Jairam Naidu - my father's brother-in-law

Jairam Naidu, my father's brother-in-law, was an entirely larger than life personality. Jovial, genial, happy and excellent in living his life for the day. He never seemed to think about a tomorrow, and yet, managed a large family. Lived at Nanganallur, when I met up with him in 1978 and thereafter, and I enjoyed watching how his house grew from a thatch roof small house, to firmer designs. He had his sorrows and troubles, and I remember always that he never shared his problems with my father and my uncle, Shantaram Naidu, who loved him genuinely.

Money was hard to come by, in those days, and Jairam Naidu, treasured every effort of his. He traveled from Nanganallur through the city to Ennore Foundries, and was to be known by it. He found his second son-in-law, chronologically, the first - Chandramohan. Later, Balaji Naidu, my cousin, got Jairam Naidu's job at Ennore Foundries and has been working there ever since.

Jairam Naidu was son of Shanmughavalli and Alagiri Singhari Naidu. He had a sibling, Devaki Amma, who passed away at the young age of 18 years. Jairam Naidu married Pramila, daughter of Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam and Rambai.

Shanmughavalli and Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam were siblings, and children of Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu and Rukmini Devi, residents of Srivilliputtur. Shanmughavalli was married to and settled in Chennai.

Jairam Naidu at Ennore Foundries, Chennai

On the day of his retirement from Ennore Foundries

Adumala Vakulabharanam Naidu - a relative I did not know about...

Adumala Vakulabharanam Naidu was a relative that I did not know about at all, until today, ie 15 February 2013. He was spouse of Balamma, eldest child and daughter of Shri Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu, my paternal paternal great grandfather and Rukmini Devi, my paternal paternal great grandmother, residents of Srivilliputhur, south south Tamil Nadu during 1850 to 1920. Balamma was the elder sister of my paternal grand father, Shri Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam.

I did not know about Balamma's family, and never knew that she and her sister, Shanmughavalli, had married two cousin brothers, Adumala Vakulabharanam Naidu, and Adumala Alagari Singhari Naidu of Madras. Since the two sisters were married at Madras, the family moved out of Srivilliputhur to Madras. Later, my paternal grandfather was married to Rambai (aka Kodamma) of 12 Mannar Pillai Street, Trichy, sometime in 1915-1920.

Adumala Vakulabharanam Naidu was the son of the elder brother, while Adumala Alagari Singhari Naidu was the son of the younger brother.

Vakulabharanam - wow! what a name... made everything spin on its tip. There are variants. One could be - Vakalabharanam while the other variant could be Vakulabharanam.

Vakulabharanam is a classical Carnatic raga. This raga is the fourteenth Melakarta Raaga in the 72 Melakarta Raagas of Carnatic music. It is also sometimes called the Dhativasantabhairavi or the Vativasantabhairavi in Carnatic music.

The sudden mention of the name just blew me away, when I heard it from my paternal aunt, Pramila Jairam Naidu, who was spouse of Jairam Naidu, son of Algari Singhari Naidu.

The other variant - Vakalabharanam - that does not seem possible, is a surname that occurs rarely. Except, there is a twist in the story for this variant - The surname seems to occur only in the Srikakulam-to-Visakhapatnam area of north north Andhra Pradesh.

So you see... why the name takes my breath away... you have here, Shri Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu and Rukmini Devi, of south south Tamil Nadu, wanting to marry off their two daughters, Balamma and Shanmugavalli, and did they find a matrimonial alliance with male siblings in a family of Balija Naidus of Madras, except they may have been getting a genetic root mix up with a family that has ties in north north Andhra Pradesh. What a span! What a panorama! Amazing.