Thoughts of Pattabhi

Mallikarjuna Rao on the occassion of his 80th birthday has this to say about appa


I have just completed 80 years and at this juncture my thoughts go only to Pattabhi. He was meticulously noting dates of birth of all his close relations in his diary and greeting them on the occasion. On this occasion of mine he would have definitely joined us in the house at Bangalore and given us the pleasure of his company. Though there was no celebration in the house for obvious reasons, personally I miss his company. I always considered him as a role model who had all the noble and extraordinary qualities in him. Whether I would stand up to his stature in spite of my advanced age is a difficult question for me to answer. Though I have lost my parents at an early age and other near and dear ones in the family my grief was only short lived where as the agony that I am passing through within myself after Pattabhi’s death is indescribable though outwardly I may not appear tobe so. When such is the case with me, I can well feel the amount of grief and sorrow in sundari’s face whenever she thinks of him .Her grief increases all the more whenever she talks to Pattabhi’s wife Lakshmi at Secunderabad and at that time I realize the great bond Pattabhi has created in his sister. This is rarely found in modern families when people live for themselves.
With heavy heart I could only say that Pattabhi wanted to leave this world when all wanted him to be amidst them. While this may be so, he as a Teacher has not left behind a legacy who could equal him or atleast stand upto him for none can equal or stand upto him.

Dated K Mallikarjuna Rao

2/9/08 Bangalore 54