A Cottage in Swami Hills - 8. Dandu and Seenu

A Cottage inn Swami Hills*

8. Dandu and Seenu

I would like to write about one person in one chapter in this serialised blog about Kumbakonam house and the people who enriched it.  However, it is a matter of exception that I have to make here by bracketing Dandu and Seenu for they represent two sides of  the same story.

In 1960s after Mantramurthy and family, one Krishnaswami Iyer moved in the back portion of our house. He was working with Kanchi Kamakoti Periyava in Matham. I do not know the exact capacity in which he worked. Many times he claimed that he had been close to Periyava.  "Sekar, In Ongole, Periyava asked me , Kittu, Can you bring some buttermilk?" Next day, he would claim that in Ongole how he used to lord over the milk vendors who used to beg him to buy atleast one pot of milk. It was either Ongole or some other town. But the constant refrain was how Periyava was totally dependent on him for some thing or other. I suspected he might have been in the group which accompanied Periyava's entourage  for preparing food etc. I could not verify this. My grandfather might have known but he instilled in me the habit that I should respect anyone by age not because of their office. So, he was Kittu mama to me. Now, Kittu mama's wife was Valamba Mami and obviously she was respected by me as if she was a person of our household. 

The couple had arguments daily. When argument ensued between them, Kittu mama rushed to the terrace shouting "Bale , Athi Bale" Bale Athi Bale" and stayed there for half an hour till his anger subsided. I was told by him that these are the mantras which eliminated hunger and were mantras which were given to Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana by Sage Viswamitra. Kittu Mama did not realise the fact that these were just names of mantras and actual mantras were not made public by Viswamitra at all. So, his hunger did not subside but anger subsided. Any way, it was for good.

He got a salary of some ten rupees and a bag of rice. He sold that rice "black market" (In those days rice could not be sold outside the ration shops). He got some money out of it which he used for his family expenses. many times, he brought Badam nuts from the badam tree in the matham and dried them in the terrace. Probably, he sold them too in some shop. He interacted only with me. He neither spoke to my grandfather nor to my grandmother. He had an uneasy truce with Ponnamma Mami (the cook) who had laid down strict disciplinary rules which he disliked.

Kittu Mama and Valamba Mami led a very tragic family life. They had many children and many of the children died young. One daughter Pattu was married off and she committed suicide soon after for some reason by drowning herself in a temple tank in kaverippattinam. The last daughter Visalam who was about my age was mentally unstable and she also died some time in 1970. 

Mami had two nephews. One was Dandu and another Seenu. Dandu or Dandapani was always at home. He did not work. He took bath in river, prayed God and with the Vibhuthi on his forehead looked almost fit for going to work. But, he never worked anywhere for more than a month.  His widowed mother claimed that he was very intelligent and was waiting for a good opportuntiy to come. Every relative who came to our house advised him to get himself a job. He agreed for all suggestions only to forget them next day. With this kind of life, marriage seemed out of question.

Seenu was another cousin and when we met, he was a graduate. it is very interesting to relate the circumstances in which we met. He was sitting in the terrace and he pretended to me and my brothers that he did not know to read and write. he asked us to teach him atleast alphabets. My brothers offered to teach him. Soon, we brought a slate and the class started in right earnest. (அன்று ஊமை பெண் ணல்லோ...பாடல் நினைவுக்கு வருகிறது)  However, by evening, we came to know that he was a graduate working as a sales man for J&J Dechane, a medical company in Big Bazar street. 

Seenu and Dandu are the personalities in sharp contrast. While Dandu remained static and kept on losing the opportunities for work, Seenu seemed to grab every opportunity in the right way. he left the salesman job and joined Teacher training. He became a teacher. He got married at the right age and seemed to be settling well in life.

many years later, I met Seenu who was doing well as a teacher in a school. he had bought a house and was living comfortably. About Dandu, I did not know.

Among the persons I know, Seenu stands as an example of changing the circumstances and overcome the poverty to gain a foot hold by honesty and hard work. I must say with sadness that Dandu represents the other side of the picture- what will happen to a person if he ignores the importance of hardwork and self reliance. 

* Cottage in swami hills refers to the house in which we lived in Kumbakonam. This phrase was used once by my grandfather when I asked him that as some  people go in summer to Kodaikanal and Ooty where they have a cottage whether we would also be able to go and stay like them one day. My grandfather replied that he already has a cottage near swami Hills (swamimalai) and he referred to his house as the cottage.