Mr. Balachandran, Gurudev’s sister Kanakam’s youngest son remembers Sri Kuttan Menon, Gurudev’s father.
Transcript of the interview
Balachandran: See Swamiji’s father was very much devoted to Kanakam’s children. One, she lost her mother… then he had a respect for my father being royal family… See, kind of thing which I remember is, he is a good player if I remember correct because we, I used to, whenever I stay with him, for two things I’ll wait – one, he’ll return from club, Ramavarma Club. He used to bring small balls, what do you call, tennis balls.
Swamini Kaivalyananda: Who, Gurudev’s father? Your grandfather?
Balachandran: Grandfather. Then another memory which I remember is whenever he, because at home we don’t eat bread and all that, but that has not been the culture because we were away from… when I grew up, we were away from what do you call, Trichur which is relatively a better place than Pazainoor, where my father had a sort of familial palace outhouse for living which is as good as old style construction and all that. There is a temple nearby… Pazainoor temple and all that, so whenever we come to Trichur one thing which I remember is that he has a – either in the evening or the morning I don’t remember – but he used to take bread with milk. So that was a, what do you call, like ice cream these days a great thing which you look forward to. So he used to give to the children first, whoever is around, and eventually he will, no… he will miss it out.
Ramchandran: Yes, yes, this glass, very big glass is there. In that one bread you know, he used to cut and put it. It will be soaked, then it will be given to us, I remember.
Balachandran: Another thing you know is see, since he doesn’t take otherwise… Cherriammu Amma was very particular to see that we are not anywhere near, because you know, otherwise he will give it to grandchildren, because there is no other grandchildren.
Swamini Kaivalyananda: Cherriammu Amma here is who?
Balachandran: Cherriammu Amma means second… Devaki Amma, because he is concerned about his health he must have come from, maybe it is in the evening after a hard play and all that so that may be the reason.
Swamini Kaivalyananda: So he would play tennis is it?
Balachandran: Or cards, I don’t know. But he used to invariably bring a… tennis ball. So I asked for it and he’ll bring it. We’ll stay here a week or ten days or like that only. So during these days he keeps us also a… (incomprehensible word). So this is I think, some of the, some of the memories about him.