HISTORY

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.

Thus the present Master Shri Pilla Suryanarayana Patrudu won the succession from his ancestors and leading it successfully. He is also training his sons Satyam Patrudu & Syam
Patrudu in these arts to carry over the tradition for the future generations.