My Ammamma

 

My Ammamma… My Inspiration….

The untold story of my Grandmother Kuppachi Jaya Lakshmi…

Born in An Iyyer Family in the summer of 1932 at Thiruvayur on the banks of the river Cauvery (near Thanjavur), Tamilnadu, in the neighborhood of the famous singer Thyagararaju.

Her mother Meenakshi (D/o Parameswaran and Parvati) belongs to this place and was a Tamil Brahmin. Her father Kuppachi Narayanayya belongs to Tummagunta, Nellore district. Her father and mother settled in Nellore district after their marriage. Unfortunately she lost her mother when she was a small child. The only memory she remembers of her mom was that she had beautiful eyes (just like her name) and had long, lustrous ankle length hair which she used to bathe in Penna river, with the river mud. Her father never remarried after her mother's demise. He raised the three young children, my grandmother being the eldest of them. He sold away his agricultural lands and settled in Nellore town for the education of his children. Her pedananna was an orthodox brahmin and often helped in raising the kids as the elder member of the family. 

My ammamma remained a pampered kid of her father. Once in her student days, she gave away her gold chain as gift to her friend, because her friend said that she liked it 😊 That was the heights of her innocence, love and craziness.

Her father wanted to see her as a doctor and joined her in medical college in the then Madras. But my ammamma was so scared on seeing the dead body in the anatomy class, that she left the medicine course after a few months. Then she was enrolled into B.Sc. in Pachiyappas college in Madras and later went on to finish her B.Ed. degree. She immediately got posting as Government Teacher. When she was young, she lost her beloved brother Srinivas, which was a major set-back in her life, from which she could never recover throughout her life. Then onwards, my ammamma and her father remained extremely depressed and refrained from sweet-meats. She carefully saved the hand-written letters of her deceased brother, reminiscing the good old days, with tears welling up her eyes. 

Her brother’s friend Nidigallu Venkata Krishnaiah (famously known as N.V.K. "N. V. Krishnaiah - Wikipedia" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._V._Krishnaiah) used to visit the ailing family and they became close friends in due course of time. They later chose to get married and become couple. That’s when my ammamma Jaya Lakshmi and thathaiah N.V. Krishnaiah got married in 1959. That was an inter-caste marriage, as my thathaiah hails from a zamindar family of Yathaluru, Venkatagiri, from Adi Velama Naidu community and close associates to Venkatagiri Raja's family. Fearing elders’ anger, my grandmother didn’t meet her father immediately. When she met him after 6 months, her father broke into tears and hugged his beloved child. Then onwards, the family lived together again. Her father and sister Saroja (whose name also my ammamma selected when she was small) helped in a great way in bringing up the children of my ammamma – Aruna (my mom), Srinivas (Babu), Jyothi (Baby).  She lovingly named the only boy baby as Srinivas, her brother’s name.  

Except for short stints in Venkatagiri and Bitragunta on account of her job transfers, majority of her lifetime was spent with her family in a modest rented accommodation near Gandhi bomma area in Trunk Road, Nellore.  Her brief stay in Bitragunta, when the babies were small, brought them close to the family of Dr. Surath Raghavendra Rao (my mom's future in-laws), she being the teacher for my dad and his siblings.  

Ammamma's father used to make tasty dishes not only for the family but also for my ammamma’s colleagues and guests, used to narrate stories to all children and their friends. Her sister Saroja also pampered the kids a lot by dressing them up, buying things for them. When my mom was a 6 year old kid, my ammamma’s father passed away peacefully, the same day as he had foreseen a few days ago that he was going to leave this world soon.

Later her sister Saroja also got married and left for another town, where she worked as teacher with her new family. There she went on to become school principal and had four children.

My maternal grandfather N.V. Krishnaiah was a communist leader since his college days. He later went on to become M.L.A. from Siricilla, Karimnagar district. Owing to his public responsibilities, he hardly ever had time for family in his hay days. To the public, my grandfather may be God. But to me, my ammamma is! She single-handedly raised the three kids, being a working woman, in those days, which is no less than a spectacular feat!

My grandmother continues to inspire me every single day since my childhood.

The way she raised her kids, bearing the entire family burden on her shoulders requires tremendous applause!!

She had financial constraints, as she was the sole bread-winner for the family of three children in those days of meagre incomes.

She encountered difficult phases due to her husband’s political career, which came with its own tensions. She underwent phases of depression due to the loss of her brother and father.

But she had an illustrious and satisfying career, where she received humongous admiration from her students, as a Science Teacher. Her students - one of them being my father who is a doctor, still remembers his 10^th class ‘Heart’ lesson taught by her, which was etched in his memory.

She never changed her surname after marriage. She always remained as the beloved daughter to her father.

She is a true epitome of Feminism, the true power of Woman💪 But very docile and sensitive at heart… very motherly…

She speaks straight from heart… absolutely no filters…

Unpolluted, innocent yet intelligent…

She was friends with everyone… rickshaw puller, shop-wallahs in Nellore… Everyone came to her help… Her colleagues still remain in touch with her. Wherever she goes, her students continue to wish her “Teacher, nenu gurthu unnannaa meeku?”

She has a blissful life with grand children and great grand children.

Age is only a number physically. She remains a child at heart. She would love to have mid-night parties with coke, ice-cream🍨 and snacks with us. On record, I went to restaurants🍴 and movies 🎥 for the most number of times with my Ammamma. She loves to be happy. She still plays board games🎲 with her sister, grand children and great grand children. Vamana guntalu, Dhaayaalu, Chinese Checkers are some of her favourites. I love her zeal for life!

There’s something to learn from her… The strength and the hidden will-power beneath the sensitive human being… who battled COVID in this age and continues to lead a moral example for the younger generations..

A true example of generosity, who never bothered much about saving money, instead gave it generously to students and orphans who needed help…

She loves reading books and is always up-to-date with the current affairs. Proficient in English, Telugu and Tamil. She loves listening to music 🎶 Big fan of old Hindi classics. She is passionate about gardening, particularly rose plants🌹 Believer in Shirdi Sai Baba. 

An avid lover of coffee☕, ghee, cashew and pickles. She is a self-confessed foodie. She would always say, “Baagaa thini chachi povaali”. No wonder she is an excellent cook. I learnt many recipes from her. Varieties of Podi, Kandhi Pachadi, Pulusu, Bitter gourd pachadi, Sambar, Kurma, Rava Dosa are some of her signature dishes. Venkata Ramana Hotel in Nellore is her favourite hang-out spot. 

She is very adaptive to the changing days and that’s what keeps her young always, I feel.  She is very tolerant to different view points and cultures, a quality that I would always appreciate.

If anyone asks me the definition of love, I’ll show ‘My Ammamma’!

My Ammamma – to me, is the unsung hero, a true embodiment of love…

I love you Ammamma💓

The Story in Pictures

  

The Chiseled Beauty!

  

The Wedding Invitation Card

Photo of My Ammamma & Thathaiah

Another B&W Classic of the couple

 

The Wonder Woman with her 3 children

The Kuppachi Sisters

Then…

And now…

 

At her Favourite spot in home (Pic taken in 2019)

The Teacher who taught for many generations🙏

Her cherished life-time wish of visiting the house where she was born in Thiruvayur, near Thanjavur,  Tamilnadu (2015)

With her Mami & Mama (Mother's brother)

At pre-wedding event of Swetha (2009)

Maya Aunty 

(Daughter of My Ammamma's classmate & bestie - whose name is also the same - Jaya)

She is like a daughter to My Ammamma💕

On Sankranti in 2001

At Birthday party of Swetha & Me when we were in our teens (1998)

With her daughter and grand children on my 12^th Birthday Party (Year 1994)

On a trip to Araku valley - Vizag, 

with another favourite person of hers - Kiran (her sister's son)

The 4 Generations together (Year 2009)

Playing board games with great grand children (Year 2019)

Family trip to Shirdi – Ajanta – Ellora caves (Year 2016)

Shopping time (2015)

Enjoying a movie together (2016)

Selfie with Ammamma (2019)

Playing with her first great grand child Shriya

 

When her great grand son Shailesh was born

On My Mom’s Birthday in 2020

At the Building she helped to construct for the Orphan Children at Child Ashram (2016)

In the memory of my grand father

On Yearly Ceremony of her Father

Her determination and spirit to make a successful recovery from COVID (2020)

 

Enjoying in the greenery at Cubbon Park (2021)

 

Our Science Teacher at The Science Park & Planetarium (2021)

Birthday Party of her great grand daughter Shravya (2019)

Plucking Fresh Harvest on a trip to Mahabaleswar in 2019

Elders make the family picture wholesome and complete (2014)

 

My secret wish... To have... 

Coffee with Ammamma at Citrus Hotel, Bangalore (2021)

As a revenge for spoiling me 😈

by showing me the tastes in restaurant foods since childhood 😝

Me wearing Ammamma’s Saree. She just loves to share her wardrobe with me. (Ugadi 2019)

With My Ammamma – My Best Partner in crime💝 – be it movies, restaurants, traveling, chilling out…