VIJAYAWADA: Avanigadda MLA Mandali Buddha Prasad on Monday said legendary playback singer Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao was not only a musical genius but also a dedicated freedom fighter who actively participated in the Quit India Movement.
He was speaking after flagging off a heritage walk in Ghantasala village to commemorate the 58th anniversary of Ghantasala’s historic musical concert in his native village on April 21, 1967.
The walk, held under the auspices of NRI Gorrepati Ranganatha Babu, saw participation from local dignitaries, students of UVR Gorrepati School and ZP High School, and villagers.
The event began with floral tributes at the statue of Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, followed by special prayers at the statue of Gautama Buddha. The MLA visited the Veerabrahmendra Swamy Temple, where Ghantasala once performed, and the house of Vemulapalli Veerasekhar, where the singer’s family had once stayed.
Recalling Ghantasala’s contributions to the freedom movement, Buddha Prasad said the maestro was arrested during the Quit India Movement in 1942 and imprisoned in Gudivada for a year, where he shared a cell with freedom fighter Potti Sriramulu. He later took part in Sriramulu’s funeral procession, singing patriotic songs in his memory.
He also remembered how the Challapalli Rani recognised Ghantasala’s talent early on and gifted him a ring, which he later sold to fund his music training in Vizianagaram. The program was attended by former ZP Vice Chairman Gorrepati Venkata Ramakrishna and others.