Kodi Rammurthy Naidu (1882/83–1942), also known as Kodi Rama Murthy Naidu, and Prof. Rammurty was an Indian

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

strongman In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. Thes ...

, and

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spor ...

. He was awarded the title of ''Indian

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

'' by King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

. He is also known by the epithets ''Kaliyuga Bhima'' (), ''Indian'' '' Sandow'', ''Malla Marthanda''. He established a circus and earned a lot of money but donated it to the charitable trusts contributed a lot in the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

. Rammurty worked as Physical Education Teacher in the Branch College of

Vizianagaram Vizianagaram is a city and the headquarters of Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is central Eastern Ghats, about west of the Bay of Bengal and north-northeast of Visakhapatnam. The city has a population of 228,02 ...

. He got profound knowledge in ''Vayu Stambhana'' (en. air resistance) and ''Jala Stambhana'' (en.water resistance).

Early life

Rammurty Naidu was born to Kodi Venkanna Naidu in the village of Veeraghattam in Srikakulam district (now in

Parvathipuram Manyam district Parvathipuram Manyam district is a district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. With Parvathipuram as its administrative headquarters, it became functional from 4th April 2022. The district was formed from Parvathipuram revenue division fr ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

). ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

'' notes his birth date as April 1882, while '' Sakshi'' gave the birth date as 3 November 1883. His mother died when he was a child. Since the boy had become motherless, his father treated him with more care and affection in his childhood. As he grew up he started quarrelling with his age group youngsters the father Venkanna sent him to Vizianagaram for his studies where he lived with his uncle who was serving there as an Inspector of Police.

Career

Joining the fitness centre

Rammurthy joined a fitness centre in Vizianagaram and learnt kusthi, a type of wrestling. His uncle Kodi Narayana Swamy, sent him to another fitness centre in Madras. He returned to Vizianagaram after one-year training and joined as a physical training instructor at a college of the state. He was a strict vegetarian and the Andhra Pradesh government devoted a chapter in the Telugu text books about the prominence of gaining strength purely based on plant based protein.

First body show

In 1911 he went to Madras and showed his skills of breaking steel chains, stopping motor cars and allowing elephant to pass over his chest before the public and government authorities. He was awarded there the title of ''Indian Sandow'' for his excellence.

Established a circus company

He established a circus company at Vizianagaram with the help of his friend, Potti Panthulu. 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. 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.

Impressed the lord

Then the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

Lord Minto Earl of Minto, in the County of Roxburgh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1813 for Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto. The current earl is Gilbert Timothy George Lariston Elliot-Murray-Kynynm ...

, 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.

Demonstrating his physical strength

He demonstrated his skills at the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

meeting in Allahabad.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Madan Mohan Malaviya ( (25 December 1861 — 12 November 1946) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and politician notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress four times and ...

encouraged him to perform his feats abroad and sent his team to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Honored by the crown

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.

Kaliyuga Bhima

He was the first Indian to be so honoured by the royal couple. When he put before them the historical facts of Bhima of Mahabharata and compared it with those of Greek

and Prussian Sandow, the King awarded him another more prestigious title of ''Kaliyuga Bhima'' to him.

Performances abroad

This great bodybuilder performed impressive feats like stopping two cars(driving on two different directions) of 25

horse power Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

at high acceleration, breaking iron chains (of half inches) and holding an

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

leg on his chest, as well as juggling elephant babies with weights attached to them. He also performed in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, Japan and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Bullfighting in Spain

When he was in Spain the Spanish people invited him to fight the bull at ring. He entered the bullfighting ring, caught hold on a bull by its horns and threw it to the ground. Although he had no experience of fighting such bulls yet he dared to do and performed it successfully.

Contribution to charity and freedom movement

Ramamurthy was attracted towards the freedom movement through B. Chandrayya Naidu, who used to organise tribal youths against the British rulers. 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.

Legacy

A statue of him is erected on the Beach Road of

Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museu ...

. Another statue is also situated in his home town Veeraghattam and also in his home district of Srikakulam
Kodi Rammurthy Stadium
has been named after him.

References

External links

*Dr. Sridevi S. ''Kody Rammoorthy : Luminaries of Andhra Pradesh'' 1976 Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academi

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Naidu, Kodi Rammurthy Indian wrestlers Telugu people Naidu, Kodi Ramamurthy Naidu, Kodi Ramamurthy Indian bodybuilders Sportspeople from British India People associated with physical culture People from Srikakulam district 19th-century Indian sportspeople People from Uttarandhra