AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 78 of 167 The members started trickling in as the hour hand of the clock was inching its way to the 6.00 p.m mark. We had to quickly leave the stage and get on with the first item of the day, which was the usual Tombola. Tickets were sold for two houses, and the games started off. A large number of prizes were on offer, which was gratefully accepted by those who played. However, no one was keen on taking the Snowball, which rolled over for the subsequent meeting. The weather was becoming more pleasant and a cool breeze started blowing. The stage was all set for the inauguration of the Musical Nite. All eyes were glued to the IN gate, and eagerly looking for the Patron and Mrs. Rajam Rao to make their appearance – for Mrs. Rao was to inaugurate the function. The Kuthi villaku was positioned in a corner of the stage, which we realised was not adequate for movement of a dancer, which is what Mrs. Rao was planning to do, to start off the proceedings. It needs to be mentioned that Mrs. Rajam Rao was well past the proverbial three scores of years. She believed that age was just a number and behaved on the stage, as a seventeen-year teen-ager would do forgetting the 60 years that she had already crossed! Thanks to the movement of hordes of people who flock to the Marina Beach on Sunday evenings, vehicular movement on the beach road reduces to a trickle. And Gen Sundara Rao had apparently been swallowed in the ensuing traffic jam. Just as Gen Kochekkan, AVSM, VSM, SM, GOC ATNK & K Area, and the other General officers arrived and were taking their places in the front rows, Gen and Mrs. Rao also drove in. One could hear the huge sighs of relief of the organisers. Gen Sundara Rao was requested to light the Kuthi villaku to symbolically dispel darkness and lighten up the place. The prevailing strong breeze however had other ideas, and in typical Armed Forces style, we had to assume that the lamps had been lit! For once the significance of using the ubiquitous lamp with five petals or nozzles was clearly brought out. The five petals are said to denote the five main elements of Nature - earth, water, fire, air and the sky or space. The five nozzles are also supposed to depict the five main elements needed for a successful life – health, wealth, learning, courage and longevity. Music has charms to soothe the savage beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. ~ William Congreve Smt Kalpakam Balasubrahmaniam and Smt Jaya Subramanyam rendered the invocation song. The song was a request to the Almighty to remove all obstacles and bless the evening function. A few words about the artists. Smt Kalpakam Balasubrahmanian has been trained both in classical carnatic music as well as Bharatha Natyam dance. She was top grade radio artiste, singing regularly on All India radio, much before the television invaded the