My mother was born in the year 1916 at Soolamangalam, a small village near Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. She was named Gomathy in remembrance of her family's 'Kuladeivam' (family deity at Sankarankoil). Her father Sankaran and grandfather Swaminathan were rich Mirasdars (agricultural landlords) who lived in the village for generations. Because of a family feud, Sankaran lost much of his property and died young leaving his widow and eight children in the care of his father.
In those days, people got married at young age. My mother got married when she was barely fourteen. My father had just entered college then. They lived together for a short time when misfortune struck again. Most unexpectedly, my paternal grandfather who was a practising doctor passed away. The burden of the family fell on my father's shoulder. It took some years of separation and distress for my parents. My mother was unfazed with all the struggles she had to endure.
I was born soon after my father got a government job at cordite factory in Nilgiris. My family then moved to Kirkee, a suburb of Pune, where my father worked at the High Explosives factory until his retirement. Much of memory revolves around my childhood days in Pune.
My mother was an exceedingly talented person. She was a good home maker. Her self-taught talents included cooking, stitching, crochet, embroidery, rangoli, home medicines and more. She made the most productive use of time. Best of all, she was a born leader and organizer. She leveraged her qualities to launch a women's association called Vanitha Vilas Ladies Club. Her objective was to engage the ladies in learning many skills to become more useful to their families and the community. Using a rented a bicycle, she taught the ladies to ride it. She borrowed a sewing machine and helped the members sew simple clothes at home. The picture shows a group of ladies and kids in the early stages of the club. She encouraged the ladies to participate sports like ring tennis and shuttlecock. Assembling the kids around, she organized cultural events that included drama and dancing. I recall that she took us on a field trip to the Paisa Fund Glass Factory in Talegaon. We all had loads of fun! One of her great qualities was to be clear and honest in conversations. Friends liked her and sought her advice. She had the gift to patch up broken relationships. Among many things I learnt from her, the most important are courage, honesty and integrity.
I cannot describe her fully. To say in just one line, she was a wonderful human being. On this last day of the year, I fondly remember her and pay my humble tributes to her. She was a great and rare mother. Indeed, I am proud of her. I really love you, Amma!
