My late Brother, Sunduru

I got Vasantha’s ‘insatiable’ message.  My memory is slowly

fading.Anyway I shall try, but steel yourselves for repetitions.

*     Kudumi: Sundar  had a kudumi , which when unrolled  flowed

down and was the envy of women relatives. When, ultimately, it had to

go it was as if a requiem was called for. I think Pathachi or

someone took it to make a ‘switch’ out of it.  Sundar used to go

to Loyola college in a BSA cycle (which had no brakes) with a

cap on his head till the kudumi was sacrificed.

*     Golu time was a busy time for Sundar who  would personally

supervised the ‘construction of the steps which were suit cases,

boxes, trunks etc., carefully arranged. This used to be the case

till mother got regular steps made out of wood. Mother and

Sundar would get all the  carefully swaddled dolls from the

make-shift  loft in the iruttu room. And he would paint or repair

the damaged dolls before mother and he went to the govt.,

outlet  for buying new dolls which were added to the impressive

collection. We had perhaps one of the best golu arrangements

in Veda Vilas in the ‘Hall ULL’. A couple of times the golu was

arranged in the front hall–if there were no programmes of

Jagannatha Baktha sabha.

*     Sundar made special efforts for the golu side shows like

playground,circus, village scene,  dance show etc.,.

As teen-agers we (meaning I) would dress up and  check out the girls.

There is one whom I remember  even now! (hope Ruks does

not see this!) In fact one of his creations was a miniature

VedaVilas–made with cardboard, tamarind glue (made by

an old lady called Thayakka, Pachachi’s mother in law).

*     In 1942 there was mass evacuation from Madras and we moved

to Tanjore where we stayed i ( I remember) Ganapathi Nagar.

Chinna Manni was also with us.But before leaving mother had a trench

 dug in the iruttu roomand transferred trunks and vessels and sundries

of value and got it cemented . This was dug up when we returned from Tanjore.

*      Sundar was working in the Port Trust and mother urged him

repeatedly to come away from Madras. Instead of leaving the

job Sundar thought he would  grew a beard,,which he did.

And  got a certificate from Dr.Rama Iyengar. It did not work and

on the suggestion of  the British CMO’s P.A. he put Rs.16/ in an

envelope and dropped it into an open drawer,which was kept open only for

 this purpose.. He got one month’s leave.  Soon

the emergency eased and he went back to work.

    If I have any more items I shall get back.

                                 Babou