A humble human being par excellence in his multi faceted personality AV Ravi alias Gym Ravi gets the right honor of Kannada Rajyotsava award. A 25 gram gold medal, citation and Rs.5 lakh cash award is presented to Gym Ravi with 70 other personalities on November 1 at Ravindra Kalakshetra.
International sports personality, social worker and renowned South Indian actor A.V. Ravi, popularly known as Gym Ravi, has been selected for this year’s Rajyotsava Award.
From performing the last rites of thousands of unclaimed bodies to organizing a Kashi pilgrimage for 101 people, the book ‘Ravi Neenu Aagasadalli’ stands testimony to his remarkable life and achievements.
Hailing from Kolar, Gym Ravi has achieved success at the state, national and international levels in bodybuilding. Having won more than 100 gold medals, he has received several honors, including Mr. India, Bharat Shree, Bharat Shreshta, Karnataka Shree and the Ekalavya Award. He has also served as the captain and coach of the Indian team. Running Ravi Gym in Bengaluru for the past 30 years, he has trained approximately 1.80 lakh people so far. He is also recognised as an actor and has acted in more than 150 films across South India. He has played lead roles in several films, including ‘Purushothama’.
Along with his sporting achievements, Ravi has made significant contributions to social service. He has performed the last rites of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 unclaimed bodies. In addition to creating social awareness among young people, he has been actively involved in several welfare initiatives. Unable to fulfil his father’s wish to undertake a pilgrimage to Kashi, he transformed that regret into a commitment to social service. Demonstrating his humanitarian concern, he arranged an air journey to Kashi and Ayodhya for 101 underprivileged people.
Gym Ravi, who has worked as an inspector in the Income Tax Department, has also received public recognition for his social contributions. In recognition of his service, a park, a circle and bus stops in Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru, have been named after him. These stand as symbols of the public’s appreciation for his service and achievements.
To introduce people to Jim Ravi’s achievements and life journey, Manjunath Magodi has authored a biographical book titled ‘Ravi Neenu Aagasadalli’. The book was released just a few days ago, serving as a written record of Jim Ravi’s accomplishments and his journey in social service.
Recognizing his sporting achievements and contributions to society, the Dubai-based Hemme Kannada Sangha honoured Jim Ravi with the ‘Vishwa Shreshta Kreeda Sadhaka 2025’ award. The receipt of the Rajyotsava Award now adds another feather to his cap of achievements.
Through sports, art and social service, Gym Ravi continues to contribute to society, and his achievements serve as an inspiration to the younger generation. His selection for the Rajyotsava Award has brought joy to his fans and well-wishers.
