A Tribute To The Grand Old Man Of Andhaam From Indhaam Periathatha - the Bheeshma Pitamaha of our family. I recall him clad in a white dhoti, shirt, a tiruman on his forehead, a prominent black mole on his cheek and the tuft of hair behind his head tied up into a knot which his students fondly called –‘Tel kodukku’ or the scorpion’s tail. When Radha asked me to contribute my thoughts in writing for a book to be published as a part of his birth centenary, I thought that I would talk to my mother, uncles and aunt and ask them to remember anecdotes in their lives relating to Periya thatha. Now why do I address him as “Periathatha ”? This was because he was my maternal grandfather’s older brother .Two brothers with diametrically opposite personalities. The younger brother (my grandfather) had the mythological Lakshmana temperament – short tempered and impulsive while periathatha was equanimitous, composed and possessed the temperament of Sri Rama his ishta devatha. What bound the brothers was their unique love and faith in each other and the spirit of generosity and humaneness which ran in their blood. The spirit of oneness among both the families was to be seen to be believed and their respective houses were not your house and my house but “Andhaam” and “Indhaam”. When I asked my mother about a memory etched in her mind – apart from saying that periathatha’s influence was the most profound influence on her character and personality. I would like to associate the cheerful unruffled persona of my mother to these positive traits which she imbibed from him. She recounted an incident which would reflect on the selflessness of periathatha. When my mother’s wedding was fixed, both brothers discussed the various aspects including the expenses to be incurred. When my thatha faced a financial crunch in this connection, periathatha who had just retired lent his entire retirement benefits which he had just received to help his brother tide over the financial crisis. What my Varadhan mama reflected about his periappa summed up periathatha’s greatness and personality. He told me that if he were to name the person whom he respected/revered most, he would name periathatha. He added that he eulogized him even more than his own father. He recounted an incident were he was offered a job with Union Carbide and had also secured admission for an MSc course. There was divided opinion in the family as to whether he should continue his education or take up the job. He recounted Periathatha telling him to focus on education first and advising him on the importance of equipping himself with adequate education before venturing into a career. Among all my aunts and uncles, the person whose personality which maximum reflects periathatha’s influence is that of my eldest mama – Sridhar mama. Sridhar Mama’s persona reflects all that Periathatha stood for – selflessness, kindness, nobility and all the essence of character required in the making of a fine human being. Lakshmi mami, wife of my late Murali mama recalls with gratitude the efforts taken by periathatha to render all types of assistance at the time of the untimely death of Murali mama. Usha the “kadai Kutty” of Indhaam has some interesting incidents to narrate. Periathatha had a big mark on his forearm and when questioned by Usha on how he acquired it, thatha replied in a lighter vein that this was because of an injury caused while fighting with a lion. Periapatti who possesses a sense of subtle humor came up with an apt snub – The mark was because he was bitten by a giant rat – a bandicoot (peruchalli) and not a lion as claimed by him. Another poignant incident which Usha recollects was when my grandfather (Raghavan thatha) passed away. Periyathatha sat near his body reading the Ramayana. To those friends and relatives who came to condole thatha’s death – periathatha remarked that while his ticket was already in RAC (Reservation against cancellation), his younger brother had managed to get a confirmed ticket. Apart from these anecdotes, there are some facets of his personality firmly etched in my mind. I believe that he was modern at heart because he helped in all household chores including kitchen work. He cared for the comfort and wellbeing of all womenfolk at both homes. My Jaya paati revered him and sought his advice before taking any major decision. I remember the fag end of his life when light was slowly fading both from his eyes and soul. The man who had helped so many and had battled life’s travails cheerfully, had now begun to look frail and desolate. His constant companion then was a transistor over which he listened to plays and heard the news and kept in touch with the rest of the world. I want to end my tribute on a cheerful note and hence want to put forth another facet of this noble person. He was a brilliant teacher of history and would bring to life the characters and battles fought. He was also the author of a book published by Orient Longmans. As a little girl I remember him spinning a yarn regarding how Europe and Arabia got their names. He told me with a mischievous smile the story of a father son duo being separated in a desert. The father called out to the son – “Arre paiyya (Oh son!) and thus Arabia got its name. The son in return assured from faraway - “Ayyo Appa” and that is how Airopa or Europe got its name. As I conclude I know that the wonderful foursome of Periathatha, Periapatti, Raghavan thatha and Jaya paati are hearing all these things we are saying with a benign smile and their hearts are overflowing with blessings for all their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of Andhaam and Indhaam. Sudha Mukundan