A hundred years A Niostalgia on Sri A . Neelakanta Aiyer

This was the name of the mini-colossus who strode the firmament of our family and clan in the North Arcot District. True to the definition of Relationships in our area , the relationships were invariably as complicated and as crinkly as the sweet Jangiri, he was related to me in any number of ways. A.N.Aiyer, Neelakanta Aiyer, Neelanna, Neela thatha and Nellakanta aththimber were a few of the popular appellations to which he responded with all the love and affection.

This year 2012 must be his centenary year. After all today people celebrate the centenary of every tom jack, so I see nothing wrong in celebrating the centenary year of my grand uncle cum aththimbare. I take this opportunity to upload some of the memories of mine of the old gentleman who never became old, after all we lost him when he was hardly 50 plus. In the late evening of his life, he was in Abhiramapuram house after some surgery and I remember him saying to my mother that he has already reached his cousin brother’s age, in his words “ எனக்கு மார்கபந்துவின் வயதாகிவிட்டது.” Though we all used to tell him that Periyanna’s age at death and his age had no relevance and he should not think about those negative things. But unfortunately within three or four months he succumbed to his final call.

In effect he was the husband of my aunt (Fathers elder sister) Jayalakshmi (Jaya patti or Jaya aththai) and also the cousin brother of my maternal grandfather that was Sri A.Margabandhu Aiyer. That is Sri Margabandhu Aiyer’s father Sri Viswanatha Aiyer and Neelanna’s father Sri Venkataswamy Dikshidhar were blood brothers.

His physical and anatomical personality was some thing that can not be called very imposing. He was not a very tall man, almost could eb called short at 5’3” to 5’6” in height. But what was really imposing about him was his complexion, it was a slightly pinkish yellow like his favourite the ghee glistening Badham Halwa and his well oiled totally bald head also glistening like the rest of his body. I do not remember to have seen with any hair on his pate. He had a great penchant for cleanliness. His daily bath in that old house at 11, Padmanabha Aiyer street was a very rigorous planned and conscientious effort. He would bale out water from the well and walk all over the rear verandah of the house from the well to the wall between No.10 and 11. He also would cover the distance North South from the nook in which were fixed the grinding rolling stone and the masala powdering Ammi to the bath room wall. The way he cleaned the Washing stone (துவைக்கும் கல்) and the nook behind the staircase. First he will por the water by the bucketful and then he will go round rubbing the cement plastered flooring with his feet, one at a time. Until he is satisfied that there is no dirt, grime or algae on the flooring he will not complete his bath. After the bath, the maulish and polish of his head and face would take quite a bit of time.

His sartorial personality was very much defined by his dhoti tied around his waist well above the ankles and his beige yellow shirt which was always two sizes larger than what he should actually wear. அவருடைய சொந்த உடை மாத்திரம் இல்லை. அவர் எங்களில் யாருக்காவது சட்டை தைத்துக்கொடுத்தாலும் அதைப்போலவே வளரும் பிள்ளை என்று சிறிது லூஸாகவே இருக்கவேண்டும் என்பார். He had his own favourite Tailor , One Fakruddin in Rasappa Chetty street. He also had a bedding and pillow maker another Muslim Tailor somewhere behind the Chennakesava Perumal Kovil on the way to Kumaru Mama’s office in Venkatachala Mudali street (ஐயாபிள்ளைதெரு) 

He was a man of contradictions in his temper. He was a very lovable uncle to me but at the same time he was also a very strict disciplinarian. As kids we were scared shit on hearing the news that his daily passenger train has reached Villivakkam Station and we would just wind up our game of cricket or whatever else in the Padmanabha aiyer street and run away to the houses. Not that he ever said anything or reprimanded us for playing in the street. Similarly our voices will drop a few hundred decibels when he is around. Even though though he would get away with anything with any other person among our relatives, my grandfather would conscientiously avoid doing anything that may offend Neelanna. I do not understand the reason behind that even today almost 50 years after the death of both of them. One guy who got away with anything and who could ccircumvent the rigid controls of Neelanna was Chinna Raju Mama. Every one lese in the house had a fixed dinner time and curfew time in that house. But Chinna Mama would come and go to suit his whims. If I remember correct one night when he was returning back to the house after combined study with his friend Rangachari of Devaar street, the doors were locked and so he decided to jump the wall behind the staircase and go up to the first floor open terrace to sleep. But unfortunately for him Sri T.N.Guruswamy Vathiar and Sri Bhaskara Sastriar had seen some one jumping over the wall and they started shouting “Thief! Thief!’ When every one came out to see what was all the commotion about Chinna Raju Mama just walked down the staircase as if he had just then got up from his sleep and said “The thief came from the rear and jumped out on to road in the front.”Chinna raju Mama dropping out from his BSc Botany practical examination was another interesting case of the clash of tempers of the two great personalities because Neelanna had fixed Chinna Mama’s Upanayanam before his examinations much against the opposition from the son. In the in the process he dropped out from the BSc Course and never completed his graduation. May it was for the good, otherwise he would have completed his BSc and then MSc and gone on to become a teacher in Some old school or College. I wonder if he would have made the grade both economically and career wise if he had continued on to complete his academicia. 

For most of us kids of the period, Neela thatha’s incentive offer of a BB ( a small Brittania Biscuit) that used to cost a paisa that is almost one by one hundred and ninety two part of a rupee.) Those biscuits used to be real crunchy and we all loved it. Not that it would be handed over in a platter; you would have to really earn it out of him. He believed in implicit obedience from children and the one guy who really conformed to his exacting standards in this was always Coimbattore Rama. Till very late in our junior days Rama will never come out into the rear side garden of the Padmanabha Aiyer street house at Villivakkam for the simple reason that his grand mother and grand father had told him that there was an (ஊமைக்கோட்டான்) some sort of bird belonging to the barn owl family. Also oif he was given Badham Halwa and if Thatha or Patti say that it was bitter medicine he is not supposed to take he will just spit it out of his mouth even if he had taken his mnouthful already. I think it was during Sankara Mama’s wedding in triplicane, some of the children were pestering the older people asking them to take them to the Marina Beach. But Neelanna had his usual practical fibe and said “Today is a holiday and the gates of Marina Beach would be locked and believe me some of the children like Rama believed it.

There were certain aspects of day to day life of his which were very characteristic of the man. The way he took his bath every morning, his daily lunch of SKC (sweet Karam Coffee, Badha Halwa being his favourite there.) at the old Arya Bhavan at Govinmdappa Naicken street George Town, his monthly cinema, and his friends and associates who travelled with him by train from Villivakkam to Madras Central and the way back from the office in the evening . I particularly know about this because for a short period when I was in Jain College I used to be fellow passenger and even today I am proud to remember that the old man would hold down a seat for me. In case I did not turn up one day, he will ask me next time I meet him why I did not turn up that day. He would introduce me to all his friends saying that his nephew was in College doing his Pre University Course, as if it were some sort of Harvard or MIT MBA.

One very memorable occasion for me was on the occasion I and Chellappa Mama cut classes in our respective colleges and went for a movie at the Odeon Theatre. We had been through the first half of the movie and at the interval when we just turned round to look up if there were any familiar faces in the crowd, who do we find, but Our Own Neelanna. We were scared shit in the pit of our stomachs. But he just smiled at us and when the film was over he just called us over and said “Once in a while is all right but do not make a habit of this!” Belive me he just took us to the My Coffee Bar, a famous hotel in Mount Road those days near Devi Theatre, where now you have the Reliance Electronics show room and bought us his customary SKC.

Because of Anno Domin I do not have any idea about his formal education. But suffice it to say that his English was so good, that he could manage his Commercial Correspondence with his business principals in the UK (M/S Josiah parks, Union Locks and Nicholson Files.)
Yes, even at this long time delay, I stiull understand his stand the matters vis a vis the Singaram Pillai High School Affair when our family conceded control of the management of the school to the other family reperesented by Sri Pinagapani Pillai. Well I was hardly 9 or 10 then to todays 68.

He had his own circle of friends Mooppal Subramania Aiyer, Kaduganur Viswanatha Aiyer. His cousins Ramabadhran aka Badhru and Athmanatha Aiyer and of course Sri Kilapandal Ekamabaram Aiyer fondly called by everyone as Ammanji. In the Villivakkam circle he was always popular with Katpaadi Ramaswami Aiyer (father of K.R.Biksheswaran) and Mecheri Vedhapuri Aiyer and his brother Ramaswami Aiyer.

Neela Thatha had a very deep and loving attachment to his sisters Rajalakshmi aththai and Arcot Jayam aththai.
Well, to sum up, as the saying goes people of that great heart were a specoies apart from today's crowds and they are very much missed today amongst us.