My elder brother A R Narayanan

Birth and education of brother A R Narayanan

I am not sure whether he was born at Cherukunnu, mother's maternal grand parents' place or Arangotukara, our own native place. He had most of the qualities of father like short temper, rage and to some extent vindictiveness. He was a fighter against social injustices. His elder brother's used to tell him not to take up the fight too far. After completion of primary education in our village (in our uncle A R Krishnan's school) he went to Trichy in Tamilnad for higher education. My eldest sister Lakshmi Srinivasan's family was there and my eldest 2 brothers were also there with sister for studies. Brother Narayanan joined E R High School and completed his S S L C  there. Since he was the boldest in our family father wanted him to be a doctor. Father wanted to send him to London for medical studies. He had already an engineer son, the eldest brother late A R Raman. Brother Narayanan after school went to Madras for college education. I think my eldest brother Raman was there for his engineering studies at that time at Madras. Brother Narayanan joined the Jain's college or Pachaiappa's college for studies. I am not sure of the college. I have to confirm and correct. As he was interested in social work, he was spending his spare time to attend to the social activity in some slums there. Eldest brother tried to dissuade him and father also tried to dissuade him without any success. It was a disappointment for father as he had a hope of one of his son becoming a doctor was shattered.

Services of brother Narayanan

If I remember correctly, brother went before completion of college studies to Bombay where the 2 eldest brothers were already staying. He was staying in the house of brother Krishnan. He joined them and got a job in a Foreign Pharmaceutical company which was making Aspro or Anacin. I do not remember the company name. There he had some problem on some issue of injustice and quit the job. Then he joined another MNC engineering Co. Here too he had to fight for social justice and had to quit.  He got a job in LIC as a typist. In those days LIC used to give one increment extra for typing job and people used to prefer to be typists instead the post of assistants for the one increment. He got involved in trade union activity in LIC and was a very active and a militant leader of All India Insurance Employees' Association (AIIEA) which was supposed to be a wing of the then unified Communist Party of India (CPI). He became the Bombay unit secretary or Joint secretary. He was the most active member and activist of the union at that time and will go to any extent for the cause of the union's issue. Those days managements of all institutions including LIC wanted to discourage trade unionism and used to award punishments whenever they get chance. LIC got lots of chances to punish brother as he was extreme and several of his increments were cut from salary and was getting a very low salary. But due to his sincerity for the cause many of the officers had sympathy and respect for him. Due to his influence he was able to help me in getting a job in LIC as I had passed the written test of LIC for the posts of Assistant and typist. Though I was learning typewriting and shorthand for more than 2 years I could not type proficiently and without mistakes. I got the job of assistant which was a blessing for me in the later years. In the beginning there was an increment extra for typist post, which I could not get, later it was changed into an one time amount of Rs 10 / 15. Conversion from typist to assistant was almost impossible up to 20 years of service. Since I was appointed  as assistant I had no problem of conversion.

Differences in Union

Though my brother Narayanan was sincere to the core, he was considered as an extremist in the union and some of those who are shallow but could impress the general employees came to higher posts than my brother. He got disillusioned by this and not only left the union activities but also was like an anti unionist. He concentrated in his career and got conversion to assistant's side and got promotions and became an officer in an important department of LIC at the time of his retirement. Even now he has some respect in LIC.

Marriage of brother Narayanan 

He married Smt Rugmini from a neighboring village from ours known as Kadangode near to a town Erumapetti.. Since he was a union leader at that time both brother and wife were treated by the LIC employees very highly with lot of respect. They have 3 children 2 daughters Rama (Rema) and Geetha and 1 son Sridhar. Rama is an MCA graduate from Symbiosis, Pune one of the most prestigious institutions in IT technology education. She is married to R Ravichander who was at the time of marriage in Germany and later went to USA.  Both Rema and her husband are in New Jersey,  USA. Sridhar is also a MCA from the same institution where his sister Rema completed her education. He was also in USA for some time but came back to Mumbai, India and is with his parents now. The third child Geetha is a graduate and is married and settled in a nearby flat of her own in Andheri near to sea shore. All the three have children. Sister in- law is house wife. Brother and sister-in-law had been to USA many times in the past when their eldest daughter and son were in USA.

Housing Society activity

He had a vision of forming a housing colony of LIC employees. Once he came out of the union he had ample opportunity and time for other work and he floated the Ramya Jeevan Co-operative Society Ltd. There were several members registered with his society for house. Bombay is a place of flats, but brother wanted a house or at least duplex bungalow instead of flats for members. He finalized and bought land for the membership existing at that time. But there were several hurdles and the project was getting inordinately delayed. Therefore many members withdrew their membership. When he finalized the land purchase the price was low in the area. During the delay some development took place in the area. A good Christian hospital established in the area with a convent school and the Sathya Sai Baba trust established an ashram of Sathya Sai Baba very near to the place. Then some of the ministers and high officials started settling down in the area and the cost of the area shot up very high. Since many members resigned, the Society had excess land and they disposed off the extra land to the developers. With the proceeds of the sales he arranged independent bungalow for each of the remaining members of the society. The total contribution of each member might have been only like nominal amounts for which they got an independent house with some compound. Each of the remaining members got a property worth several lakhs. For this housing project he had undergone tensions and nightmares. Once some of the neighbors tried to encroach by trying to establish a religious institution in the land and he got it evicted the same. As is the case with Indians some of the people who take benefits from somebody or institution will try do maximum harms to the person who gave the benefit or facility, he had also to suffer such problems.

Before starting this housing society, he was a member in a society at Mulund another suburb of Bombay. His salary was less and his loan entitlement was less. I had not completed 5 years of service to become member. This society also took some time and in the meant time brother started his own society. He then took his share of money invested in Mulund society and transferred the fat booked there to my name. He suggested to me to join his society. Since I had already one flat booked at Mulund society and was not having much money for the property there I declined the offer though he said that he will help me to some extent financially. He now disposed off his independent house and bought a modern flat for the money and has shifted to there one year back. I have visited once before occupation and once after occupation of the flat. He is now fairly well off and his children are settled down as mentioned above. I am very much grateful to him for the helps he had given me.

Homeopathy Scientific System of Medicine

My third elder brother late A R Subramanian

General background about deliveries

My eldest brother's name is A R Raman, next brother is A R Krishnan and the third senior brother is late A R Subramanian. Subramanian was born, according to my knowledge, at Cherukunnu, mother's maternal grand parents house where mother's mother was staying. Traditionally ladies will go to the place where their mothers are staying about 2 -3 months before expected delivery and stay for about 3 months after delivery. This is to take care of the pregnant lady during the final stage of delivery and after delivery to help rejuvenate the lady. In the world the best love as the love of mother and the daughter before and after delivery can be as safe possible only at mother's place. Of course things are changing due to the concept of nuclear module of family system.

Birth of A R Subramanian

My brother Subramanian was born at Cherukunnu. He was not very much interested in studies. So he studied only up to 5th or 7th standard. My father had a hotel in Parvathipuram a small town in Andhra near to the border of Orissa, present Odhisha. He was in need of assistance for the running of the hotel in addition to the hotel workers he engaged. So brother Subramanian went with father to help father in running the Ganesh Vilas 'Iyer' hotel at Parvathipuram. It would have been an extremely trying time for the brother as father was an extremely short tempered and dictatorial person. I had to be with father to run our family business for 2 years and had to just run away to Bombay to my brothers there. So I can imagine the difficulty undergone by brother Subramanian during his long stay with father. All of us brothers and sisters are indebted to brother Subramanian as part of his life was a sacrifice for our growing upbringing.

Brother's help to father and family

After completion of the studies of all of us father decided to close down his hotel and come back to native village Arangotukara/Ezhumangad and settle down permanently there. Brother Subramanian would not have been able to run the hotel single handed hence he also came with father to the native village. By this time father has changed the condition of poverty from the family, repaired his ancestral house Chakkali Madham; bought a plot adjacent to the ancestral house and renovated the thatched house there to make it look identical to that of the ancestral house; bought a plot of land and built a house identical to that of his own and ancestral one for his only sister; and bought enough land property to cultivate paddy for the rice requirements of the family and dry land for growing coconuts and other fruits bearing trees like mango and jack fruit etc. He knew that none of us may be able to look after the landed properties and took upon himself the task of cultivating the same. Since it is a job for one person to supervise the workers, he wanted some occupation and income for brother Subramanian. He opened a shop with the name 'A R Raman brothers' in our family building on the road side in the market area of the village and gave its charge to brother. Since agriculture was not a full time occupation and is seasonal he was helping brother to run the shop.

Brother's marriage  

The brother's marriage was done with Smt Ponnammal (alias Parvathy?),  the eldest daughter of one of our cousin sisters from Thrissur. Immediately after the brother's marriage father went to Bombay to spend some time with his elder sons there and to give some free time to brother Subramanian. My brother Subramanian was a simple and innocent person who can be easily cheated. Many people from the village used to buy provisions, cloths and stationary items from our shop giving an impression that the money will be paid shortly but never sued to pay for the things purchased. On the contrary they used to fool him further and continue to buy items further. After about 3-4 months father returned thinking that the brother will require help and he was not also happy spending his time idle in Bombay without doing any worthwhile activities. When he came back to native village he found the business in  a bad shape because of the policy of allowing credits to the buyers. Similarly the agriculture and other produces were also being taken by the villagers and others and father known for his temper had a severe quarrel with the brother Subramanian and made him to get out of the house. In the meantime brother had a daughter, Seetha.He with his wife and the small daughter went to his in laws place at Thrissur. There he had to listen to taunts of being like a parasite to the wife's family. So went away without telling anyone as to where he is going. Later it was understood that he went to the hotel which he was helping father to manage and tried his hand in the business first and then as a servant to another person but due to his simple and innocent nature he had to return to his in laws place.  Sister in law became pregnant and delivered a male child A S Raman. After some months of birth of Raman, father agreed to his son, daughter-in-law and children to return and join him.

My stint in business

During the time when brother was banished from house father was finding it difficult to manage both the agriculture and business. So he wrote to the 3 brothers at Bombay explaining the situation and requesting for help by one of us to go to village to help him to run the business so that the invested money is not lost. All my 3 elder brothers at Bombay were employed and  I was there to study. They were in a dilemma as to what to do? Since I was not a bright person and was not interested in academic studies, suggested that I can go to native place to take care of the business. Accordingly I went there and took charge of the business which was in a bad shape. Father had taught me some business tricks by which I could improve the business and also build up a reputation that the items are good quality and the price is very reasonable. In the meantime without affecting the business I was organising a sports club with the young people of the village who are mostly students in upper primary and high schools. The sports club used to organise event of competition in many sports and game activities with the sports clubs and school teams of the entire district. Father does not like games and sports. Besides he felt that I might be spending money from the business to the sports activities and there used to be frictions in spite of my trying to convince that I was not spending any money for the sports and was neglecting the business as the improvement and reputation of the business is an evidence to this fact. He was not convinced and started harassing me. I wrote to my brothers at Bombay informing that I cannot continue with father any longer and I would like to come back to Bombay not for studies but for a job. The brothers replied agreeing to my suggestions. The letter went to father and it was a shock to him as he was not knowing about my correspondence. He tried to persuade me using all methods. Anyway in the meantime the brother Subramanian had also come back. So went ahead with my plan to go to Bombay. There on the very next day I went for a walk in interviews and got a job.

Death of mother

In the meantime we lost our mother who was seriously ill for about a month and was under treatment in a hospital in Thrissur when my last sister is having her home. She died of leukaemia (blood cancer). During her illness the sister, brother in law and our cousin brother A K Narayanan and some other villagers were very helpful to father and brother Subramanian.

Death of father

Subsequently after some time father also had a brief illness related to breathing which now I feel is the old age problem of organs dis-functioning one by one. Father was feeling that it will not be possible to maintain the agriculture due to the changed political situation in Kerala and was in the process of winding up the agriculture and business which was again in shambles. His idea was to dispose off the assets and convert it into bank accounts  and distribute to the us, his children keeping an amount sufficient to take care of his needs till his life time so that he need not depend on any body including any one of us. He just started the process and in the meantime he passed away. Then all of us gave power of attorney to the brother Subramanian to manage the properties. Some of the properties were lost due to the political situations during father's time itself and some others during brother's time. He also passed away in the meantime leaving his wife 2 daughters and 2 sons - Seetha, Raman, Krishnan and Lakshmi. Seetha the eldest daughter is married to K S Ramachandran and is settled down in Jaipur, Rajasthan and they have a daughter and a son. Raman is with his mother in the house at the village and is married and have 2 children. Krishnan is also married and is at Uadipur or some nearby place in Rajasthan and his wife is in the family way. Lakshmi is married to Vaidyanathan a textile designer and are at Navsari near Surat in Gujarat. They have one daughter and a son.

Homeopathy Scientific System of Medicine

My second eldest brother late A R Krishnan

Late A R Krishnan - Arangotukara Ramaswamy Iyer Krishnan


Birth of A R Krishnan

I have posted about my eldest brother late A R Raman. Next to him in seniority in family was late A R Krishnan. He was the most favourite son of father. Father has certain likes and dislikes. He likes persons who want to study, who do not tell lies and who is not showy. Since this brother has to some extent these qualities he became the favourite of father. Brother Krishnan was born at Cherukunnu, Kannur in North Kerala, place of our mother's mother as per the custom. The delivery place should have been Chenagad near Ottapalam which is the place of mother's father. For reasons not known to me, the place of delivery like the eldest sister and eldest brother took place at Cherukunnu which is the place of mother's mother's parents' (mother's maternal grand parents)  place. 

Studies of Mr Krishnan

As indicated while writing about eldest brother late A R Raman, late A R Krishnan spends lot of time for reading and he passes the examinations with good marks.  Between the eldest brother and this brother there was only two years difference in classes in school till S S L C. Since eldest brother skipped one year in S S L C the gap was reduced to 1 year. After S S L C he went to Trichy in Tamilnad. My eldest sister's family was at that time in Trichy. He went to her house and joined St Joseph college for arts course. He jooined for B A and passed with honours so got the degree of B A Honours which at that time was equivalent to MA. After the course he wrote IAS examination and if I remember correctly he passed the written test but could not cross in some of the interviews and interactions. He went to Bombay for a job as those days Bombay was the place for jobs. 

Job - service of Mr Krishnan

At that time the only press information centre was Press Trust of India (PTI), a British private company with head quarters in London. The Indian in charge was one late A S Bharathan (father of ester years cricket commentator Raju Bharathan who used to write critique on cricket in Illustrated weekly of India, a Times of India publication). Bharathan was our neighbour in village. He had helped any person from our village and places around our village by giving job in PTI. He has told father that if any body from the village with graduation goes to him (Bharathan), he will give a very good job. So father suggested brother to go to Bharathan and brother met Bharathan at his house in Marine Lines in Bombay but somehow did not get a job through Bharathan. Since father was in Parvathipuram which was a place of rich spice traders he had contact with some of the top political leaders of the composite Madras state as they come here to meet the rich people for donations for the party. At that time the Chief Minister was late Kumaraswamy Raja of Bobbili and father got a recommendation letter from him for brother. But brother Krishnan did not want to use influence and did not make use of the letter. He got a job in Central Government Revenue Department as LDC and later got promotion as UDC and became a gazetted officer after passing departmental examinations. He retired from Income Tax Department. Since he was a Government employee he got a Government quarters which was given to the occupiers by Government on instalment payment basis. So the brother got his own house in Bombay. All of us brothers up to me have stayed with him in his house and are grateful to him.He has also accommodated a boy from the neighbouring village at the request of father. This boy happened to be my class mate. After his getting a job, the boy went away from there to some other place. 

Marriage of Mr Krishnan

Brother Krishnan married Smt P Saroja.  She, her maternal uncle Mr Ramakrishnan and myself were class mates in high school classes. Myself (A R Ramanathan) and her uncle were bench mates. By the time of this marriage the eldest brother who was with brother Krishnan had moved out to Madras. Brother Krishnan and sister in law have two daughters Latha and Prabha. Both of them are martried. Latha have 2 sons and Prabha have 2 daughters. Latha is in California , USA and Prabha is at present in Pune, Maharasjhtra. Brother Krishnan had some asthmatic allergy problem but was trying to control through yoga and recitation of Vishnu Sahasranamam. After retirement his illness increased. Brother Krishnan and S-in-law Smt Saroja had been very helpful to eldest brother, my next elder brother A R Narayanan and self. After reaching Bombay (now Mumbai)  we were staying with them. From the time of bachlorship to about 15 years after marriage brother and after marriage s-in-law have accommodated us in their 1 bed room kitchen. We are grateful to them. In fact at least in my case, instead of feeling grateful for the help was feeling at that time as if it is rightful. I am deeply indebted to them.

Post retirement activities 

He was trying to obtain a passport for sister-in-law for her going to USA to spend few days with her daughter Latha. He was personally following up with the passport office. In between the efforts he had severe health problem and was admitted to a clinic. The doctor there after check up indicated that he had a mild hear attack and he should take complete bed rest. Brother insisted with the doctor that he will take bed rest at home and got discharged. He did not give this information to any one else so no one was knowing that he was advised to take bed rest. He pursued the passport issue and got it. Then he went to the banks where g\he had his accounts and got the same changed into the joint names of Sister in law and Prabha who was not married at that time. After this he went to the housing society and persuaded them to change his house in the name of his wife and daughter. He withdrew some money from the bank and gave it it to sister in law and told her to keep for any emergency. He then went to the hospital where he had taken treatment earlier with his wife and daughter and got admitted himself there. After all the formalities he telephoned to his nephew Mr Ramesh, son of eldest brother late A R Raman and intimated him that he (brother) was admitted in the hospital which was very near to the residence of Mr Ramesh and wanted Ramesh to come and be with him in the night. He (brother Krishnan) then send his wife and daughter to home telling that the nephew will be there for any help. When Ramesh came brother told him that Ramesh can go to sleep and will have to get up early in the morning. When Ramesh told brother that Ramesh will inform us (the other brothers of Krishnan), brother told him that he need not inform any body in the night and he can inform all in the morning. Early in the morning the nurse woke up Ramesh and informed him that his uncle Krishnan has passed away during the sleep in the night. Ramesh informed all of us and all of us  went to brother Krishnan's house at Rajawadi, Ghatkopar, Bombay. The rituals were duly conducted. 

Present position of sister in law

Later the Rajawadi house had a good offer and sister in law disposed off the same with the help of my another elder brother A R Narayanan. She bought a 2 BHK flat in Andheri east near to brother Narayanan's house. Shortly thereafter the marriage of the 2nd daughter Prabha was conducted. As Mr Narayanan had already conducted his daughter's marriage one month back, the rituals of the marriage was done by me and wife in place of the girl's parents. Prabha was at Goregoan near Andheri for some time in the accommodation of the company of her husband Hariharan A. Later they shifted to the accommodation provided by company at Chucrhgate. Sister in law had some severe health problem and was not fit to live separately and was accommodated by Prabha and her husband in their house. After few years after marriage Prabha had twin girls and her mother's presence was helpful to her to bring up the twins. About 2 years back Hariharan's office decided to close down the Mumbai office and Hariharan had to decide between going to the head office at Pune or another office at Singapore. He opted for Singapore. About 2 - 3 months back they decided to shift to Pune and in the end or March or beginning of April 2012, they shifted to Pune. 

Homeopathy Scientific System of Medicine

My eldest brother late A R Raman

My eldest brother late A R Raman was born at Cherukunnu at my grand mother's (mother of my mother) house as was the custom of those days. Normally in our community the practice of naming is such that the eldest son will be having the same name of his father's father (grand father). My eldest brother was the most intelligent and humane person of our family. He had two phase of life. One very aggressive and mischievous period up to his going to college studies. After that he was a totally different person. He was very gentle, wise and advising us, his younger siblings about the life and how to adjust. In his childhood be was very mischievous and was careless about studies. Father was a person who wanted all his sons to study as much as possible. Father was prepared to spend any amount on the sons who study. In fact he likes all children who study well. He used to have one poor boy always with him at the place of his business and meet all the needs of the boy as long as he wants to study without failing. He will provide the food, dress, books and fees and also send some money to the family of the boy as a compensation for the loss to the family of the earnings of the boy under him. So he was very particular of the education of his 1st son late A R Raman.  Father was not worried about the 2nd son (A R Krishnan) as he was studious student passing with fairly good marks in all examinations.

Brother's education

Father used to request the class teachers and Head Masters of the schools where his children were studying that they should take special attention and report periodically as to how the children are in their studies. My eldest brother did not write the S S L C examination in the year when he should have. Brother went to the school as usual and just climbed down into the school well and sat there. When after lunch children wanted draw water from the well they noticed brother in the well and reported to the H M. The H M brought out brother and in turn informed father who was in a far away place, Parvathipuram a town in Andhra Pradesh near to the border of Orissa. Father temporarily closed his business and came home to make brother write the S S L C examination. After passing the same brother informed father that he is not interested in further studies and would join some service. My eldest brother in law late R Srinivasan was in police department in Tamilnad and he arranged a job in police department for brother.In the meantime the 2nd brother competed his S S L C and joined college and passed the exam. On seeing this eldest brother might have felt bad and informed father that he is interested in further studies, if allowed. Father was very happy. After this incident the brother was a different person. His mischief element was completely gone and became a wise person. His younger brother was studying in St Joseph college, Trichy, Tamilnad (at that time Madras province) for arts. Those days arts and science were the popular college subjects. Eldest brother joined the same college for science.  Both brothers passed the degree course with good marks. After B Sc eldest brother went for engineering course. In those days there were not many technical education institutions in South. Just at that time at Madras (present Chennai) in Chromepet  a college with the name of M I T (Madras Institute of Technology) styled on the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was started. Brother got admission in the same. Since it was new and fees cannot be high the authorities were struggling to meet both ends. The students will go to their respective places during the vacations and collect donations from all and sundry to help the authorities to maintain the college. He graduated from that Institute. On completion he went to Bombay (Mumbai) where his younger brother A R Krishnan had secured a job in a Government Department. Brother Krishnan had Government quarters. My brother was the first engineer in and around our village in Kerala. Thereafter many from the village became engineers and some of them used to tell me when we meet that my brother was the inspiration and encouragement for their engineering career.

Eldest brother's services - jobs

Eldest brother got job in Premier Automobiles Limited (PAL) as quality control engineer. He was promised a car, promotion and salary jump after completion of 3 years. But nothing of this was kept up by the company. So he left and joined the Motor Cycle company in Chennai who were making the bullet brand motor bikes. Shortly there after he got a job in Heavy Engineering Corporation  (HEC), Ranchi. In this employment he had opportunities to go to Moscow for further training as HEC was having USSR collaboration. He did not avail of the opportunity. In HEC my brother Raman founded a new section HMBP (Heavy Machine Building Plant). A sign plate with his name as the founder is still there in the HMBP.

Marriage of brother

In the meantime he got married to A A Rajam (daughter of late Sri & Smt Akhileswara Iyer) of Kalpathy Gramam in Palakkad. At the time of marriage the family was staying in Nurani another Gramam of Palakkad. Brother was in Premier Automobiles Limited, Bombay at that time and both went to Mumbai and were with the 2nd brother who had not married. After a year or so brother got a job in Madras (now Chennai) in a company manufacturing Royal Enfield motor bike. After 1 year there he got a job in Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), a Public Sector Company at Ranchi. Brother has accommodated my last 2 brothers A R Venkatachalam and A R Sarvajith during their college eduction at Ranchi. After death of eldest brother, as per the practice a job was offered by HEC to his wife but she did not want to serve and instead suggested to give the job to the youngest brother Sarvajith and he got a job there in the accounts department. Brother had 2 children eldest one a boy Ramesh Raman and next one a girl Seetha Raman Vijayan. Both of them are married and settled around Mumbai and have 1 son each. Sister-in-law is with the son Ramesh at Dombivli, an outskirts town to Bombay. 

Terminal illness of brother 

While working in HEC, brother Raman had brain tumor and was operated at Madras General Hospital. The doctor had informed father and other brother attending brother Raman that the tumor is malignant and will recur. After that he went to Ranchi. Within 1 year of the operation at Madras, the tumor again started and the brother neglected it telling that he has no escape. After the first operation he was buying and reading available literature on brain tumors. In those days the treatments were primitive and chances of survival was very less. Again he was taken to Madras General Hospital and the doctor who had already indicated this possibility suggested that there is no treatment available for this stage anywhere and the only thing can be done is to take the patient home and arrange for a home nurse. By that time brother was already in coma state. However father and all others thought to take a chance of treatment at Bombay and taken him to Bombay. He was immediately admitted in Bombay hospital which was the most reputed hospital at Bombay at that time. He was there for about 2 days and passed away before even investigations could be done. By that time I was also at Bombay employed and was helping other 2 brothers in attending to   brother Raman in Bombay Hospital. Sister-in-law and children came to Bombay where her parents and brothers were staying. She joined their family which was near to the place where we were staying at Bombay.  

Our Kula Deivam - Family Deity - Ulagalanda Perumal, Singanallur

Ancestral family of Chakkali Madham & Family deity

All the families will have their family deity or Kuladeivam. Kuladeivam is that deity which is worshiped by the family for generations, at least for about 4 generations. According to my knowledge our ancestral family was at Singanallur a suburb of Coimbatore City in Tamilnad. In Coimbatore there were 2 Agraharams (Iyer Brahmin's colony) one at Perur near the famous Siva temple and the other at Singanallur where even today there is a road by name Agraharam Road where the temple is of Ulagalanda Perumal (Ulagalanda means one who measured the universe and Perumal is the term used for deities of incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the protector of universe). Since our ancestral family was at Singanallur Agraharam the family deity is the Ulagalanda Perumal at the junction of Agraharam Road. According to my hearsay knowledge We had an ancestral house on the Agraharam Road and presently it is used as a firewood depot. 

Ulagalanda Perumal - family deity

The above paragraph gives an indication that the deity of Ulagalanda Perumal is our family deity. Another hint is that the eldest member of the family, the wife of my cousin brother (daughter in law of Sehsan periayappa - Seshan uncle) who is at Palakkad has confirmed that according to her husband, my cousin brother our family deity is the Ulagalanda Perumal of Singanallur and she had gone there with the cousin brother occasionally and her son Hari goes whenever he go to Coimbatore. Another eldest family member, cousin sister who is mother of sister-in-law of Arangode also indicated that our family deity as Ulagalanda Perumal of Singanallur. My father has told my brother A R Venkatachalam  that our family deity is at Singanallur. Normally Iyers  will either wear sacred ash or Sandal paste on forehead. In our village there were only two Iyer families who wear Sandal paste, Chakkali Madham and Chakkali Puthan Madham. Sandal paste is worn by followers of Lord Vishnu and Sacred ash followers of Lord  Siva. From all these it is certain that our (family branches from father's side) family deity is Ulagalanda Perumal of Singanallur a suburb of Coimbatore in Tamilnad. 

Other deities relevant

In addition to the family  deity there are other 3 types of deities for the families and individuals. Another deity of the family is the grama devatha (village deity). Our family grama devatha  is the Karthyayani kavilamma of Arangotukara, our native village. However, many of us including myself have migrated to other places. Therefore, each of our families may have the grama devatha as the deity of the place where we are staying.

Another devatha is the ishta (favorite) devatha. This deity is of each individual. It depends on the individual concerned. This may be different for each member of the family or for some members it may be common. This will be a spontaneous selection based on the inner urge generally starting from childhood itself in most cases.

Other deities are the problem or obstacle remover deities for the family as a whole or for the individual. For each of the specific problem or obstacle there is one or perhaps may be 2 to 5 specific deities as  the obstacle remover/s. For example those who are affected by Sani dosha or dasa  they can offer prayer or worship to Lord Sani himself, Lord Siva, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganapathi or Hanuman. Those who are having skin problems offer worship to snake god temples. Those who are having difficulties with intellect offer prayers to goddess Saraswathi like Mookambika, Sringeri Saradamba etc. 

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Rajalakshmi V Narayanan, Chenai

 Rajalakshmi and V Narayanan

Rajalakshmi is the eldest daughter of Late R Srinivasan and late A R Lakshmi Srinivasan. Rajalakshmi (Papa) is born in Arangode (Arangotukara) in Chakkali Puthan Madham. She is married to Sri V Narayanan. Sri Narayana was an engineer with the English Electric Co, Chennai. He is retired and settled down in own house at Ashok Nagar, Chennai.

They have one son N Ramesh who is married and have 2 children.

They have a daughter Sudha Sriram. She is married to Sriram. Sriram was working in USA. Now he is settled down at Chennai. 

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Chakkali Madham

Chakkali Madham is the name of my ancestral home in the twin villages of Arangotukara (Arangode)/Ezhumangad. I do not know when the house was built and by whom. But my grandfather (father's father) was there and my father and his brother and sister were borne in that hose. That much I know. When my father and his brother grown up and had children, they thought of separating and portioning the properties they had as at that  time. The Chakkali Madham the original ancestral home went to my uncle (father's elder brother) Late A R Krishnan. A portion on the west side of the property a  vacant, land with 3 -4 mango trees and 4 - 5 jack fruit trees and 2 palm trees and few other trees were given to my father as his share.

The entrance to the property would have been facing South if a house was built there. Probably my father did not want a house facing South and he was in a position to buy another property. So he bought a compund of about 61 cents across the vacant land with a pathway in between the newly bought property and the vacant land received by him as ancestral property share. The house in the acquired place was an old thatched house in disrepair. He renovated and expanded the house to be identical to his ancestral home facing East though the entrance to the property is facing North. The new house (renovated one) was called as the Chakkali Puthan Madham to distinguish it from the original ancestral property known as the Chakkali Madham.

My uncle (father's elder brother) married to a lady, Ponnammal from one of the Palakkad gramams (villages) by name Thathamangalam (Rishinadamangalam). They had 3 sons Late A K Ramaswamy, A K Narayanan, A K Venkatachalam and 5 daughters Late A K Lakshmi (peria echumu to distinguish from my sister A R Lakshmi Srinivasan - chinna echumu). Peria means elder or big and chinna means younger or small and echumu is the pet version of Lakshmi. Their other 4 daughters are A K Anghichi Sundaram, late A K Seetha Gopalakrishnan' Late A K Janaki Raghavan and Smt Rajam Mani.

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