Tuesday, June 30, 2020

AUTOBIOGRAPHY (1) - ಆತ್ಮ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ (ಬಾಲ್ಯ)

Tuesday, 30th June 2020
AUTOBIOGRAPHY - PART 1 - CHILDHOOD, SCHOOL DAYS
ಆತ್ಮ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ - ಬಾಲ್ಯ, ಶಾಲಾ ದಿನಗಳು 
ಬಿರ್ತಿ, ಸಾಲಿಕೇರಿ ಯು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾವರದ ಹತ್ತಿರದ ನನ್ನೂರು, ಸಾಲಿಕೇರಿ ಯು ನೇಕಾರರ ಸಮುದಾಯ ದವರಿರುವ ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಹಳ್ಳಿ. ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ಶ್ರೀ ದುರ್ಗಾಪರಮೇಶ್ವರಿ ವೀರಭದ್ರ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಅರ್ಚಕರಾಗಿ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ವೆಂಕಟ್ರಮಣ ಸೋಮಯಾಜಿ ಯವರ ಕೊನೆಯ ಪುತ್ರನಾಗಿ ಜೂನ್ 21, 1948  ರಂದು ಬಿರ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನನ್ನ ಜನನವಾಯಿತು. ಕಾವೇರಿ ನನ್ನ ಅಮ್ಮ. ಅವರ ತವರೂರು ಬಾಳೆ ಕುದ್ರು, ಹತ್ತಿರದ ಹೊಳೆಯಾಚೆಯ ಒಂದೂರು. ಸೀತಾರಾಮ, ಪದ್ಮನಾಭ ನನ್ನಿಂದ ಸುಮಾರು 21, 19 ವರ್ಷ ದೊಡ್ಡವರು. ಅಕ್ಕಂದಿರಾಗಿ ವನಜಾಕ್ಷಿ (ಅಚ್ಚಿ), ಭಾಗೀರಥಿ (ಬಾಬಿ), ನಾಗವೇಣಿ, ಕಮಲಾಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕಾಶಿ. ಅಮ್ಮನು ಮನೆಯ ಅಡಿಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ, ಮಕ್ಕಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂತಸವನ್ನು ಕಂಡವಳು.
ಅಪ್ಪಯ್ಯನ ಅಣ್ಣಂದಿರು ಸುಬ್ಬಣ್ಣ ಸೋಮಯಾಜಿ , ಶಂಕರನಾರಾಯಣ ಸೋಮಯಾಜಿ ಅವರುಗಳು ಶ್ರಿಂಗೇರಿ ಯತ್ತ ಮುಖ ಮಾಡಿ ಬದುಕನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಕೊಂಡವರು. ಅಪ್ಪಯನು ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಪೂಜೆ, ಇತರ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಊರಲ್ಲೇ, ಹಳೆಯ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದು ಬದುಕನ್ನು ಕಂಡವರು.
ಸುಮಾರು ನಾಲ್ಕೋ ಐದೋ ವರ್ಷವಾಗಿರುವಾಗ ಹತ್ತಿರದ ಹಾರಾಡಿ ವಿದ್ಯಾಮಂದಿರ ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿ ವಿಧ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ಆರಂಭವಾಯಿತು. ಶಾಲೆಯ ಮೆನೇಜರ್ ಮೋನಪ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ, ಹೆಡ್ ಮಾಸ್ಟರ್ ನಾರಾಯಣ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ, ಆನಂದ್ ಮಾಸ್ಟರ್, ನಾಗು ಮಾಸ್ಟರ್, ಜಲಜ (ಗುಬ್ಬಿ) ಟಿಚರ್, ಶಾಂತ ಟಿಚೆರ್ ಈಗ ನೆನಪಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ಅದ್ಯಾಪಕರುಗಳು.
ಆರನೇ ಕ್ಲಾಸಿನ ವರೆಗೆ ಅದೇ ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಂದುವರೆದು ಏಳನೇ ಕ್ಲಾಸಿಗೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾವರದ ಎಸ್.ಎಮ್.ಎಸ್. ಹೈಸ್ಕೂಲಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿದ್ದಾಯಿತು.


APPAYYA


MY AMMA AND ME
My elder two brothers, Seetharama and Padmanabha were 21 years and 19 years older than me. Afterwards I had 5 sisters, Vanajakshi (Achi), Bhagirathi (Baabi), Nagaveni, Kamalakshi and Kaashi. I was last boy loved and cuddled by all.  The house we were living was small, partitioned by a small lane to the other house, I remember, during the rainy season there used to be wooden plank to cross.

APPAYYA WITH MY SISTERS
(Bhagirathi (Baabi), Vanajakshi (Achi), Nagaveni, Kashi)

At this time of writing my biography, all my brothers and sisters passed away at various times and also my father in 1990 (90 years) and my mother in 1968. (59 years)
Brother Seetharama - 2017 ((90 years)
Brother Padmanabha - 1997 (68 years)
Sister Vanajakshi - 2011 (80 years)
Sister Bhagirathi - 2008 (73 years)
Sister Nagaveni - 2020 (82 years)
Sister Kamalakshi - 1963 (28 years)
Sister Kashi - 1995 ( 50 years)

My father used to cover the side of veranda with coconut leaves to prevent and protect from rain. He also used to grow vegetables during the rainy season and it used be variety like ladies finger, long beans, bitter guard, etc, which used to be quite enough for the house hold.

When I was about five years old, my father put me in to a nearby Elementary School run by the owner, manager Sri Monappa Shetty. Narayana Shetty was the headmaster and the other teachers I can remember, are Anand master, Nagu Master, Jalaja (Gubbi) Teacher, Shanta Teacher. I studied there till Class 6 and I was put in S M S High School in Brahmavara, where my Brother Padmanabha Somayaji was Drawing Master and our neighbor Baikady Venkatakrishna Rao was English Teacher.

Sri K R Hande was the Headmaster, and others I can remember are P K Vitala Rao,(now he is 89 years, lives near my house here in Bengaluru), Ramakanth Tantry, B Lakshminarayana Bhat (Hindi Teacher), Suryanarayana Herle, Ananthayya Hande, S P Varambally, Seena Ganiga, Padmanabha Golla.

The school was about 2 km from the house and had to walk through the paddy fields and hilly area. For lunch I used to walk back home for lunch and again go back to school for the afternoon session. Come home by 5 pm and start playing. I can't remember what games we were playing. I was a bookworm and used to study the school stuff. During the rainy season, it was daunting task to go and come from school as the steams to cross used run full, scared that we also will be carried along with the water current.

I used to go Balekudru my amma's father's place for attending shraddha function,  crossing a river by boat. Amma's brother, scholar Srnivasa Kedilaya used to be there.

I completed by Class 10, in 1963, used to call S S L C., Secondary School Leaving Certificate at that time, passed out with First Class and distinction. By that time my brothers and four sisters were married. The last sister Kashi was unmarried as she had some health issues like weakness in the left hand and used to get epilepsy. She remained single and used to do lot household work and passed away in 1995 at the age 50 years.

Continued to Part 2






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