Some memories of childhood

Though we are Telugu people, I was born and bought up in Madras now Chennai. My links with Andhra was only through annual visits to my maternal village viz. Vangipuram near Guntur. My memories of the days spent are ever green. If we give prior intimation to my uncle he used to come with his bullock cart to Prathipadu which place we used to reach by bus from Guntur. In summer days buses used to ply upto Vangipuram.

My uncle was the village Karanam and a big farmer. His was the only 'pucca; house in that village boasting of mosaic floor in fifties. There were no roads, no water supply, no toilets, no electricity but the place was heavenly fo me a city boy.

My maternal grandfather, a paralytic confined to bed used to teach us telugu poems from various satakams. Amongst the books I read there was a poetic composition speceially brought outto commomorate the accent of Queen Victoria to British Throne as Empress of all colonies.

Since everyone knows everyone else, I as an intruder introduce myself to everyone as the grandson of Sriramulu garu and second son of Seshamma garu. People were not impersonal.

Vangipuram boasted of two Temples - One Sivalayam, whose gopuram used to come into sight as we approached the village and another - Vallabharaya temple, a grand granite vaishnavite temple.

Later I used to visit the place occassionally to meet my uncle who was looking after our lands. The last visit was in 1977 when we sold off the lands.

Eversince, my dream is to visit once that small place which gave me so much happiness.

But i know that I will be in for disappointment. Known people are there no more. The place itself would have changed beyond recognition. There will not be anyone to enquire who I am. So the dilemma is whether to go and see the changes or keep my memories as they are.

ponder...