present day Prabandha its form,

 

Most of the Ashtadiggajas were from the Rayalaseema region of the southern part of present-day Andhra Pradesh state. The famous poet and the Krishnadevaraya’s court jester, Tenali Ramakrishna was from the Guntur district of AP.