Lepakshi - a photo blog

Built about five centuries ago, the temple and shrines in Lepakshi, a town in Andhra Pradesh, not very far from Bengaluru, are known for several architectural aspects. Presenting a few of them in pictures.

 

 

The ceilings of the interiors of the temple, the mukha mantapa and the arda mantapa, are adorned by several frescoes. The one in the antechamber is Asia's largest, measuring 23 by 13 feet. Photographed the frescoes in the outer hall.

Ubiquitously present are the carved stone pillars to satiate one's appetite for visual art.

The temple complex is vast, as can be gauged from the above pictures. There is a lot of open space too.

Outside the complex 200m away guards the monolith of Nandi, said to be Asia's largest.

Finally, a few more random pictures of stone carvings. I'm not including the picture of the hanging pillar (you read it right) here as a photo may not be able to do justice to its architectural aspect.

on a pillar

on the ceiling

on the steps

large meal-plate carved on the floor

Introduction to the world of Katha publishing - how stories improve lives

StoryPedagogy, the concept of teaching through stories, was introduced by Geeta Dharmarajan, founder-director of Katha, an NGO that also publishes children's literature. The concept works through these two books that we bought and read recently. Presenting the mini-reviews:

Run Ranga Run: A story of a female rhinoceros growing from a baby who needs to be nudged to stand on her feet to a confident young adult who stands for her mother in danger, is delivered gracefully. The succinct first person narration and the soothing colours used for illustration makes for an endearing bed-time story. My almost-6yr old learnt figurative phrases like “a river full of stars”.                         

                                 

At the end, after reading about some facts about rhinos, we added Khaziranga to our must-visit places. He had a ripple of laughter when I read out, “We talk a lot! We also use our poop to talk with other rhinos!” Later, when he remembered this sentence with a sense of intrigue, I had a tough time making him understand the possible situations in which rhinos used poop to talk and why humans couldn’t or shouldn’t. Though the target age group is not clear, I believe this book could serve as a read-alone to a more mature group.

Hic!copotamus: This one’s a fun read, about a hippo landing from Africa to India after a heavy hiccup! Apart from learning surprising facts about Hippopotamuses like their ability to remain under water for really long, we also learn how team work can solve problems in an absolutely entertaining way, presented with a host of characters and multitude of eye-catching pictures. This is a recommended read for pre-schoolers.

                                     

This is the first time I have learnt about the publishers. I noticed the Indian name in the book sale that takes place during my kid’s PTM at his school. From its conceptualisation of making “reading for fun”, to “reading for meaning”, Katha has done a wonderful job at improving lives of slum dwellers, who learn by way of stories at the Katha schools. This is a story about helping the underpriviledged. A story of mighty dreams and achievements. An inspirational one.

ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ 'ಅನ್ವೇಷಣ' - ಒಂದು ವಿಮರ್ಶೆ

Click here for the english version of this post.

ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಗೃಹಭಂಗದ ಮುಂದುವರಿಕೆ 'ಅನ್ವೇಷಣ'. ೨೦೦ಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಪುಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಥಾನಾಯಕ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥನ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಒಂದು ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟವಾದ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಿಕ ಶೈಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ನಾನು ಗೃಹಭಂಗವನ್ನು ಓದಿಲ್ಲವಾದುದರಿಂದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಹೋಲಿಕೆ ನೀಡಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ, ಆದರೆ, ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಓದಿದ ನಂತರ, ಮತ್ತು ಗೃಹಭಂಗವು ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾಸರವಳ್ಳಿಯವರ ನಿರ್ದೇಶನದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಧಾರಾವಾಹಿಯಾಗಿರುವ ತಿಳುವಳಿಕೆಯ ನಂತರ, ಈ ಪೂರ್ವಭಾವಿ ಹಾಗು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಇತರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಓದುವ ಆಸೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿದೆ.

ಬಹು ನಿರೂಪಕರು

ಅನೇಕ ಭಾರತೀಯರಿಗೆ ಈ ನಿರೂಪಣಾ ಶೈಲಿ ತಿಳಿದಿಲ್ಲದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಈ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ-ಅಕಾಡೆಮಿ ವಿಜೇತ ಲೇಖಕರು ಅನೇಕ ನಿರೂಪಕರನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ - ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಮೊದಲ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಮೂರನೇ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ. ಗೃಹಭಂಗದಲ್ಲಿನ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಪಾತ್ರವಾದ ನಂಜವ್ವನ ಮಗು ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ನಾಯಕ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥ. ಇವನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಬೆಳೆಸಿಕೊಂಡ ಮತ್ತು ಅವನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಭಾವಿತರಾಗಿರುವ ವಿವಿಧ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ಪರಿಚಯಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಕುದುರೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸುವ ಒಂಟಿ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣ, ವಿದುರ ವಕೀಲ, ನಾಟಕ ಕಂಪನಿಯ ಶಿಕ್ಷಕ ಹಾಗು ಓರ್ವ ನಟಿ, ಒಬ್ಬ ಯೋಗಿ, ಸುಳ್ಳು ಭರವಸೆಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥನನ್ನು ಮದುವೆಯಾಗುವ ಯುವತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಒಬ್ಬ ಪ್ರಾಧ್ಯಾಪಕರು ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು. ಕೊನೆಯ ನಿರೂಪಕ, ಪ್ರಾಧ್ಯಾಪಕ, ತನ್ನ ದಿನಚರಿಯಲ್ಲಿನ ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥನನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಓದುಗನಿಗೆ ಸಂಕೇತವಾಗಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಬದಲಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪ್ರತಿ ನಿರೂಪಕನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಲೇಖಕ ಕನ್ನಡ ಭಾಷಾ ಶೈಲಿಯನ್ನು ಬದಲಾಯಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆತನ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ತನ್ನ ಜೀವನದ ಘಟನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವಾಗ ಅವಳ ಪ್ರಕ್ಷುಬ್ಧ ಭಾವನೆಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಿರುವುದು ಮೆಚ್ಚುಗೆಗೆ ಅರ್ಹವಾಗಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬಳಸಲಾಗುವ ಬಹು-ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ನಿರೂಪಣೆಯ ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಿಕ ವಿಧಾನ 'ಸ್ಟ್ರೀಮ್ ಆಫ್ ಕಾನ್ಷಿಯಸ್ನೆಸ್' (ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾಪೂರ್ವಕ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ರೂಪಿಸುವ ಆಲೋಚನೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಭಾವನೆಗಳ ನಿರಂತರ ಹರಿವು) ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಪಾತ್ರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರವಲ್ಲದೆ ಪ್ರತಿ ನಿರೂಪಕನ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ದೌರ್ಬಲ್ಯಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ತಿಳಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಅಧ್ಯಾಯವು ಉದ್ದವಾದ ಸಣ್ಣ-ಕಥೆಯಾಗಿ ಕಾರ್ಯನಿರ್ವಹಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಒಬ್ಬ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕ ನಿರೂಪಕ, ಸನ್ಯಾಸಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ, ಅವರ ಅನುಭವವು  ಆಸಕ್ತಿದಾಯಕವಾಗಿ ಹಾಸ್ಯಮಯವಾಗಿದೆ. ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ವೇಶ್ಯೆ ಬೀದಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾಗ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ, ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥನ ಮೇಲಿನ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಪ್ರೀತಿ-ದ್ವೇಷದ ಭಾವನೆಗಳು, ಅವನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಗೌರವ ಮತ್ತು ಅಸೂಯೆ ಇರುವುದರಿಂದ ಅವರು ತನ್ನ ಸ್ವಂತ ಗುರುತನ್ನೇ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವರ ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯನ್ನು ಮನದಟ್ಟಾಗುವಂತೆ ಚಿತ್ರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ನಾನು ಒತ್ತಿ ಹೇಳಲು ಬಯಸುವ ವಿಷಯವೆಂದರೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯು ಬಹು ಕಥೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿಲ್ಲ ಆದರೆ ನಾಯಕನೊಂದಿಗಿನ ಅವರ ಅನುಭವಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಆಲೋಚಿಸುವ ಮತ್ತು ಆತ್ಮಾವಲೋಕನ ಮಾಡುವ ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದೆ. ಪಾತ್ರ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗೂ ಸಹಕಾರಿಯಾಗಿದೆ.

ರೈಲುಗಳು
ರೈಲುಗಳ ಪುನರಾವರ್ತಿತ ಅಂಶ ಇರುವುದರಿಂದ ಕವರ್ ಪಿಕ್ಚರ್ ನಲ್ಲೂ ಹಾಕಬಹುದಿತ್ತು. ಪ್ರತಿ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯವು ಪ್ರತಿ ಪಾತ್ರದ ಮೂಲಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಗಳ ರೈಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ತೊಡಗಿಸುತ್ತದಲ್ಲದೆ, ರೈಲುಗಳು, ಹಳಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ರೈಲ್ವೆ ನಿಲ್ದಾಣಗಳು ಆಗಾಗ್ಗೆ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತವೆ. ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥ ಅರಸೀಕೆರೆಯಿಂದ ರಾಣಿಬೆನ್ನೂರ್‌ಗೆ ರೈಲು ಹಳಿಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿ ಕಾಲ್ನಡಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಮುಂಬೈನಲ್ಲಿ, ರೈಲು ನಿಲ್ದಾಣದ ಹೊರಗೆ ಕುದುರೆ ಬಂಡಿಯ ಚಾಲಕನಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಒಂದು ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಆತನ ಪತ್ನಿ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಹಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆತ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಬಹುಶಃ, ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥ ರಾಣಿಬೆನ್ನೂರ್‌ನಿಂದ ಮುಂಬೈಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು, ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಜೀವನ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯತ್ತ ಸಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ 'ರೈಲು' 'ಪ್ರಯಾಣ'ಕ್ಕೆ ಸಮಾನಾರ್ಥಕವಾಗಿದೆ.

ನನ್ನ ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳು

ಬೆಟ್ಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸಿಸುವ ಮನುಷ್ಯನ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಲು ಮೋಡಗಳು ಒಂದು ರೂಪಕವಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವನು ಬಿಳಿ ಮೋಡಗಳನ್ನು ಶಾಂತಿಯುತ, ಹಗುರವಾದ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹೋಲಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ, ಅದು ಗಾಳಿಯ ಸಣ್ಣದೊಂದು ತಳ್ಳುವಿಕೆಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಚಲಿಸಿ, ಕ್ರಮೇಣ ಭಾರವಾಗಿ, ಭರ್ತ್ಸನೆ, ಖೇದ, ಹಿಂಸೆ, ಉನ್ಮತ್ತತೆಯಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿದ ಕಪ್ಪು ಮೋಡಗಳಾಗಿ,  ಮೋಡಗಳು ಮಳೆಯಾಗಿ ಶುದ್ಧಿಯಾಗುತ್ತವೆ.

ಸರಿಪಡಿಸಲಾಗದ ನಷ್ಟದ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ಬದುಕಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವಾಗ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯ ನೋವಿನ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳು ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಮತ್ತು ತಾಯಿಯಾಗಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ತಳಮಳಗೊಳಿಸಿತು. ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುವಾಗ ನಾನು ಕಣ್ಣೀರು ಸುರಿಸಿ ವರ್ಷಗಳೇ ಕಳೆದಿದ್ದವು.

ಅವನು ತನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಗೆ ಬರೆದ ಪತ್ರದ ಕೊನೆಯ ಸಾಲುಗಳು: ಅವನು ಅವಳನ್ನು ಭೇಟಿಯಾದಾಗ ಅವಳು ಮಂಗಳಸೂತ್ರವನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು  ಸಮಾಧಾನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.  ಸಮಾಧಾನ ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಈಗ ಅವಳು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಅವನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಹಿಂತಿರುಗುವ ನಿರ್ಧಾರವನ್ನು ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದೆಂದು. ಇದರ ಮುಂಚೆ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಸಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಲಿಂಗಕಾಮಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ "ವಿಕೃತ ಕಾಮ ಕೆಟ್ಟದ್ದು" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಆದರೂ, ತನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಧಾರ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂದು ನಿರೀಕ್ಷಿಸುವುದು 1970 ರ ದಶಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಶಂಸನೀಯ ಸೂಚನೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.

ಲೇಖಕರು ಒಂದು ನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟವಾದ ಅಂತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಒದಗಿಸಿಲ್ಲ. ಸವಾಲಿನ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸುವಾಗ ಸೂಕ್ತ ಕ್ರಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೂಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾಗುವ ಸಮಯದ ಅನಿರ್ಧಾರದ ಅಂತ್ಯ.

ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಬೇರೆ ಕೃತಿಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸಿ.

Multiple narrators in S L Bhyrappa's Anveshana

A sequel to the classic novel Gruhabhanga, Anveshana is unique in its own way. It establishes the narrative for the protagonist Vishwanatha's circumstances. With less than 200 pages, it is unique for the narrative technique which I shall explain shortly. I have not read Gruhabhanga so I cannot provide a comparison but after reading this novel I would like to read the prequel and other novels by this author.

Multiple narrations

At a time when many Indians did not know this narrative style, the Sahitya-academy winning author has used multiple narrators - sometimes in first-person and sometimes in third-person. The protagonist Vishwanatha, child of the central character Nanjavva in Gruhabhanga, is introduced to the reader through thoughts of these various characters who have developed a relationship with Vishwanatha and have been influenced by him. A brahmin loner who commutes on horseback, a widowed lawyer, a drama teacher, an actress in a drama company, a yogi, a young woman who marries Vishwanatha under false promises and a professor are the prominent characters that appear in this book. The last narrator, the professor, is a symbol for the reader who is trying to understand Vishwanath through notes in his diary. The author changes the Kannada accent with every changing narrator. Special mention of an admirable description of the turbulent feelings of his wife as she tries to make meaning of events in her life. The multi-person narration used here along with the literary mode 'stream of consciousness' not only reveals about the central character but also about the strengths and weaknesses of each narrator. Each chapter can serve as a long short-story. One particular narrator's experience was interestingly comical though he is a saint. His reaction upon being in the prostitute street for the first time, his strange love-hate feelings for Vishwanath, his respect for and jealousy about him so much so that he had lost his own identity were convincingly depicted as he was on a path of exploring sexual orientation. Let me emphasize that the novel does not have different narratives but different characters contemplating and introspecting on their experiences with the protagonist thus contributing to character development.

Structure

The book starts with the first narrator, the maternal grandfather, who sets out in search of Vishwanatha to bequeath his savings when he realizes that he is struck by a terminal ailment. We soon find out that the search is internal, him trying to find peace in the belief that his savings can somehow counter for what led to his young grandson's current pitiable state. Each chapter dedicated to one character's experience, sometimes two, ends somewhat abruptly with Vishwanath's relationship with the narrator coming to an end with no explanation, but the gaps are filled in the final chapter. There are about seven chapters where every chapter is more interesting than the previous one as Vishwanath grows from an innocent boy to a young man heading into entailments of marriage, meeting noteworthy characters who influence his life and are equally affected by him.

Trains

Why didn't the cover picture include a train as there is a recurring aspect of trains? Other than the fact that each chapter indulges us in a train of thoughts through each character, trains, tracks and railway stations appear often. Vishwanatha travels from his hometown Arsikere to Ranibennur by foot following the train tracks. In Mumbai, he is employed to draw horse-cart outside the train station. His wife tries to commit suicide on a railway track. Perhaps, 'train' is synonymous with 'journey' as Vishwantha travels from Ranibennur to Mumbai and back to Chikamagalur and Mysore on his path towards the exploration of life, 'exploration' being the meaning of 'Anveshana'.

Attention to details

The details add to a vivid experience. Taking us back to the period after Independence, the moments and incidents add to the way of life back then. Description of the mountains of Chikamagaluru paints a picture of blue hills spawning a desire to visit a hill-station. One of the narrators wonders in his designated chapter: how a small space houses several inmates pitying their poverty. While this question is still afresh in our minds, we are opened to the garden in the backyard consisting of flowering plants and vegetable patches including a well. A few parts of the story take place in this backyard, the portrayal of which remains strong in my memory.

My favorite moments (spoilers ahead, you may skip the section if you want to read the book):

• Clouds used as a metaphor to express the state of mind of the man residing in the hills. He compares the white clouds to peaceful, lightweight mind that move with the slightest push of wind, which gradually turns heavy like the dark clouds filled with abstinence, melancholy, violence, lunacy until the cloud is cleansed through a rain pour rendering it light again.
• Vishwanatha's wife's moments of agonizing pain as she tries to live amidst an irrecoverable loss. Being a wife and mother, this portion disturbed me. It had been years since I shed tears while reading a book.
• The last lines of his letter to his wife where he expresses relief in the knowledge that she was not wearing the mangalsutra when he met her. Relief because now she could take the decision to go back to him as a free person but not someone who is bound by the force of matrimony. From someone who  remarked "vikruta kaama kettaddu" regarding homosexuality, meaning that twisted love was bad, it still seems an admirable gesture in India of the 1970s, though it occurred in fiction.

The author does not provide a definite ending but an indecisive one just like we all struggle when we need to take the right course of action when faced with challenging circumstances.

Ending this post with other multi-perspective reads from my TBR list:

• Gone Girl, by Gillin Flynn
• As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner (though the thought of reading 59 chapters makes me hesitant)
• The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins
• Wonder, by R J Palacio
• Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell
• Red at the Bone, by Jacqueline Woodson

Which other books by Bhyrappa do you recommend to read?

The governess who molded a President

Miss Tredgold, a teacher from England, is employed as a governess (not a "nanny"), in America, to a four year-old Florentyna, the protagonist in Jeffrey Archer's 'The Prodigal daughter'. The reason being that Florentyna's dad doesn't want anyone in his daughter's school to have an advantage over her. Little does he know that Miss Tredgold would come to mean more than a governess to his daughter: a friend, philosopher and guide in her journey to fulfill great ambitions.

She threatened the dad to give Florentyna lessons of Polish history so that she overcame her insecurity of her Polish background and led her to shut the name-callers in her class at just five years of age. By teaching valuable skills and life-lessons, she prepared her to reach her potential - analyzing news articles, demonstrating the importance of "contingency" plans or enabling her to rise after a hard failure. A person who filled hope in her dad's absence though she herself was negative about his return from war.

                          

I read the book when I was fifteen; a part of me was jealous of Florentyna and a part was simply grateful for having Miss Tredgold's positive influence when it was still not too late.

When Sudha Murthy graced the achiever's seat on 'Weekend with Ramesh' - Part 2

Simplicity, Sacrifice and Social-causes

One of her earliest encounter with charity was after the Indo-China war, when defense officials went to her school and asked donation in any form. Everybody gave four annas or eight annas, but Sudha gave away her finger-ring citing the reason: "it's for the nation". After returning home, she asked her mother to get her sister's ring for her, albeit, her request was denied.

Many years later when she met Mr. Narayan Murthy, fell in love and decided to marry him, she had to let go of all her gold that she had received from her parents or inherited at Mr. Murthy's request. She had married a jobless person who had an ambition of his own. Being the breadwinner, she could not give all her time to their first-born so she let her into her mother's and sister's care. She says that it took her daughter five years to recognize her as mother. Once she had to pawn her mangalsutra to ensure that the employees received salary on time. "A dream as big as Infosys required sacrifices", she says.

Years later when she was asked to head Infosys Foundation, she says that it was her daughter's words that drove her to resign from her job to start this new journey. Her daughter had once told her that being well-read, educated and travelled, if she couldn't contribute for social causes, then she did not have any right to educate others on social work. The first cause she navigated towards was eradication of the devadaasi system or prostitution. Meeting them for the first time had rendered her sleepless for months. She agonized about the invisible line that separated them from her in that they suffered while she could sit in an AC room and just talk about the wrongs in the world. From being thrown chappals and tomatoes at her for approaching the devadaasis to help prevent AIDS, to being accepted to help them when incentivized with scholarships for their kids, she declares that today district Raichur is free of this evil practice. She has given a better account of her struggles in this cause in her works, 'Wise and Otherwise' and 'Three Thousand Stitches'. Infosys Foundation, under her able guidance has several accomplishments today.

• reconciling 75000 kids found in railway stations with their families
• providing study kits to lakhs of students
• rehabilitation to men in defense who were injured in action
• disaster relief

During her engineering days, she felt the pain of not having access to ladies toilet. The college had not constructed any until then and did not want to only for her sake fearing it would be a waste if she left. Today, she has helped build 15000 toilets. She helped renovate her school and named it after her teacher. Her grandfather, being a teacher himself, had asked her to pledge to donate books to libraries when she was capable of doing so. She has donated books to over 70000 libraries through Infosys Foundation.

Her eldest cousin sister speaks highly of her that she was aptly named 'Sudha', meaning amrutha or nectar. That she has served and improved lives of crores of people. To which, Mrs. Murthy retorts: "enithu janarige, enithu janmagalige, enithu runiyo? Haagendare, badukembudu runagala ganiyo"
Translates to: "to how many people and births can I owe, when life is a mine of debts"

She has received the Padma Shri award for her contribution to social causes.

Writing

Her first book, at the age of sixteen, was published in the regional magazine Karmaveera. She has written over 30 books, won the State Award for her achievement in literature and social work. She has won the R. K. Narayan award for literature and  the Life Time Achievement Award at the Crossword-Raymond Book Awards. She says that writing is a stressbuster, an outlet for her happiness and sorrow. Reminiscing about her early days of marraiage, she says that both had a pact to save money each month to buy books. This reminds me of Napolean Bonaparte's quote:

“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.” 

Even today her husband's ideal gift to her are books. Today if he wants to borrow books from her, she tells him to buy them as he is rich enough so that writers like her survive.

Of course, she received help from most quarters in her service to mankind. Her parents, family, friends and colleagues supported her throughout. Most of them were present with her on the show. Though, let us note that it is not how much we have inherited but what we make of it. How aptly did Ramesh sign-off this episode by saying "achievement does not see gender. More power to women!"

When Sudha Murthy graced the achiever's seat on 'Weekend with Ramesh' - Part 1

This week I was moved deeply on two occasions, when I read the short-story, 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson and when I watched the episode on the celebrity talk show 'Weekend with Ramesh' graced by one of my inspirational figures, Mrs. Sudha Murty. While it would take another write-up on how the former has affected me, here I would like to present the disclosures that were made during the show. I was excitedly discussing some of the highlights with my colleagues on the day after the telecast, during lunch, when one of them asked, "does the video have subtitles"? Aw, how I and she wished that she would be able to view and understand that particular episode.

This is my attempt to translate the revelations that made a lasting impression upon me.

Value-system
Growing up as a teenager, I caught fancy from Hindi movies the stretching of one hand to someone's feet (or even knees) to take their blessing, but when I tried it the first time on some elderly person (after all, it doesn't require any pressure on your backbone), my dad was furious and reproached me for this half-hearted gesture. I didn't learn any lesson that day but did what was expected of me thereafter. However, when I saw this 68 year old celebrity completely bow and touch her teachers' feet with her hands and head, I was humbled. Further, when her teachers talked while still standing, she stood beside them refusing to sit in her designated chair saying with a smile, "it doesn't feel right to sit when her teacher is standing". I am lucky to have witnessed such acts of humility. Mrs. Murthy said that she imbibed values from her grandparents with whom she would spend a few months every year during childhood. During these days, she learnt around 2000 vachanas, a form of Kannada literature about morals.

Reading
Bit by the bug in childhood, even when doing her homework, she would hide the regional children's magazine Chandamama in her textbook. When she had to aid in kitchen work, she always volunteered to grind masala as it required no intelligence but only one hand to turn the peg of the grinding stones while she could hold a book in another and read. Her sister narrated that young Sudha's aim after class 10 was to spend her life reading books. During her engineering studies, once a teacher mentioned king Barthaari. Quickly a hand was raised (no marks for guessing). She pelted info about the king, the ruler of Ujjain, his famous brother, the connection to Vikram-Betaal stories. When he asked how she knew, she answered that she has read most of the books from the Hubli central library during holidays. Another lecturer tried to test her once. He threw a line from Kaalidaasa's epic poem, which too, she automatically completed.

Ambitions
Sudha and her siblings grew up competing with each other in studies, and were encouraged by parents to take part in extracurricular activities. When Sudha started class 11, she had to switch medium from Kannada to English. When she expressed her concern at having to study in an alien language, her mother advised her to practice 25 lines in English daily, compulsorily. Remembering this during the show, Mrs. Murthy quoted from the Bhagavadgeetha, "abhyasenatukaunteya" which means "constant practice". After class 12, she dropped a bomb on her family when she declared her interest to pursue engineering. She joined engineering as the only female student in her college even when her relatives advised her against it for she wouldn't be able to find a groom to match her qualification. Irrespective of the constant stares, teasing and love letters she aimed to excel in her studies. She aimed "like Arjuna". She has elaborated on her experience of engineering days in the chapter 'How to beat the boys' in her book 'Three Thousand Stitches'. She emerged a university gold medalist in engineering and master's. She had also received scholarships for PhD from prestigious foreign universities, however she joined as the first female employee of Telco courtesy her fight for opportunities for women in India, the detailed story of which is widely known today.

Two of her teachers who taught her at different levels of education repeated the sanskrit saying "Shishyaad ichcheth paraajayam" meaning that a teacher derives happiness when defeated, or outshined, by the student. Her lecturer in engineering college expected her to return to the college to teach. Return, she did but many years later as a director of the college. Mrs. Murty said she is a life-long learner and these days she is getting coached on Halegannada (or old-kannada which, I may add, is rather closer to Sanskrit than Kannada).

Her achievements surpass the length of my article. Here I am, tired of scouting to remove lines and words, spilling over to a separate post.