BAPU SATYANARAYANA writes: He is an unknown , unsung Indian—one in a billion; just another in a billion.His name does not adorn any book of records. His face does not pop up on television. His comments do not appear in newspapers. Yet he is something to all of us: a father, a husband, a grandfather, chikkappa, doddappa, maava to those near and dear to him.
And today, March 17, he is something more to us.
My father—our father—‘Athana‘ Hassan Bapu Ramanna, is 105 years old today.
At an age when most of the people resign themselves to whatever “Fate” has in store for them, he continually teases and taunts and tantalises Fate with his extraordinary tenacity and zest for life.
Many, much younger than him, skip the good things in life; he on the other hand, craves and relishes good food. Many, much younger than him, depend on others to go about the daily parade called life; he, on the other hand, is proudly independent, moving about with the aid of a walker and shoos away anybody who tries to assist him.
He is not on any pills or medication, and his blood pressure has been steady for many decades, yes decades, at 120/80. Diabetes dare not touch him for he relishes sweets and it is only the limit that we impose upon him that stops him. He has a healthy appetite and is quick to point out if something is lacking.
He sits for hours in his usual spot on the sofa and dozes off for hours and is none the worse for this while lesser men would complain of backache. He goes to sleep at 10 every night and gets up early in the morning. After washing his face, with the customary 20 splashes to his eyes—that’s possibly what keeps his eyesight good while he lost his right eye at a young age—he goes for his morning prayer.
In his daily prayer, he asks God to keep all those close to him in good health, and then he makes a personal request to keep all his body parts in good shape naming each of them individually! Finally, he winds up saying Sarvejano Sukihino Bhavantu.
Then he is ready for the morning coffee and two biscuits.
When I give him the morning papers, he scans them and if impressed makes some cryptic remarks. He is a lover of cricket and tennis although, lately, the interest has waned. Even so, on Thursday night, after seeing Australia’s margin of victory in the World Cup, he touched his forehead and said ‘Rama Rama’.
Whenever somebody comes to call on us, he raises his hands in blessing. If they bow to him he is pleased, but even if some show reticence he remains unfazed, blessing them from a distance which makes them contrite.
His memory is still sharp and it only requires some egging on from us. All of us in the family marvel at his powers of recall. While many, much younger than him, are never tired of asking for sympathy for their lot, whenever anybody enquires about his health his answer invariably is that all vital organs are working well. That probably sums up his tenacity for living.
When I once asked him the secret of his life, he attributed it to an article entitled ‘Persistency of Youth’ which he read as a young boy. His mantra for life, he says, is contained in his three favourite beliefs—a zest for life, a rosy outlook, and will power.
It has not dimmed one bit even today at 105.
The other thing that has kept my father healthy is walking. It is the single most effective medicine that he has taken for a long time, and it is what has kept him healthy.
Somehow he never believed in trying to mix people with his own age and he would prefer the company of the young. When he was in his nineties, out of consideration that he should have company of his own, we would suggest that he should go to the nearby park where people aged in their seventies and eighties would be sitting, so that he could spend time with them. He would bristle at the suggestion and reply that he did not want to spend time with those old foggies!
The other facet of his personality is that he had an insatiable curiosity about everything. Even during his early nineties, he would scan through newspapers and underline important news whether it concerned state-of-the–art computers, surrogate motherhood, cloning, exploration of space, etc. His particular interest was news concerning health tips.
He has difficulty in hearing and complains that he cannot join in conversation when we discuss a host of topics in his presence. He wonders with such advances in science why they cannot find a remedy for his hearing. If any of our relatives was going to America, he would ask them to find a contraption that would aid his hearing; he has such belief in the scientific prowess of the West.
He has mixed with many renowned people of eminence in Kannada and was on familiar terms with them. Though he graduated as a law student and indeed practiced for a few months, he left the profession because he did not think highly of it and joined another service.
He was/is a lover of music, drama and had a facile pen both in Kannada and English. He set tune to many light songs and his favourite was English Geethegalu by B.M. Shri who was his pet teacher. His favourite raga was Athana and he was known with this prefix. Possibly we in our family we have inherited this musical tradition.
My younger sister H.R. Leelavathi is a renowned light music singer while my brother is very good at singing specially Rabindra Sangeeth. My mother was adept in playing on the harmonium and the tradition has been inherited by his grandchildren also.
He took active interest in politics, civic issues and writing to papers frequently and he had the habit of writing to all sort of high dignitaries like Prime Minister, President, Ministers and some of them used to respond to him.
Whenever he attended any meeting he would hold forth asking critical questions. In a way he emphasized that we must not feel shy and encouraged to participate.
Probably, the title of his letters to the editor, dating back to late 1950s, will give the measure of his interest: Telangana and Naxalbari, Neurosis of Power, Well done Mr Chagla, Paucity of thinking, Mysuru nagarada raste, charandigala dhusthithi, Namma prajasatthe matthu janatheya nemmadi.
The other day Abdul Rashid from All India Radio, Mysore, came to see me and said he had only a few minutes. When he saw my father and the Maharaja College group photograph containing the Who’s Who of Mysore, he promised to visit another day for a full session. He did turn up, for the temptation was too much and my father did not disappoint him.
I take this occasion to pray God for my father’s continued good health and opportunity to serve him. He may be a nobody, but for me, really, he is somebody whom I admire. And this trip down memory lane is my way of paying tribute to a life well lived.
Photo courtesy: Abdul Rashid
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Bapu, So December stud is your relative .
May god bless ‘athana’ with one more century !. Its heartning to see seniors like them become a centurion . You just look back at their past .Its like a History book by itself . A life so well lived.
Dear Bapu Satyanarayana,
How lucky you are that you have a father who has hit a century, to use the phraseology of cricket. That all his faculties are intact at this ripe age is something praise-worthy. I would rather say that your father is 105 years young! Long live your father HASSAN BAPU RAMANNA! May God bestow longevity and good health on this tower of vitality!
Dear Bapu,
Wonderful!…As I have seen a couple of times, he is a solid player always middling the ball and having a word or two of encouragement to those who come new to the crease.We would only wish him the 2011 World Cup here in the subcontinent…..
Wonderful to read indetail about your father Bapu. I used to hear about him from Mr Rangarajan. But detais about him and his interests, and his daily regime from you and sukumar is pleasing to read, feel proud that Mysore has such a person.
May he live long healthy and happy
Dear bapu, Wonderful!! to give this bit it is very rare to see the persons like him. I wiash more and more good health and life for dear thatha.
I also wish a happy and peaceful days till he leaves it sounds cruel that I am wishing this but unfortunately i have seen the miseries of my grandfather in his lost days. He was 98 when we lost him. Being gandhian he was also very active but sufferred a lot im his lost days being dependent others. I wish this thatha not to face the agony I once again apologise for this wish.
I whole heartedly wish a very happy living for the thatha once again
Bapu S,
It is wonderful news!
Best wishes to your father.
Namaskaragalu! We have known each other for a very very long time. Those days in the 40’s I would come to your house for the old Kannada news paper for my mother. I very well remember Athai, Krisnamurthy Mama, Sathya,Soma and Leela akka. Probably we were the only two family,s who had a radio and could listen to the cricket commentry and my father Ram would put a mike out side the house for all to listen.
Ramakrishna and I call on you when ever we come to Mysore.
I very well remember those old days.
We all from “Ayodhya” wish you a Healthy, Happy time.
Once again Our Namaskaragalu on your Birht day.
long live Bapuji
To all who have been gracious in their sentiment about my father I expres my deep appreciation. The object of writing was two fold, One of course, to pay my respects to him, second is what constitutes the prescription for a happy and long life so that others too can emulate. My special thanks to Suma for a practical wish and we also share that feeling.
Bapuji,
I have not seen your father, nor met you, but it is the ‘Life well lived’ which earns so much respect and love from all and sundry. Vision is the hidden bond that unites youth and oldage. Wisdom is the greatest gift of the human life cycle in its mature years.
Wisdom is what you are and not what you do! Let your father’s vision and wisdom enlighten your path for many more years to come.
Wishing him all the best, — Hemlata Moro.
Dear Bapu Sathyanarayana,
I am very happy to read about your father “Hassan Bapu Ramanna”. I am just feeling like meeting him in person.
I could come to know about your family through friend Mr.P M Vijendra Rao.
Right from my childhood, I am very happy to meet elderly people and seek their blessings.
I await my chance at the earliest to meet you all.
Sincerely,
Ramesh C N
rameshcn@samilabs.com
Dear Sir,
I stumbled upon your article only today – almost an year after the grand old person cited has actually passed away. After browsing through all the articles related to yours, I realised that have missed the opportunity of seeing Taata and taking his blessings, by an year. Thanks anyways for making us get a glimpse of a personality of a kind which our generation would never ever get to see.
By the way, in fact ran into your article in the process of googling for veene venkatagiriyappa.. the veena maestro from mysore. You have mentioned in your article that Taata used to enjoy his concerts. I happen to be a very distant descendant of sri venkatagiriyappa and I am trying my level best to find out about his family and direct descendants. Will you be able to help me in any way?
thanks in advance.