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A Photo Essay

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER

My mother ( Kandanat Saradakutty Amma ) passed away on 19th November 2010 at the age of 87.

Born in Kurumassery, she lived in Allahabad, Trivandrum, Ernakulam, Kottayam and her final 42

years in Vengoor, near Angmally.

My father ( Chandrathil Govindan Nair – alias Yogacharya Govindan Nair ) was a journalist and

author, with whom she lived 58 years and raised us four children.

At the time that she passed away, she had four children, five grand children and five great grand

children.

Amma was highly disciplined and virtuous in her personal life and taught us to be so with fervor. She

spoke her mind fearlessly. She nurtured and maintained life long relationships with many in Kandanat

Family – especially with those from her Kurumassery days during 1940s. During my yearly sojourns

with Amma, she wanted me to take her to those who were still living, which I did happily.

It is only rarely that we get to overview the entire life span of a person and appreciate the value

(or seeming futility) of human life, with its unfailing significance.

Welcome to this photo essay, which I dedicate to the noble memories of my dear mother..

Nandakumar, Dubai – 31 December 2010

This photo

was taken

soon after

their marriage.

My father’s

mother and

my mother’s

father were

siblings. My

father was a

journalist and

worked for

Reuters ,

which became

PTI in the

later years.

One of our earliest family photos – I am sitting on my father’s lap. My younger brother was not yet born.

This must

have been

in 1960.

My brother

was born.

My mother with her sister ( Vallimma ) on extreme left and sister in law ( Ammayi ) to her right. I

remember this photo session.

Same photo

session, with

more

members,

including my

father and

vallichan. It

is one of the

rare photos

of my

Vallichan.

Vallichan

was the

younger

brother of

Kuttipuzha

Krishna

Pillai.

Also seen are

my sister,

brother and

cousin

This is my father’s retirement photo, taken with his successor and his family – Kottyam 1964.

This must be

somewhere in

early 1970s,

taken in

Hyderabad,

where my sister

was living at

that time.

On a family picnic to

Bolghatty Island, near

Ernakulam

On the day of my marriage , before leaving to Guruvayoor

Soon after my

marriage, just

before returning

to Bahrain at the

end of a holiday

Achan and

Amma had long

and enduring

companionship.

I have never

seen them

fighting over

any issue . I

have seen them

discussing

differing view

points , trying to

evolve a

consensus that

eventually, but

invariably,

emerges.

This is the ‘parnasala’ that Achan built

with his own hands, with in the

precincts of our compound in

Vengoor. This is where he wrote

many of his books. This is where he

received most of his visitors, most of

the times.

Amma often joined the discussions

that Achan conducted with his

disciples and visitors.

Amma followed the footprints of

Achan, morelike Kasturba following

Gandhiji’s.

This is where Achan was cremated \

later and Amma too.

Another photo

session – now

grand children

and great

grand children

too…

Amma in a wedding gathering , sitting with a long-time friend. Occasion to meet family and friends

On a visit to Trichur, with the parents-in-law of a grand child.

Posing for a photo with some of Achan’s Yoga disciples

This was the last

photo of Achan

and Amma

together – August

2001

Achan departs 3 weeks later – this was the last family photo with Achan and Amma

Achan took leave of this world on 7th Sept 2001, lying on his own bed at home.

After Achan’s departure, Amma continued alone – on a visit to Chennai with Chechi to visit my brother.

On the hospital bed, after knee replacement surgery – both knees were replaced on the same day

On a visit to Bahrain in 2004 – Dinner with family and relatives

This was Amma’s favourite

seat , where she sat most of

her free time. either watching

TV or conversing with visitors.

Kochechi took

early retirement

from Amrita

Vidyalaya,

where she was

the principal,

and gave

company to

Amma with full

devotion,

during the time

Amma was bed

ridden.

Concluding Rituals on the 12th day of demise

Amma had lost her memory in the last couple of years. Thanks to her disciplined

life , yogic life style and an agile mind, she did not suffer from any ailments; she

succumbed to the natural aging process; she departed peacefully in full attendance

of all her children and lying in her own bed, where she had slept every night for

four decades.

19th November 2010, 0715 PM - The end was peaceful.

We do not recognize the passage of time, as it occurs. We feel time is slow and

sluggish. We appreciate time only when viewed from outside of time itself, in a

rewind and fast-forward mode, as I attempt to do in this photo essay.

Every moment of our life is hugely important, because, in a wink, that moment is

gone irreversibly forever from our lives.

Have a great day today and every day!