Chandramouli Ponnusami

I had not been feeling well with after effect of a virus attack and possibly some multiple problems during the last three weeks. Shanthi had also not been doing exactly well. This has given me time, to think about something about my mother and father, which the youngsters in the clan may not know and I thought of sharing it, through this message.

I was born on Shivarathri day in 1949 and now my 7 ½ years movement of Saniswara Bhagwan into my Rasi is happening for the third time in my life.

It was in 1957, when the Saniswara Bhagwan entered my rasi for the first time, when I had a very serious illness. Mother had taken Banu and had gone to Chennai (She used to go often to help out Mannis.) My health turned out to be so bad that my father lost hope on my life and had intimated mother to rush back to Mayavaram. The day-train, from Madras used to reach Mayavaram around 5 pm and Amma had taken a bullock cart, as was the practice in those days and rushed home. Normally I would go to the station to receive Leka whenever she used to travel to Mayavaram for summer and sometimes Kannanna too. No one could go to receive Amma that day.

I had been praying whenever I used to be conscious during that illness to see my mother whom I believed, somehow will get me alright. I was briefly awake when she was rushing into the house. I heard her saying that she had been praying to Master and God and that she just wanted God to make her see her son alive and then ‘somehow’ she will get my life back. I had lapsed into sleep again.

She made me all right and I was up in about a weeks’ time.

The second prayer of mine to my mother in 1989. Again Saniswara Bhagwan was moving out of my rasi into the next rasi.

Some of you may be aware in May 1989, Shanthi, Vishali and Anand and my father in law while travelling to Bangalore from Thanjavur by bus met with a major road accident near Musiri-Thottiyam. With his influence (though his leg had a major injury) my father in law moved all of them through Musiri hospital to Trichi Hospital to Thanjavur Hospital. Fellow travellers and public had helped. In that accident one of the passengers had lost his life. My father in law’s fracture got cured in 6 weeks or so. Shanthi’s tibia in the right leg was completely broken and she was bedridden for 4 months. She had gone through surgery three times (twice in Tanjore and once in Belgaum). She started with a 4 in leg shortening in the right leg and now, I think, she has two inches. When people observe her walking, one can make out and she gets problem once in a while as some broken debris are still there in her leg.

Vishali, after 10 days in hospital, was found to have her schiatic nerve (the nerve that transmits brain signals to bottom portion of the body, mainly legs) to be damaged or completely cut as per EMG. Everyone had given up on any recovery and she could not move her right leg at all.

Neurologists and Orthopaedicians also had given up. Vijayan and I brought her to Chennai. Ravi, as usual helped us. We consulted Sivakumar, the neurologist class-mate of him as well as another neuro surgeon in Mambalam. No hope. She was also losing interest generally. I moved her to Belgaum. Consultation there also did not help. There was deputy of Dr N Ramamuthi in Kumbakonam (he should be there in Dabir street even now, a low key but competent doctor) had suggested that I should make her meet her friends and attend to classes. Viajayan had sent Mallika’s mother to look after home as Shanthi who was bedridden was being looked after by her brother and mother at Thanjavur.

I used to carry Vishali to school (she was in 5th Standard then) and to her class in 3rd floor. I used to carry her back in the evening or in the afternoon itself. The teacher, a nun, was helpful, to attend to her during the day. After few days, in the night, the seriousness of the situation hit me. The realisation that a girl child, in a traditional family, without ability to walk: how the life is going to be for her and to us, her parents, started hitting me. I started praying to my mother (who always wanted girl children in the family) in the night after 5 days. After 10 days or so, one mid night Vishali started shouting after getting up from sleep. She started crying saying that some shock is in her leg, body etc. Whole night it was there on-and-off. I had gone and woken up the doctor downstairs and she said if this continues she will give sleeping pills which I was not happy about. I was mentally getting ready to take her to the doctor the next morning. I was praying to my mother. Morning brought some wonder in my life. Thanks to God and amma, when Vishali woke up, she called me and told me that she is able to move her leg and showed me. I did not know how to react except for crying.

Such was the blessing of Amma and through her, the God.

The third round is now. May be I have to trouble her with my request.

Yesterday I happened to attend a student’s recital of Carnatic music at a Thiagaraja Festival in Chinmaya Mission. Kashyap also sang one song. Vishali may send this.

There was also singing of Pancharathna Krithis (the first 3 Nattai, Aarabi and Shree were sung and Shanthi also participatd).

When hearing Enthora Mahanubhavulu, my memory went back to my days with my mother at Tiruvarur. We lived in Swami Mada Street (next to Mr. Gopalan’s house) — only mother, me and Menu. My father used to come and spend some time with us.

My ninth standard was done in the Board High School, Thiruvaur (which has been subsequently taken over by the sugar mill owner V S Thiagarajan family). I had joined the classes about 2 months late and was allotted H section. There were nearly 60 in each section and in G students who had failed over 2 years and in H people who had failed over 3 or more were put. As I joined late I was in the last section. As my class mates were seniors in age most of them would have mustache and wear dhoti unlike me who had only half pants — called drawers then. I recall with happiness how most of the class mates had a special liking or affection for me because of age, possibly. When after the first examination, as I was one of the highest scorers the class, teacher of A section wanted me to be transferred. All my class mates took it upon themselves to tell the class teacher and the HM (Sa Ganesan – who later became a politician – not the Sa. Ganesan of Kamba Ramayaman exponent) that I should remain in H.

My teacher was a Sivanandi (a sanyasi but not Sanyasis of regular type). He was completely unbiassed and treated each student with great respect. He was living in Dhakshinamoorthi Madam which is an important place in Thiruvarur. (Some of you might have heard that M Karunanithi’s original name was Dhakshinamoorthi as his father prayed to Dhakshinamoorthi for a male child after many female children. Karunanithi also studied in the board high school, thiruvarur. He belonged to Isai Vellar family. Hearing his voice, a brahmin teacher of music disqualified him from singing and thus possibly his negative feeling about Brahmins.)

Mother and me used to have bath on many days before 6 at Kaveri in Mayavaram. Unfortunately, Odambokki is the river mother used to take me in Tiruvarur and it was only on some festival days and important occasions. We used to have bath in Kamalalayam for many days.

I remember a day when on returning from the bath in Kamalalayam one day, mother swooned and was not able regain consciousness. I remember called the neighbor Gopalan who told us to go the Dr. I ran to Dr. Annasami Iyer (who used to live on the North Bank St of Kamalalayam) and he immediately came in his cart and gave some medicines and by god’s grace Amma became all right.

During bathing in Kamalalayam Amma used to tell how Thatha (Appasami Iyer) used to swim to center of Kamalalayam chasing Gurunna to come back.

I had a friend by name Padmanabhan whose father had an Udipi restaurant in Vadukku Veedi. This was opposite to Musical Trinity’s birth places and he will proudly point it out to me. I was not sure then. (Appa and Amma during their earlier period were at North Sannathi facing east). Coming to Jagadananda Kharaga, I heard it first time in Tiruvarur from MLV in Kamalalayam Teppam where Menu had taken me. Whenever I hear Vasudevani and Jagathananda Karaga my memory goes back to Amma & Menu and their great interest in music and also MLV and GNB.

If any of you have spent time in Thiagaraja Swamy temple, you would have seen the Ayiramkal Mandapam. Amma had taken me to discourse by Embar Vijayaraghachariar there. Surprising to many he had the ability to sing too. I heard him explain about Enthoro’s meaning. It was so good. Later I heard there Balakrisha Sastrigal’s upanyasam too.

I shall close now. I am not sure the above is of any interest to any of you. If you have not visited, please visit Tiruvarur.

Some of you may be aware of my father Ponnusami Iyer’s was a member rof Yoga School of Kumabkonam. My mother, Guruanna and Kannana were also part of the group. My father was a close devotee of Tiruvarur Thyagaraja and I had heard that everyday he will get the Prasadam including Poonal from the temple. Suddenly there were problems with the health of my father and both annas. I do not now how Appa became member of Yoga school but I think he was a member right from 1938 or 1939. You would see the photographs of the Gurus (the elder known as Master CVV — I think he full name is Chiranjeevi Venkopa Rao and the other (and junior) was known as Master NRBV. I do not think Master CVV was alive when Appa joined the school.

The Yoga School believed in full meditation to 100% levels and meditation thrice a day was done by everyone at home or in the school. The Gurus were brahmins though the followers were from all castes. The Yoga School was and still located at No 1, East Dabir Street, Kumbakonam and there are followers. Master NRBV was living in the house opposite to the Yoga School and even now you can see his name board in front of the house. The deep meditation really gave peace to the followers. Gurunna disassociated himself from the school while Kannana continued till his end.

There is another interesting matter you may like. Whenever there were severe snake bites and the bitten person is unconscious, he would be brought to our home for prayer by Appa. In the initial years I had seen Appa taking bath, praying through medidation in front of images of Masters and then start mediation with the patient’s body lying almost in front. It was a quesiton of time before the patient recovered and appa would advice them to go to the hospital (which most wont do). During later years he would only do medidation and would have asked me to bring some special leaves (whose name I do not remember) which would be given to the patient. He stopped doing all these, I think by 62. Amma was a believer in Yoga School and Hindu gods. I remember Amma and I attending the kumbabhishekam of mayuranather temple.

Few months back I had written about my days at Tiruvarur.

When I write about my days, it goes without saying, that the writing is oriented towards me. Please keep this in mind as such messages will mostly talk about me! More important things, which may not be concerning me, might have been missed, more without intention. In case of Tiruvarur, for example, the reason for us moving into that town would not have covered by me more unintentionally.

I was in Mysore along with Shanthi in 1st week of February 18 for about 5 days. The elders among you, would know that I worked, for anyone, only for about 10 years. I did not like employment per se. Most of the years of my life, I had been, more or less, on my own in a small way or other.

My first venture was started in 1984 at Belgaum with 3 of IIMA friends. All three of them senior to me and each of them from different state — one a Kannada Brahmin from Hassan, the other a Karadi Brahmin from Maharashtra (Karadis are considered good) and third one is a Maheshwari Marwari — Maheshwaris like Birlas are Hindus and not Jains. In February all of us met together at Mysore along with our wives. The senior most of my friend was located in Mysore. At his age of 55, which was 20 years back, this friend had decided to get into teaching. In a year or so he became the Director of SDM Institute of Management in Mysore. (SDM stands for Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara and this nonprofit trust has many medical, engineering and other colleges and other institutions in Karnataka; I hope that some of you might have visited Dharmasthala, which is one of the places to be covered in Karnataka temple journey. Shri Majnunatha Hegde, the trustee of this temple is incidentally a Jain, but looks after this temple very well).

My friend took all of us to the Institute, though he had retired few years back, and showed us how he had built the institute. We also had a meeting with the faculty. One of them asked me what I think about doing management education as an objective and what would be my feedback based on my life. I had thought about the directions of my life many times and had just repeated my thoughts to them and I thought I shall repeat it here before I start writing my days at Karaikudi for my school final studies.

If I have the option of choosing my next birth, I would naturally choose my parents same as in this birth but I would be born in a Diskshidar family of Chidambaram and spend my life serving Nataraja in the Temple there. If I do not get that alternative I would not leave my birth place of Mayavaram and would not go for studies like what I did in this life. I would join a Veda pada Sala and would become a practitioner and teacher of Veda. Nowadays, I pray often that my above choice to be accepted.

Let me move on to my life in Karaikudi. My mother and Leka were with me with Leka leading us. Menu was with my most of the time and Ganesh (who my mother used to call as Suri fondly) was born there.

Thinking about my sisters, getting women educated in 80s and later is a normal matter. Women being employed is also like that. But imagining Leka doing her M.Sc, that too in Chemistry and also with great performance, and in 1963, is something unimaginable. Her initiative and quiet support from brothers should have helped her too. But B. Sc from Queen Marys and M Sc from Presidency were great things. Menu being around 5 years senior to Leka had the constraints which I had mentioned and she doing a degree equivalent in Hindi and learning Music are also great things. Both of them worked for 3 and 1 year (if I remember correctly). This again is something great in my opinion. I feel proud when I think about these.

Most of our lady relatives born in late 30s or early 40s would have mostly stopped with schooling or with a degree.

Karaikudi is one of the important places of Nattukottai Chettiars. Chettiars consist of many communities — like Vanniya Chettiar who speak Telugu and run oil mills, rice mills etc, Manai Chettiars who are also merchants, and some more.

Nattukottai Chetitars (or Nagarathars) are from Chettinadu comprising of Karaikudi, Pudukottia and Ramnad Districts (mostly). They are generally very principled traders and business men with lot of respect for temples and brahmins. There may not be a temple where they had contributed to the building or the management. I was taken aback when I saw a temple in Vietnam which was built by a Nattukottai Chettiar. Raja Annamalia Chettiar, Raja Muthaiah Chettiar, Alagappa Chettiar (founder of Alagappa Univeristy and who was responsideble for the Central Electro Chemical Laboratory being located in Karaikudi), Poet Kannadasan, AVMeyappa Chettiars, EID group owners, are all Nattukottai Chettiars. Their houses in Chettinadu are special. Like the old houses in Mayavaram and Kumabakonam where we used to have many ‘Kattus — each of them enough for a family’, their houses are a great thing to see with a well on the right hand side when you enter etc. If any of you have a chance to see please do not miss.

I joined, thanks to influence which Leka got through some one, the Model High School in Karaikudi which was somewhat close to our home. This school is attached to Teacher’s Training College of Alagappa University and one Mr. Narayanan Chettiar was our head master. I joined sometime in August middle (as usual late, as in 9th Standard at Tiruvarur, as I had completed 10th in Mayavaram and competed a month or two there!).

To be honest I had never thought about higher education etc. till I completed half an year at 11th standard. I never knew about college or engineering or medicine or anything. I shall write more next time how my life was in Karaikudi and then my PUC.

One reason I was looking forward to visiting Karaikudi is to do with a person by name Sa. Ganesan. Sa. Ganesan (Chettiar) is a great follower of Kamba Ramayana. He had never worn a shirt as far as I know. During his time, there might not have any occasion where Kamba Ramayanam was discussed without him. (I do hope that all of you that Kamba Ramayana is by Kamban of Valmiki Ramayana with small modifications and recognized as important all over the world.)

Author of Kamba Ramayana, Kamban was a weaver and born and lived in Terizandur. Most of you might know, that my eldest Athimber is from the same place. Though this is one of the 108 divya desam of vishnu, it is also important town both for Siva. Shri Devaadi Raja Perumal Temple is the Vishnu temple there and Vedapureeswarar Temple is the Sivan temple. I remember Athirmber’s father was one of the trustees’ of the Siva temple. I think the distance from Mayavaram to this place was between 10 and 15 kms and there were innumerable times I had visited this town.

Every year, for many years, Kamban Festivals used to be held there and also at Karaikudi. Later-on it was held in Karaikudi only. During this festival, there will be many literature events on Kamaba Ramayanam (for 2 days, I think). There will be debates organized on each year. During one such year (my 10th standard in Mayavaram, I remember), there was a debate in which two teams from my school participated. I was in the team which lost. The topic was ‘Whose brothers were great – Rama’s or Ravana’s.’ I was part of a small team 3 which has to argue that Ravana’s brothers were great. It was difficult and getting support from Kamba Ramayana was more difficult except for praise for two brothers.

We argued as below:

How can anyone say that only Rama had great brothers – other than Bharatha, Lakshmana and Satgurugan, Guhan, Sukreevan and Vibeeshanan were also part of his brother-team. Rama was always good and thus being a brother to him is quite easy and therefor his brothers alone can not be praised. (We quoted from Kamban to support this). In case of Ravana’s all 5 brothers – Vibhishana, Kumbakarna, Khara, Dushana and Ahiravana (Kubera was his half brother) – were all devoted to his brother. For a brothers, we said, the first requirement is be faithful to the other brothers, advise them when needed and not abandon him — was our main argument. We brought out the greatness of Kumbakarna and Khara. It was difficult to be a brother of Ravana but all them did their duties of a good brother. The question we explained was not whether Ravana or Rama were good brothers but how good were their brothers.

We lost the debate.

Sa. Ganesan was the leading speaker and also a judge. I knew that he was from Karaikudi and was looking forward to seeing Karaikudi.

I attended Guindy alumni meet few days back. It was nice to see one’s classmates who are also almost as old as you.

After this, I went to Mumbai through Hyderabad. One of my early friends from Hyderabad who was a follower of Brahma Kumaris passed away few months back at Mount Abu. I could not go to meet his family till now and this time I had gone there.

Both of these reminded me of my days from Karaikudi to Ahmedabad.

I had written about how my mother and I went to live in Karaikudi 62-63, to be with Leka. She had taken up a Lecturer’s job at Seethalakshmi Achi Women’s College at Pallathur soon after she completed her M Sc.

Pallathur is a small village about 12 kms from Karaikudi. It is a well-known Nattukottai Chettiar place. Some of you might be knowing how actress Manorama lived there. I think the college came into being only in the year we/Leka went. It was really commendable for the founder of the college (one Arunachalam Chettiar) to find a woman’s college there.

College Bus used to come for Leka coming to pick up between 8.45 am to 9.15 am and drop back by 5.30 was a normal life.

Menu was also there after her Seemantham and Ganesh was born there on a Sunday. Amma had called him Suri (Surya Narayanan) as Sunday was his day of birth. I remember Dr. Mrs. Vijayakumari, a Keralite was the doctor whose hospital was less than 300 m from our home. She had come on Sunday morning to our home as Menu had some developments and fired all of us for not bringing her to the hospital earlier. Suri was there by lunch time, I think.

Thinking of construction of homes in Chennai, I had spent many Saturdays in 63-64 for Nanganallur home construction. I think it was the other end of today’s Anjaneyar temple. There were no stations between Meenambakkam and St. Thomas Mount. One has to walk from St Thomas Mount Station. There was only one home in the middle of St. Thomas Mount and Meenambakkam stations (on the eastern side) unlike today where the whole area is filled with buildings and roads. There were no contractors for home like today and apart from design from a friend of Guruanna, Appa was the supervisor as Annas were busy with work except on some days. I had provided a little help for Nanganallur home!

Thinking of Dr Mrs Vijayakumari at Karaikudi reminds me of my going to one Dr Subramanian in the fifth street of Subramanyapuram in Karaikudi. For some months, everyday some portion of my skin — face, hand, neck, leg, stomach, etc. — used to have sudden inflation (much larger than mosquitoes bites) and some amount of itching used to be there. The skin will come back to normalcy within few hours. Leka enquired with her friends and told me to go this Dr Subramanian. He was a devout Brahmin and I had gone to his house in the morning. He made me wait till he finished his puja and after learning from me my problems, he gave a prescription (it was only B Complex tablets) and asked me to have two tablets a day for 15 days and if the problem persisted to come back. He did not charge me anything and the problem vanished and I do not have this problem for the last 55 years! May be Ravi can tell the reason.

Though I was doing my school final in Karaikudi (11th Standard) I never knew about doing engineering or any studies after school expect BA and BSc. On a holiday day, Amma with daughters and Vijayan and Suri went to Madurai for temple and I was at home. A lady next door (by name Sundari mami was to take care of me). I had helped her by taking our water from well (which is my and my father’s regular habit in Mayavaram). She was a widow with her daughter was doing B Ed and son B Com. She told me that I should join engineering college. May be that was the first time I got an idea.

I moved to Chennai with Amma at Mayavaram while ending our stay at Karaikudi just after examinations when Leka decided to quit and move to a college in Toothukudi. Problems of money had started for father at Mayavaram as payment for wood taken during the previous period was taken as a loan.

I was surprised that no one expected me to be in Madras for studies and my brothers were looking at me with surprise. I never knew that I was holding 123rd rank in the state and shall be getting a National Scholarship for all my life! We were all at Alwarpet (16 Murrays Gate Road). My school certificate took nearly 3 months after the results, to come to me by post. I had done 9th Standard in Tiruvarur, 10th in Mayavaram and 11th in Karaikudi. The final certificate has to start at Tiruvaur and end at Karaikudi and come to me. The three schools sending certificate to each other involved time during that period. The final certificate reached me at our Chennai address (which was given by Leka before leaving Karaikudi) me very late. No one could be there for follow-up.

On enquiry Kannanana asked me to try at Vivekananda College for PUC as it was near. During the stay at Alwarpet, I had walked and had known the places. Of course, I did not know how to speak in English as medium was Tamil all through. (I did not even know how to ask the location of toilet!) I went to Vivekananda college with the certificate and stood outside principal’s office and later met him. He saw my certificates and said ‘you are excellent but I cannot give a seat as all are filled up’. I did not know what to do. I came and asked what to do to Kannanna. By then we are also in the process of moving to Secretariat Colony even though the building (including electricity) was not ready. I went to Loyola College as Kannana said I can try there. I had told him that I am going there on a Monday. I went and met the principal Fr. Xavier. He saw my certificates and told me that I am very late but he can accommodate me in Advanced English Class (Logic was the most popular later I learnt). I did not know English but said okay!. While returning I met Kananna and told him. The fee was not much. Unfortunately, I used to wear only Dhoti as pants would have cost money! Vijayan was good enough to take Rs 50 from Gurunna; Rs 30 was for 2 pants and the balance was for fees and books/notes.

I used to walk and also take a second cycle which Vijayan used to have (he had moved to Kumbakonam) from Secretariat Colony home to Loyola College. Amma and Appa were to join me still. In Loyola, after sometime I realized that I am not able to see the writing-board due to problems in my eye and also could not understand the language of physics lecturer who was from Kerala. My English started improving. During the first examination, I sat down and studied books from library and what Leka had given. I started scoring well and in Maths 100%.

For Advanced English course, I had Richard II of Shakespeare, Mayor of Caster Bridge of Thomas Hardy, Daffodils poems of William Wordsworth and some more. Fr Georg was my English professor.

I had applied for scholarship and got (I did not know about my National Scholarship even then). I got Rs 720 for the year towards last quarter, handed over Rs 300 each to Gurunna and Kannana, 70 to Appa (who had almost moved in) and used Rs 50 for application and spectacles.

I learnt that Menu Athimber’s bother (Jayaraman) passed away. I felt sad. I also had a small note about my PG course which I had not sent. I was reminded of it when I heard about this. Below is the write up:

Some months back, I read about the issue the ISRO moon-orbiter had encountered in landing on Moon. The reason is so simple and analysis came to me when I read the news. I found the same reason was confirmed a month later. My interests were and are in Aeronautics to a large extent. I was reminded of the course I was pursuing, when someone asked me few days back about my doing IIMA course.

I had written to you all about my joining Engineering. Three of you asked me to write more. It can be a 2 or 3 writeups. This is about how I did my PG.

In 1970 May, I had my BE in Mechanical, when I was 21 years and 3 months. My source of income as National Scholarship had stopped. Getting a job in Mechanical in 1970 was proving to be difficult. Amma and Kamala Manni had known the family of a TVS Company’s HR Head who was living in Secretariat Colony. He was living in the home next to my classmate’s home. On top of my classmate’s home was the tenant Dr Rangarajan and Dr Vasanthi (who was Leka’s favorite doctor and all Leka’s children were delivered in her hospital). They just had a daughter then who is now wife of Karthi Chidambaram (her name is Srinidi). I used to meet him when I was there, for Appa’s treatment which was anyway badly done due to constraints of that time. Ravi would know better as he had started his course then.

Many times, Amma and Manni used to meet the family of TVS man. Amma had asked me to meet him for the job. When I went to his house, I was asked to be outside and told to meet him at the office. I was taken aback and did not do it. I had got a job at Standard Automobile after three days of very detailed and difficult interview (MD finally interviewed). I was taken aback when I was offered Rs 190 per month. I did not accept as I would have got Rs 250 if I had taken up MS.

Though I would have got seat in Chennai IIT, my interests were in Aeronautics and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore was a better place than IITM. I had applied for that and I stayed with Menu athimber’s brother (Shri Jayaraman who is very friendly and I learnt that he passed away yesterday) at Bangalore and got the admission and moved into the hostel. Dr Satish Dhavan was the Director and he had taken some classes for us too. (He was later Head of ISRO). It was very interesting. I also learnt aeronautics for aircraft is very crucial and lot of research had to be done. Space Research work was comparatively easy. I was getting Rs 250 pm.

Most of us were offered Rs 400 provided we enter into a post education contract with ISRO (I think it was for 7 years). I was not sure whether to do it. 4 months had gone. Suddenly I found a job offer from Hyderabad where I had attended an interview and the salary was Rs 500 p.m. I thought the matter over and decided to quit IISc, as going forward would need moving for Ph.D in US or India and mostly limited jobs. I left IISc.

What I heard had learnt is so much is easy with Space work compared to Aeronautical design. From one of that only, I saw how the reason for the Moon mission problem was easily understandable.

I found Bangalore Krishna Bhavan, which was, at the entrance from Station to Malleswaram was good. It is there now too, with larger size.

My friend had a contact with one Narayanan, near whose house, we found a place to stay. Lot of time we used to spend with Narayanan and his wife Prema (who had fed us lot of food). (Incidentally recently Anand and I went and met Prema Narayanan in Hyderabad to convey our condolences on passing away of Narayanan. They had attended Anand’s marriage.)

My friend knew many things which I did not know at all. One day, he told me that he is going to write IIMA entrance examination and I should also write. I told him I do not know what is IIMA and that I cannot afford any thing. He showed me the IIMA application and papers and there was a statement underlined that absence of money need not stop any one taking up the course. I was also worried as Appa was not well. I had appeared for an interview with Mishra Datu and was sure of getting.

I wrote the entrance. I was on the verge of losing my job too along with my friend. I came to Madras to meet Appa. I got selected for IIMA and was asked to appear for interview. I went back to Hyderabad. I found that my friend has not got intimation about passing. I was taken aback. I came back to Chennai and attended the interview and got selected. My friend who gave me the introduction to IIMA also got selected in the second list! (I also got another job at Hyderabad.) During both the examination and the interview I had seen a very large group appearing. And it was a pleasant surprise to me to get selected.

I got a loan and got the clearance too. However, I was not sure when the loan will get disbursed. I joined and Vijayan sent me amount. As I learnt that I do not have to pay anything and the loan provider is taking care I sent the amount back to Vijayan within few days.

The course was of 2 years (71-73) and it was a very good course. Even now it should be very good. Of course, I had limited amount and I had to spend my vacations also in the hostel and on one vacation only I could afford visit. The one visit was to Leka’s place in New Delhi.

Summer placement at the end of first year was three months as Scientific Officer (Grade C!) at Atomic Energy for marketing of Nuclear Radio Therapy items and marketing of some more items from Isotope group. It was a salary for 3 months which helped me in 2nd year. I completed the course and had to take up jobs.

If possible, I shall write about my BE and later part. I hope the third generation take up courses after understanding well.

My mother and me had been taking bath everyday in Caveuri and definitely all 30 days in Ayypasi. We used buy vegitables on the way back. Ofcourse we will be wearing wet clothes. Music by Nadaswaram specialist in the evening/night when Mayuranathar and Ambal will be brought back everyday will take more than 3 hours and very good music. We had not missed most of them. After 2002 I used to go to Mayavaram during this month atleast for a day and have bath. I am missing it during the last 3 years and regret. Ofcourse I had visited the temple many years includi g during last year. Almost everyday during this month amma used to get guests and used to cook for them. Many relatives were known to Gurunna. Just for information to the younger people.