In 1949 – hardly 2 years from Indian Independence – a monthly magazine was born that would thrive for the next 7 decades – to disseminate the science of sex to masses. Named “Abhisarika” (the heroine who goes forth in the dead of the night to meet her lover, undeterred by the darkness and the nocturnal creatures), the magazine took its birth in Tenali, a politically, socially and culturally happening town of the then undivided state of Madras, presently in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh.

Abhisarika was born at a time when pornographic mags were ruling the market. It was born out of a deep desire to negate the destructive effects of the myths and misconceptions these other magazines were propagating rampantly. Soon after its coming into being, Abhisarika rose to a position of reverence and distinction as a magazine discussing the science of sex openly on a scientific footing and dispelling the sexual myths in the society. At a time when sex was a strong taboo, Abhisarika was way ahead of its time. Daring personalities like Alapati Ravindranath, Dhanikonda Hanumantha Rao, and Ramsha made it possible for sex knowledge to reach the common man in the 50s and 60s.

Alapati was probably the first in Andhra Pradesh to start a magazine to impart scientific knowledge about the unspoken life in the bedroom. ‘Rerani’ (night queen), as it was named, was published in 1949 by Alapati and edited by luminary Dhanikonda Hanumantha Rao, who later (in 1949 itself) started his own magazine Abhisarika along similar lines.

Rerani and Abhisarika both stayed away from lewd and obscene writings and remained confined to scientific aspects of sex, based on the information available to the editors of that time. While Rerani was discontinued after a few years, Abhisarika was published by Dhanikonda till 1960. A change of guard in 1960 helped Abhisarika thrive and march into the 21st century.

Ramsha Darbha, who wrote freelance for Abhisarika earlier, took over the reins of Abhisarika and, with the able assistance of his wife Siriesha, continued the mission started by their predecessor. Soon the names Ramsha & Siriesha became inseparable from Abhisarika.

Ramsha was a truly versatile personality – a poet, writer, playwright, and literary critic, well-versed in English, Sanskrit, and Telugu literature, as well as an eloquent speaker and an imposing personality. With his worldly wisdom, rich experience, and exposure to diverse social milieus, Ramsha met instant success with Abhisarika. Ramsha and Siriesha together made a wonderful team in dispelling sexual myths and misconceptions in the community and in helping thousands of anguished individuals and couples to overcome their sexual and marital difficulties.

In days when resources – leave alone formal training – in Sexology were almost non-existent in India, the works of Havelock Ellis, Marie Stopes, Edwin Hirsch, David Cauldwell, John Money, David Reuben, AP Pillay, and the Sexology magazine published from New York helped build the knowledge base of the Ramsha-Siriesha team. This was in addition to rich Indian treatises on erotica, like the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana, Rati Rahasya of Kokkoka, Ananga Ranga of Kalyanamalla, Panchasayaka of Jyothitisa, Rati Ratna Pradeepika of Proudhadevaraya, and Nagara Sarvaswam of Padmasri, among many others.

Ramsha & Siriesha wrote more than 40 books on various aspects of sexuality ranging from masturbation to sexual aspects of infertility, to manuals of sexual pleasure and marital harmony. The question and answer column in Abhisarika called “Adagandi Chebutaanu” (‘You ask, I answer!’) introduced in the 1960s was the forerunner of all sex help columns found today in Telugu magazines. Special supplements were often printed to accommodate the huge volume of questions that poured in. The couple worked overtime to write for the magazine, answer queries over the phone, and counsel in person – almost always free of charge.

Ramsha’s incisive editorials carried immense popularity. Through them, he advocated for numerous social and statutory changes such as the legalization of abortion, raising the marriageable age for population control, women’s rights, and more.

Though at one point Ramsha’s firm opinions about certain aspects of sexuality (e.g., masturbation) contradicted contemporary thinking, by and large, the contribution of Ramsha and Siriesha to society was immeasurable. They took sex education to the doorstep of the common person. As remarked by a reader – “Abhisarika, true to its name, went in search of its readers and educated them.”

Through the early three decades of this journey, Ramsha faced intimidation, criticism, humiliation, and virtual ostracization by contemporaries, but undeterred by adversity, he relentlessly continued his pursuit.

Siriesha passed away from a heart ailment in 1982 at age 47. Ramsha passed away in 1990 at age 67 in a car accident.

Responsibility for the magazine was taken over in 1990 by their elder son, Dr. Poosha Darbha, a PhD in Human Genetics and a trained sexuality counselor and therapist. He continues to publish the magazine in addition to the websites www.abhisarika.com (English) and www.abhisarika.in (Telugu).

Poosha Darbha obtained his Doctorate degree in Human Genetics from Andhra University, India. He is a Fellow of the Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International (CSEPI), a life member of the Indian Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, and former member of AASECT, SSSS, and BASMT. He served on the executive committee of CSEPI and was former editor of its official newsletter. He has been practicing Psychosexual Medicine since 1989 in Andhra Pradesh, India.

He is currently the editor of the oldest Indian sexology magazine 'Abhisarika' meant for the lay public and published in Telugu. He has written and published a number of books on Sexual Medicine, HIV/AIDS, the Kama Sutra, STDs, Menstruation, and other topics. He has also delivered radio talks and public lectures on sexual health.

He answers sex questions through online medical portals like Lybrate, Practo, iCliniq, CareClues, and HealthcareMagic. In public life, Dr. Poosha is an active member of Rotary, having served as District Governor of Rotary International District 3020 in 2013-14.

Dr. Poosha Darbha received CSEPI's highest award – the Golden Lamp Award in 2007 for his contribution to the advancement of sexology in India (https://www.csepi.org/hall-of-fame). He was also recognized with a Citation for Meritorious Service from The Rotary Foundation.