The Story of My Life

Chitradurga, in the dusty plains of Karnataka, is not the most ideal place to be in the summer.That's where I was born on the 21st of March in 1951.
My mother, Rajamani, wasn't yet 18 years old, but that was pretty normal during those times. Following the family custom, she went to her parents' place for the delivery.
Sukhananda Nilaya in Chitradurga was a large sprawling house ( aptly called Dodda Mane)jointly occupied by my maternal grandfather N.C.Ramachandra Rao ( Ramanna)and his brother N.C.Sadashiva Rao ( Shiva).
Ramanna and Shiva were 2 of 6 brothers--- the others being C.S.Narayana Rao ( Doddanna), N.C.Lakshminarasimha Rao ( Annavaru), N.C.Bhujanga Rao and N.C.Vishveshwar Rao ( Appaji).Annavaru had already shifted to Bangalore but the remaining 3 brothers had houses very close to Dodda Mane.They had sisters--- I don't know how many, but I do recollect Choudakka, Vishalu and Nagarathna.
( Why did Doddanna have his initials as CS while the others had NC? Bhujangaś son Thammanna gave me the answer but let me see if any of the Bungale clan can answer this.)

Choudakka had been widowed early and didn't have any children. Following custom, she had shaved her head and used to don a saffron coloured saree ( madi seere)--- no blouse.She used to stay at Dodda Mane and was the resident midwife.She obviously had plenty of work to keep her occupied since there were a stream of arrivals of my cousins ( not to mention more aunts and uncles) starting from 1944 till 1961.

The 6 brothers that I've referred to above had started a company called C.S.Narayana Rao & Bros and they were the Selling Agents for the Ogale Group of Companies headquartered in Ogalewadi, Maharashtra. Ogales used to manufacture glass items such as hurricane lanterns and kerosene stoves and my grandfather along with his brothers used to tour the length and breadth of Karnataka ( or Mysore State as it was then called) selling these items.Along with this, they were also manufacturers of Sukhananda Tooth Powder, Sukhananda Pomade etc.

The Tooth Powder and Pomade were all manufactured in Chitradurga and many were the days when my cousins and I were roped in to fill the small brown covers with toothpowder and the glass bottles with pomade.This was done in the huge hall of Dodda Mane.

My great grandfather ( Ramanna's father) was Bungale Chowdiah. He was born in 1875and celebrated his 80th Birthday in 1955.He died in Jan 1956 and there was a great congregation of uncles, aunts and cousins who were present during the ceremonies.A group photograph was taken on that occasion and adorns the house of most of the Chitradurga clan. His wife outlived him and the family folklore has it that he had a premonition of his death and was extremely upset that his wife would live on as a widow.You must remember that widows were not supposed to wear Kumkum and flowers and he was sad that she would look unadorned if she outlived him.He was fairly well built and our mothers would frighten us that Ajja ( as he was called) was coming in order to make us eat our food or go to sleep. ( A kind of olden day Gabbar Singh!!). Ajji passed away in 1959.

Ajja was supposed to have served in the Maharaja's palace at Mysore and then come over to Chitradurga after his retirement.

So here's the Chitradurga family:-

Ajja and Ajji

Doddanna ( he lost his wife early) and his sons Kittanna and Murthy and daughters Sathu ( also known as Putta Sharade), Parvathi and Krishnaveni .

Ramanna, his wife Subbamma, his daughters Saraswathi, Seethamma, Rajamani( my mom), Kanthamani, Sowbhagya and Prabhakar Rao.

Shiva, his wife Pathamma ( thankfully still among us as I edit this blog in Jul 2020)  and children Sundari, Sharade ( also called Dodda Sharade, because a Putta Sharade followed ),Swamy,Sundara, Gayatri, Bali,Vani and Raji.

Annavaru, his wife Machamma and children Sathya, Kanta,Shantha,Bhageerthi,Subba,Shailaja,Uma,Chidambara and Ravi.

Bhujanga, his wife Subbamma and children Thammanna,
Mahalakshmi( Mari to all of us), Chudamani,Prabhavathi,Jaisimha,Shubhangini and Nanda.

Bhujanga was a real terror and used to tease my mom and aunts mercilessly.He also had a heart of gold. We had lost touch with Bhujanga's family. A chance visit to Chennai by Mari's son helped us revive our connections and now Sudha ( my wife--- but I'm getting ahead of the story)and I are regulars at their family functions and so are their family members at our functions.

Appaji, his wife Lakshmidevamma and their daughters Usha,Bharathi and Saroj ( Rosy to all of us). Of all my grand-uncles, I was closest to Appaji, probably because they had only daughters and regarded me as their son.As soon as we got to Chitradurga for our summer vacations, I would be off to Appaji's house ( which was opposite to Dodda Mane) and would be properly pampered and fussed over.

 Vishalu and her sons Narayana, Shivu, Nagaraja and daughters Batani ( I swear this is her real name), Mangalamba, Nagamani and Leelavathi.
 Mangalamba and Nagamani got married together and the wedding took place in the Dodda Mane at Chitradurga.
 Nagarathna (who stayed in Seshadripuram, Bangalore) had two sons that I know of ---- Ramsesha( we called him Tinopal because he used to wear spotless white shirts and trousers) and Thandu.

If you thought that ours was a big family based on what you've read so far, you'd be half right-- because I'm yet to get to my father's side of the family.

Until then, goodbye!!