---------- Forwarded message --------- From: N Sekar <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Dec 17, 2025, 12:34 PM Subject: Fwd - Another version of Chembur Mama To: Kerala Iyer <[email protected]>, Narayanaswamy Sekar < [email protected]>, Suryanarayana Ambadipudi <[email protected]>, Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]>, Chittanandam V. R. < [email protected]>, Mathangi K. Kumar <[email protected]>, Mani APS <[email protected]>, Rama (Iyer 123 Group) <[email protected]>, Srinivasan Sridharan <[email protected]>, Surendra Varma < [email protected]>
*The Chembur Mama* If you happen to see a grey-haired or bald man above 70 years of age in the Central Avenue area of Chembur, Mumbai, between Diamaond Garden and Chembur Rly. Station wearing the “Veshti” (a drum shaped white dhoti), a loose fitting T Shirt with a US institution/company monogram and with a cloth bag in his hand, you are meeting the typical Chembur Mama. The cotton bag is a recent adornment ever since A.P. Mani Stores started charging extra for plastic carry bags. Mostly hailing from Paalakkaad in Kerala, he has lived in Mumbai for well over 50 years, first in Matunga as a bachelor and patron of South Indian Concerns ( popularly called The Concerns). After an arranged marriage with a “young woman well trained in household chores” (now Mami), he moved to his own flat of 600 sq ft, the 1-BHK bought for Rs, 80000 with a loan of Rs 40000 in a four storeyed building in the then developing Chembur. Today he is a senior citizen, retired from work and spending time with his children, grandchildren, relatives & friends. In spite of his living in Mumbai for over 5 decades, he has not picked up a word of Marathi. He is none the worse for it though as his regular business deals with Chembur vegetable shops, grocers and occasional jeweller all take place in Talayalam (Tamil spoken in a Malayalam intonation and accent). Even his asking for “kai vaccha banian” (banian with sleeves) has been understood by the hosiery shopkeeper. When he first arrived in Mumbai in early fifties with his Matriculation certificate and 45/120 words speed in typing/shorthand (Pitmans), he was grabbed by the private companies owned by Gujaratis and some British Companies with offers of jobs as a typist/steno to the big boss. He later got a choice as a junior manager either in Sales because of his fluent English or in Accounts because of his numeracy skills. The salary was modest and he saved enough to send home to his parents a money-order every month. He recollects those sunny days, “Eight annas got you a breakfast of 2 idlis, one vada, one dosa with unlimited sambhar and fresh coconut chutney and a steaming cup of coffee in Rama Nayak's while a book of monthly meals' coupons was just Rs 22. Transport to and fro offices in South Mumbai were in the Local suburban trains costing as little as 2 annas. The children were born as he and Mami were careful to limit their number just to two or three keeping in mind the limited space in their home. Now the children have grown: the elder son is a BA or CA, married and has moved over to his own flat in the adjoining Ghatkopar/Deonar. The only daughter is married and lives in Philadelphia with her husband. The younger son is an IIT/IIM product and works as a Professor in Northwestern University or some such. Though the elder son asked the parents to move to his abode, Mami secretly told Mama that the offer is not without strings as they would be made to baby-sit their grandson. She had had enough of grooming children and now wants to live without any such responsibility. She wanted to be the queen of all she surveys which is not possible living with mattu- ponnu (daughter-in-law). Mama, true to his wont all through his married and working life of never saying “NO” to the boss, quietly agreed. Neither of them wanted to be socially uprooted. Mama’s Housing Society is now under redevelopment and he is expecting to move to his new 1.5 f.s.i. flat soon. They now divide their time between Chembur (temporarily rented flat), Ghatkopar and the USA. Mama, like most of his contemporaries, is a simple man with clean habits. Long ago soon after his first job he was tempted to smoke once, choked and resolved never to smoke again. Drinking was considered a sin and even as a marketing man he entertained the clients but he himself sipped only soda with two ounces of coca cola for the visual effect. The question of non-veg doesn't arise. He has not missed performing Sandhyavandanam even for a day. After retirement he has joined the Veda Classes to learn to recite the Rudram, the Chamakam and the Suktams. He performs all the rituals like Amavasiya Tharpanam, Mahalaya Paksham rituals and of course the two annual Shraaddham “ceremonies” for his departed parents. He visits the Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Cheda Nagar occasionally on festival days like Thai Poosam, Skanda Shasti etc. but the visit to Sri Ramar Kovil every day is a must as it gives him the much needed daily walk of about a mile or two, which he says is good for both his “body and soul”. He is a member of the famous.... The Fine Arts Society and attends, with Mami in consort, all its music programmes, dramas and dance recitals and thus makes up the average age of the audience as something 55+. On these occasions the 8.00 clock dinner at home is missed because of the medhu vada, uppuma, Kara baath eaten at the Society canteen during the “Thani Avarthanam” by the percussionists. (solo performance by the accompanying artists for about 15-20 minutes) Family crisis arise occasionally like when a year ago his Professor son in USA announced his decision to marry his co-professor, an American of Chinese origin. After some initial unpleasantness and after many consultations and clarifications with his daughter, son-in-law & horoscope astrologer he reluctantly consented. As he told his wife “it is wise to accept a foreign mattuponnu (daughter in law), rather than losing the son”. They attended the wedding and Mama is not tired of telling everyone back home how the foreign mattuponnu took care of his amavasya tharpanam and the night “palaharam” ( light meal mostly of fruits / tiffin) during the few days they stayed in USA. after the wedding. All said & done, the Chembur Mama is the embodiment of peace within and without notwithstanding the news reports of the Times of India (a one hour morning ritual with Kaapi) and the TV News, at 9 pm. 🙏🙏🙏 Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&c=US_Acquisition_YMktg_315_SearchOrgConquer_EmailSignature&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=US_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100002039&af_sub5=C01_Email_Static_&af_ios_store_cpp=0c38e4b0-a27e-40f9-a211-f4e2de32ab91&af_android_url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yahoo.mobile.client.android.mail&listing=search_organize_conquer> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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