84. In my life I never had to turn back

Thousand Full Moon: Mrs. Sudha Deo

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Mrs Sudha Manohar Deo at 81 plus is an active lady. Music is her passion and she is devoted to it. Here she shares some of the finest moments in her life with us.

I got married when I was seventeen. I had completed my fifth English standard and gone to sixth. I was a bit confused. I came from a large joint family with lots of people around and here we were only four persons my in laws and my husband. It was as if I was transferred from a joint family to a nuclear family.

My in laws were very orthodox. A large number of rituals had to be followed. A very common ritual was feeding Brahmins. [Brahman Bhojan] My parents  had advised me no to refuse any work allotted and I followed the advice strictly . So I was liked by all.

One day my father in law said if you feel like you can start your schooling again but with one condition that even after completing the education you will not serve anywhere. He also said that I must wear a nine yard saree,   must have an old type of hair do wear traditional ornaments and go to the temple with my mother in law. If I agreed to this there should be no problems he had said.  Of course I did.

Once we were going to Belbag temple. In a nearby shop I saw a saree which I liked very much. We inquired and we were told that it was a five yard saree. I was very dis appointed and did not know what to do. But my mother in law understood and talked to my father in law and pleaded for me. In two days I got the saree on the condition that I must not wear it at home.

My father in law late Shri  Shankar Vaman Deo had an impressive personality. He was six feet tall and harsh looking but very gentle. He used to wear a sherwani had silver handled walking stick, an ear ring [Bhigbali] and gold rings in both hands. Dressed he used to look like the legendary Nanasaheb Peshva. Years back he had asked me ‘How did you win us over’ and I had replied by obeying the elders one can achieve anything.

We had a harmonium in our house. It belonged to my mother in law. Its sound quality was very nice. One day I just tried to play it and sing with the harmonium as an accompaniment. My mother in law heard me singing and said you have a melodious voice so why not join a music class. Why spend time just sitting and doing nothing? My father in law too agreed and I joined Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in shanivar peth. I stood first in every examination and got prizes. Later the late D.V.Paluskar guided me and I started setting to music small compositions and performing in temple festivals. My father in law liked music and listened to Akashvani and the songs used to please him.

Once I set to music Moraya Gosavi’s verses and published an Audio cassette. My father in law was extremely pleased even more than my own father. When I used to return home after performing my mother in law used to caress me and say ‘You sing with A Tanpura so you must be getting a stiff back’.

It is because of their blessings that at 81 we published a C.D. of ‘Geet Gopal’ of G.D. Madgulkar  the credit of which goes to my children.

It may appear surprising and to some impossible, but in my life I never had to turn back.

My husband was an adopted son and they were my adopted Father and Mother in law.

Sou.Sudha Manohar Deo