Kodi Rammurthy Naidu

Early life Kodi Rammurty Naidu was born in a Telugu family to Kodi Venkanna Naidu in the village of Veeraghattam in Srikakulam district, Madras Presidency.

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. 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.

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. It was said that his portrait adorned the walls of the Buckingham Palace after that. Soon, Ramamurthy came to be known as "Kaliyuga Bheema" and "Indian Eugene Sandow".

He became a regular in France, Germany and Spain. 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.

Charity and freedom movement Ramamurthy Naidu was attracted towards the freedom movement through D. 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.

Death In 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 due to an accident.

Legacy Anirban 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. Abhijit Gupta of Jadavpur University calls Naidu, "perhaps the most well-known and widely travelled among the league of extraordinary gentleman."

A statue of Ramamurthy Naidu was installed on the Beach Road of Visakhapatnam. 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.

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