Spiritual discourses at Maruti Vyayamshala

Vijayawada: Maruti Vyayamshala is one of the landmarks in Vijayawada which is located in Satyanarayanapuram area. This Vyayamasala was originally started in 1960 by Dandamudi Rajagopal, the famous weightlifter who won medals in Olympics and Kamineni Eswara Rao near Sarvodaya Bhavan, Satyanarayanapuram for the benefit of youth and it was patronised well in those days.

Later, M Sankara Rao, Sistla Narasimhamurthy and Vempati Kamalakar, the disciples of Dandamudi Rajagopal initiated to relocate this Vyayamasala to the present location with the help of the local body in 1968 and later the Hanuman idol was installed there on the premises.

Since 1978, the premises have also become a spiritual centre too. Every year, Hanuman Jayanthi, various events and cultural programmes are being organised here.

Noted actors like Peesapati Narasimha Murthy, Shanukhi Anjaneya Raju, AV Subba Rao, Sampat Kumar, Burra Subrahmanya Sastry, Malladi Suryanarayana and others staged many dramas like “Rayabaram,” “Harischandra,” “Ramanjaneya Yuddham.” Later, discourses regularly organised during Hanumath Jayanthi festival. Discourses were given by Malladi Chandrasekhara Sastry, Garikapati Narasimha Rao, Chaganti Koteswara Rao, Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma, and this year Malladi Ramanadha Sarma.

Sistla Hanumath Prasad, the organiser of the festival event said, “Hanuman idol is facing to South side and hence we erect the stage opposite to Lord Hanuman and conduct the programmes.” He further said that this year the ‘pravachanam’ was on “Sri Jagadguru Vibhavam.”

The authorities operate bus from Maruti Vyayamshala to Chittinagar.