62. The goodwill I had earned had borne fruit

Thousand Full Moon: Dr. Vasudev Laxman Vaidya is 86 years old.

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar 

Dr. Vasudev Laxman Vaidya is 86 years old. He lives in Pune with  his eldest son. He leads a happy life with his Son, Daughter in law and  his grand children.His second son who is a doctor, lives in Gantham UK. His Daughter lives in Mumbai.

Here is his life story in his own words.

I became a full fledged Ayurvedic Doctor in 1947. That was when I got my D.A.S.F. degree. As was customary then I started looking for a job and finally got it in 1952.I was appointed as S.M.P. in Daspati Area District Ratnagiri Tahsil Chiplun.The region was totally unknown to me. I started on 17^th June  to join and take charge of the post. Monsoon had already set in and it was raining heavily. By mistake I got down at Pimpli Khurd rather than at Pimpli Budruk. I lost my way. I had to cross a river to reach a village Pedambe. By Gods grace I met one Babaji Shinde Pedambkar  He helped me in crossing the Barbahi pass and saw to it that I reach Kalkavane. The village belonged to Shindes, Kadams and Palandes.  Every house in the village had a member of the family in Army. They were all agriculturists. This experience was quite thrilling.

Daspati had a temple for the  local Deity  called Ram var dayini on the banks of the river Vashishthi.  Kalkavane had a government dispensary

  There were five villages under me and I had to visit them.I was allowed private practice. The region was hilly and I had to walk at least ten to twelve miles every day.If any one came to call I had to go. It was like being on emergency service for twenty four hours. There was a Bamboo Bridge on the river[ Sakav]. In Monsoon the river used to be in spate and crossing it became an ordeal. I was in a way cut off from the world. I used to  get the newspaper Kesari twice in a week. That was my only contact with the rest of the world. I did not earn much but got a lot of love and good wishes from the local people. To me it was a very satisfying experience..

I got married on 17^th June 1953. We had our first child in 1955.  It was a baby Boy.When he was four and a half months old he fell from the second floor of the house but was un harmed by Gods grace.

In 1962 we were in Pune and witnessed The Panshet floods and the fury and destruction it leashed on Pune. After that In 1963 I started my Dispensary in Parvati Gav. Mine was the first dispensary in that area. My wife Mrs. Sumati looked for  after the house and children so I could devote all my time for the dispensary and people. I did very well in practice and feel that the good will I had earned had borne fruit.

 In 1977 I built my own House Siddharaj and shifted there.On 7^th March 1977 the Vastushant ceremony was performed. All was well bit on 9thmarch there was a theft in the house. Luckily whatever was lost was recovered.

I had a happy life but the finest moment in my life came after my retirement. Some friends of A very well known Ayurvedic Doctor Suhas Parchure , decided to celebrate and felicitate him on his completing 61 years of life by organizing an’ Eksashti ‘[ ceremony. Three Ayurvedic doctors were to be felicitated in that ceremony. I being the oldest practitioner was the first to be honored. The ceremony was precided over by Shri

Patangrao Kadam M.L.A.  I was presented with a Shawl A Puneri Pagdi and a Ganpati Idol. I had experienced  the best moment and the highest satisfaction and Joy in my life.

I still treat the patients who come home and derive great pleasure in helping them.

DR V.L.Vaidya

61. Shower of Pure Joy

Thousand Full Moon: Shrimati Sushila M. Paranjape (84+)
Contributed by: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar 

Shrimati Sushila M Paranjape Lives with her younger sister in Pashan Pune. She is 84 but hardly looks her age. She spends her time chatting with her sister and reading books

Here is her account in her own words, which she calls  Anand-Varshav .

It so happens that sometimes you feel very hot and uneasy and somewhat later there is a mild drizzle and a cool breeze that takes away the ill feeling and calms down the mind. A similar thing happened in my life. From 1955 to 1957 I was under a malefic planetary influence of Saturn [Sade sati] and nothing good seemed to happen. There were all sorts of obstacles in my appearing for the Final B.A. Examination. Destiny had it that I should get my B.A. degree in November 1957 and its then that I got it.

My elder sister was a Maths and Science teacher in a school in Nasik. She was B.Sc B.T. and very popular amongst students. There was a vacancy for a Physical Training Teacher [generally called P.T. Instructor] in her school and they wanted to fill the post. The Principal of the school was a very nice man and he offered me the post in his school if I could get a Physical Training Diploma from the Kandivali School of Physical Training. That was a time when Arts Graduates like B.A.B.T. or even M.A.B.T. were not in  demand and many were jobless.

I there fore decided to get the Physical Training Diploma from the Kandivali School and applied for the prospectus/information and obtained it. The Kandivali School was the only school that offered a Diploma in Physical training, in whole of India. It was Government Institution from the time of the British and was a well renowned school. The Principal, Vice Principal and a few Professors were British till 1950. The school was known for its strict discipline .The course offered was from September to May.

The school was in Kandivali West and was situated on a Hill slope. It had beautiful surroundings and was a scenic spot. Teachers from all over India used to come there for training. Most of the trainees used to be on Deputation and their expenses were borne by the institution .Very few teachers opted for the course at their own expense.

Admissions were given after testing the Physical Ability and some physical skill. The candidates were merit listed after the tests depending on their performance. Some of them received a the stipend. I found out what physical abilities and skills they test and started practicing.

A medical certificate of physical fitness from the Civil Surgeon of the District was to be submitted along with the admission form. I was really physically fit but was under weight. I was 23 then. I consumed lots of tonics to increase my weight.

I was overjoyed when I got admission for the course. This time the course was from August to April. We all appeared for the physical ability and skills test by the end of August. I did well in the test. But there was a Marwari and a Punjabi girl who were better than me and they had really done well. After the test I applied for the stipend the next day as I knew that it was mandatory.

It was September 24^th a lucky day for me. Before the lecture the Principal Shri Kothiwale came to the class and he read out the list of students who had qualified for the stipend. Out of 20 girls two had received the stipend, me and the Marwari girl.

As a matter of fact I was third in the merit list. The Marwari girl was first. The Punjabi girl was second and I was placed third. I and the Marwari girl had applied for the stipend but the Punjabi girl did not and that was to my advantage. Had she applied I wouldn’t have gotten the stipend. Luck had favored me at last.

The stipend was 40 rupees a month and the money was my own. Now I could pay for my expenses. The greatest satisfaction was that I was able to complete the course on my own without any aid from anywhere. This was a moment of Joy and I remembered a Marathi poem Anandi Anand gade ikade tikade chohikade.

Shrimati Sushila M Paranjape

B.A.B.Ed. D.PED

60. Succeeded in compiling the family tree

Thousand Moon: Shri Dattatreya Ambadas Boradkar(82)
Contributed By: Raghunath Boradkar

Shri Dattatreya Ambadas Boradkar is 82 years old. He lives in  Shankar Nagar Nagpur. Fit and very agile at his age , he leads a quiet life . He is a devotee of his Kuldavta Hiramata of a place Jamthi in Vidarbha.

He did his matriculation in 1948 and joined District and Sessions judge office in Rajnandgaon in the then Central Provinces and Berar,[Madhyaprant ani Warhad] in August 1949.He was transferred to Nagpur in 1951. He retired  from High court office after completing  his full tenure of the said office.

He recollects his days with exceptional clarity

One particular memory that he cherishes is about his participation in the RSS satyagraha on 9^th December 1948.He was sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of fifty rupees.He was kept in Jabalpore jail but was released on 23/2/1949 as the Satyagraha was called off. This particular memory is very dear to him and is very proud of it.

Some time after retirement he thought  of compiling a family tree. He had heard many stories from his mother and grand mother. So he started meeting the older relatives and collecting  whatever material could be available. But there was hardly anything available save a few pieces of paper with some names. He used to travel a lot for his office work and so new some people in survey department. That helped him to some extent. One piece of paper that he got had a sort of family tree which started with some Keshobhat. Nothing was known about him. The ancestral place was supposed to be a small village Nachangaon-Deoli near Pulgaon. The village had an old Siddheshvar temple and one of the ancestors was invited as a yadnya was to be performed there. So Keshobhat came and settled there. But it was just a sort of family history and could be considered as a fable.

But Dattatreya Boradkar was determined. He started writing letters to all Boradkars and related people to collect more information. Some responded some did not. Some considered it a waste of time and a meaning less effort. But it didn’t deter him he continued relentlessly and ultimately succeeded in compiling the family tree with the addresses and phone numbers of all the family members and a detailed family chart.

Publishing this small book was a great moment in his life and the years he put in this effort were fruitful. For him this was what is called happiness and contentment and also fulfillment in life.

59. You see me here today because…

Thousand Moon: Sadanand Ramkrishna Joshi (91+)

Contributed By: Rohini

Sadanand (Bhau) Joshi lives with his son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in Parle (east). He is in good health and was enthusiastic to share one of his prominent memories with me that evening.

The memory in his own words:

I used to work at Bombay docks. On 14/4/1994 (notice the number of 4s) there was a ship carrying Gold, cotton and explosives in the dock. At around 4:00 pm. There was a massive explosion that was heard and seen from miles away. You see me here today because I was transferred to the head office at fort the day before on the 13^th.

===================================================================

Wow what a lucky escape!

After coming home I Googled the explosion at Bombay Docks and here is what Wikipedia documents:

The Bombay Explosion (or Bombay Docks Explosion) occurred on 14 April 1944, in the Victoria Dock of Bombay (now Mumbai) when the freighter SS Fort Stikine carrying a mixed cargo of cotton bales, gold, and ammunition including around 1,400 tons of explosive caught fire and was destroyed in two giant blasts, scattering debris, sinking surrounding ships and setting fire to the area killing around 800 people.

Link for interested readers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Explosion_%281944%29

 

58. I have always treated my guests like God

Thousand Moon: Mukta Vishnu Apte (81+)

Contributed by: Rohini

A couple of days before departing from India, I learnt that Mukta Apte’s “Sahasra Chandra Darshan” (Thousand Full moon) celebration was scheduled for mid August. I scheduled to meet her to hear some of her prominent memories. 

When I was climbing the stairs to the 1^st floor, Mukta Vahini’s (as she is called) door was open and she was sitting in a chair facing the door. She was wearing a red blouse and a bright yellow sari with gold thread. She reminded me of the Aiyappa temple that I had visited the day before and how as I had climbed the stairs I had gotten to see the idol clad in bright garments.

After initial pleasantries, Mukta Vahini shared two of her prominent memories with me, one dark the other bright adhering to the fact that those who have seen a thousand full moons have also seen a thousand dark nights.

Mukta Vahini got married in 1952. She came from Pune, a big city, to Agashi, a small town. Since she did not have a mother-in-law she was required to shoulder the responsibility of running the big household of 25 people right away. Her father-in-law was very fond of her and would pamper her like his own daughter. During the seventh month of her pregnancy a traditional ceremony (dohale jewan) was planned and elaborate arrangements were made for the big event. Thirty two (a big number for the small town) ladies were invited. But tragedy struck and just before the ceremony her father-in-law became very ill and passed away in a couple of hours. The flowers that had come for her dohale jevan got used for her father-in-law's funeral!

Mukta Vahini transitioned from the dark memory to the happy one with the ease of an experienced navigator who is skilled at taking all kinds of life experiences in a stride. 

Mukta Vahini kept the Hindu principle of “Atithi Devo Bhava”(May the Guest be God) as the motto of her household. Of the innumerable times when guests have come to her house, she remembers that one day when after feeding everyone in the house she had set her own plate and Anant Rao Devkule (a prominent  Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh pracharak) walked in saying,” A guest has come to your door, a guest has come to your door”. While setting her plate aside Mukta Vahini asked him what he would like to have and he said he was hungry but only eight mouthfuls would satisfy him. She cooked a full meal for him and he blessed her after being content as he took her leave. 

Mukta Vahini narrated another similar incident when the famous Marathi writer Go. Ni.  Dandekar honored her during a gathering by specially mentioning her for providing an excellent meal for him at her house.

Mukta Vahini never made an issue of the heart condition she suffered from the age of 35 and fulfilled all her duties with a smile on her face.  

As I left her room I felt like descending the stares in reverse as per the tradition of the Aiyappa temple I had recently visited. This custom allows the devotees to depart without turning their back to the revered deity.

57. I don't want any thing more from life, I am content

Thousand Moon: Govind Parshuram Modak (84+)

Contributed by: Rohini

I visited Govind Parshuram Modak in the month of July around 5:00 PM in the evening. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. I had spoken to him on the phone before visiting and had explained the Thousand Moon project  to him. He was ready to share a point of contentment with me.

Govind lived in Chiplun in his ancestral home when he was young. He lost his father at a young age of 18.  After he moving to Mumbai and becaming well established in his business he wanted to get his ancestral home in Chiplun renovated. For some reason his elder brother whom he help in high regard was not in favor of the idea. So as per the wishes of his older brother the Chiplun house was rented out. Govind kept visiting Chiplun every year with his family and would end up living in some temporary accommodation since the ancestral home was rented out. One day some elders from the neighborhood talked to Govind and asked him why he lives in a rented place when visiting his home town. They even suggested what he had been thinking all along, that it would be better for the three brothers to get their own house renovated. Govind decided to talk to his elder brother one more time and this time his brother agreed to get the house fixed up. Govind went all out and got the place renovated with all the modern facilities similar to his flat in Mumbai. This renovation gave Govind a lot of satisfaction and contentment.

After we were done talking about his past we got chatting and I learnt that Indian Classical music is a major part of Govind’s life. He has taught and guided many Ph. D. (Music) students successfully. He also showed me many of his handwritten note books filled with notations of rare classical music compositions. He mentioned that many of his students have volunteered to get this work published but he says he is satisfied with life and does not want to do any publishing…He still writes all these rare compositions down every day for two hours, from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM sharp.

I walked away admiring the quiet contentment which filled that flat in Mumbai.

56. Math is Fun, Math is Fun...

Thousand Full Moon: Indumati Sathaye (82+)

Contributed By: Rohini Abhyankar

I went to see Indumati in the late afternoon at her Pune residence. She was wearing comfortable cotton clothing and her hair was tied in a ponytail. A walking cane rested besides her. She shares the apartment with her daughter’s mother-in-law. Both the elderly ladies are looked after by their children and a live-in care taker.

Our conversation began by Indumati talking to me at length about her childhood, her father and how he was loved and respected by his co-workers and the people who availed his veterinary services. Then she turned to her own life and here is what I learnt:

 Indumati completed her college education after her marriage. She attended S.P. College as a science student for first two years and then switched to humanities and went on to earn B. A, B. Ed, and M. Ed degrees. She worked as a teacher for 20 years. In 1983 she was sponsored by her daughter and decided to move to the United States of America. After getting her degrees evaluated by the right authorities she got a job as a school teacher in Philadelphia.

It so happened that the principal of the school that Indumati worked at would constantly keep an eye on Indumati’s class. Always did her rounds when Indumati was teaching. She probably was a little skeptical about this lady from India. The principal would not let up. Initially Indumati did not mind this at all. But as time went on She wanted these rounds to stop. She somehow wanted to assure the principal that she was a competent experienced teacher.  After giving the situation a lot of thought Indumati resorted to poetry! She composed the following poem and presented it to the school principal. It worked like a charm and the principal stopped her rounds of Indumati’s class room.

Here Is her poem…enjoy!

           Math Song

                                                     Math is fun, Math is fun,

It is easy to study and learn

Math is fun, Math is fun

Add, Subtract, Multiply and divide guys,

These basic skills will make you wise

If you don’t think about your future

You will be a dumb creature!

What’s the use of education?

Schooling and taking examinations?

Math is fun, Math is fun,

It is easy to study and learn

 

If you don’t understand

Raise your hand

But do not stand

Or start talking with your friends

You know what makes talking…talking

Talking makes every teacher shaking…

Math is fun, Math is fun,

It is easy to study and learn

 

You know what you do in Math?

When you multiply you forget to carry,

And when you carry

You forget to add

That makes teachers mad.

When you divide and forget to subtract

That makes you flat.

But if sometimes you fall,

Do not feel so small,

Concentrate and try,

But do not cry,

When teacher explains

Pay attention

And do multiplication.

Math is fun, Math is fun,

It is easy to study and learn

In your life Math is every where

In the kitchen, shopping center or elsewhere

You see signs 20% off price

You cannot figure it and that’s not nice.

Teacher…Teacher…Teacher…Teacher

She is the care taker of the future

Discipline and Motivation,

Encouragement and stimulation,

Enthusiasm and cooperation,

With all these features

a teacher ensures your future.

Math is fun, Math is fun,

It is easy to study and learn

Math is fun, Math is fun,

 

55. Why should we live in other people’s country?

Thousand Moon: Lily (Ghanekar) Damle (86)

Contributed by: Rohini Abhyankar

I met Lily Damle at her residence in Pune. She looked bright and cheerful. It was obvious that she must have been a very good looking woman in her younger years. Lily Damle and my father’s eldest sister were good friends. My aunt is no more and since Lily was a close friend of my aunt’s there was all the more reason why I wanted to go spend some time with her.

Lily received me with great affection, asked me about my father and grandfather and my aunts. My grandfather was her teacher in grade school. She told me how my aunts and she would play together. She remembered attending ‘Samiti’ shakha under the chiku tree in Ratnagiri where she grew up. She told me that she got married in 1945 and lived in several different cities as her husband would get transferred periodically through his job with Central Excise. Of all the places she lived at she said she had liked the city of Sangali the most. Of the three sons she had the youngest one was the naughtiest of all, the memory made her chuckle. She told me that her father in law had a big house with many rooms but now she lives in this flat in Pune as it is more convenient. Then she asked me whether I was planning to settle abroad. Before I could answer she told me to return to India. “Why should we live in other people’s country? She asked making me speechless…

It was a pleasure spending the precious half hour with Lily. I had the feeling of having spent some time with my late aunt. As I was taking her leave she invited me and my entire family to the ‘maunda ceremony’ (a ceremony performed when a person becomes a great grandparent) and said, “Tell Mali (my other aunt who is now 85) that Lily is still the same”.

54. If I cannot feel other’s pain I do not have a right to be called a human being

Thousand Moon: Dr. Usha Kelkar (83+)

Contributed by: Rohini Abhyankar

I met Dr. Usha Kelkar at the Kelkar sammelan at Pune in July 2012. She was sitting at the end of the row wearing a light blue sari, resting one leg (that was in a cast) on a chair in front of her, her cane resting by her side.  She looked beautiful, intelligent and much younger than her age.  When I expressed my wish about getting one pleasant memory from her for the blog she promised to call me the following day after giving some thought to what she would say.

We started our phone conversation next day with the usual pleasantries and gradually came to the deeper philosophical musings and her not so pleasant memories. She talked with ease and heartfelt sincerity. I became her writer…

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have always been fond of horses and dogs. The last dog I had was named Dash. I used to come to Pune for work and we used to live in Chinchvad, Dash was a big and strong dog and it was increasingly becoming difficult to look after him due to my travels. On one such occasion when I was in Pune my mother decided to give him a bath but something went wrong there. He had ticks and maybe there was an open wound but when my mother started to bathe him with mild soap (Dettol) and water he was greatly perturbed and since my mother could not hear very well she could not sense his discomfort and eventually he bit both her hands. She fell and became unconscious…

After her recovery we decided to give Dash up for adoption. A famous Rancher came forward and promised to take good care of him. But I regret that decision for I learnt later that he was tortured as a means to get him disciplined. I can feel what Dash must have felt, how he must have been totally lost…animals cannot even express themselves. I still feel his pain and I apologize to his memory and ask for his pardon over and over…

I have yet another prick. I was much younger then and in college. The way back home was by the side of a canal. There would be hundreds of butterflies on the bushes by that canal. I would take pleasure in scaring them by hitting the bushes with a stick. The man servant who accompanied me would plead with me not to do that and would try to scare me by saying that he would complain to my grandmother but I was young and foolish then. I still remember how some of the injured butterflies would flutter on the ground when ants would carry them away…I feel their pain now. I apologize to them and to my own ‘atma’ many times.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dr. Kelkar was speaking very earnestly. She narrated yet another incidence where one of her neighbor’s three year old son got lost on Girgaon chaupati but miraculously found his way back home!

Dr. Kelkar was experiencing the joys and sorrows of the past as she spoke to me. She later told me that now she has turned to spirituality and has written articles and books on the subject. She recommended a couple of books on Upanishads for me to read. And as I was taking her leave she summed up the gist of our conversation in these words, “If I cannot feel other’s pain I do not have a right to be called a human being”