Family Heritage & Traditions an QA session with Ishaan Krishnan Singapore (Part 1 of 3)

 Let's try answer this question to nextgen..................... (of course this is coming from Ishaan, son of Gomathi Krishnan (Sama's niece) 

Dear Mama, 

Thank you for your time and input to help me with this project. As part of this project, we are trying to understand the family heritage and personal experiences through key moments in history. I would be thankful if you could help provide your experiences and perspectives as responses to the following questions.

Where were you born?

What were your childhood days and living conditions like? 

What is one of the most memorable experiences during your childhood days?

Were there any festivals that were celebrated with great significance and joy?

What do you think is an important tradition in your family?

During World War Two, how was the situation in the country and how did your family manage to survive the hardship?

What was your occupation and how did you get into the field? 

How did you happen to come to Singapore?

Do you have any messages/ aspirations for the next generation?

How do you think the world has changed as compared to the past?

Do you think it is important for the younger generations to know about family culture/heritage?

Thank you.

Best regards,

Ishaan

Son of Gomathy

My response as shared to him as a word document, being archived here, for future reference. 

Note: Exception Question No. 6 concerning World War II all other questions were responded myself.  For WW II specific query, I had to refer to Internet besides recollecting some information from my own nostalgic memories, based on interactions during childhood with couple of elderly persons. 

1.   Where were you born?

 

I was born in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur District, a temple town located 275 kilometres or 170 miles (approximately) from Madras (presently known as Chennai), the capital of Tamil Nadu State.

 

2.   What were your childhood days and living conditions like? 

 

I come from a lower middle class family with familial routes based in and around of Kumbakonam.  Kumbakonam is a popular temple town in Tamil Nadu, where nearly 108 or so big to small temples you may find within the main town and nearly 1008 including surrounding villages in the vicinity of 15 square miles.

 

Besides historic temples – both Saivite and Vaishnavite theology – Kumbakonam is home for its ethnic brass vessels and household utensils, brass or bronze made Hindu spiritual deities which are popularly known as Panchaloga (five metals as a combination used in the making of their statues of deities).  These deities are normally used in all popular temples as ‘Urchchava Murthi’. 

 

With the socio-economic conditions at time of independence of India in 1947 and thereafter for almost several decades until 1991, we were having a mild to moderately poor but at a higher pedestal in terms of standard of living as compared to below poverty level one may find elsewhere.  

 

Average family income those days used to be Rs 3500 to 6000 max (in today’s terms, equivalent to S$ 70 to 120 approx).  I remember certain household food and other commodities and groceries prices used to be like this:

 

a)    One litre cow’s fresh milk used to sell at Rs. 1.20 all the way it went up gradually upto Rs. 6.00 in those days during my childhood (during 1970s, 80s).

b)    One litre kerosine used to sell at 35 paise and it gradually increased over the years upto Rs. 2.00 (during 1970s,80s).

c)    One litre petrol used to sell at Rs. 6-9 all the way upto Rs. 25 as my vivid memory goes

d)    One litre cooking oil (either Gingelly oil – Thil Thel in Hindi or Sesame Oil, or, Vegetable oil ) used to sell at Rs. 0.80, 0.90 and 1.20 and all the way it used to sell at Rs.3/- per litre once. 

e)    One USD used to quote Rs. 9/- with my vivid memory says I have seen how the petro dollar gradually increased over the years, so was Indian Rupee too.

f)     My father used to say one bag of rice (75 to 100 kilograms in weightage) used to sell at Re.1/- during his youthhood (say during WW II timezone), and also price of Gold used to be Re.1/- for a sovereign weight (8 gms). 

g)    All these prices of commodities I recall during 1970s, 1980s all the way upto 1991.

h)    Due to Globalization and Liberalization of Indian Economy in 1991, India’s fortunes in terms of economic development changed the landscape and enhanced the gross domestic income of families to sky fold I would say. So was inflation and recessionary trend in parallel where we are seeing 1 USD is selling approx.. Rs. 72/- today (S$ 54 or so).

 

Reason to quote historic pricing as above, is to signify the standard of living those days pre- and post-independent India where on an average, each family had children and siblings count ranging from 6-12, so the sole breadwinner of the family has to cater to his own siblings besides his own children.  With his meagre income, he/she the breadwinner managed to run the show with whatever income he brings in, to the household to meet all exigencies including medical expenses, for few, there would have been critical illnesses where certain families would have managed to seeking support from government in whatever way they can so as to sustain a decent living.

 

When it comes to family income contributing to GDP – Gross Domestic Product in pure economic terms, India’s growth was as such, it had to face multilateral competition among China, Europe, USA and of course, ASEAN nations too.

 

India’s main source of income those decades in the first 4-5 decades was Agriculture and allied ancillary trading or services industry.  Due to industrialization slowly picking up mid 1960s and 70s, India’s economic growth gained its momentum to where it is today contributing to world economy in a significant position.  India is now posed to be among the top 10 Nations in the World where you cannot think of Economics without India.

 

India being a consumer economy, it has gained and sustained its momentum over the decades, despite struggling to survive among stiff competition from ASEAN, China and other industrialized Nations.

3.   What is one of the most memorable experiences during your childhood days?

 

I did my entire schooling – primary, secondary and higher secondary levels in Kumbakonam only.  I also pursued my graduation while working at the same time, through distant learning. For obvious socio-political considerations, I wasn’t blessed to study in a proper regular university or college associated with any University. Yet, I managed to pursue my academic pursuits both Under Graduation and Post-Graduation while being Kumbakonam. 

 

My childhood has seen several Ups and DOWNs in terms of poor economic or financial shortcomings, yet, I used to study well giving focus on my academic pursuits.

 

Still, I used to spend time considerably in sports and street cricket and other popular street games among street mates and/or classmates. Cricket, Kabbadi, Marbles, Gilli Dhand used to be our popular outdoor games, and to some extent we also played certain indoor games like Carom, Business etc.

 

We used to visit temples where besides spiritual worshipping of deities, we used to walk around the large corridors of Hindu Shrines in and outside multiple rounds as there were two squares surrounding Praharas in each large temple.  Playing is forbidden in the interior square, but, we were allowed to play in the exterior square so we used to play cricket by and large. 

4.   Were there any festivals that were celebrated with great significance and joy?

 

Yes, In Indian context, there used to be lot of festivals in Hindu tradition more particularly, that were celebrated round the year, at all times. Each quarter of the year used to have its own significant set of festivals depending on weather and climatic condtiions, like, Spring (Apr-June), Autumn (Jul-Sep) Fall or Monsoon, Pre-Winter (Oct-Dec) and Post-Winter  (Jan-Mar). 

 

We used to have several festivals as such, viz.

 

a)    Adi Perukku – where all rivers would flow with full water stream so we used to enjoy taking bath and swim freely

 

b)    Villages used to have native events and celebrations worshipping nature according to their conventions and traditions invoking Goddess Durga and Maakali in various forms. 

 

c)    Then comes Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Vinayaka Chaturthi, Navarathri (9 nights invoking Goddess Durga, Lakshmi & Saraswathi), Deepavali (Diwali in North India), Skantha Sashti (Lord Muruga or Shanmugha), Margazhi full month invoking Lord Shiva and Vishnu reciting Thiruppavai and Thiruvembavai etc spiritual songs and poems scripted several millennium ago by knowledgeable scholars, Mahara Sankaranthi (Pongal festival), Thai Poosam and Maha Shivrathri, Sri Rama Navami among others.

 

d)    Other cultures and communities used to celebrate Easter, Christmas, Ramadan (Hari Raya Pusa) and Haj (Hari Raya Haji), Sri GuruNanak Jayanthi (Sikh Community), Budha Purnima (Visaga Day) among others.

 

e)    Each festival comes with its own specialized festive moments with worshipping each deity in its own way besides offering lot of spiritual songs and poems recitation and of course, each such celebration ends with offering sweets and snacks with full of regional flavour in each part of India – East/West/North/South. Sharing those sweets and snacks among family and friends, neighborhood has been the most enjoyable moments in our community always.

 

5.   What do you think is an important tradition in your family?

 

Being brought up in an orthodox social atmosphere with a minimal economic or financial outlook, our lifestyle has always been simple.  Following our Hindu sanatanic values, Vedic ethical values and spiritual practices, we used to live in a humble at the same time respectable lifestyle with a ‘Live and Let others Live’ attitude always. 

 

When it comes to tradition, we used to follow all spiritual and religious dictum as is carried on for ages over several generations together and we take pride in still following those customs and traditions, which by and large revolves around God Worship and believing in God, regardless our segment where it falls in or which school of thoughts we are taught to follow by our spiritual Gurus and elders.

 

Part 1 concluded. Part 2 & 3 continue in next post.