Grandpa, a hundred years, a hundred more to you!

My granpa Shamachar will be officially felicitated for living a hundred years! A function is being organized in Tirthahalli for the occasion. Anna and amma will go, Viji wants to go as well, along with several cousins from Bangalore. And an army of my relatives will come from Shimoga and thereabouts. Times like these make me wonder, why am I here and how I wish! Congratulations, bhaava, a hundred more to you !

For me, it started out with fear, awe and respect. He has been like the Godfather for so many. The best interaction I have had with him is when learning Sanskrit and mantras. In summer holidays, Tirthahalli was my adda. It was a lot of fun and pampering, the only strict regimen being bhaava's. He taught us sandhyavandane, mantras, slokas and lots of sanskrit. Admittedly, I was spoilt being the younger one, and was let off for the Purusha sukta and Sri sukta, although I sat and listened to my brother chant. Mostly in the morning, before eating anything. (although my aunts insisted on interrupting us and giving us coffee..).

It seems like another lifetime now..Nowadays when I talk or visit, he tries to talk in English (which is very good. I believe he was a Sanskrit teacher, although you can never say what all a man did in hundred years!), while I try hard to talk in pure Kannada. Questions range from what I eat, how much I earn, what kind of work do I do to get that kind of money, the beginnings of MTR in his time and most difficult of all, what is the difference between Viji's and my work. I have tried explaining this several times, mostly failing miserably. In the end, he shakes his head in wonder and says "whoever invented this computer should be given an award". He he.

My biggest thrill recently has been his approval when I visited India last. Amma had told him a while ago (with a lot of pride) that I had learnt the Vishnu Sahasranama by heart. Surprisingly, he remembered it when I was visiting, and asked me to chant.
Now, his hearing is weak, but his mind is sharp as ever. I think he knows it forwards and backwards. So, I sat down next to him and started. He must have corrected my pronunciation and tone a hundred times, just like before. And because I had to chant really loud now, a couple of my relatives heard us and came to enjoy the show (it's a laaarge house there, you will get lost in it). I got flustered midway and lost the flow, and pitifully took help from the book.

And in the end, he said "Good". In English.