Memories of Bhramaramba Gadisetti, (1940 - 2016)

Share a special moment from Bhramaramba's life.

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An Old Memory

yesterday

I happened to see a small collection of hand bags of my mother Bhramaramba when I was in Rajahmundry last year. The bag in the picture reminds me an old memory. I got it for her from Madras sometime in early 1980s. It was bought from one of the art shops in the main road of Madras. It is a leather bag with traditional south Indian art depicting the beauty of three women called Golla Bhamalu (గొల్ల భామలు) carrying pots stacked on their heads. This art refers to the romantic appearance of working women of a specific class dressed in a particular fashion. It is a common artistic theme of those days. Madras has now become Chennai and perhaps these bags are no more available in stores.

Music Book

January 21

I used to see two of my mother's hard bound note books since my teenage. One has the notes of her music lessons. My mother mentioned about a music master teaching the sisters at their home. The date on page 4 of the note book is May 20, 1951. I think she was about eleven years old by the time she began taking music lessons. The book has 175 pages filled – perhaps the lessons went for a year or more. However, I recall that she used to ask us to turn off the radio whenever Carnatic music started after film songs. I did not understand at that time, but I can guess the reason now. The music master could not even write her name correctly – leave alone the lyrics of the songs. He was such a bad teacher that the children disliked the classical music altogether. Despite that we used to listen my mother singing Keerthanas (కీర్తనలు) and Mangala harathis (మంగళ హారతులు) melodiously during women's festivals and social functions.

Ramakoti

November 6, 2023

In my childhood, my parents used to tell us about "Ramakoti" (రామకోటి). It is a symbol of devotion towards the God Rama (రామ). They started writing Ramakoti (రామకోటి), the name of the God Sree Rama (శ్రీరామ) repeatedly for 100,00,000 (కోటి) times. I found one of those books in my mother's collections. The picture shows page 216 from her Ramakoti, written on January 25, 1964, perhaps at around 45 thousand times of the koti. It is a long journey requiring the completion of several volumes. As the time goes, writing gets faster and letters become more compact. There is another such a volume in her collection.

Muggulu

April 16, 2023

My mother Bhramaramba used to celebrate Sankranti (సంక్రాంతి) festival with a lot of enthusiasm. I recall my childhood when women used to wake up before dawn to decorate the front yard of the house with muggulu (ముగ్గులు). It was a competitive sport among women that starts a month before Sankranti and ends with "Ratham muggu" (రథం ముగ్గు). My mother had a book of designs. The picture above is 21 dot "kobbari bondaala muggu" (కొబ్బరిబొండాల ముగ్గు) from it. Drawing lines on the ground by delivering chalk powder using fingers is an art excelled by the women of those days. Typically, a dot matrix is marked first and then the dots are joined by lines. Sometimes, rice flour is used instead of chalk to treat ants during Sankranti which happens to be the harvest festival. The people of old times are kind and good in their hearts. Festivals were celebrated joyfully by sharing and caring with the others. It was an entirely different world with cordial ties among people, something much different from the materialistic world we see today.

The Last Survivor

January 18, 2023

My mother Bhramaramba (భ్రమరాంబ) was youngest of the five siblings born to Lashmidevi (లక్ష్మీదేవి) and Chandrudu (చంద్రుడు) garu. I saw my grandfather in my childhood. I used to call my uncles as pedda maamayya, chinna maaamayya and chittirao maamayya (పెద్ద మామయ్య, చిన్నమామయ్య, చిట్టిరావు మామయ్య).
All my three uncles were successful businessmen who had a factory of brass utensils. Their business was famous not only in our state but also in the neighboring states Orissa and Madras. They had a shop in Kakinada main street called Sri Lakshmi Metal Stores (శ్రీ లక్ష్మీమెటల్ స్టోర్సు) named after their mother. Their farm lands were in the villages nearby Kakinada. I heard that my oldest uncle was famous among businessmen in Kakinada. My middle uncle was all-rounder and a practical man who ran the factory, shop, farms and so on. My youngest uncle promoted arts and culture besides running the business. To me, my uncles were wealthy, bright and prominent people.
My mother Bhramaramba was the last survivor of her siblings. When she passed away, my aunt Sugunavathi (సుగుణవతి) the wife of Chittirao maamayya came over to Rajahmundry to organize the funeral. She highlighted that my mother died as a punisthree (పునిస్త్రీ, పుణ్యస్త్రీ, respected lady having her husband living until her last breath) and made sure all honors and formalities were performed accordingly.

My Maternal Aunts

January 16, 2023

My mother had three older brothers Kada Venkata Surya Narayana Moorthy (కాద వెంకటసూర్యనారాయణమూర్తి), Kada Lakshmana Swamy (కాద లక్ష్మణస్వామి), and Kada Venkata Satyanarayana Moorthy (కాద వెంకటసత్యనారాయణమూర్తి). They loved and cared their younger sisters Padmavathi (పద్మావతి) and my mother Bhramaramba (భ్రమరాంబ) very much. The same cordiality was extended by my aunts Veera raghavamma (వీరరాఘవమ్మ), Annapoorna (అన్నపూర్ణ) and Sugunavathi (సుగుణవతి). In fact, my aunts were good friends of my mother since they all lived in the same house until my mother got married. I remember that my mother had a nick name chinnakkayya. I too grew up there with all other kids when I was very young. That cordiality was extended over generations making my cousins and us good friends as well. Interestingly, my aunt Sugunavathi happens to be the last survivor of my uncles and aunts who lived until the beginning of this year.

A picture from 2008

October 15, 2021

I took this picture when I visited home at Rajahmundry in 2008 and later added some scenery in the background. My mother appears very cheerful to me in this picture. Though she looks like dressed casually, there is something special about this picture. She was wearing her favorite necklace and watch with golden chain. It did not occur to me then, but it was her 68th birthday. This picture was taken in the morning of April 16, 2008. This is one sweet memory that I am realizing so many years after it happened!

Arts and Skills

June 10, 2021

My mother Bhramaramba was interested in house-hold arts like decorating the house with muggulu (ముగ్గులు), singing traditional songs (కీర్తనలు), knitting sweaters, and hand embroidery – to mention a few. Muggu is a traditional drawing art made by rice flour or chalk powder. A new muggu was drawn every day in front of the house during the month of Sankranti (సంక్రాంతి) festival. I recall her stitching embroidery designs on clothing in my childhood. My paternal grandfather Veeranna (వీరన్న) who previously owned a sewing factory at Rajahmundry was an expert in professional tailoring. My mother learned stitching garments from him. I too learned basics of sewing from them which is useful to me even today. My mother was fond of growing flowering plants like firecracker flower (కనకాంబరం) , star jasmine (సన్న జాజి), Jasmine (మల్లె), Tagetes (బంతి), Chrysanthemum (చేమంతి), Cosmos sulphureus, Barleria prionitis (గొబ్బి), Rose (గులాబి), and many other varieties. We used to pluck the flowers for prayer in the morning. My mother was skilled in tying flowers into garlands using thread for decoration in hair. When I think of those days, women in middle class families did not go out for work, but they were the key to the art and culture of the family.

A Humble Person

April 17, 2021

When I look at my mother Bhramaramba's pictures, one point striking is her pleasant personality. Her simplicity, kindness, and dignity are well known to me. These are some pictures I took at different occasions. Browsing the pictures, I noticed that she was wearing many ornaments traditional to Indian hindu women, typically in our families. These look beautiful on her, and of course, those are my memories about my mother.

High-Tech Priest Sri Janakiram garu

October 26, 2020

This is a special year when the whole world has taken a pause. Ways are being invented to minimize physical contacts of persons. My mother's annual rites were performed by high-tech telecommunications. Thanks to the priest Sri. Janakiram Sarma Marthi who made it possible. I got the pavitram and darbhas from him which was a contactless process. The ritual was performed by his chanting mantras and giving me directions over a video call. Amazing performance. The distance does not matter anymore.

Good old times

April 16, 2020

In my childhood, our family used to visit historic monuments, and famous temples. At that time, my grandfather Gadisetti Veeranna and my uncle Gadisetti Satyanarayana were also in our family. We visited historic monuments at Warangal, Pakala, and Ramappa and the temples at Tirupati and Vijayawada. The Goddess in Vijayawada was called as Bejawada Kanaka durga as the city was called Bejawada during British times.

A favorite Poem of my mother Bhramaramba.

March 14, 2020

I used listen my mother singing poems from Krishna Sathakam particularly the one how Lord Krishna blessed Azameela,

క్రూరాత్ము డజామీళుడు
నారాయణ యనుచు నాత్మనందను బిలువ
నేరీతి నేలుకొంటివి
యేరీ నీ సాటి వేల్పు లెందును కృష్ణా!
English script:
krUrAtmu DajaameeLuDu
naaraayaNa yanuchu naatmanaMdanu biluva
nErIti nElukoMTivi
yErI nee saaTi vElpu leMdunu kRshNA!

In those times, children in Andhra Pradesh learned poems from Sumathi sathakam, Vemana sathakam, Krishna sathakam and so on. A sathakam includes 100 poems. The facts of day-to-day life are narrated by Sumathi and Vemana sathakams. Krishna sathakam includes devotional poems praising Lord Krishna. Other poems I used to hear from Krishna sathakam are:

శ్రీ రుక్మిణీశ కేశవ
నారద సంగీత లోల నగధర శౌరీ
ద్వారక నిలయ జనార్దన
కారుణ్యమునేల మమ్ము గావుము కృష్ణా!

హరియను రెండక్షరములు
హరియించును పాతకంబు లంబుజనాభా,
హరి నీ నామ మహాత్మ్యము,
హరి హరి, పొగడంగ వశమె హరి శ్రీకృష్ణా!

The Heart of our Home

October 12, 2019

There is a proverb "Intiki deepam illalu", which means that the house-wife is the light of the home. In 1960s when I was a child, lighting the lamp was essential every evening, else the house remained in dark. The wealth, dignity and success of a house depended on the house-wife. My mother gets all the credit for the good standing of our home in the society. She took good care of all of us, house-hold necessities including food, clothing, up-keeping the house, conducting prayers, performing cultural functions, and practically everything that is necessary at home. There is no one in our home who knew these stuff better than her. My memories go all the way through my childhood as she trained us in some of those activities. She was the heart of our home. She made it.

Kakinada visits

October 8, 2019

My mother Bhramaramba enjoyed chatting with friends and relatives. This picture was taken while she was chatting with our relatives at Kakinada, but the background is changed to Gokulam temple in Kakinada where we visited once.

At Draksharamam

April 15, 2019

This is a photograph of my mother Bhramaramba when we visited the Bheemeswara swamy temple at Draksharamam. It was a trip from Kakinada during 1970s with her brother Lakshmana Swamy's family. We recently found the handbag seen in the picture, and deposited it at her Rajahmundry home together with her classical music lessons book.

Lakshmi Devi Prayer

October 12, 2018

My mother Bhramaramba prayed the goddess Lakshmi Devi every Friday throughout her life. On Fridays, she woke up early in the morning, performed prayers, ate only vegetarian and had light suppers. She used to look more pleasant that day, after a head bath using soap nut extract. When I was a child, Fridays were holy to us because of her sentiments. Of course, we also loved the delicious chutney she made using the coconut broken at the prayer. Those were the good old times.
Her life bridges three worlds, the first is India in 1940s and 50s when society was conservative. The second is 1960s to 90s, a progressive independent India founded by social and economic reforms. The third is modern cosmopolitan society evolved on those foundations.

A Childhood Memory

April 16, 2018

Today is April 16, the birth day of my mother Bhramaramba. I found this black and white picture that may have been photographed in 1960s. I was still a boy at that time. This is how I used to remember her. She mentioned that her birth star was Bharani. According to Indian astronomy, the star Bharani is in Mesha rasi, the 35, 39 and 41 Arietis in the constellation of Aries as sketched in the background.

The Extended Family

December 17, 2016

Kada Chandrudu's sisters Gundavarapu Ratthamma (Ratthappa), Nalamati Kaanthamma (Kanthappa), Nalamati Sheshamma (Sheshappa) also lived in Jagannathapuram, Kakinada while the youngest sister Kodavali Mangayamma (Mangayammappa) married to Kodavali Venkataswamy shetty lived in Dowleswaram (Dhawileswaram) near Rajahmundry. The sisters were popularly known by the suffix "appa" meaning elder sister. The affections of Kada Chandrudu and sisters were remarkable. My mother used to tell about how her aunts were respected by her family and the niceties during family get-togethers, functions and festivals. The families of Kada Chandrudu and his siblings have multiplied and today a large group of families in Jagannathapuram are closely related to my mother Bhramaramba.

Origins of Kada Chandrudu garu

December 17, 2016

My maternal grandfather Late Kada Chandrudu garu originally migrated to Kakinada from a nearby village Thammavaram (thammaaram) with his wife Lakshmidevi, daughter of Nalamati Lakshmanaswami. Kada Chandrudu was a self-made man who developed his business from ground zero to its peak levels in Kakinada. He owned a factory that manufactured brass utensils, and marketed locally within the state and also in the neighboring states Orissa and Madras. His brass shop in the main street of Kakinada was the biggest those days. His businesses flourished, he acquired properties, was recognized as a wealthy man and lead business associations.

Kada Chandrudu had a big house where his and his sons' families lived together. The house was self-sufficient with grains coming from their own farms. Cows, white doves, chicken, dog and a cat were grown in the house. It was quite an experience living in that house with so many closely related people of various age groups.

A Childhood memory of her school

December 6, 2016

My mother told me that she and her elder sister Padmavathi studied in the convent school at Jagannadhapuram, Kakinada. I think it was St. Joseph Convent School at the church square center. She remembered the parades of British soldiers from that neighborhood towards MSN Charities to their barracks. Perhaps she was about five or six years old at that time since British fought World War II until 1945 and left India in 1947. Seemingly the soldiers used to speak to the children at the school, but the elders at home tell the kids to keep away from the soldiers! By the way, Padmavathi is the "Pedda Akkayya".

Bhramaramba is the name of the Goddess at Srisailam

November 27, 2016

My mother Bhramaramba told me that she was named after the Goddess Bhramaramba, wife of Lord Mallikharjuna located on the flat hill top at Srisailam in Nallamala hills. Seemingly their family visited Srisailam and gave her the name Bhramaramba. I can imagine that India was still under British colonial rule in 1940s. The family may have travelled days to reach Srisailam from Kakinada and to return. My grandfather Kada Chandrudu's house where my mother grew up is located at Jagannadhapuram of Kakinada.

--Chandramouli

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