Guhalayam living

In Aiyanavaram we lived in Guhalayam, a large housing complex having 21 individual ground level only houses, all rental. In those days, Madras city did not have much electricity and all houses in Guhalayam were without any electric power ! Also since the city did not become a full corporation by then , there was no municipal water and all houses were depending on only a common well for water. The houses were of tiled roof and monsoon fury usually drench the interiors. As a child I used to see my mother placing metal buckets to catch those water . ( Plastic age did not start by then; so only metal buckets were in use). As a small kid I was unaware of what is happening in newly independent India. The only thing I am aware of was  the poor living conditions, weekly rations for rice and kerosene.

As things were not clear to anyone, people from all 21 houses used to mingle freely. As poverty was the order of the day, nobody thought of any luxury. The growing children used to assemble at the center where there was a large grown up peepal tree and play around, mostly pebble games. As I was very small and not active, they used to tease me often and my sister used to threaten them to leave me alone.

In those days, there was no  other scope for entertainment like cinema/drama as entertainment and people were confined to Guhalayam only. Elderly ladies used to join together for swami poojas and the children used to relish the prasadams.

When I became 3 1/2 years old i.e by the end of first quarter of 1951, considering the tedious and tiresome cycling distance involved to reach office& back  for my father  ( Aiyanavaram to Chepauk & back), we shifted our residence from Aiyanavaram to Triplicane in 1951.