A Dragon of Hope

A book of poems by my daughter

 My younger daughter, Sowmya Srinivasan, a well-known professional storyteller, has been active as a blogger since 2008. She has been posting her poems on her blog (SOULspace – www.ssstoryteller.blogspot.com) since then.  This compilation of her poems, written over 16 years, features her thoughts as a stay-at-home Mother raising two busy children.

“This book is dedicated to my children, Uthara and Keshav, as they have always inspired me to look at the world in new and fresh ways and were instrumental in making me a Storyteller!” says Sowmya.

In the first Foreword to the book, Shreekumar Varma, Author, Playwright, Columnist, and Poet, says,” The titular ‘Dragon of Hope’ is like an interior dialogue that reaches out to us, reflecting on people, on a transactional, emotional basis, probably the musings of a storyteller.  “I am not a poet, yet I write poetry!” says Sowmya. As we pick out the gems from this collection, we will tell Sowmya: “Carry on, we’re waiting for more.”

In the second Foreword, Prof. Dr. Evrim Ölçer Özünel, a Storyteller, Friend, Believer in the power of words, says,  “Some books feel like old friends, you don’t just read them, you sit with them, laugh with them, and sometimes cry with them. `Dragon of Hope and Other Poems from My Life` is that kind of book. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t try to impress. It simply opens the door to a life lived with deep feeling, gentle reflection, and quiet strength. Through these poems, Sowmya invites us into her world not just as readers, but as fellow travelers. You’ll walk with her through motherhood, memory, loss, love, and self-discovery. You’ll meet the child she once was, the woman she has become, and all the selves she has met along the way.” 

The book is in three parts:  Human Connections,  Earth Connections, and Ethereal Connections. There are  38 poems with comments preceding every poem, capturing the trigger and flavour of the thoughts ahead. They are also chronologically arranged. This 85-page handy book  with a cover design by my grandson  Keshav, is published by Creative Workshop and printed at Compuprint, Chennai. Priced at Rs 160, the book is available for sale now on Flipkart.

https://dl.flipkart.com/dl/product/p/itme?pid=9788198097057&lid=LSTBOK9788198097057JWPRXT

Copies are also available from Sowmya. She can be contacted on - Mob no.9731570615: Email id: sowmya03@gmail.com

An Award with a difference

 It was an award function not organised by any industry body or a voluntary organization to recognize me.  It was my good friend of 48 years, R.T Chari and Ramu Endowments, a trust he had started in his father`s name years ago.  A Philanthropist whose contribution to Carnatic Music and South India Heritage is phenomenal, Chari has been recognizing and presenting Awards to many achievers over the last several years covering writers, authors, musicians, Heritage champions, artists and many more.

This New Year started with my receiving an award for the `Inspiring Writer of Nana Nani` on 2nd January. Now, I have this award from Chari, which recognizes me as an `Inspiring Senior Citizen for dynamism after retirement`. I accept it with all humility because it comes with Chari`s deep affection for me.

For me, Chari is a role model. He helped me discover the joy of giving and making people happy. I have also found that if people around you are happy, you are happy. Today, I have a policy of making at least one person happy every day.  With little acts, gestures, or using my limited resources. Also because my Bank of Goodwill is always overflowing,  I can help anyone needing any kind of help by connecting them with someone who can provide that help. 80% of the time it works making that person happy! There is nothing like the joy of giving.

I am also happy that  Mrs. Sivasankari, for whom I have great respect and regard, was the chief guest at the function.  Apart from being a celebrity writer,  she is also a great advocate of the need for senior citizens to lead an active life. She has been practicing what she preaches. I consider her also as a Role Model among Senior Citizens. I felt honoured to receive the award from her.

I was also happy to see many well-wishers in the packed audience at Tag Centre where the event was held on Sunday 23^rd February,2025 preceded by a sumptuous breakfast and followed by an interesting video programme on `Kishore Kumar` presented by another good friend S.R.Madhu and put together by  T S . Gopal. It was 70 minutes of excerpts from Kishore Kumar`s famous songs which brought back memories of the olden /golden days of film music to the audience, mostly consisting of senior citizens.

I was particularly happy that three of my friends from Nana Nani were present in the audience.

Thank you, Chari, for the Award and for giving me an opportunity to meet many old friends. Pray God to bestow good health on you so that you continue to make people happy!

Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation celebrates its 10th Anniversary

The 10th Anniversary of Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation ( PRTF), started by me in memory of Prabha, was celebrated yesterday (15th January 2023) at TAG Centre owned by my good friend R.T Chari. It is at the same venue four other earlier anniversaries were celebrated.

The special feature of this year`s event was the presentation of the `PRTF-ROLE MODEL` Award to 95 years old Kanakam Sharma, who started writing short stories in Tamil at 90 and became a published author of a book of short stories by 93. She is continuing to write. The second person to receive the award was 78 years old Jaya Krishnan. She started writing in Tamil after she turned 70. She already has two books on spiritual subjects to her credit and the third one is on the way. The citations were read by Mythili Seshadri.

The next event witnessed 81 years old Kumudha Srinivasan realizing her dream of publishing her first book of short story in Tamil. Kizhambur Sankara Subramanian, the editor of 91 years old Kalaimagal magazine, received the first copy from the Chief Guest. The three ladies proved that age is no barrier to pursuing one`s passion.

This was followed by Ravi Tamilvanan of Manimekalai Prasuram handing over two books of first-time authors sponsored by PRTF to the Chief Guest. After this cash prizes were distributed to the winners of the short story competitions held by Ladies Special and Kuvikam magazines in association with PRTF. A book containing prize-winning stories in the PRTF-Kuvikam contest was also released by the chief guest.

The meeting started with a melodious invocation song sung by Madhura Muralidharan followed by an emotional welcome address by Kavitha Srinivas. In his address, Rajan recalled the continuous support that PRTF has received from Kizhambur, Editor of Kalaimagal magazine, Ravi Tamilvanan of Manimekalai Prasuram, Girija Raghavan, Editor of Ladies Special magazine, Diwakar of Compuprint and R.T.Chari of the Tag group for the activities of PRTF right from its inception.

The chief guest, celebrity writer Sivasankari in her address congratulated PRTF for the excellent work it was doing in encouraging talented women. Her inspiring speech was listened to with rapt attention by the packed audience, estimated at over 150. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks by Sowmya Srinivasan followed by the National Anthem

A folder containing the details of activities of PRTF for the first ten years was distributed to the guests
The meeting, which started sharp at 6.05pm and ended sharply at 7.35, was anchored with aplomb by Girija Raghavan better known as the `one woman army`.

 

 

A DREAM HOME FOR 40 YEARS!

It was 1980, the year when my son  was born  that we decided to buy a plot of land in Sastri Nagar, a beautiful colony where we were staying in a rented house since 1974. I had to opt out of my PF account completely and pay for my share of the cost of the plot (3000sq ft). So  when we started building the 1100 sq.ft. house in 1982 I had no money. A few  friends were kind enough  to lend me the money in  the initial stages.  The generosity of the then Manager of the Walajah Road branch of Standard Chartered Bank who offered me a revolving loan, until I got a housing loan from LIC, also helped!

 After a bad experience with an engineer, I decided to seek  the services of Sheila Sriprakash, the wife of a Tabler friend and a professional architect to give me a new plan. She is today a big name in the world of architecture. The plan she came up with was unique, making effective use of the limited space. A contractor was appointed to build the house. It was going to be the first architect designed home among my family circles.

 I remember the great joy Prabha and I felt, standing on top of a make shift  ladder to  see the roof with freshly laid  concrete by a battery of workers. A roof of our own!

 After performing the necessary puja, we moved into the house on 12^th December,1982. Exactly forty years ago. I was then forty years old. Another milestone in my life and another dream come true since not only did I have a separate room for my parents with an attached bath, but I also built extra toilets to ensure that nobody had to wait in the queue for use of  bathrooms in the mornings! The two bedroom  house had three toilets, with one of them being a common one which could also be used by guests. It was an unforgettable experience for a guy from a Chawl in Bombay who lived in a 250 sq ft room with a family of six, sharing two common toilets with 5O others every morning for 26 long years!

 Over the next 10 years, brick by brick, I added a floor and extra bedrooms to satisfy the demands of my growing children for separate  bedrooms for each of them. Keeping the future in mind  I ensured that the first floor layout was exactly as per the ground floor with provision for an independent kitchen, so that it could become an independent unit when the need arose. In the process of adding facilities, I tried to realize some of my dreams for the house.  A small terrace garden with a small fountain at the first floor level and also facilities for holding parties on the terrace on the second floor were added. The small sit out adjacent to the main drawing room with French doors was later converted into a study with attached bar. This became a multipurpose room where, post retirement, I have my office and also meet friends when they visit me.

The small terrace garden on the first floor was first converted into a study and later into a small guest bedroom. After the renovation necessitated by flooding problem inside the house during the recent rains and the elimination of  the extra guest toilet for the same reason the home now has five proper bedrooms with attached toilets

At its peak of occupation the home had seven people staying –my family of five and my parents. The first to go out was my elder daughter Kavitha  who got married in 1994. The same year, my father passed away just a month before the marriage when he was 79. My second daughter Sowmya got married in 1998 and left home and my mother passed away in 2000 when she was 82. My son Balaji also left  for USA to do his Masters in Industrial Engineering in 2002.

Now the five bedroom independent home had only two people staying– Prabha and I. It was around the same time I was going through tough times in my business. So we decided to rent out the upstairs portion  to a tenant with independent access from outside. The arrangement continued until my son who had  returned from USA  in 2008 and got married the same year to Tulse. After  a brief stay in  Trichy after marriage he decided  to shift to Chennai and set shop  on the first floor of my home. Right from the beginning Prabha and I were clear that we will not merge the families. My son would have his own space and live the life that he wants to live and we will have our own space.

I have continued the same policy even after Prabha left this world in January,2013 when she was only 61.. As of now I live alone on the ground floor and my son whose family has expanded to four members  with the arrival of a son and daughter in quick succession, lives on  the first floor

As long as Prabha was there, being a house proud woman, she would slog to keep the house spotlessly clean. Though I cannot  maintain her standards, I am happy when some guests tell me that the house, particularly the kitchen and the Pooja room  are maintained well.

In the last 40 years I have had some wonderful  moments living in this house. Apart from hosting several memorable get togethers of  family and friends. I had to conduct the engagement ceremony of my elder daughter Kavitha at home, at a very short notice, attended by over 60 family members. The house also witnessed the arrival all my 6 grand children. The four grand children  through my daughters spent their first three months in this house being looked after by their proud & loving  grandmother Prabha.

Arul, my first grand child, born in 1996, was special. I had the energy and inclination to indulge in all his games, as I was still in my fifties. I remember I even recorded his activities for a whole day on video and called it a `A day with Arul`. After the arrival of Uthara, Nila and Keshav  between 2001 and 2003 in quick succession, it was fun when all of them came on a visit during family get togethers. My big `thoppai` was their play ground. Lying on my back in my bed I would allow them to do what they want with my big madhya  pradesh! Oh what fun it was!. Unfortunately I neither have the energy nor stamina to indulge my resident grand children through my son Thavam (4.5yrs) and Bakthi (1.8yrs). At 80, while the spirit is willing the flesh has become weak.

While I have gone through the aging process, hopefully gracefully, my home of 40 years is beginning to show signs of wear and tear.  Should  we go for major repairs or go for redevelopment of the house, as has been done by many house owners in our colony, is a question that is cropping up often these days.  I will leave that decision to my son  as I am beginning to develop a detached attachment  towards all near and dear ones including my beautiful home! I can always live with the memories of this  home just as I have been celebrating the memories of 40 years of my  life with Prabha!

A bumper harvest of articles!

In an earlier post I had promised to reveal about other good things that happened  to me around Diwali time this year as a writer. Happy to report that eight of my articles have appeared in as many publications in the last six weeks. That includes Times Of India, Chennai,  Adayar Times,  Dignity Dialogue, Seniors Today & Seniorgiri ( both e-magazines published from Mumbai,  Kalaimagal ( Diwali Issue) and  Ladies Special ( Diwali issue) and a guest article in the Biography of my good friend R.T Chari released at a glittering function held at Music Academy last Sunday at which the who`s who of Chennai  were present.  My guest article in Chari`s Biography talks about Chari`s service to Tamil Literature through Tamil Puthaga Nanbargal ( Tamil Reader`s Forum) with which I was also closely associated. My article in Ladies Special  is an adaptation from this guest article and  the first bio sketch I wrote about Chari published in an issue of Madras Musings in 2013 which is featured  in my new book `Bright Stars in the Chennai Sky`.  I am happy to reproduce  below the English version of my article on Chari, the Tamil translation of which for Ladies Special  was done by my brother`s wife Mythili Seshadri . I thank Mrs Girija Raghavan the dynamic editor of the magazine for inviting me to write this article. If this article on the inspiring story on Chari motivates you to read his full biography titled `The Inspiring Saga of an Accidental Entrepreneur`  by my good friend S.R.Madhu, the purpose of this posting would be more than served.  Book is not for sale but  available on  request to  Rajagopal on Whats App no 9884320292.

 

                        R.T Chari – A philanthropist with a difference!

 

                                                       

How many businessmen will think of building an auditorium, not to make money, but to primarily conduct programmes of their choice and to derive great joy in throwing it open to friends and well-wishers as well? This always preceded or followed by delicious South Indian tiffin. Food for the stomach and food for the soul! Doing it month after month for more than 20 years. That businessman is my good friend R T Chari  who has been sharing his wealth and his passion with the society, long before Corporate Social Responsibility became a buzz word in the corporate world! The auditorium he built  is the Tag Centre on T.T.K.Road in Chennai.

Chari was born into a typical middle class Iyengar family at Kesava Perumal Street in the heart of Mylapore, as the fifth child and fourth son in a family of nine children. His father, with his limited means could only assure his children three square meals a day and decent education. While he was the favourite of his grandfather, his grandmother  was more fond of his other brighter brothers. Sometimes she would join her brothers in tease him about his inadequacies arising out of his being mildly dyslexic as a student.

Chari says, “It was this constant comparison between me and my brothers that sowed the seeds of an angry young man in me. I was determined to prove to the world what I am capable of.”

Fortunately, the family moved to Tambaram where he was enrolled into Corley High School run by Christian missionaries. The headmaster of the school discovered that not only was Chari a good student but the tall young man was also good in sports. It is in this school that Chari realized that he was good in Maths and also in Science subjects.

“My success in sports and the recognition I got because of it changed the attitude of my family towards me. My family members stopped teasing me. I was now even more determined to prove to my family that I was different from others”, Chari recounts.

Different he was as happenings in  his life over the years proved. After successfully completing his engineering degree from  College of Engineering, Guindy he joined Seshasayee group as an Apprentice Engineer in 1961  and quickly  rose to become the Chief Technical Commercial Manager in 1972.

Chari was married to Rangi, a multitalented girl from Bangalore, chosen by his parents, in 1971. A year after his marriage through a force of circumstances and backed by luck Chari was allowed to start his own company in 1972 while continuing as the Commercial manager of the Seshayee until he proved himself in his business. Chari could have his cake and eat it too! This turned out to be the ultimate break in his life

Chari  took to business like duck to water. Within a couple of years of starting on his own he started seeing big money and instead of just hoarding the money, he decided at the  young age of 40, to share his prosperity with  society. From being a successful businessman, Chari was on the road to becoming a generous philanthropist. A philanthropist who did not believe in just cheque book charity.

He joined Rotary Club of Madras South in 1974 and became close to the well known  Diabetologist Dr.C.V.Krishnaswamy who motivated him to help in  some of his pet projects in Voluntary Health Services.

While Chari was continuing with his generosity, an incident in his personal life completely changed him as a person and the direction of his philanthropic activities. Provoked by a challenge posed by his brothers  regarding  his lack of interest in Carnatic music, Chari decided to listen to Carnatic music every day. He realized that Carnatic music was not only giving him great joy but also helped him to become a calmer and a focused person. Just as he had decided to share his wealth with the deserving in the society, he also decided to share the joy of listening to Carnatic music with his close friends and relatives. Thus began his tryst with not only Carnatic music but also South India Heritage.

 As one of  his good friend in Rotary he would invite  me and Prabha to every one of the events that he organized. First to the series of Chamber Music he organsied at his own flat in Poes garden and  later to  the South India Heritage Lecture series at Tag Centre.  The number of Musicians,  heritage enthusiasts  and  writers /authors he has encouraged & rewarded and the number of institutions he has supported with his active involvement is too long to be recorded in this short article.

Later in life Chari developed an  interest in Tamil literature which led to his starting a Tamil Readers Forum ( Tamizh Puthaga Nanbargal) the idea for which he got at a Tamil book launch function I had organised at Tag Centre. In his inimitable style of identifying the right man for the right job, he roped in Charukesi, Ravi Tamilvanan and me to help him with the project. Thus was born Tamizh Puthaga Nanbargal comprising the four of us. Though I have known Chari for the last 45 years thanks to our association with Rotary Club of Madras South,  it is TPN which gave me an opportunity to work closely with him and observe his style of working.

Chari is an ideas man. Every time he gets an idea he pursues it relentlessly. He is also impatient  to get things done fast. He is highly focused on  whatever idea is implementing. He is a stickler for time. He always believes in  starting meetings on time and ending on time. So much so that even if the auditorium is full and waiting eagerly for the start of the meeting he will not start until the scheduled time. Similarly you can see him getting  fidgety if a speaker exceeded his time limit. Chari has always believed in his invitees responding to the RSVP for any meeting he organizes. The same rule applied to TPN meetings also. It was my job to receive the RSVPs and inform Chari about the number of people likely to attend the meeting so that he could make catering arrangements.

Another interesting feature of the TPN meetings was the decent  honorarium which Chari decided to give the chosen author and the reviewer at every meeting. Authors from outside Chennai were also given a travel allowance to cover their travel costs. An  unheard of practice in any Tamil literary meetings.

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Thanks to my involvement with TPN I started reading Tamil  books. I think the same thing happened to Chari as well. Even at the age of 83 he his bubbling with ideas to serve the society.

 

 I must thank Rotary for introducing me to a wonderful friend who motivated me to get involved in philanthropic activities in my own small way  but  also for reinforcing my belief that age is no barrier to pursue one`s dreams!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A memorable 3 in 1 function

A reunion of ex emloyees  of Anugrah Madison (Team Anugrah)to felicitate me on my 80^th birthday  where my latest book was also released was held yesterday at  Sastri Nagar Ladies Club, close to my home. About 23 team members  had turned up . I was surprised to see Vivek  &  Koshy who had come all the way from Amsterdam & Dubai  only to attend the event. So also Murugan from Bangalore. The programme meticulously planned by Shobha Murthy  gave enough opportunities for members to go down memory lane. The screening of the seven  minute film on me by Rajeshwari Anand,  a long time associate,  as her personal tribute was followed by a quiz that she conducted  based on the film. A film titled `Naalu Parukkaikaha`  based on a short story by my late wife Prabha  and produced by Shobha`s daughter Shruthy sponsored by Prabha Rajan  Talent Foundation was also screened. The four senior managers of Anugrah were felicitated with special Cardamom garlands. The icing on the cake was a special `RVR-80` ceramic mug  gifted  to  all members who attended the event. I was happy to learn that many of the members had turned entrepreneurs and were doing very well. It was also heartening to know that they all harbored very pleasant memories of their association with Anugrah and were grateful to the management for empowering them and teaching them good values which has stood them in good stead in their respective careers. The meeting was followed by a typical south Indian lunch. The fact that even after lunch members were hanging around  until they were forced out of the hall by the next event organizer reflected the success of the event.

Personally I was happy that I was in the company of my old colleagues who were like my family who also ensured that all the copies of my new book which I had taken to the venue were sold out. Thanks Shobha & Team for organizing a memorable event.

 

In pursuit of a dream!

One more bird in the family flies away. Uthara,  my second grand child and the daughter of my second daughter  Sowmya and Srinivasan flew to Munich in  Germany  yesterday. Uthara has finished her BSc /BEd Life Sciences ( dual degree) from Azim Premji University in Bangalore and will be joining the LMU in Munich  to do her Masters in Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. I don`t understand what this means  but  I learn that LMU is one of the oldest & prestigious Universities in Europe.

While her mother has made a name as an accomplished oral story teller, Uthara is well known for her golden voice. Trained in Carnatic music from the age of 6 she is an accomplished  singer who had her arangetram performed  in Bangalore five years ago. The last time I heard her was at my star 80^th  birthday celebration in Chennai on 17^th August . I got interested in Carnatic music only because of Uthara. My dream is to see her perform at Music Academy one day. Please join me in wishing Uthara all the best in her new interest and pray that my dream for her also becomes a reality!

My 12th book in 13 years released

At an event to coincide with my official 80^th birthday, my new book titled `Bright Stars in the Chennai sky` was released by the chief guest V.Sriram, the editor of Madras Musings. The book is a collection of my original articles on inspirational stories of Chennai-based personalities and institutions—all ‘Bright Stars in the Chennai Sky’, the edited versions of which had appeared in Madras Musings and other magazines. The book also contains condensed versions of the biographis of  nine inspiring personalities which appeared in Madras Musings. The book is dedicated to the memory of late Mr.S.Muthiah, a heritage champion and founder editor of madras Musings who discovered the writer in me and continued to mentor me in my evolution as a writer, post retirement.

 It was a packed audience ( estimated at 180) at the Tag Centre owned by my good friend R.T.Chari one of the bright stars featured in the book, who received the first copy from Sriram. He was followed by the other bright stars featured in the book who were present in the audience; Ravi Tamilvanan, C.S.Ananth, DR.J.Bhaskaran, Sheila Sriprakash, Kala Balasundaram, S.K.Swamy, Kizhambur Sankara Subramanian, Dr.S.(Babu) Krishnaswamy &  Nirmala Desikan wife of Late R.Desikan the well known Consumer activist whose story also appears in the book.

The meeting started with the invocation song on mother & motherhood, the lyrics for which was written by me and set to music and sung by Vidushi Shrithi Shankar Kumar. A welcome address on behalf of the family by Kavitha Srinivas, my elder daughter  was followed by the introduction of the book by S.R.Madhu, done in his inimitable style & official release of the book by Sriram.  The book release part of the function ended with a delightful & entertaining speech by Sriram recalling his long association with me.

 The birthday celebrations started with the presentation of a seven minute Video, a personal tribute to me by Rajeshwari Anand, a good friend and a long time associate of my agency Anugrah Madison. Next came Jawahar Nichani, the President of Rotary Club of Madras South, offering felicitation to me as a representative of the Round Tables, Rotary and 41 Clubs with which I have been closely associated. Before I gave my response, I presented cheques to my Rotary Club , Inner Wheel Club Madras South and Manimekalai Prasuram on behalf of the Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation, a Trust which  I founded in memory of my late wife Prabha.

In my response I thanked the large number of friends and well wishers present in the audience, seeking the blessings of elders in the audience and  conveying  my best wishes and blessings to all others. I ended my brief talk dedicating the event to my late wife Prabha.

The meeting was followed by fellowship and dinner enjoyed by all. Every one appreciated the fact that meeting started  and ended on time. I heaved a sigh of relief   that my  80^th birthday celebrations which started last year when I entered my eighties, had come to a satisfactory conclusion. Now I can legitimately claim to be an Octogenarian!

Those who interested in seeing the seven minute video by Rajeshwari, please click on the following link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_nk9Ycrk_0

 

This is what S.R.Madhu the veteran freelance writer who introduced the book says about the book:

This book is a gem! It glows not merely because of that beautifully appropriate heading -- Bright Stars in the Chennai Sky. It highlights some of the worthiest achievers of society – many of whom are not front-page names because they are not in politics!  Rajan is a “people person” and the writing shows. These fact-packed, highly readable, anecdote-laden profiles are a pleasure to read and preserve.   

 

The 252 page book printed and published by Creative Workshop and priced at Rs 400/- is available on Amazon and with me (contact- rvrajan42@gmail.com). The entire proceeds from  the sale of the book will go towards the activities of Prabha Rajan Talent foundation)

 

 

Celebrating my 80th star Birthday

My 80th Star Birthday was on 17^th August, 2022.  In the absence of my life partner I decided  not to have the traditional Sadhabishekam. Instead the family performed a `Tirumanjanam` ( Abhishekam) at one of my favourite Perumal  temples in Kotturpuram  in the morning. The Prasadam - delectable Chaakra Pongal was distributed to the visiting devotees and family members.

We later moved to the Radha Krishna Hall of Mathsya Restaurant in Adyar for a  lunch hosted by my children. The invitation ( see attachment)was  in the name of my grand children, and  was designed by my grand daughter  Nila ( daughter of RU & Kavitha).  The invitees, numbering around 100,  were mostly relatives and a few neighbors and a couple of friends. 

The entertainment  started with the playing of the  pre-recorded song on mother and motherhood that I had written and sung by Vidushi Shruthi Shankar Kumar. It was followed by the rendering of a couple of popular songs of MSS by my grand daughter Uthara Srinivasan ( daughter of my second daughter Sowmya and Srinivasan ) and her cousin Madhura.  Next  was a brilliant presentation on Harmonica by my Sambandhi  Naresh ( my son Balaji`s father in law).  The biggest surprise was a bold and impromptu rendering of a song by 4 years old  Thavam, son of Balaji and Tulse my daughter in law. The entertainment concluded with a seven minute video presentation produced by a long time associate of my agency and a highly talented  Rajeshwari Anand.  She along with her  equally talented husband Anand , have done scores of films for Anugrah Madison , the agency that I founded. It was a personal tribute to me by Rajeshwari trying to focus on my character than my achievements. Needless  to say that I was moved by the presentation.

While all this was going on, my sixth and the  youngest grand child , the 18 months old Bakthi Balaji was entertaining guests on the sidelines with her pranks.

The MC for the event  was the beautiful and multi talented Nila, who conducted the event with aplomb

In the family group photo taken on the occasion (attached) my grandson Keshav , son of Sowmya/Srini is missing as he had to be in his college at Noida on that day.

And of course all of us missed Prabha, my life partner for 40 years, who left us 10 years ago. How I wished she was there  to see her talented grand children stealing the show with their performances. At one point I became emotional which I successfully managed to hide from  the others!

The programme ended with a delicious multi cuisine lunch provided by Mathsya,  enjoyed by all.

The day ended with my visiting Shirdi Sai Baba temple at Tiruvnmiyur with Sowmya`s family where I had arranged for an Arathi/Annadhanam.

On the whole it was a very satisfying  experience at the end of which I was totally exhausted .

The celebration is not over yet. Watch for my posting after 30^th August- my calendar Birthday which we are celebrating with  my friends. It will be  coinciding with  the release of my next book, my 12^th in 13 years,  titled `The Bright stars In Chennai Sky`

Courage My Companion

An example of how a biography should be conceived and placed in the public domain

It has been 13 years since the publication of my autobiography titled `Courage my Companion` So when Kannan Chakravarthy ( brother of the celebrity actor Hema Malini), whom I got to know through Madras Book Club asked me for a copy of my book , I obliged by sending him the PDF version of the book as I have run out of copies. I was delighted to receive the following feedback from him within a week of sending the book to him ( If his feedback makes you want to read my autobiography I will be happy to share the PDF version free with you if you can send your request to my email id: rvrajan42@gmail.com)

A feedback from Kannan Chakravarthy

I would describe Rajan as a rare individual who has bridged the gap between his small beginnings and relative affluence of later years with astounding ease. Where he acquired this resilience is difficult to fathom from his narrative, 'Courage-My Companion" which moves from event to event and episode to episode in rapid succession.

Gleaning lessons from his life, therefore, becomes that much more difficult.

His familiarity with the icons of business and industry at that time, his observations of life in high society raises important questions as to how he remained unaffected by the glamorous backdrop of his profession. He puts it down vaguely to his simple roots and belief in destiny. If that be so, he is a true 'Karma Yogi' devoid of attachment to material objects — but still he will have explanations to offer for the extraordinary life he has led!

His riveting observations about the Advertising Industry and how it functions can just be a Bible to others in the Industry. The names, positions and responsibilities of each individual he had come across in his colourful career and their functioning points to his keen sense of 'being in the moment' and absorbing events as they occurred. It's a rare quality.

Rajan is devastatingly candid about his personal life. Shows that he has the innocence of a boy and the wisdom of an evolved individual.As a man born to be in the limelight in all circumstances and conditions, he has proved his immense worth in Social Organizations such as the Round Table and Rotary. He has adduced reasons for his unflinching faith in the Almighty quoting various instances in his life. God has been with him in trying circumstances. Of this there is no doubt.

The photograph gallery is eye catching and captures every moment of his meteoric rise. RK Laxman's signature cartoon on the cover portraying Mr Rajan's confident gait is amazingly true to his character.

My heartiest congratulations to the creator of this Magnum Opus. It should adorn every bookshelf in the country as `an example of how a biography should be conceived and placed in the public domain`.

Chakravarti

Chennai

July 15 2022

One photo, so many memories!

Very often old photos help you go down memory lane. Going through my archives I found one which brought back memories of my five year stint with Clarion McCann Advertising  where I started my life as a management trainee in 1964 at the age of 22. The photo taken in front of the Princes Room at Taj after a meeting with a  visiting dignitary of Mc Cann Erickson, features four of my old   bosses under whom I learnt the advertising business. There is Homi Kharas ( Standing  2^nd from left) the soft spoken Parsi gentleman,  who was also a well known photographer of his time. He was my first boss. Next to him is Osborne ( Ozzie) D`Souza, copy writer turned Account Executive who in a way was responsible for my getting promoted to the post of Account Executive early in life. Ramesh Khanna,( fifth from the left) briefly the Branch Manager of Clarion Bombay who  pushed me from being a backroom boy to the frontline and of course the redoubtable Tara Sinha,( standing third from right) a dynamic and tough  Sardarini who was initially disappointed with me for my lack of social grace but later accepted me for my merits  and gave me the  first letter of promotion. When she became the CEO  of Advertising Consultants India Ltd ( ACIL) she hired me as the Group Manager ( Planning) in ACIL) and within a year made me the Deputy Chief . Due to a major difference between her and Clarion management when she left ACIL to join the agency`s important client Coca Cola, I was forced by circumstances to step into her more than life size shoes as an acting CEO of ACIL. I was only 31.The next two years were the most eventful and turbulent years of my life about which I have written at length in my autobiography titled `Courage My Companion`. 

An important boss who is missing in the photo  is the legendary Subroto Sengupta who had already left for Calcutta after handing over charge of the Bombay branch to Tara Sinha.The photo also features Noshir Irani ( extreme right) the handsome young man who later migrated to Australia with his family and behind him his boss Ananda Mukerji. Standing  behind Tara Sinha  is Allen Fernandes a bright copy writer who later became the Creative Director of ACIL and joined ITDC in a senior position before migrating to Australia. There is Suren Chawla seated second from right who was to make a big name as a media planner in Ogilvy Mather. 

Oh! I forgot to mention Dinaz Boga( standing fourth from the left) the petite Parsi Girl who was my first date in life. She agreed to be my girl friend at a party for one evening on the condition that I pick her up from home and drop her back. When I went to pick her up I was introduced to her mother who immediately approved the innocent looking Madrasi boy(!) who had come  to escort her daughter to a party. Your`s truly , with plenty of wavy hair and  suited -booted is seated in the extreme left!  On photo and so many memories!

The new improved look of my home!

Getting a house renovated and repainted while staying in the house is a nightmarish experience. I have gone through the experience several times while building my dream home which was designed by Shiela Sriprakash ,  architect wife of my good friend Tabler/Rotarian Sri Prakash. In  1982 I was probably one of her earliest customer. Today she is an  internationally well known architect. It was just a two bedroom, 1100 sq ft independent home with the main bedroom one foot below the level of the rest of the house making it more spacious to look at. It was the first architect designed home in my family circles admired by every one.

My family moved into the house in December 1982. Over the next 10 years I kept adding an extra floor with additional rooms, brick by brick,  to make it a five bedroom home with six toilets with a 2400 sq ft area. Yes, I built one extra toilet outside the home for service providers who used to frequent my home. The worst nightmare was when I was converting the sit out abetting the main drawing room with  French doors into a multipurpose room which could be used as a study, a family room, small party room ( with a mini bar attached ) and if necessary could be used a stand by bedroom. Fortunately I had my father alive at that time to keep a hawk`s eye on the workers moving in and out of the house and generally supervising the activity. But we had to live with the inconvenienced caused by the activity for over a month.

 When I was being pushed by my children to do something about the run down condition of the home after nearly 40 years, I was hesitant. Because at 80 ,without  my life partner to help, I was not willing to take on the onerous task. But the recent heavy rains in Chennai in November when my main drawing room and the portion outside the guest toilet got flooded twice  creating a health hazard made me think seriously about the need. Besides, the main drawing room built at a lower level was also making me accident prone every time I had  to step down and step up to visit my study. With god`s grace I have survived many falls in the recent past with minimum collateral damage. The main job, therefore , was to raise the depressed floor to the same level as the rest of the house ( see accompanying pics). I also took the opportunity to clear a lot of junk accumulated over the years and paint the entire interior portion of the house.

 My daughter Sowmya offering  to stay with me to supervise the repair and repainting work helped me to decide on going ahead with the project. My elder daughter Kavitha helped with her creative inputs and my son Balaji with his useful comments from time to time. With the help of an  experienced contractor the job was completed in 15 days. The final nail was hammered on last Sunday evening.

Oof! I can now heave a huge sigh of relief. Though it was the workers who were working hard in the sweltering heat, when the job was completed I felt as if I had finished running a marathon. The appreciation for the new improved look of the house that I am getting from  near and dear ones is an ample reward for the efforts put in.  Thank God it is all over!

One birthday- two celebrations

It looks like yesterday that she was born. But she is already one year old and growing fast. Bakthi, my resident grand daughter and sixth grand child is  truly a bundle of joy. Daughter of my son Balaji and Tulse, she is a happy child who  is forever enchanting you with her charm . She has already started running around but  is yet to start speaking. However  she has no problem in communicating whatever she wants and get it. She has already started playing with her Anna, 4 years old Thavam who is fond of her but does not hesitate to put her in her place when she irritates him. It is fun to watch them hug each other or  fight over little things. Being second child and that too a girl, Bakthi promises to be a naughty girl. Though she was born on 24^th Februry,2022, the cake cutting celebration  was held at the Gandhi Nagar Club on Sunday 27^th February and the Ayushhomam was celebrated on 13^th March- her star birthday, at a mini hall near our home in Sastri Nagar. Like the Byjus`s `one tuition- two teachers`, Bakthi had one birthday  with two celebrations. Join me in blessing Bakthi with a long and happy life!

 

My books available on Pustaka as ebooks

 

The ebook versions of my five  books are available for nominal rent on the website of  Pustaka - the one stop shop for ebooks.

Also available as kindle versions on Amazon

 

Click the below link to see all my 5 books:

 

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/rv-rajan

 

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After the plan purchase, visit my profile page and click “Rent Now” for any book that you want to read. Once the book is added, click “My Library” and click the cover page and you can read the book.

 

 You can also order for the kindle version of the books on Amazon. Please find the following  links for the 5 books on Amazon:

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 https://www.amazon.in/Difficult-Choice-R-V-Rajan-ebook/dp/B09NVTQKJB/

 https://www.amazon.in/Durga-Nivas-R-V-Rajan-ebook/dp/B09NVT1MHY/

 https://www.amazon.in/Courage-my-companion/dp/B09NFXXKWT

Any one interested in getting printed copies, signed by me, of any of the books please connect with me on my email id: rvrajan42@gmail.com. I have limited copies available with me which I can offer at a discount.

 

 

 

A Golden Anniversary sans celebrations!

It was on 26^th January, 1972, the Republic Day that both Prabha and I lost our respective freedoms but  acquired partners for life. The  Golden jubilee of our anniversary would have called for a grand celebration. It is not to be  because Prabha left this world on 5^th January,2013, three weeks before our 41^st anniversary. Since then I have not been commemorating this day. But the golden anniversary calls for a quick review of our married life for 40 years.

 Our married life was like any other marriage. We had our highs and lows, ups & downs, we had our fights, shouting matches, serious differences on issues but we  never allowed any of these to affect our relationship. We followed a simple rule; never carry any  grouse we had for the next day. Every day was a fresh beginning.

 It is true that in the initial years of our married life I was shocked to find that Prabha  did not fit into my social circles because of her problem in communicating in English.  I have described in detail her trials and tribulations on this score in my autobiography and how she came out of it through sheer determination and hard work.  While I had played a role in bringing her out of her shell, the credit for her remarkable turnaround must entirely  go to her!  Because as they say, “One  can take a horse to the water…”

 Though a reluctant starter, Prabha was a fast learner.  Once she got on to something she would  put her heart and soul into the job.  Whether cooking meals for a small family of 5 or for a party of 40 people, or maintaining her garden with hundreds of plants with love and care, attending music classes and learning new songs, or handling any assignment given to her  by the neighbor hood Ladies club or the Inner Wheel, she had proved to be a very dependable and dedicated worker.  Her passion for doing things perfectly had earned her a lot of admirers.

She was a multi talented person who started blossoming in life after the age of 40. Apart from being a wonderful housewife and a good mother she was also active in social work. Above all she had created an identity for herself as an accomplished writer of stories in Tamil with two books of short stories to her credit. Though I was a dutiful husband for the first half of our married life it was in the second half that I truly fell in love with her. I had a ringside view of her evolution from a shy, introverted individual with low self esteem into a confident individual willing to take on any challenge coming her way and excelling in many fields of activities she was involved in she became the dream girl that I wanted to marry. I was really proud of her.

 On the negative side I would say that the obsession she had for maintaining the fairly big house we had, spic and span, sometimes drove every one, especially me, go crazy. Anyone or anything that intruded her daily routine created tension in her.  While it is an excellent quality to be focused, sometime it created explosive situations between us. I was constantly on the receiving end being admonished for things that I had or had not done. But considering the overall good that her hard work did to the household anf thre family, I most often  swallowed  my pride and got on. I suppose that is a part of the adjustment that is expected of a spouse in a married life. No wonder to the outside world we were a model couple.

 If I led a very fulfilling life with a sense of accomplishment, realizing most of my dreams I must acknowledge the  major role played by Prabha in my life. Thank you Prabha for everything.   And pardon me if I had disappointed you on some scores!

 Note: Prabha was not a sentimental person. She never expressed her feelings for people easily.I was never sure about what she thought about me as her husband, until I discovered the following article published in the Golden jubilee souvenir of Inner Wheel Club of Madras South.

 

                                           SUPPORT GIVES STRENGTH

                                              By Prabha Rajan,

 (Past President, Inner Wheel Club of Madras South (1993-94)

Tuck, tuck,  I can hear the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board, in the dining hall.  I am smiling to myself. I know that is my husband cutting vegetables for tomorrow’s cooking.  I have to leave early tomorrow for a meeting and I am preparing my speech.  That’s why he is helping me in the kitchen, so that I can leave early!  Yes, he is such a person that he helps me no matter how busy he may be.  Distracted, I stop my work and my mind goes back to the early days of our married life.

 Brought up by a single parent, I was an introvert, hesitant and shy to talk to any new person.  I was married to an extrovert who was in a top position, in a private company.  I had to converse with all kinds of people, who spoke different languages and who came from different backgrounds.  Entertaining them was the most terrifying job for me.  In all these situations he came to my rescue, he taught me how to decide the menu, lay the table and entertain the guests also.

In the home front, living in a joint family, he would balance both the roles, as a husband and as a son.  Once I remember I was not well and couldn’t get up from bed that morning.  He only said, “Don’t worry, just lie down and sleep for some time.  I will tell mother and help her in whatever way I can”.  Such soothing words made me forget my illness.

 In raising our children, he always gave a helping hand at every stage.  He found time to do a lot of things.  When any of us fell sick, he would be with us at the clinic, or hospital.

 Even as a busy businessman, he would make time to take the children and me out, and fulfilled our every “aasai” (wish)!  As the children became old enough to take care of themselves, he sensed that I was getting bored at home and wanted me to do something; to have an identity of my own.

 He encouraged me to learn music. He discovered my talent for writing and even had my work published. He was the first person to be happy when my stories were published in magazines.

­He persuaded me to join the Inner Wheel Club of Madras South, which introduced me to a whole new world.  I made new friends and my self-confidence grew.  I became the President of the IWCMS in 1993-94.  My success as the President of the Club, motivated me to join the local Ladies Club at Sastri Nagar. I also got involved in other social activities. From just being a housewife I had transformed myself into a confident human being thoroughly enjoying my new social status. For this I not only have to thank my supportive husband but also the members of IWCMS who have always been very encouraging and supportive in all my activities.

 

 

 

 

Ninth Anniversary of a departed soul!

This day ( 5^th January) , nine years ago, my life partner for 40 years left this world to join her favourite  god in heaven. Instead of mourning her death I have been celebrating her memory through the activities of Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation  which I started in her memory. I am not having any function this year  to commemorate the day because of the restrictions on holding functions. However I released an  advertisement  in the 2021 Diwali special issues of Kalaimagal and Ladies Special – the two Tamil monthlies  which have supported the activities of PRTF over the years. I am reproducing below the text of the advertisement:

                                                               A Tribute

 When I thought I was being a dutiful husband during the first half of our  married life, you made me realise that I owed you more than that – an emotional connect which I had failed to give you. An explosive letter you wrote to me not only opened my eyes but also made me realize your hidden talents. I encouraged you to come out of your shell. From the shy, introverted housewife you became an inspiration for other women through your writings and your life. With your involvement in social service activities you developed an identity of your own. I was proud of your achievements. Then suddenly, at the height of your multi faceted life the dreaded cancer  snatched you away from me. You were only 61. Instead of mourning your death I decided to celebrate your memory through  the Foundation I started in your name. Today, through the PRTF, I am trying to nurture those talents in other women that had given you your sense of identity and stature in society. Sponsoring a variety of activities to encourage talented writers among women and help them to come into the limelight I want many more Prabhas to blossom in this Society, age no barrier. This is helping me feel your presence every  minute of my life. I  know I can never truly make up for those first 16 years of our married life. But I'm trying.

 

 From your life partner for 40 years