Kodi Rammurthy Naidu (also known as Rama Murti Naidu and Prof. Rammurty) was an Indian strongman, bodybuilder, and wrestler, celebrated for his exceptional strength and contributions to India's physical culture history. He was renowned for his extraordinary feats, such as stopping two cars using only his muscle power and withstanding the weight of an elephant on his chest.[1] He was awarded the title of "Indian Hercules" by King George V. He is also known by the epithets "Kaliyuga Bhima" (transl. Bhima of Kaliyuga), "Indian Sandow", "Malla Marthanda" (lit. 'The Sun of Malla-yuddha').[2]
Kodi Rama Murti Naidu | |
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| Born | Kodi Ramamurthy Naidu 3 November 1883 or April 1882 |
| Died | January 1942 (aged 58 or 59) |
| Height | 5 ft 6.5 in (169 cm)[1] |
Rammurty Naidu worked as a Physical Education instructor. He was a strict vegetarian.[1] He was an expert in Vayu Stambhana (air resistance) and Jala Stambhana (water resistance) yoga.[3] In addition to his athletic pursuits, he founded a successful circus company but generously donated his earnings to charitable trusts and the Indian independence movement.[4]
Early life
editRammurty Naidu was born in a Telaga Kapu family[5][6][7] to Kodi Venkanna Naidu in the village of Veeraghattam in Srikakulam district, Madras Presidency.[4] The Hindu notes his birth date as April 1882,[4] while BBC News Telugu and Sakshi mention it as 3 November 1883.[2]
Rammurthy Naidu's mother died when he was a child. Since the boy had become motherless, his father, Venkanna, treated him with care and affection in his childhood.[2] Rammurthy had no inclination towards studies, which earned him the wrath of his father. Fleeing home Ramamurthy reached the forests. He returned to the town after a week along with a tiger cub.[8]
Growing up, Rammurthy used to quarrel with his friends over trivial issues. Vexed with his behaviour, his father, Venkanna sent him to his brother Kodi Narayana Swamy's house in Vizianagaram for higher studies. Narayana Swamy was serving there as a police inspector.[4] Rammurthy joined a fitness centre in Vizianagaram and learnt Kusthi, and soon became an established pehelwan (wrestler) in the region.[8]
Career
editPhysical Education instructor
editAfter his schooling Rammurthy was appointed as a drill master in his own school and continued training in his free time.[4] In 1901, he joined a college in Saidapet, Madras that trains teachers in Physical Education.[9] In 1911 he displayed his skills of breaking steel chains, stopping motor cars and allowing elephant to pass over his chest before government authorities in Madras.[8]
Circus company
editRammurthy Naidu established a circus company in Vizianagaram with the help of his friend, Potti Panthulu.[4] His uncommon feats attracted people from all over the country. He used to break an iron chain tied to his body by taking a deep breath and flexing his muscles.[4] Iron chains would be tied to his shoulders and the other ends were tied to two cars and used to stop them. He took an elephant on his chest and held it for five minutes.[4]
Performances abroad
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Lord Minto, the Viceroy of British India, experienced Ramamurthy's strength, when he tried to drive his car with Rammurthy holding it back with iron chains. His fame spread across the length and breadth of the country after this incident.[4]
Naidu demonstrated his skills at the Indian National Congress meeting in Allahabad. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya encouraged him to perform his feats abroad and sent his team to London.[8] Soon, Ramamurthy began travelling extensively throughout the subcontinent. Naidu performed impressive feats like stopping two cars (driving in two different directions) of 12 horse power at high acceleration, breaking iron chains (of half inches) and balancing an elephant on his chest.[4][10]
King George and Queen Mary were impressed with his feats and gave him the title Indian Hercules after watching his display of physical strength at Buckingham Palace. He was the first Indian to be so honoured by the royal couple.[4] It was said that his portrait adorned the walls of the Buckingham Palace after that.[8] Soon, Ramamurthy came to be known as "Kaliyuga Bheema" and "Indian Eugene Sandow".[8]
He became a regular in France, Germany and Spain.[8] When he was in Spain, the local people invited him to fight a bull in the ring. He entered the bullfighting ring, took the bull by its horns and threw it to the ground . Although he had no experience of bull-fights, he dared and performed it successfully.[4]
Charity and freedom movement
editRamamurthy Naidu was attracted towards the freedom movement through D. Chandrayya Naidu, who used to organise tribal youths against the British rulers.[6] He earned crores of rupees through his circus company but spent a large amount of his wealth on charity and for the freedom movement of India.[4]
Death
editIn his last days, Naidu shifted to the estate of his friend, the ruler of Balangir princely state in Orissa. He died there in Balangir during the Sankranti festival in 1942.[7]
Legacy
editAnirban Ghosh notes of Ramamurthy Naidu trained and inspired youth to be physically fit countering the colonial stereotype that the Indian man was weaker than the British.[8] Abhijit Gupta of Jadavpur University calls Naidu, "perhaps the most well-known and widely travelled among the league of extraordinary gentleman."[10]
A statue of Ramamurthy Naidu was installed on the Beach Road of Visakhapatnam.[4] Another statue is also situated in his home town, Veeraghattam. Kodi Rammurthy Stadium in Srikakulam has been named after him. There were reports of various Telugu filmmakers' interest in making a biographical film on the life of Naidu.[2]
Gallery
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Illustration of Naidu in The Daily Ardmoreite (22 January 1918) -
Bust of Ramamurthy Naidu in Srikakulam -
Information plate of the statue in Srikakulam
References
edit- ^ a b c Roy, Basauta Koomar (22 January 1918). "The Strongest Man in the World - Who Doesn't Eat Meat!". The Daily Ardmoreite. Retrieved 19 July 2023 – via Chronicling America.
- ^ a b c d "Kodi Rammurthy Naidu: తెరపైకి కలియుగ భీముడు". Sakshi (in Telugu). Srikakulam. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Vizianagaram District - Official WebSite". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Indian Hercules". The Hindu. 12 August 2002. Archived from the original on 5 May 2003.
- ^ M. L. Kantha Rao (July 1999), A Study of the Socio-Political Mobility of the Kapu Caste in Modern Andhra. University of Hyderabad. Chapter 6. p. 305. hdl:10603/25437
- ^ a b Dr. S. Shridevi (1976). Luminaries Of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Akademi. pp. 115–120.
- ^ a b Kodi Rammurthy Naidu: ఛాతీపై ఏనుగును ఎక్కించుకొనేవారు. శత్రువులు చంపాలని చూసిన కోడి రామ్మూర్తి కథేంటి? (in Telugu), BBC News, 16 January 2021, retrieved 3 July 2023
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ghosh, Anirban (26 February 2017). "A Fine Specimen". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ "The Indian Hercules Was A Vegetarian Body Builder". Madras Courier. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
- ^ a b Tadié, Alexis; Mangan, J. A.; Chaudhuri, Supriya (2016). Sport, Literature, Society: Cultural Historical Studies. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-92031-0.
External links
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