Tribute to a loyal soul!

When I got the news of the sudden demise of Srirangam Raja, my mind went back 45 years, when he joined my company as a driver​. He was more than a driver. He was a part of my family. A school dropout, he had ​​realised most of his dreams in life by sheer perseverance and hard work. I thought I would share his inspiring life story as a tribute to the departed soul.

Born in a ​w​ell-to-do family in Rajapalayam, Srirangam was a problem child for his parents.  When he was 12 years old, he decided to run away from home. He landed in Chennai, seeking refuge​from a distant relative, who was running a successful business.  Since Srirangam​ was not interested in studies, the family agreed to keep him as a helping hand​ to​ run around doing errands.

 When he grew up to be a handsome ​youngster of 18,  they decided to teach him ​t​o drive, so that he could pursue a vocation in case he was interested.  Srirangam took to driving like ​a duck to water and became the favourite driver in the family.  They even found a girl from a decent family from their native place and got him married.  He was settled in a small LIG flat, which they bought for him so that he could lead an independent family life. He was blessed with two sons, who grew up  to be as handsome as he was.

 When everything seemed to be ​g​oing well, Srirangam ​​realised that the next generation in his employer’s family was not treating him well.  One morning, he quit his job and decided to try his luck elsewhere. He​ joined my good friend Pandu Chintamani​, who was then the Manager of HTA in Chennai, as a company driver.  Within the next two years, when Pandu got transferred to another city, he recommended Srirangam​ to me, as I was looking for a reliable driver. I readily agreed to take him​, least ​​realising that it was going to be a lifelong tryst with Srirangam and his family.

 It ​ had been almost six years since Sriranagam had been with us. He was not only sincere in his job but was extremely loyal to my​ family. He was the embodiment of what a good driver should be. He would go beyond the call of duty to give a helping hand to any member of the family. A friendly and very loyal soul, he knew all my relatives and would be respectful to anyone who visited us. He was very fond of my aged mother​, whom he adored and respected.​ On his ​​payday, after visiting a temple near our house, he would invariably visit our home​ seeking blessings from her​ before taking his​ pay packet home. Obviously, my mother’s blessings worked. He got a job with a Sheik`s family in Saudi Arabia, with a fancy salary which I could never match. He left for Saudi ​Arabia at the age of 32, leaving behind his family, with dreams of earning big money to give ​a good education to his two sons and raise the standard of living of his family.

 Srirangam​ continued to be in touch with me.  Every new year, he would send a greeting card to my family, with a special message for my mother.  His​ love and loyalty to our family ​​were unbelievable!

 During the fourteen years he was in Saudi​ Arabia, he not only managed to send his two sons to a good school, but also saved sufficient money which he wisely invested in real estate both in his native place and in Chennai. He owned more properties than ​​ I.

 Every two years​, when he visited us on his holiday, we could see his growing prosperity reflected in his growing tummy. He​ was putting on weight and was having a blood pressure problem.  He was acquiring health problems associated with wealth.​ During his seventh trip to India, after 14 years in Saudi Arabia, he had a massive heart attack. He had to undergo a ​​bypass surgery to get rid of the four blocks in his heart.  He was only 46.  Under pressure from his family, he decided to quit his job in Saudi Arabia and​ stay back in Chennai.  

 * * * * *

 Six months after his return to India and after fully recovering from his health problem, Srirangam​ visited me. He said that he had​ decided to work again as a driver. He would​ look for a job elsewhere, only if I did not​ want him. When I told him that I​ ​could not afford the kind of salary he was used to, he said he ​​would accept whatever salary I offered him, ​He was talking based on the strength of the​ adequate savings he had in his bank account.​ I promptly hired him back​, and the whole family was delighted.  Soon I ​​realised that I was not only his employer but also a consultant in sorting out his family issues, which he encountered frequently. 

 Years rolled on.  Both his sons became graduates and found decent jobs. A dream come true for Srirangam, who had studied only upto 4^th standard. Both sons were married off to girls from good families. His elder son​ married a girl from Rajapalayam, while his second son got married to a girl from Salem. Srirangam was delighted when his first son presented him with two ​​grandchildren - a ​​granddaughter and a grandson. The second son also caught up and presented his parents with a grandson. Srirangam was street smart with a lot of common sense. He had already built separate houses for each of his ​​sons in the land he had invested in to avoid problems faced by joint families. He lived in his own house with his wife close to his children`s homes.

 Within a couple of years​, tragedy struck the family. His second son​, who was doing very well in a ​​nationalised​ bank and had risen to become a manager of a branch, died of cancer when he was in his early thirties​, leaving behind a young wife and a son. Srirangam was devastated. Soon​,​ he recovered from the tragedy and made arrangements to ensure that his second son`s family was well looked after,

In the ​​meantime, when I retired from my job, he also retired. Having fulfilled all his responsibilities in life, he became busy travelling across the country, going on pilgrimages​ and visiting foreign countries with his family groups and generally having a good time. During his sojourns, he would not forget to call me and enquire about my health. When in Chennai, he would visit my home often with his wife to pay his respects. He lived a full life​, always valuing relationships. I began to treat him like a younger brother, a part of my family.

 Just a few weeks ago​, he had called​ and promised to visit me in my new home at Nana Nani. But it was not to be.​ He passed away suddenly ​​from cardiac arrest while recovering from a surgery for Hernia. He was 74.  I will miss him, because it is very difficult to get such fiercely loyal souls these days. I pray god that his soul attains Satgati and gives strength to his family for bearing this irreparable loss!

Sugandhi Dandapani - A visual artist by instinct

 The Senior citizen home where I am staying has many talented residents who excel in their favourite hobbies. Among them Suganthy Dandapani (64) stands out . She specialises in making handicrafts to suit special occasions and miniature replicas of popular temples.

Suganthi was born  in Tirukoilur in Tamil Nadu, but was brought up in Chennai, where her father Pandurangan , was working as an officer in the Railway Mail Service. She is the third among four sisters.  She did her schooling in Singaram Pillai Girls Secondary High School at Villivakkam.  Though she was a bright student, and received appreciation for many of her essays on various topics from her teachers, she did not continue her education beyond 11^th standard.  Her conservative parents did not allow her to study further citing the family tradition. When she was 26, she was married to Dandapani whose family was running a jewellery shop in Nagapattinam. Until her marriage, she utilised her time giving free tuitions to poor children in her neighbourhood and also learning tailoring, besides making wire baskets.

Suganthy says,” Most of the ladies in our  Vysya community, to which I  belong, learn to make wire baskets using the cross stitch method from a young age.  These baskets are used extensively in marriages”.

Suganthi`s creative mind made her think beyond wire baskets. For her elder sister`s son`s fourth birthday, she dressed him like a priest and fabricated a Sivalingam using cardboard and other materials. A special photo of the boy worshipping the Sivalaingam was taken, which was very much appreciated by everyone in the family. That was the beginning of Suganthy`s tryst with custom-made handicrafts and miniatures.

After marriage, she moved to Nagapattinam, where her husband`s family was settled. It was a joint family where again she had to live with a lot of restrictions.  However, she was allowed to display her talents at the nearby Kanniga Parameshwari temple. On special occasions she would fabricate different types of braids (Jadais). She  also used her imagination to try to adorn the deity with other types of make ups (Alanagaram) using different materials. It was around this time that she learnt to make ICE lingams. She and her husband have performed `Panchlinga Puja` using five Ice lingams she had made and Jothirlinga Puja using twelve Ice Lingams. At the Senior Citizen Home, she continues with this practice.

After  they celebrated their  30^th wedding anniversary, they moved to  Nana Nani, Phase 4 in Coimbatore, in 2017 to lead an independent life  without any responsibilities. Since they did not have any children they felt a well run senior citizen home would offer them better security and all the other facilities required by them at their age. Sugandhi could also  actively involve herself in her favorite hobby without any restrictions. It was a turning point  in their lives.

Phase 4 has a big Mahalaxmi Temple. In their very  first year, Suganthy fabricated several Jadais  (braids), which were used in adorning the head of the Processional deity ( Amman) in the temple. The Jadai , using several layers fabricated as a crown, adorns the deity even today. Any festival celebrated in the temple  witnesses some contribution from Suganthy in the form of a special decoration of the deity. Similarly, any programmes based on religious festivals will have on display an item specially fabricated by her. The Ramanavami festival last year had a miniature of the new Ayodhya temple, like the ones that architects make, made by her, displayed in a corner of the stage. Similarly, she had made a miniature of the Ayyappa temple featuring the hill, complete with the eighteen steps in the meditation hall of the community where a mega Puja for lord Ayyppa was performed,

Suganthy also celebrates every festival at home with appropriate decorations in the puja room to suit the festival. She had an exhibition depicting the story of Krishna Jayanthi at home .  She was thrilled when a popular singer visited her home on the occasion and sang a few songs on Krishna.

Suganthy recalls two memorable events  in her life. She says,” At the Neelayadakshi temple in Nagapattinam, during  Shivaratri  our  family contribution was the special Ice Lingam, which I would make and place it in an identified location in the temple. After puja in the main temple when our family returned to the area, we would be thrilled to find the Lingam surrounded by hundreds of lamps lit by devotees. 

 A couple of years ago, when a handicrafts exhibition was organized in the Meditation  Hall of the Senior Citizen Home,  my stall was highly appreciated by Mrs Uma Maheshwari, the JMD of the Ananya Homes, who was the chief guest on the occasion".

For all her talent, Suganthy had no formal training in the art. She is  a visual artist by instinct who is primarily guided by an innate, intuitive ability and gut feeling in making artistic decisions

She uses her imagination and some reference photos to fabricate items with cardboard, thermocole, fevicol and other relevant materials. Her husband Dandapani is of great help these days. He not only gives ideas, procures materials, but also actively helps in the fabrication of items. The couple is popular in the community for their active role in all the religious festivals held in the community.

Though her formal education had ended with the school, that did not stop her from learning Sanskrit and the Vedas after moving into the  Home. She studied Sanskrit at the Samskruthaa Bharathi in  Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. After passing the Kovidha exams, she started teaching Sanskrit online to interested residents in the community. She has also learnt the Vedas from the experts in the community and is now part of all Veda chanting groups active in the community.

Suganthi`s life is one more  example to prove that age is no barrier to pursue one`s passion for anything. And that well-run Senior Citizen Homes with a vibrant community offer plenty of opportunities for any creative pursuits.

 

 

A place to relax and chill

 It was a short trip with a twin purpose- to attend the wedding of my cousin`s son in Bangalore, followed by an eagerly awaited visit to my younger daughter Sowmya`s farmhouse in Thally. While at the wedding, I caught up with a lot of relatives, I did not venture to meet any other friends in Bangalore because of the fear of getting caught in the suffocating traffic in Bangalore. I left for Thalli by a taxi accompanied by my elder daughter, Kavitha, who had also come to attend the wedding. The farmhouse is located in a village called Thogarai Agraharam, which is equidistant from both Thally and Denkanikottai towns, both part of Hosur District, 1000ft above the sea level. The area has a cool, salubrious weather with hill-surrounded landscape which reminded the British of England, and hence it is called `Little England. It has been a major supplier of a variety of flowers and fruits to markets all over the country.

My daughter's farmhouse is located on a property developed by Heritage Group of Bangalore, which sells quarter-acre plots to those interested in buying a plot. Aptly named `Sukh Nivas`, the house is built on a quarter-acre plot. What is special about the house? It is built using mud bricks for the entire masonry work, with only 5% of cement used in the construction. The bricks are made using the soil in the plot and dried for 20 days under the Sun, before use. It was a dream project of my son-in-law, Sathya ( @ D.Srinivasan – Group Captain, IAF (retd.), who is an avid bird watcher and a nature lover. The choice of the place was also influenced by the fact that his eldest sister and her two daughters have their farmhouses in the same property.

This architect-designed house is built in the centre of the plot with provisions for growing trees/plants or lawns in the front as well as the backyard. You get into the house from an entrance located on the side, into a hall which accommodates a beautifully designed open kitchen with the dining area and a drawing room opening to a large backyard through a French door. The adjoining `Thinnai`- a raised sit out has two Swings to chill out. The other end of the hall has two bedrooms built on either side of the hall. With an arch shaped separation wall and a sloping roof with transparent glass panels to percolate light, the house looks beautiful. It is also tastefully furnished. While the front area also houses an open garage, the utility room is located on the first floor. Though the process of construction witnessed a lot of ups & downs, including cost escalations, the final outcome can be termed as a dream project come true. As they say, all's well that ends well,

The weather, the rustic feeling, and the overall ambience lend themselves to lead a calm and peaceful life. However, as the property is still under development, and there are many empty plots where the owners have yet to build their homes, it is sparsely populated. It lacks cemented roads and street lights. Besides, the place is located a few miles away from a nearby town where you have to go for all your shopping and medical facilities. While it is a great place to live after you have fulfilled all your commitments and you have a passion for nature, it can be used only for short duration stays, like what Sowmya and Sathya are doing now, since they still have professional commitments.. Congratulations, Sowmya and Sathya for realising one of your dreams.

While I tried to `chill` during my brief stay at Sukh Nivas, I seemed to have got the `Chill` of the place resulting in my suffering from Cold and Cough after my return to Coimbatore. That does not prevent me from visiting Thally once again to spend a more relaxed time.