Lifestyle - Kollimarlas’

 FAMILY LIFESTYLE- Part Three - Kollimarlas’

Blog Three.

My IN-LAWS go by the Family Sir-name of Kollimarla. Their predecessors hail from a small village going by that name, near to Ponnuru and Nidubrolu, in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India. I have not been there, but passed the way of Ponnuru several times.

Kollimarla Sambasiva Rao garu and Kollimarla Subhadramma garu are my in-laws. I have come to know them ever since their eldest daughter SATYAVATI was suggested for alliance. Our acquaintance and association began only with the alliance suggestion. It was mooted by my uncle Venuturmilli Subbarao garu. He knew them, Sambasiva Rao’s elder brother being the neighbor at Mayabazar,Bapatla. Thereafter, matters moved further with positivity and progressing towards our wedding in 1960. My in-laws had two more daughters going by the names of Parvata Vardhani and Rajyalakshmi, and a son Kollimarla Sri Ramachandra Murthy. After our marriage, naturally our closeness and understanding became apparent with mutual respect and affection. 

Sambasiva Rao garu graduated in science, taking the B.Sc degree from BHU, the Benares Hindu University. Thereafter, seem to have worked in Hyderabad for some time. Later took up position to work with the Cordite Factory, a Defense Establishment of the Government of India, located at Aravankadu, in Nilgiris District, Tamilnadu. He was a chemist manning the Nitroglycerin project and its production. The factory exists even now. He went up the ladder and retired from the same place. He was kind enough to show me the factory, taking prior approval for the visit. The factory required secure work conditions in place, many of the subsections and their working being risky and hazardous calling for very strict regulatory practices. 

My mother in law also was less talkative and reserved and not free with me, giving respect and taking respect. But was responsible looking after and running the show of the household requirements. Both the in-laws were MITABHAShi  and made for each other. Her Idli is her speciality making it as that three to four normal size as one single serving, and I still fall to understand as to the size served is exclusively to the son in law, and along with him to the other family members.

The impressions I gained on my first visit to the place and their house are green in my memory lane. By and large, Sambasiva Rao garu was a silent operator without any ado whatsoever. He was quite work oriented and sincere, going on time, overstaying whenever necessary. Had a good reputation at the place of work. He also maintained good relations with his staff and colleagues, both in and out of the factory. Used to stay with his family in the very first lane of the factory quarters, an independent house with some yard in the front and back. I should say, in general a silent man. A gentleman. Difficult to gauge. Less expressive from body language, presenting uniformity in all situations. The communications between him and me were more mutually need based and to the point. He carried a rare and uniform smile for everyone, a uniform and unique characteristic of him. Quite a balanced personality taking things by the stride and evolving solutions. He introduced Mr. Vinjeti KrishnaMurthy garu, his friend and neighbor, a social person, who used to give company to me and take me on long walks along the railroad track up to the next rail station to Coonur on the down side, and Kothagiri on the upward side to Ooty.

I might have visited my in-laws three or four times with my wife, thereafter. On one such visits, I had the opportunity to visit sightseeing places in and around including Wellington, Ooty, Coonur along with my wife and my brother in law. Myself and my wife also visited the Mettur Dam and saw plaque on the dam showing the name of Yellamraju Harinarayana garu my paternal grandpa’s brother who was the Chief Engineer of the project. We also visited on another day the Kundah Hydroelectric project site and the tea plantations. We also went to the highest point of Nilgiri Mountains at Doddabedda.

My father in law developed Emphysema due his continued exposure to chemical vapors of different chemicals over a prolonged period, developing cough and asthmatic symptoms even before he retired. On retirement, the in laws moved to Tenali. This shift only aggravated his health issues and went through hard times. Do not know the difference from the hills to the plains was a causative factor. Added to this, his second daughter with her irregular health issues was working on him and with an impact of helplessness. The said atmosphere pulled him down with deteriorating health leading to his demise. 

He however fulfilled his objectives and duties of performing his third daughter’s wedding. Her in laws also hail from a town near about Tenali. My co-brother comes from the Kopalle family, and he was known to me, both of us having met when we were on the lookout for job openings. But both of us got selected but didn’t opt to join. Thereafter, we again met in the Osmania University with aspirations of a Master’s degree and taking different paths in life, with myself choosing Research and Development, and he preferring teaching. Both of us settled at Hyderabad, exchanging and socializing, maintaining affinity and uniformly good relations.

My only brother in law was about seven or eight at the time our marriage entry to the Kollimarla family. His education was partly in the hills and partly in the plains. He acquitted himself with the Bachelor and Masters preferring commerce subject. He took teaching and continued to become the Principal of a local college at Hyderabad. He was one with ourselves and with our larger family too, having the best of appreciation, amicability and understanding; maintaining mutually healthy and helpful attitude, and continuing to date.

I also like to acknowledge the best of relationships we had with the larger family of Kollimarlas’ inclusive of our in laws brothers and their children, all of them continuing the contacts and meeting as required on occasions.

Myself and my wife continue the good relationship with our co-brothers family members, as well as with the members of the brother in law. We having performed the marriage of our brother in law, and the long and constructive association from then on, the bonding has always been noteworthy. We both deem it as our fortune, witnessing cohesive ness continuing and spreading to their next generation, and feel fulfilled expressing or thankfulness to the Creator.

Life is a two way street with mutuality, and happy are those who observe to maintain the cordial relations.

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I have received some feedback on the write up. 

Anu Kondepudi, K Ramu, and Rajam responded.

K Ramu: Thank you for the excellent write up.

Rajam: Very nice. Feel like reading again and again. My parents special is also Mysoorpak, Beerakaya Bajji, Kandi Pachadi, Thotakura Pulusu and Bendakaya Pulusu.

Anu: Suggested to write more info.

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I have the pleasure of not only scripting the feedback, but also adding a few more lines.

My wife and myself and our children Aparna, Anupama Arun feel indebted to my in laws. 

My wife knitted herself with the Yellamrajus’ in all possible ways. I never felt the need of her getting employed to run our family. This however, left her desire unfulfilled. This desire made her learn Telugu language, and privately study to complete PUC and aim to reach the goal of graduation in arts, a no mean achievement as a family person with the responsibilities of an eldest daughter in law of a large joint family.

Her sister Vardhini graduated in Hindi and was quite proficient. By and large her health was bumpy. All the same, she worked as a teacher for some time. She used to be with us every now and then. These visits bonded her with our children. She received the best of affection and attention on her visits, and especially when she was unwell. Service to her was considered as a priority and doing our best, and especially by my wife devoting time and energy to bestow comfort to Vardhini  doing her best.

Rajam alias Rajyalakshmi was hardworking from day one of joining the Kopalle family. She worked as a teacher taking pride in her work and abilities. Earned a good name as an able teacher, and her students love her to this day. She also wrote a book on maths that became popular. She is a simpleton completely believing in herself and her endeavors. Her eldest daughter Sridevi kept the mother’s tradition becoming a teacher, and her two sons are well mannered and down to earth settling as software professionals in U.S. after earning their masters. Rajam’s second daughter Srilakshmi and her husband Sreenivas are well settled in life with long service as computer professionals, and their two children Aadi and Eshan are also well educated and understanding, the first already working on software side, while the second completing the masters soon. Rajam’s only son also a computer professional in Hyderabad and taking care of the parents on their retirement.

K Ramu’s children Bhavana and Bhargav have also come up in life earning Masters and employed in U.S. gaining good professional experience.

Acknowledge Anu for this inclusion, and hopeful appreciation.

Sambasiva Rao / Subhadra gaari grandchildren and great grandchildren andaru Bhuddimantulu.