KRISHNA VATTAM writes from Mysore: My daughter-in-law Shantala was sobbing as she woke me up this morning.
“Mama, Gangavva is no more,” she said, and broke down.
The rest of the morning was not the same for me, too, a journalist long used to being woken up at odd hours by people anxious to have the news of the demise of their near and dear ones published in the early editions of newspapers; long used to hearing news of accidents and deaths.
“Gangavva is no more,” had had a telling effect, and it was far from impersonal.
Was it the magical spell of the music of Gangubai Hanagal that had made me to adulate her? No. She was Gangavva to an even unlettered vegetable vendor, who has no ear to any classical music, be it Hindustani or Carnatic, except to the cheap beats of Kannada songs.
When I was in Hubli three years ago, where my son was the correspondent of Deccan Herald and where Shantala was learning music from Gangubai , I was taken by them to the weekly shandy.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Gangubai, then all of 94, shopping there, with a vegetable vendor who clearly identified her beckoning her by name:
“Gangavva, yele southekaayi bandaithe avva (Gangavva, come, buy some tender cucumber).”
Or, was it her down-to-earth qualities, clad in simple Ilkal cotton sarees, that endeared her to one and all?
When my son had called on her in connection with a feature he was doing, it appears she casually asked about his parents. It was in 1999 when she was visiting Mysore to inaugurate the Dasara music festival she took my address from my son and honoured us with her visit to our small home. Shantala was also there on the occasion.
Gangubai Hanagal took my grandson, Shashank, in her arms. We were quite embarrassed and apologetic as the 10-month-old child urinated on her saree.
She was least disturbed.
“Bidi, nanu makalanna hadide doddoulu agilla (It’s all right. I have not grown up without giving birth to children).”
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Veteran journalist Krishna Vattam is the former Mysore correspondent of Deccan Herald
churumuri 
A touching personal tribute to an unparalelled maestro
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Congratulations to Churumuri for giving such wide coverage to our own musical doyen.
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Nice report sir. Wanted to know in which area this shandy was
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krishnavattan is a simple, but touching correspondent. He loves Mysore and kannadigas. When, slumdog kid was made hero, he publsihed an article, where one local boy had hit the hollywood english film. I have visited his house in chamundipuram, mysore and also seen his mother and talked to them. vattam is from bellary and a good friend of my father in law k sathyanarayana moorthi, who was a teacher in RBANMS. His daughter is a doordarshan news reader and one daughter must be 6 footer
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Very touching.
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I am very proud to be a part of Mr. Vattam’s family, & wish I had spent my childhood days learning from him. It’s these small incidences when reported, that one learns of India’s great talented personalities’s humbleness & their contributions in their respective fields. Pray that such talents are recognized in India, be it Music or in Journalism.
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Madhu rao: Thank you for your comments.
Raghava: My son had taken to shandy. i do not know the name of the area. It was a crowded one. Thank you for your comments.
Nagaraj: The world is small. Thanks to internet we have been able to reestablish our contacts. It is so kind of you to have made me to go down the memory lane and your reference to my mother and daughter onto your father made me feel excited. Where are you now? When you come to mysore please do drop in at my house. Regards, Krishna Vattam.
Srikanth Shenoy: Thank you so much for your comments.
Dear seenanna, it was so kind of you to have made such laudatory references. I feel very much humbled. regards, krishna vattam.
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