a precious photograph from the archives - from 21 March 1961 - of my mother, Indumati Muniswamy Naidu - before her marriage and change of name to Sharada Bhushan - as a member of the Faculty at Stella Maris College, Chennai - a junior lecturer for Telugu language (if I remember correctly). She is in the front row, third from right, in what was her favorite saree, a faint brown silk saree with a dark mustard border. This saree stayed with her for many many years and she did not hand it over to her daughter, Sarala Krishnamoorthy or daughter-in-law, Dr. Thulasi Bharat.
She had just completed her studies a couple of years earlier at Presidency College, with Dr. Lalitha Peters, her classmate, and joined Stella Maris as faculty. She hated getting married and journeying to Mumbai, but agreed only after being promised that she could study further, and could continue to work as a Teacher of Telugu language, which she did until her retirement.
an absolutely rare treasure of a photograph, received suddenly from someone who was shown the photograph quite accidentally. The BA Telugu (Hons) class of 1950-1953 at Presidency College, Madras, affiliated to the University of Madras. My mother, Indumati (later Mrs. Sharada Bhushan) is 2nd lady from right in the middle row, with Smt. Adilakshmi (mother of Santishree Dhulipudi) 2nd from right in the middle row, and with Smt. Lalitha Peters (4th from left in the middle row), who was former Professor of Telugu and Rector at Queen Marys College, Madras, for many years, with their classmates and faculty.
An absolute gem of a photograph, so crystal clear, and so perfectly preserved. My gratitude, with tons of millions of thanks to those unknown who preserved this photograph for so many years somewhere, someplace, somehow. I have immediately shared the photo with my mother's two sisters and am looking forward to hear from them if they recognise any of the others. The person in the front row, 3rd from left, is Prof. G. Narayana Reddy, who was later HoD Telugu at Sri Venkateswara University for many years and later became Vice Chancellor of that University. He presented me with the Roget’s Thesaurus and my sister received the book – ‘Word Power Made Easy’ – on receiving the news that he had become Vice Chancellor. He was with our family at Bombay on that day and was very happy.
My mother, Indumati, in this photo, if taken in 1953, would have been 23 years old and I am so moved by this photograph.
My mother, Indumati (Mrs. Sharada Bhushan) later went to work for a short while in the Telugu Department at Stella Maris College, Madras before shifting to Bombay and joining the AES High School and Junior College. She retired as the Principal of the institution.
Smt. Adilakshmi later went to Petersburg University in the then Soviet Union and set up the Telugu department and also authored a book on learning Telugu for Russians. She is respected by the faculty there and her students and their students consider her with tremendous adoration.
Smt. Lalitha Peters went to Queen Marys College, Madras as faculty for Telugu language and also became the Rector of the college. She later conspired with my mother in 1985 in identifying a doppelganger to them to be wed to me. Her student, Thulasi, is now a permanent reminder of their friendship to me, after we got married in 1986.
Dr. G. Narayana Reddy retired as Vice Chancellor, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati.
Sitting – front row – from left to right – 1. Maremalla Nageswararao, 3. Prof. G. Narayana Reddy, 4. Prof. Ayyappan Pillai (Principal and Professor of English), 5. Prof. B. L. N. Rao (?) (HoD, Telugu Department), 6. Mr. Sarma, 7. Prof. P. S. R. Apparao.
Standing – middle row – from left to right – q. Mr. Vakkallanka Lakshmipatirao, 2. Shri Veturi Anandamurthy, 3. Smt. Alamelu, 4. Prof. Lalita Peters, 5. Smt. Vimala, 6. Smt. Indumati (Mrs. Sharada Bhushan), 7. Smt. Adilakshmi, 8. Mr. Dhara Ramanatha Sastry
