HISTORY SRI GURU
LALDAS TALIMQANA
Laldas
Memorial Youth Association has a history of 187 Years.
It was formerly known as "Sri Guru Laldas Talimqana” established in the year
1824 and was registered as Laldas Memorial Youth Association in the year 1984.
Once
the then Maharajah of Vizianagaram Sansthan, Shri Ananda Gajapathi Maharajah
had been to Varanasi. There the Maharajah happened to know the fame of Shri
Guru Laldas. On an offer Guru Laldas obliged Maharajah’s invitation to come to
Vizianagaram and establish a Talimqana. Since then the Talimqana gained roots
in the name of Guru Laldas Talimqana.
Shri
Guru Laldas is a Brahmachari (bachelor). He treated his disciples as his own
children and taught the entire skills of Martial arts to them. He trained them
much in number with quality education. Of them Shri Pilla Appadu Patrudu was
the dearest disciple and won the love of Guruji. Guru Ladas treated him as his
own son and in the latter years adopted him as his son. He gave him all the
other education of the then period along with the traditional martial art
skills. Appadu Patrudu mastered them. Soon his fame spread and seemed to
overcome that of Guru Laldas. Thus he became the successor of Guru Laldas and
ran it successfully with all his efforts.
The
Talimqana ran under the guidelines of the Vizianagaram Throne and being the son
of Pilla Appadu Patrudu, Shri Appachi Patrudu became the successor of the
Talimqana. He turned as a good scholar and mastered all the traditional martial
art skills. Once on an occasion The Ananda Gajapathi Maharajah had been to
Sansthan of Mysore, accompanied by Pilla Appachi Patrudu. There at Mysore, many
performances and competitions were held in connection to these martial arts.
Warriors from various places and Kingdoms came over to take part. Being young
Appachi Patrudu was appointed to compete on behalf of Vizianagaram Sansthan.
There came a great scholar of martial arts named ‘Acharya’. None were able to
face him in these martial arts. He won many awards and gifts from many Kingdoms
and now came the chance for Appachi Patrudu to face him.
Shri
Appachi Patrudu saluted his King and performed a skill named ‘Hale Mohammed’.
In this skill, in a winkle of an eye he had the ‘Yagnopaveet Savaran’ of his
opponent, Acharya. To the audience it seemed that ‘Acharya’ stood still. With
this The Maharajah ordered Appachi Patrudu to fight his opponent and finish off
the fight. In answer Appachi Patrudu said "the fight is over”. With this
Maharajah got furious and commanded in a severe voice, "stop lying. How can a
fight be completed so early? Start and finish off. It’s my order”. Then Appachi Patrudu gave a slight jerk to
Acharya’s body. It fell in two halves across the Yagnopaveet line of Acharya
with blood spilling out. Prior to it, not even a single drop of blood oozed out.
With that feat entire audience went spell bound. This amazing performance of
Shri Appachi Patrudu earned lot & lots of fame to the Vizianagaram Sansthan
and Maharajah applauded Shri Appachi Patrudu. After returning to Vizianagaram,
Maharajah made a big gathering and the crowd praised the performance of Shri
Appachi Patrudu. Maharajah too praised him and awarded him with many gifts, and
gave a special jewel to be worn on the ankle called ‘Thoda’ along with Flagship
award (Flag of Vizianagaram Sansthan).
After Appachi Patrudu his
son Gajendra Patrudu took the succession. His prior name was Ganapati Patrudu.
He developed an art to control or stop the elephant using small pieces of
stick/wood. With this skill he was titled as ‘Gajendra Patrudu’. He too continued
the same tradition of the Guru Laldas teaching the Martial Art to his disciples
with great attention.