These are memories of Sri Bezawada Seetharama Reddy about his childhood, family, relatives, marriages compiled together to keep them alive
Dr Vilasini:
In 1951-52 I was in the 1st year of B.Sc and I could not get accommodation in the college hostel and my parents left me in Reddy House under Yashodavvas care. Same time Hyma and Vilasini were studying in Evarts school and they were also under Yashodavvas care. They were the first twins in the family and Kistappa used to dress them up in identical dresses and they were very cute kids. Yashodavva who was our guardian angel and we were looked after like her own kids.
Very soon after Vilasini was married and within couple of years she became a Widow. She was still a teenager and Bezawada Gopala Reddy garu went out of the way and got her a seat in Medical college. After completing Medicine and serving the people of Chennai she went & joined the Ashram and did lot of service to the poor. My heartfelt condolences to the family.
Reddy house:
No comparison for Gudur house to Reddy house. Gudur house was confined to Varada tatas family whereas Reddy house was open house not only for our family members but also to many Nellore people. In fact many second hand car brokers used to crowd there in the morning's. Many taxi fellows at central stn knew Reddy house, the fixed fare was one rupee twenty five paisa.
Dodla Varada Reddy:
Since Varada tatas name came up in our discussions I started recalling those days.
I was hardly 8 yrs old when he died. I didnot know that I was his grand son until many years later.
He was kept at a high pedestal by the family. He used to sit on Darwaja arugu in the evenings surrounded by many admirers and Tala manushulu use to stand at a distance for a call.
Kids used come out of the school and who had an eye contact with him was shown his index finger and the kid would run to Rukkinavvas room who would promptly hand over a cigarette to be given to Tata. I was one of the regulars and I used to feel that my day was made.
One day there was a buzz and the talk was abuot a photo session of Tata. MANY CURIOUS kids were there to watch the proccedings. Some photografers came from Madras and Tata was dressed for the occasion and he was seated with his right elbow on a bundle of books. later I found that photo in all his progenies houses. Another day there was a big commotion in the house and the people were talking about serious deterioration of his health and he was to be taken to Nellore. Many anxious family Members gathered at Talavakita lncluding some of us kids. Just as Tata was being seated in the car Bhasker, tatas eldest sons eldest son sneezed. Every body looked daggers at him as if he committed a big crime. At that time Penna river was in spate and vehicles could not cross the river and the only way was on the railway brige. later I learnt that my father spoke to the collector got permission to take the car on the rail way brige.
Flying Officer Dodla Ranga Reddy:
Kotimreddy Sekhar mama was great storyteller in our family
Now I recall one of his stories.
Most of our people may be familiar with Reddy house in Madras. For every small medical needs and some special requirements our family members used to go to Madras and Reddy house used to be Full all the time and most of the men used to sleep on the terrace. One midnight when everyone was sleeping during war time suddenly they heard boots sound coming up the stairs. Since the doors closed nobody could enter the house and they were scared that it could be Ghost.
Suddenly there appeared pilot Rangamama who came to Madras airbase and he had few hours to himself and he didn't want miss the opportunity and visited the family in the dead of night. After couple of hours a jeep came and picked him up.
Tragically that was the last time any of our family members saw him.
Dodla Lakshmi Narayana (DLN):
Some reminisces of D.L.N.R.
IN 1941 MY MOTHER AND MY SIS SESHAPPA DELIVERED LEELA AND LAKHMINARANA FEW DAYS APART AT A.B.M HOSPITAL NELLORE.
AS A KID I USED TO SEE THEM LYING DOWN IN SIDE BY SIDE COTS IN BABEMAMAS ROOM IN OUR HOUSE.
Later peddabayya was sent to Bangalore for his schooling. When there was a group photo taken after the marriage of one of the brothers he was the only kid who was absent in thegroup photo of my father's progeny.
Much later in 1956 summer my brother Krishna and D.L.N came to Pilani to meet me when I just completed my post graduation in Birla scns college.
Later we all came back to New Delhi to my father's North Avenue MP's QUARTERS.
AFTER A FEW DAYS STAY THERE MY father SENT THE THREE OF us TO SRINAGAR FOR A HOLIDAY.
FROM DELHI WE WENT TO JAMMU BY TRAIN AND FROM THERE WE WENT TO SINAGAR BY A DAKOTA PLANE SINCE THERE WAS NO ROAD OR TRAIN CONNNECTION, MUCH LATER IN 60's BANNIHAL PASS CAME INTO USE.
THE RETURN FARE FOR EACH WAS 30 Rs. EACH PASSENGER ALONG WITH HIS LUUGAGE WAS WEIGHED BEFORE BOARDING.
IN SRINAgaR WE HAD VERY GOOD TIME GOING ROUND GULMARG, SONMARG,ANANTNAG, PEHALGAM ETC.
A FEW YEARS LATER WHEN I WAS WORKING IN VIzAG HE WAS MY GuEST FOR TWO YEARS WHEN HE DID HIS POST GRADUATION IN ANDHRA UNIVERSITY.
Dodla Janakappas:
Janakappas photo brought flood of memories of that time. Her marriage was a very big event and all the family members wanted to go to Penubally. All the jatkas and Onteddu bandlu were taken away for ladies and we many kids were left behind since going by open double bullock carts was infradig for reddygari pliiakayalu.Then Kodandamama who happened to be in Buchi got a brilliant idea. He enthused all the kids to take evening walk from Buchi to Penubally and all of us enthusiastically participated.
Marriage was grandly celebrated and highlight of the evening was a dance performance by one budding actress fromMadras.
Waheeda Rehman:
Since dance came into the narrative I recollected Parvatammas marriage in Girija talkies a couple of years later.
Kesatata arranged a budding actress by NAME Waheeda Rehman ,who just became famous with her dance song Rojulumarai.
It so happened I went from Madras to attend the marriage and a bus was arranged from Santapeta for the dance troop and I could travel in the bus.
There was awe that a fabulous sum of three hundred rupees was paid to the troop and it included their travel expenses.
