Narayanaswamy Naidu, Chinna Thayamma and some friends who made good in Trichy during 1905 to 1940

One contemporary friend or acquaintance of my paternal maternal great grandfather, Shri Narayanaswamy Naidu and my paternal maternal great grandmother, Chinna Thayamma, residents of 12 Mannar Pillai Street, Trichy during 1900 to 1950 at least, or perhaps 1960, was that they had some friends whose names are remembered by relatives to this date. My father, Balapila Naga Bhushan, used to speak of a well known sweetmeat merchant in Trichy, who began in Palakarai area around 1905 and later, (1908, it seems, as I found out from the net) and established a successful business. This was Shri B. Govindarajulu Naidu. My paternal grandfather, Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam, was born in Srivilliputhur in 1899, and was sent up to live in Chennai with his sisters, Balamma and Shanmughavalli sometime in 1910.

Shri Narayanaswamy Naidu and Chinna Thayamma were acquainted with Shri B. Govindarajulu Naidu, and my father remembers my grandfather speaking about him after he moved to Trichy upon marriage with Rambai, and resettled in the town.

I read from the internet pages from the well doing sweetmeat shop - BG NAIDU SWEETS - that the brand name is doing well and is a household name in Trichy and Pudukkottai districts. Began in 1908 by Hon. Shri B. Govindarajulu Naidu, the shop chain is a successful business firm now. Shri Govindarajulu Naidu came from a small hamlet, Iluppur, between Pudukottai and Viralimalai. He was followed by his son, Hon. Shri B. G. Bakthavatchalam. I remember my father speaking about Shri Bakthavatchalam on occasion, in reference to Trichy. They have dairy farms at Keelamullaikudi village, Trichy and a centralized industrial kitchen at Sangliandapuram, Trichy. Shri B. G. Bakthavatchalam and Smt. B. Santha Bakthavatchalam have been followed by his four sons - Mr. G. B. Balaji, Mr. B. Badrinath, Mr. B. Kedarnath and Mr. B. Amarnath. [From the information in their website - I was intrigued by the choice of names - Venkateswara and Shiva... remarkable and terrific. Much like Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam's choice of Krishna and Ram for his sons.]

Solanur, Taranoor and Manikund - place names for Thayamma's activities

In a different blog post in this blog - titled - Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam's Family - I have posted the following information -

Narayanaswamy Naidu and Thayamma (second wife) - mother of all eight children - stayed at 12 Mannar Pillai Street, Tiruchirapalli. had property at Taranoor and Manikund near Tiruchi. Main income was probably from rental properties. First wife - deceased. Thayamma was reported to be a trusting and generous person. It is said that the lawyer who used to fight their legal battles on their properties became so rich that he purchased their horse carriage (victoria) that belonged to Narayanaswamy Naidu. They handed over different properties to each of their children while they continued to stay at 12 Mannar Pillai Street.

and, 

My paternal maternal great grandmother, Chinna Thayamma, as she was called (for, the first wife was also named Thayamma, and she was usually referred to as Pedda Thayamma), would go to Solanur, to take care of the cultivation and agricultural plots. She would usually go accompanied by Rangarajulu Naidu or Govindaswamy Naidu.

I have been trying to locate the places - Solanur, Taranoor and Manikund. Without success.

My paternal aunt, Pramila Jairam Naidu, informed me that Manikund is a place name for a location within the city limits of Tiruchirapalli, proximate to Mannar Pillai Street, and her grand mother, Thayamma, had properties in the area. It was about a "furlong from 12 Mannar Pillai Street". It was near "Gandhi Market". There was also a temple to Krishna that she referred to as "Krishnan-Kovil".

Mannar Pillai Street and Gandhi Market, Tiruchirapalli

They lived in a house given to them by Thayamma. My grandfather, Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam, and grandmother, Rambai, lived in this house with their children. This was until Rambai's brother, Govindaswamy Naidu, got angry with the arrangement and wanted the house for his own, and asked them to vacate it. This caused a permanent rift between Rambai and her brothers, and she determined that she would not return to them. And, I guess, she never did.

Taranoor could also be a location within Tiruchirapalli of 1900 to 1950.

Solanur is supposed to be an agrarian hamlet, "more than five miles" from Trichy. This seems to be appropriate with Sathanur, along the Cauvery River, towards Thanjavur. I could be wrong. It seems she would cultivate paddy in  this region, when my paternal aunt, Pramila Jairam Naidu was 11 years old.

If anyone can help me with these place names, please post as comments to this blog post or send me an email at bharatbhushan@yahoo.com 

Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam's family [my paternal grandfather]

Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu - spouse - Rukmini Devi, Residents at Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu
[My paternal paternal great grandfather and great grandmother]
Children: Balamma (f), Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam (m), Shanmughavalli (f)

Balamma - spouse - Vakalabharanam Naidu 
Residents of Mambalam in Madras. Vakalabharanam Naidu - resident and native of Madras.
Children: 1 son. Known usually as ACK Naidu - was Head Typist at the Railway Office in Madras. 
Name = Adumala Chinna Krishna Naidu. Adumala = House Name of Vakalabharanam Naidu.

Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam - spouse - Rambai / Kodai / Kodamma
Children: Balapila Naga Bhushan, Pramila Jairam Naidu, Shantaram Naidu
(House Name was probably - Balapilavar)

Shanmughavalli, Resident at Triplicane, Chennai (Madras) - spouse - Alagiri Singhari Naidu 
Children: Devaki Amma (f) [passed away at 18 years of age] - Jairam Naidu - spouse - Pramila Jairam Naidu

Note = Vakalabharanam Naidu's father was elder brother of Alagari Singhari Naidu's father. The two cousins married the two sisters - Balamma and Shanmughavalli. Their house name was = Adumala. Could also be pronounced as Yedumala, but perhaps it was Adumala - because ACK Naidu was never known as YCK Naidu.


Narayanaswamy Naidu - spouse - Thayamma, Residents at Srirangam / Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
[My paternal maternal great grandfather and great grandmother]
Children: Alamelu (f), Nagamma (f), Radhamma (f), Rambai (Kodai - Kodamma) (f), Laxmibai (Laxmamma) (f), Govindaswamy Naidu (m), Rangaramanujula Naidu (m) - aka Naamala Naidu aka Rangarajulu Naidu, Narayanaswamy Naidu (m)

Narayanaswamy Naidu and Thayamma (second wife) - mother of all eight children - stayed at 12 Mannar Pillai Street, Tiruchirapalli. had property at Taranoor and Manikund near Tiruchi. Main income was probably from rental properties. First wife - deceased. Thayamma was reported to be a trusting and generous person. It is said that the lawyer who used to fight their legal battles on their properties became so rich that he purchased their horse carriage (victoria) that belonged to Narayanaswamy Naidu. They handed over different properties to each of their children while they continued to stay at 12 Mannar Pillai Street. 

Narayanaswamy Naidu had an unfortunate passing to the higher temple. He was accompanying the sacred chariot of Ranganathaswamy, the deity of Srirangam, through the town, and was smashing coconuts with his bare hands. A coconut chip pierced his hand, poisoned it, and the hand had to be sliced off. Later, the poison spread within and he passed away. At that time, Rambai and Laxmibai were 3 years old while Chinna Thayamma was only 25-26 years old.  

My paternal maternal great grandmother, Chinna Thayamma, as she was called (for, the first wife was also named Thayamma, and she was usually referred to as Pedda Thayamma), would go to Solanur, to take care of the cultivation and agricultural plots. She would usually go accompanied by Rangarajulu Naidu or Govindaswamy Naidu. 

Chinna Thayamma was adventurous, and she traveled around in India. She came up to Ooty and Nashik on tour and pilgrimage, with a group of friends and returned after visiting several places. She passed on to the higher temple when she was 60 years old, and a grandmother through all her children. 

(1) Alamelu - married Kodandarama Naidu. 
Son: Doranna

(2) Nagamma - married Subbaiah Naidu.

(3) Radhamma - married Chinnaraju aka Chinnaiah Naidu.

Daughter: Susheela

(4) Rambai - Kodai - Kodamma married Shyama Ranga Bhashyam Naidu
Her house address was - 
Shyamala Rambai (Kodai) Naidu, 12, Mannar Pillai Street, Tiruchirapalli 
[Opp. Gandhi Market, Mamkonda, Subramaniam Temple]

(5) Laxmibai aka Laxmamma - married Chinnaswamy Naidu aka VPC (?). Settled in Hyderabad.

Children: Sarojini, Shanta, Vasanta, Lalita and Sucharita

It is said that Laxmamma looked like her mother, Thayamma, who was exceedingly beautiful. 

Sucharita, Shanta, Vasantha and Lalitha

Four of Laxmamma's daughters. Priceless photograph.

With acknowledgement to my sister, Anita Pushpala - Anu.

Laxmibai was also known as - Laxmi Vadi. Her daughter, Sucharita (born February 28, 1939 in Tiruchirapalli, passed on to the higher temple on 11 February, 2013 at Zionsville, USA) married Subbarayulu Naidu and was known as Sucharita Kakanur Naidu. Sucharita's children - Biswajeet Naidu and Anita (Anu). 

Santha Devi, daughter of Shri Vadi P. Chinnaswamy Naidu and 

Laxmi Vadi (nee Laxmibai, twin sister of my paternal 

grandmother, Rambai) and her husband, 

Capt. G. D. Krishnan, IAMC. This is a 

commemorative photograph about their wedding, 

published in the local newspaper, The Hindu, in the 

Madras edition of those times. This photograph was in the 

collection of my paternal aunt, Pramila Jairam Naidu, 

my father's younger sister and daughtr of Rambai.

(6) Govindaswamy Naidu - 

Shaved his head bald, washed his own clothes, walked with an alsatian and rajapalayam hound, and tiger cub to the river, daily for his bath. 

Son: Vasu

(7) Rangaramanujula Naidu aka Naamala Naidu aka Rangarajulu Naidu - settled inside the Srirangam Temple Area, near Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu.
Children: Alavandar Naidu (m), Kannan aka Kannaiya (m), Suguna (f)  

Alavandar Naidu - married Susheela, daughter of Radhamma. Settled outside the precincts of the Srirangam Temple. Visited him in 1987, and he had visited us in Wadala, Mumbai on some occasions. Radhamma passed way. Alavandar Naidu remarried. One son. I have met him when he was in Primary School. 

Kannan aka Kannaiya - continued to stay inside the Srirangam Temple area. I visited his house and met the family and his daughter, with my parents in 1987. 

(8) Narayanaswamy Naidu. Good singer, diamond merchant.
Son: Gopal - good carnatic singer. [died in slipping down from a bus.]