A prized childhood

From the albums

This photograph was taken in 1969 at our house in Chamarajpet when my cousins from outside the city were visiting us during the summer vacations. I was 14-years-old then and whenever I see the old pictures, memories of those wonderful days come rushing to my mind.

  

We had the most memorable childhood in Chamarajpet. Our house was one among 17 houses located in a compound owned by Sri Raghavendraswamy Mutt. In a lighter vein, I would always say that it is a compound because it had a ‘mixture’ of 17 families and lots of chemistry between each of them! We had enough space for outdoor games and would indulge in kabaddi, cricket, ‘lagori’, ‘buguri’, ‘chinni dandu’ and ‘kunte bille’ with our friends and cousins.

Our day would start with friends calling out each other for a game. We had a strong brothers and cousins representation in every match. Summers would see a number of cricket matches being played at the Fort High School grounds and National High School grounds. Since I was good at cricket, my father got me enrolled in the Headquarters Cricket Club. We used to practise at Scout Headquarters grounds where Sanjay Theatre was located; presently KIMS occupies the place. We also participated in cricket matches in local tournaments on a yearly basis.

We would even go on cycle trips to places like Ramohalli, Hesaraghatta. Mostly, it would be on mud roads with greenery all around. Well water, sugarcane juice and Goa fruits would add to our enjoyment. It used to be very tiring but the thrill would always outweigh it all. Our cousins’ gang would indulge in trekking expeditions to the outskirts of Bengaluru like Vasanthapura, Kanakapura Road and Mysore Road. We would always end up near a water body after a few kilometres of a hard trek and relax. That used to be the biggest joy in those days.

We had a very healthy upbringing. My father, who was working for a British company, would leave for office very early, making sure that we woke up early too, and make us do some exercises including ‘pranayama’. This was a valuable training for us early in life. Our primary and high school education was at Model School, St Joseph’s College, National School and Bangalore HS.

We also went for a Himalayan trek in 1985. Guided by my cousin Ramesh Muddaraj and wonderful friends like Arun Govekar and Sudhakar Nayak, we went on an expedition to Khouli Pass in Himachal Pradesh. Scaling 13,000 ft was not as difficult as parting ways with the team members after 11 days of the fun-filled trek. I remember an incident during the trek when a snake fell from a tree in front of me while walking on a narrow mountain trail. Luckily, we didn’t panic and the snake moved away. These memories will last forever.

     A mention must be made of the fact that in those days, a very small excuse was enough for us to come out of the house and go to the play area unlike today’s children. We thoroughly enjoyed doing that. Perhaps the pure air we inhaled, the sunshine we absorbed and the outdoor games we played during those years has kept us all going till today.

When I look back, I see how quickly the time has flown by. I joined the State Bank of Mysore (SBM), worked in various places like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and in small places of Karnataka like Mudigere, Kunigal and Turuvekere for 38 years in various ranks. I have now retired as the senior manager of SBM.

Along with my family, I have undergone many hardships and have also celebrated many happy moments. During those difficult days, we brothers would always remember our parents as they had managed our upbringing despite all hardships. This gave us a lot of strength. Now we are all happily settled in various places. I reside in Hanumanthanagar with my wife Kusuma and daughter Disha. The memories of those golden days are indelible indeed.

Ramaprasad Muddaraj
(The author can be contacted on [e-mail])