On her birthday, Amma played Jheeni re jheeni on keyboards; the next day, she was playing Raag Yaman Kalyan on the new melodica
Illustration/Uday Mohite
It was Amma’s—Indu Shedde’s—98th birthday last week. Not a lot of people reach that age, and fewer still are healthy. I consider myself extremely lucky that not only is Amma alive, but she is healthy, she can see, hear, recognize. And above all, I love her spirit: she enjoys life to the fullest--she sings, plays music and draws; has literature read aloud every day; and does daily “chair exercises”. When I celebrate Amma, I cherish her for all of us, especially those whose mothers are not with them, or no longer in this world, and I also cherish all those mothers, whose children are not with them, and especially those whose children are with them, yet who barely acknowledge their presence, even when living in the same house.
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Amma’s birthday started as a simple, one-day, Sunday celebration, with a fab, traditional Konkani lunch—avrya bendi, beansa ghashshi, val papdi upkari, madgane, chapati, dalitoy-sheet, ambya lonche, papad, fruit salad and Dharwad pedha (as Amma comes from Dharwad). For tea, there was birthday cake, upma, mixed bhajias, wafers, fruit salad, tea and coffee. But it swiftly ballooned into a three-day celebration at Shantikunj Sevashram, the senior citizen’s home in Panvel, where Amma lives. Some family and friends preferred to come on Saturday to wish Amma. So that evening key staff and Amma’s close friends, residents of the home, were also invited. On Sunday, we had a number of guests from Bombay for lunch and tea. Then, on Tuesday, Vishakha Patil, our close family friend, arranged for Swara Sakhi, a group of 10 women singers led by Veena Prabhu, accompanied by harmonium and tabla artists, to perform for all the residents of the home, to celebrate Amma’s birthday. Earlier that day, the Swara Sakhis did a deeply moving, traditional owalna/aarti for Amma--made a ritual circle with an oil lamp on a plate before the idol being worshipped/person being celebrated—singing a melodious Kannada prayer, followed by the jaunty Tum jiyo hazaron saal.
The Swara Sakhis performed many beautiful songs for the residents—bhajans, bhavgeet and sugam sangeet--including Keshava Madhava; Vishakha Patil sang Majhi Renuka Mauli, while Veena Prabhu sang Amma’s favourite, Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma, in Kannada. The residents, many in their 70s and 80s, thoroughly enjoyed the singing, clapping to the beat, singing and even dancing. Staffer Madhav Kini Maam, who has a wide repertoire, sang an entire classical song in response. When he led the daily morning aarti in the Ram-Vitthal temple nearby, he would turn to Amma and ask in Konkani, “Maiyye, mhanta vae?” (Mother, will you sing?) This was the moment Amma was patiently waiting for, and she would launch into a beautiful Hindustani classical bhajan that simply made her day.
My sister Sarayu Kamat gifted Amma beautiful lotus plants and more. Dr Prashant Deosthali, also a talented harmonium soloist, played wonderful Hindustani classical music on his “peti”; then he and Amma did a jugalbandi together, with her singing and him on the harmonium. He and Dr Kavita Deosthali very thoughtfully gifted Amma a melodica, a light keyboard, powered by blowing air into a mouthpiece connected to the keyboard via a tube, “so she can develop her lung power as she plays music.” On her birthday, Amma played Chadariya jheeni re jheeni on keyboards; the next day, she was already playing Eri aali piya bina in Raag Yaman Kalyan on the new melodica. And meeting relatives and friends was the richest gift.
The next day, after a temple visit, Amma and I practised Kishori Amonkar’s bandish Mharo Pranaam in Raag Yaman Kalyan. Then, passing a jackfruit tree, laded with fruit all along its trunk, Amma patted a plump baby jackfruit, and endearingly wished it “good morning.” Gratitude to the entire Shantikunj Sevashram team for keeping Amma and others happy.
Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com
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