Mysore :
When families split over trivial issues, here is a family of five brothers and five sisters and their children and grandchildren, living with love and affection.
Gowris of Mysore city, known more through the evening English newspaper ‘Samachar’, edited by one of the brothers, G. Satyanarayana, who have a rich past, assembled last Sunday at Hotel Dasaprakash Paradise in Yadavagiri to felicitate two brothers and a sister, who have crossed 70.
The get-together of over 20 members of the Gowri family was marked with homely and happy atmosphere throughout. The extended family of all the five brothers and five sisters are spread over Mysore, Bangalore, Chennai, US, New Zealand and Australia.
The get-together was arranged chiefly to felicitate G. Ramakrishna, former Director of Tourism, Government of India, now settled in Los Angeles (US), who is on a month-long visit to India, on his 80th birthday. Along with him his next brother G. Satyanarayana (Gowri Satya), former Editor of ‘Samachar’, and his immediate sister, G. Padmavathi, wife of late Gurumurthy, Librarian, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi, were also felicitated. A host of their relatives and close common friends were present.
Candle was lit, cake was cut, the couples exchanged garlands and offered a piece of cake to each other and they were felicitated with Petas (turbans), shawls, fruits and flowers, as per Mysore tradition while their friends recalled their association with them during their felicitation speeches.
Popular All India Radio (AIR) Kannada news reader of yesteryears M. Ranga Rao felicitated Ramakrishna with a Mysore Peta and shawl, while Star of Mysore and Mysooru Mithra Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy honoured Satya with shawl and educationist Sreepada Rao with turban. R.V. Lalithamba honoured Padma with a shawl, flowers and fruits.
Speaking on the occasion, Ganapathy recalled his close association with the brothers and their journalistic career and expressed happiness over the camaraderie at the get-together. He recalled the cordial relations they had in their journalistic career.
During the brief and informal speeches, Ranga Rao recalled his association with Ramakrishna, when both were working in New Delhi.
Andolana Editor Rajashekara Koti was nostalgic of his friendship with Satya and recalled the contribution of the brothers, and in particular their father late G.L. Swamy, for development of tourism and journalism in Mysore. Though Mysore had several attractions to offer, he deplored that the Government was doing very little for development of tourism, despite repeated demands.
NIE-IT Vice-President M. Sreepada Rao, Consumer activist Dr. S.P. Thirumala Rao and Col. (retd.) Dr. Anand also spoke felicitating the Gowri family members.
Ramakrishna recalled his days in the Department of Tourism in India and thanked all for the felicitations.
NIE Principal Dr. G.L. Shekar, who was chiefly responsible for organising the function, said how the Gowri family, whose strength had grown to about 100 members, is well-knit and maintained cordial relations.
The other first generation Gowri family members are G. Subbanarasimha, Gowri Sunder, Swamini Varadachaitanya (formerly G.L. Gayathri), Rama, Suvarna and Jayanthi.
The Gowri clan of G.L. Swamy and G. Meenakshamma has 10 children, 18 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Former MLC M. Sathyanarayana Rao, NIE Secretary S.L.Ramachandra, Writer E.R. Ramachandran, Journalists K.V. Sreenivasan and Prabhurajan were among those present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / January 08th, 2014