My Dad “Self Made Man”
FATHER
F.....Fantastic and Forgiving
A.... Active and Athletic
T.....Trusting
H....Healthy, Helping, and Honorable
E....Extraordinary
R....Radiant, Rational, and Responsible
When Baby (Rajani) asked me to write about you, the first thought that came to my mind is how you managed to raise 11 children plus others. You took RESPONIBILITY of raising distant family members….by providing an education, good living,getting them jobs, performed their weddings.
Thus you settled their lives.
Radhika kept asking me “ How did you feel about tatha as a child? “. I said “ He was a TERROR”….and I shared my secret with her,”when I was a teenager, me being a social person.I would hang out and visit my friends. Numerous times I came home late and I would sneak through the back door(my little sisters Baby and Chandri or my sister-in-law Indravathi one of them would open the back door for me, so I would’nt get caught). we were all very SCARED of you “.
I also saw the other side of you .your GENEROUS and HELPING nature. I remember as a family we all would prepare milk with milk powder and would serve it to all the poor people on sabapathi street near lakshmi iron mart. CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME. We all learnt this at a very young age.
I very well remember visits to LEPROSY COLONY every year on your birthday to distribute rugs, bed sheets, food etc to the people in need. This is how you celebrated your birthday.
MANAVA SAEVAE YAE MADHAVA SAEVAE….perfectly suits you .
Also, Durning your business trips to Bombay and Bangalore, You brought us games like ludo, chess, trade,chinese checker, view master etc…You kept us up to date with the games .
After I completed my SSLC. I stopped going to school and I spent good 8 to 10 yrs helping my MOM at home . I was her right hand doing household chores. It was one of the BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE….This real experience came in handy and I was put to test after I got married and moved to
yet an other big family(my in laws). Shortly after, My mother in law Radhamma passed away and I had to step in her shoes, took her position of running the show. Even though I was a young bride, taking responsibility came very naturally to me without complaining only because of the time I had spent helping my MOM ( PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE WAS MY MOM) and also because of good upbringing and morals that you both taught me.
Ayya, You have numerous good qualities, but one that I feel I inherited from you and put in practice is WORK IS WORSHIP, which is the best asset I have.
I tell you today I am very proud to be born to you and mom. As your daughter I will try to follow your
foot steps to make this life purposeful and worthwhile to live.
Neeku Priyamaina Kuthuru
Devi ( Devaleela)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Dear Grandpa
Dear Thata
Good Day!This is Bharath your grand son living in Davangere.
Since i was a little child,
In all that I've been through;
You've always been my hero,
No one stood as tall as you.
You were the one who took the time,
To teach what i need to learn;
The lessons in life you shared with me,
You shared with love and concern.
I loved you as a little child,
And now that I am grown;
I share those lessons you taught me;
With children of my own.
Generation to generation,
I'll pass on your legacy;
I'll tell of my loving Grandfather,
And all that you mean to me.
I like to walk with Grandpa,
His steps are short like mine.
He doesn't say,"Now hurry up".
He always takes his time.
Most people are in a hurry,
They do not stop and see;
I'm glad God made Grandpa unrushed,
And almost as young as me.
With your blessings.....
Your Grand Son
Bharath Channagiri
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Dear Thata,
Good Day! This is Sharath your grand son living in Bangalore.
We remember you always for all the good things you taught us in life while growing up as kids. As kids Bellary was our Disney Land as we used to visit Bellary on every summer holidays. The car journey from Davangere to Bellary was packed with full of excitement and energy as we used to eagerly wait to jump into your palatial home and get your blessings and meet all family members.
You taught us the power of simplicity and discipline; you showed us that by following Gandhian principles, good habits and healthy food, a person can live for 100 years. You taught me how to read horoscope so that I can find my best soul mate…. My beautiful wife is eagerly waiting to meet you and get your blessings. You are remembered as a Magic Thata with a golden hand who cherished in all the business you started.
You supported and gave strength to me and family members in our good times as well as in bad times. You are a living legend, role model and inspiration for generations to come. I remember the famous quote from Indira Gandhi on grandfather
“My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work, and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group. There was much less competition”
Indira Gandhi
Anyway me and my wife planning to visit you in Bellary soon….we prayed to God to give you more strength and energy for many more years to come.
With your Blessings….
Your Grand Son
Sharath Channageri
Good Day! This is Sharath your grand son living in Bangalore.
We remember you always for all the good things you taught us in life while growing up as kids. As kids Bellary was our Disney Land as we used to visit Bellary on every summer holidays. The car journey from Davangere to Bellary was packed with full of excitement and energy as we used to eagerly wait to jump into your palatial home and get your blessings and meet all family members.
You taught us the power of simplicity and discipline; you showed us that by following Gandhian principles, good habits and healthy food, a person can live for 100 years. You taught me how to read horoscope so that I can find my best soul mate…. My beautiful wife is eagerly waiting to meet you and get your blessings. You are remembered as a Magic Thata with a golden hand who cherished in all the business you started.
You supported and gave strength to me and family members in our good times as well as in bad times. You are a living legend, role model and inspiration for generations to come. I remember the famous quote from Indira Gandhi on grandfather
“My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work, and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group. There was much less competition”
Indira Gandhi
Anyway me and my wife planning to visit you in Bellary soon….we prayed to God to give you more strength and energy for many more years to come.
With your Blessings….
Your Grand Son
Sharath Channageri
Saturday, September 11, 2010
MY FATHER - MY ROLE MODEL
‘Eat to Live, and not Live to Eat'. This phrase must have been coined looking at my father. The simple diet he has set for himself is a great boon to his health. My God, what will power he has, not to get tempted at the goodies prepared everyday at home! However, he gives the credit of his good health to my mother. It is she who used to prepare food that is healthy for him, he says. It is also encouraging to see how my sisters-in-law continue my mother's tradition of cooking healthy food for him. I applaud everyone for their efforts and setting an example for all of us.
He is so punctual; you could set your watch by him, if it ever stopped. I remember traveling with him a lot, many a time to find a suitable match for one of my brothers. I still remember one time, when we were supposed to depart at 9 am. All of us were ready at 9:05, but my father was nowhere to be found. We looked all over the house, wondering how my father could be late. It is when one of us spotted him sitting in the car, waiting for us that we realized that we were late by 5 minutes. That day we all learnt that 9 am means 8:59:59 am for my father.
Even now when I travel I prefer to eat idlis, something my father taught me. It is easy to digest and comfortable while traveling he said. It makes me think of him when I order idlis while traveling even now.
Being the only child, he must have felt lonely growing up. Although he has never mentioned it, I feel that was the motivation to have 11 children. None of us have ever felt lonely. It is very encouraging to visit the home I was born and brought up in. When my children were young, we used to spend most of their holidays in Bellary. Even after all these years we are still welcome and we are still pampered like the little children of the house we once were. This credit not only goes to my parents, but also to my brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces and their spouses, and their children. I want to acknowledge everyone and especially my father for keeping this family so tightly knit together.
Talking about my father is incomplete without mentioning my mother. Her companionship has given my father a lot of strength and motivation, which he humbly acknowledges. Looking back at their harmonious time together gives me so much encouragement. Once he retired, I remember my father spending most of his time with my mother. He would play board games - baara gatta, pichala peeta - with her, and help her in any chores she did, like picking stones from the rice pile, or peeling vegetables. The only day I remember my father missing his meals is on May 1st 1998, the day my mother passed away. We all knew my father was very strong, his emotional side was seen on that day.
We all found a friend in him only after he retired. Till then when we heard his car horn, we would rush into the room; reduce the volume of the radio and so on. After his retirement, he sits with us for hours in the lawns of Hotel Pola Paradise, and share with us his childhood memories and his experiences in life.
Being a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he still wears only Khadi clothes. He used to take us to Khadi Emporium during Gandhi Jayanti and encourage us to buy Khadi towels or use the Khadi to stitch night clothes. That is his way of encouraging us to use Khadi in some or the other form.
For Ugadi festival he would buy new clothes for all of us and he would change his sacred thread (Janivaaram) and wear a new one on that day. And when asked he would say, he is happy seeing all of us in new clothes.
He maintains a diary with birthdays and anniversaries of all the family members and announces it to everyone on that day. It makes me feel special and loved when I hear from people who call to wish me that they were reminded of my birthday by my father.
There are many things small and big that remind me of my father day to day. I regret crying to go to school when I was young. I was studying at St. Philomena’s High School. For some reason which I don’t remember now, I didn't like that school and cried to go there. Finally my father shifted me to M.B.S.L High School, and I was very happy. He used to visit the school as chief-guest for the annual day, which made me very proud. Although I liked it then, I soon realised that studying in a telugu-medium school compromised my English. I carry the regret of not listening to my father.
Once during diwali festival, the house was full of diyas, and somehow my frock caught fire. My father came and rubbed the frock in between his palms to put off the fire. I was too young to remember, if he burnt his hands.
I remember he once gave me a gift envelope with some cash, which I promptly put in my purse. Then he quoted a saying in Telugu that "you should always count your money, even if you are throwing it into a well". I cultivated the habit of always counting money while giving or receiving, from that day.
I learnt from my father - not to trade but invest in the stock market. That advise has come in handy. I felt very happy when he gifted shares to me; hence I continued the tradition by gifting shares to my children, on special occasions.
When my Mother-in-law fractured her leg in the year 2000, I took care of her for some time. When he heard about this, he called me and said that "God does not give the opportunity of serving elders to everybody. You are blessed with this opportunity, so take care of her with a good heart." Those words were so encouraging and have made a lasting impression on me. His words came back ringing in my ears recently, when I visited him in the hospital on 29th Aug. 2010, with a fractured leg. I found at least 20 people in a day with a good heart, taking care of him in shifts. What advice he gave me 10 years back is coming back to him in many folds.
A special note:
I am blessed to have parents like you. There is not a single day I could feel differently. I thank you for everything you have done for me. I want to convey special thanks for finding a wonderful life partner for me. My husband is the best gift in my life, and I want to thank you for finding him for me.
Rajani Ramkumar
He is so punctual; you could set your watch by him, if it ever stopped. I remember traveling with him a lot, many a time to find a suitable match for one of my brothers. I still remember one time, when we were supposed to depart at 9 am. All of us were ready at 9:05, but my father was nowhere to be found. We looked all over the house, wondering how my father could be late. It is when one of us spotted him sitting in the car, waiting for us that we realized that we were late by 5 minutes. That day we all learnt that 9 am means 8:59:59 am for my father.
Even now when I travel I prefer to eat idlis, something my father taught me. It is easy to digest and comfortable while traveling he said. It makes me think of him when I order idlis while traveling even now.
Being the only child, he must have felt lonely growing up. Although he has never mentioned it, I feel that was the motivation to have 11 children. None of us have ever felt lonely. It is very encouraging to visit the home I was born and brought up in. When my children were young, we used to spend most of their holidays in Bellary. Even after all these years we are still welcome and we are still pampered like the little children of the house we once were. This credit not only goes to my parents, but also to my brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces and their spouses, and their children. I want to acknowledge everyone and especially my father for keeping this family so tightly knit together.
Talking about my father is incomplete without mentioning my mother. Her companionship has given my father a lot of strength and motivation, which he humbly acknowledges. Looking back at their harmonious time together gives me so much encouragement. Once he retired, I remember my father spending most of his time with my mother. He would play board games - baara gatta, pichala peeta - with her, and help her in any chores she did, like picking stones from the rice pile, or peeling vegetables. The only day I remember my father missing his meals is on May 1st 1998, the day my mother passed away. We all knew my father was very strong, his emotional side was seen on that day.
We all found a friend in him only after he retired. Till then when we heard his car horn, we would rush into the room; reduce the volume of the radio and so on. After his retirement, he sits with us for hours in the lawns of Hotel Pola Paradise, and share with us his childhood memories and his experiences in life.
Being a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he still wears only Khadi clothes. He used to take us to Khadi Emporium during Gandhi Jayanti and encourage us to buy Khadi towels or use the Khadi to stitch night clothes. That is his way of encouraging us to use Khadi in some or the other form.
For Ugadi festival he would buy new clothes for all of us and he would change his sacred thread (Janivaaram) and wear a new one on that day. And when asked he would say, he is happy seeing all of us in new clothes.
He maintains a diary with birthdays and anniversaries of all the family members and announces it to everyone on that day. It makes me feel special and loved when I hear from people who call to wish me that they were reminded of my birthday by my father.
There are many things small and big that remind me of my father day to day. I regret crying to go to school when I was young. I was studying at St. Philomena’s High School. For some reason which I don’t remember now, I didn't like that school and cried to go there. Finally my father shifted me to M.B.S.L High School, and I was very happy. He used to visit the school as chief-guest for the annual day, which made me very proud. Although I liked it then, I soon realised that studying in a telugu-medium school compromised my English. I carry the regret of not listening to my father.
Once during diwali festival, the house was full of diyas, and somehow my frock caught fire. My father came and rubbed the frock in between his palms to put off the fire. I was too young to remember, if he burnt his hands.
I remember he once gave me a gift envelope with some cash, which I promptly put in my purse. Then he quoted a saying in Telugu that "you should always count your money, even if you are throwing it into a well". I cultivated the habit of always counting money while giving or receiving, from that day.
I learnt from my father - not to trade but invest in the stock market. That advise has come in handy. I felt very happy when he gifted shares to me; hence I continued the tradition by gifting shares to my children, on special occasions.
When my Mother-in-law fractured her leg in the year 2000, I took care of her for some time. When he heard about this, he called me and said that "God does not give the opportunity of serving elders to everybody. You are blessed with this opportunity, so take care of her with a good heart." Those words were so encouraging and have made a lasting impression on me. His words came back ringing in my ears recently, when I visited him in the hospital on 29th Aug. 2010, with a fractured leg. I found at least 20 people in a day with a good heart, taking care of him in shifts. What advice he gave me 10 years back is coming back to him in many folds.
A special note:
I am blessed to have parents like you. There is not a single day I could feel differently. I thank you for everything you have done for me. I want to convey special thanks for finding a wonderful life partner for me. My husband is the best gift in my life, and I want to thank you for finding him for me.
Rajani Ramkumar
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Radhika Remembers
I have three words to describe you
POLA…………PERSUASIVE
VENKAIAH….VIGILANT
CHETTY………CHARISMATIC
I have great memories of you to share …One incident that comes to my mind is
I was in Bellary during my summer vacation…..and Babu was teaching me how to drive a Car. We both got up early in the morning and decided to take your FIAT CAR without your permission for the ride. As I was still a student driver….I crashed your car in the ditch. Car was badly damaged….but luckily we both escaped with no injuries. We were so stressed out to tell you ……Believe me ! It took lot of guts for both of us to land in your room in front of you to tell our car story. My dear cousin Babu took the blame on him that he crashed the car. “ I was totally shaken up” …..You were so smart in recognizing the real culprit. When Babu said “ Thata I crashed your Car”.
You said” I can look at faces and can tell who actually crashed the Car”. At that moment I knew …”I was dead meat”. But …Instead you just smiled and said “ Be Careful next time”. It was a shock for us…Not getting Yelled from Thata.
The reason I say this because On Outside you appear very strict like a Army Sergeant….but inside you are very kind and caring. After this incident I was never scared of you ….I understood you .
Usually, Life is a give and take proposition…But In your case, You have always given your time, energy, love and advice and not expect anything in return ….Just shows your simplicity .
I want to wish you A very Joyous Happy 96 th Birthday. One of the biggest,warmest and gratifying rewards that any Grand Daughter can ask for is to have you as her GRANDPA.
“You are still Guarding/holding the Fort”.
Love
Radhika
Friday, September 3, 2010
Savan's Letter to Thata
Dear Great Thata
Namaste! My name is Savan. I am your Great Grand Son. I am 8 yrs old. We live in Westford ( Boston suburb) in US.
Congratulations! On your 96th Birthday ....Hip Hip Hooray. When Amma said that You are turning 97 yrs old."I said He is on his way to hit Century."
Amma talks about you all the time......You are her " FAVOURITE BOY FRIEND".
I know that you love to read books ( ME TOO), Only son to your Parents(ME TOO), You like to watch Cricket. By the way, You have a beautiful handwriting(I really need to work on my handwriting).
I was very much fascinated to see you in white clothes. I learnt in school that color White stands for Purity and kindness....qualities which you have.
Amma tells me that you are very Smart, Intelligent and Well Disciplined. That you never give up and never get distracted....You work at it...until its done. That's some Will Power you have.....( I get distracted easily with video games).
I almost forgot to mention about your Amazing Memory that you have.....You never forget things. ( Your folks must have fed you lots of Badam, carrots and Okra for you to get good memory).
Anyways, I plan to visit you in your Bellary Castle next year around.
Even though I have not spent much time with you .....But I feel I know you for long time..because of all the good old stories that my Amma tells me.
You are ONE POPULAR THATA that every kid would like to have.
Thata. I Prayed to God today for you to get better soon.
LOVE
SAVAN
Namaste! My name is Savan. I am your Great Grand Son. I am 8 yrs old. We live in Westford ( Boston suburb) in US.
Congratulations! On your 96th Birthday ....Hip Hip Hooray. When Amma said that You are turning 97 yrs old."I said He is on his way to hit Century."
Amma talks about you all the time......You are her " FAVOURITE BOY FRIEND".
I know that you love to read books ( ME TOO), Only son to your Parents(ME TOO), You like to watch Cricket. By the way, You have a beautiful handwriting(I really need to work on my handwriting).
I was very much fascinated to see you in white clothes. I learnt in school that color White stands for Purity and kindness....qualities which you have.
Amma tells me that you are very Smart, Intelligent and Well Disciplined. That you never give up and never get distracted....You work at it...until its done. That's some Will Power you have.....( I get distracted easily with video games).
I almost forgot to mention about your Amazing Memory that you have.....You never forget things. ( Your folks must have fed you lots of Badam, carrots and Okra for you to get good memory).
Anyways, I plan to visit you in your Bellary Castle next year around.
Even though I have not spent much time with you .....But I feel I know you for long time..because of all the good old stories that my Amma tells me.
You are ONE POPULAR THATA that every kid would like to have.
Thata. I Prayed to God today for you to get better soon.
LOVE
SAVAN
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