Girija Madhavan, wife of former Ambassador late A. Madhavan and a resident of Yadavagiri in Mysuru, who occasionally writes articles to Star of Mysore (SOM), is currently in San Francisco, USA, with her son and family. After visiting Sonoma, where the vineyards are full of grapes soon to be pressed into wine, Girija, herself an…
By Girija Madhavan Childhood memories come in a burnished patina, retaining old flavours and excitement. My memories of Mysore city, the arterial Sayyaji Rao Road and Devaraja Market, date back to 1942 when I was four years old. They have remained familiar landmarks through the years, into the middle and now, old age. Sadly the…
By Girija Madhavan Breaking Bread together” is a phrase that from ancient times has been a symbol of amity and fellowship. In 1959, when I became an Indian Foreign Service wife at the age of twenty-one, I realised that hospitality, both proffered and enjoyed, would be a large part of my diplomatic life. Being sentimental,…
When a Brilliant Mathematician wed a Graceful Mysorean at a grand hotel in a stylish manner By Girija Madhavan While dining at the Hotel Metropole in Mysore recently, I watched as a festive table was being prepared for a party; bringing back a sheaf of memories of a wedding lunch there in 1952. At 14…
By Girija Madhavan A visit to the newly-widened Irwin Road in Mysore city, brought back in contrast, memories of the same road in 1965. Old landmarks, the Mosque, Temple, Post Office, Bank and Police Station are still there; but the old chaotic bustle has given way to modern sophistication. The road is named after Henry…
By Girija Madhavan Mysore has always been home to the arts; classical music, dance, painting, sculpture and more. Music was a prized accomplishment for girls in Karnataka. Lessons were started for quite young children. When at seventeen, I fell under the spell of music in 1955, it was considered a late start. But to my…
By Girija Madhavan Memories are like faded flower petals in a ‘Pot-pourri’ jar; once vibrant blooms, their colour now dimmed, their life over. Yet, when the jar is opened, a faint fragrance still wafts out. Old memories too come to fleeting life again when revived. Apart from my personal recollections of early childhood, I also…
LOOKING BACK…By Girija Madhavan Story-telling is a treasured bond, knitting the family together; familiarity and repetition being the key to success here. A friend’s grandson often asks her to tell him the Kannada story of Punyakoti, the cow that kept her word to the tiger and went back ready to be killed. Small children love…
By Girija Madhavan Diplomats, who witness a historical event with international ramifications in the country of posting, are very lucky. In 1989 my husband, A. Madhavan and I, saw the Fall of the Berlin Wall (9 November 1989), a potent symbol of the Cold War. The event changed relations between the States of Europe, their…
By Girija Madhavan Flowers, birds or animals are contemporary national emblems; the Royal Bengal Tiger is India’s representative animal. Indonesia honours the Komodo Dragon, the largest and fiercest lizard on earth [featured in a James Bond film, killing his armed adversary instead of Bond]. But some ancient symbols, like the Swastika, are an integral part…
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