Gumamdi cremated in his native village

Guntur, Jan 28: Thousands bid tearful farewel to Tollywood thespian Gummadi Venkateswara Rao at his native village of Ravikampadu in Kollur mandal of Guntur district on Thursday evening.Gummadi, as he was popularly known, died late on Tuesday night at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad. Though initially his kin thought of performing the last rites at the Punjagutta cremation ground in Hyderabad, on a suggestion from the close relatives the body was shifted to his native village of Ravikampadu for cremation in Gumamdi’s own land holdings in the place.

On Wednesday, several Telugu film personalities and the Chief Minister, Mr K Rosaiah were among those who paid glowing tributes to the departed legend of the Tollywood. On Wednesday night the body was brought to Ravikampadu to enabel the villagers to pay their last respects to Gummadi.Since Gummadi’s inlaw’s village,Musalipadu,  is also nearby, people started pouring in from Thursday morning to pay their respects to the departed soul. Gumamdi owns a huge land holding in Ravikampadu as well as his inlaw’s village of Musalipoadu. Gummadi was visiting both the villages regularly and also donated liberally for the construction of a library building and a church in both the villages.