Holiday in Bali
बाली विनोदयात्रा
Dakshini Marathi Khajana
दक्षिणी मराठी खजाना
Srinivasa Ramanujan’s House – A Visit
On 20-12-203 President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had declared this house as a National Monument
2023 जूण महिनाच शेवटल॑ वार अम्ही दोघे, म्हणजे मझ॑ बाईल अणी मी, कुंभकोणमांतीन, तसेच तिकड॑ आजू-बाजू असाच देऊळाचीन दर्शन कराला म्हणून गेल्होतों. दर्शन कराला मात्र नहो, एक दोन देऊळांत नवस पालन कराला पणीन होत॑.
चार पांच वर्षाच पुढे पणीन गेल्होतों तिकड॑. ते वेळी देऊळ दर्शनाच एवढ॑ महत्व असाच अण्कीन एक विषय पणीन होत॑ मझ॑ मनांत॑. श्रीनिवास रामानुजनाच घर जाऊन पाह्म॑ म्हणून उदंड आशा होत॑ मला. पण झाल॑ नाही तम्हा. यंदा तस॑ होताने म्हणून निश्चय करलों. चोखट वेळ, साध्य झाल॑ अत्ता.
श्रीनिवास रामानुजनाच नाव ऐकनाते लोके अम्च॑ देशांत भरूनदन असनात. इषोबशास्त्राच लोकांत फार नाव काढलते हे महाविध्वान भारत देशाच एक शोभाशिरोमणी म्हणूनच सांगांव॑. पुरातन भरतखंडांत॑ इषोबशास्त्रांत विश्व-प्रसिधि काढलते आर्यभट्टा, ब्रह्मगुप्ता असलते महान व्यंक्तींच नावाच बरोर श्रीनिवास रामानुजनाच नाव पणीन मिळून आहे म्हणणेंत॑ कोणालीन थोडक पणीन संदेह असना.
1950s च काळांत, म्हणजे मझ॑ बाळपणांत, ह्यांच नाव ऐकल्होतों तरीन जास्ति विषय कळ्होत नाही मला. मझ॑ पणजा रावसाहेब उदारशिरोमणी टी. पद्मनाभ राव ह्यांच मेव्हणा दिवानबहदूरआर. रामचन्द्र राव, श्रीनिवास रामानुजानाला सहाय करलते लोकांच मध्ये एक मुख्य मनुष होत म्हणून मझ॑ बापा सांगून ऐकल्होयें मी.
डिसंबर 22, 1887 वर्षी रामानुजनाच जन्म ईरोड पड्णांत झाल॑. ते वेळी ईरोड मैसूर राज्यांत होत॑. नंतर ईरोड मद्रास प्रेसिडसीच भाग झाल॑. अत्ता ईरोड तमिल नाड राज्याच भाग म्हणून आहे. रामानुजनाच बापा कुंभकोणमांत एक ल्हान जौलिच (कापडाच) दुकानांत इषोब लिव्हाच कामांत होते. उदंड साधारण कुटुंब होत॑ त्यंच. रामानुजनाच मरण एप्रिल 26, 1920 वर्षी कुंभकोणमांत झाल॑. मरताना त्यंच वये बत्तीस वर्ष होत॑.
बाळपणांत कुंभकोणमांत राहत असताना रामानुजनाच विद्याभ्यास टौण हैस्कूळांत झाल॑. ल्हान वयेंतूनच इषोबशास्त्रांत फार श्रद्धा दाखिवत होते तेनी. जी.एस.कार लिव्हलते एक इषोबशास्त्र पुस्तक पूरा वाचून ग्रहण करूनघेवून इषोबशास्त्र विषयांत अगाध पांडित्य संपादाच वाटेला पडले. 1904 वर्षी साळेंत वाचताना त्यंच बुद्धि-सामर्थ्य पाव्हून सर्काराकडून एक स्कॉलरषिप मिळ्ळ॑ त्यांस॑. पण, इषोबशास्त्रांत एवढ॑ बुडून बसल्होते म्हणजे, दुसर॑ विषयाव॑र ध्यान देलेच नाहीत॑. हेज म्हळे इषोब सोडून दुसर॑ विषयाच परीक्षांत अग्गीन हरून गेले. जिंताला झाल नाही म्हणून स्कॉलरषिप राहून गेल॑. पण हे समय पूरा रामानुजन इषोबशास्त्रांत॑ अगाध संशोधन (reaserch) करून भरून प्रमेय (theorems) शोधून काढले. हे अग्गीन तीन पुस्तकांत लिव्हून ठिवून दत्तन करले. भविष्यांत हे तीन पुस्तक फार प्रसिद्ध झाल॑.
During the last week of June 2023 both of us, ie, my wife and I went on a temple-trip to Kumbakonam and a few nearby places. In addition to the regular darshan of temples we also had to do a few thanks giving darshans to some other temples.
We had been to these places four or five years back. At that time I had in mind another visit as important as that of a temple darshan. Visiting Srinivasa Ramanujan’s home was an idea very close to my heart. But it did not happen that time. This time I was determined not to miss out. Fortunately this time it did happen.
There will not be many in our country who have not heard Srinivasa Ramanujan’s name. Having attained great fame in the world of Mathematics he has to be surely acknowledged as India’s dazzling crown jewel. None will doubt his name being added to the list of great mathematicians of ancient India such as Aryabhatta and Brahmagupta who had attained world renown.
During my childhood, ie during the 1950s though I had heard of Ramanujan, I did not have much information about him. From my father I had heard that our great-grandfather Rao Saheb Udarasiromani T.Padmanabha Rao’s brother-in-law Diwan Bahadur R. Ramachandra Rao was one of the early patrons of Ramanujan.
Ramanujan was born on the 22nd of December 1887 in Erode, which at that time was in Mysore kingdom. Later Erode came under the Madras Presidency. Now it is under Tamil Nadu State. Ramanujan’s father was an accounts clerk in a small textile shop in Kumbakonam. It was a family of very small means. Ramanujan died on the 26th day of 1920. He was 32 years old at time of his death.
During his childhood he attended The Town High-School in Kumbakonam. Right from the very early days he showed a keen interest in Mathematics. He went through G.S. Carr’s book on Mathematics assiduously and gaining the grasp of the subject, went on the launch himself on the right track to greater glory. On account of his meritorious performance he won a Government Scholarship during 1904. But he was so deeply engrossed in Mathematics that he neglected all other subjects. Consequently he fared badly in all subjects other than in Mathematics and lost the Government Scholarship. But during this period he was involved in deep research in Mathematics and produced several mathematical theorems. He recorded all these in three notebooks which later became very famous.
2nd Form and 6th Form Certificates from Town High School
दारिद्रांतून चुकाच वाट हुडिकींघ्यून तेनी कुंभकोणम सोडून मद्रासपट्णाला गेले. तिकड॑ गवर्णमेन्ट आर्ट्स कॉलेजांतीन पचैयप्पास कॉलेजांतीन प्रवेश केलेतरीन बिरुद काढाला झाल नाही. तज नंतर उद्योग मिळाच श्रमांत पडले. काळ कांडाला उदंड कष्टी भोगत होतते रामानुजन तीन चार थोर लोकांस मिळून त्यंच संकट सांगून पणीन काहीं झाल नाही.
ते वळी इंद्यन मॅथमटिकल सोसैटींत दिवानबहदूर आर. रामचन्द्र राव सेक्रटरी म्हणून होते. त्यांस पाव्हून विषय कळिवलतर कायतरीन होवूया म्हणींगट्ले. रामचन्द्र राव ते वेळी नेल्लूर जिल्हाच कळक्टर म्हणून उद्योगांत होते. रामानुजन नेल्लूरला गेले. रामानुजनाच अपार बुद्धी सामर्थ्य पाव्हून त्यांस सहाय कराला रामचन्द्र राव निश्चय करले. एक चोखट काम मिळापर्यंतीन रामानुजनाच उपजीवनाच खर्च पूरा रामचन्द्र राव स्वता ओपून काढींगट्ले. (हे विषय अम्च॑ बापा अम्ही लेंकरांस म्हण्ट्लते सये आहे मला). शेवटी मद्रास पोर्ट-ट्रस्टांत एक क्ळार्काच काम मिळ्ळ॑.
He migrated to Madras to escape the poverty of his days in Kumbakonam. Though he entered the Government Arts College and Pachayappa’s College, he could not complete the graduation course. Thereafter he started looking for a job. He struggled to eke out a livelihood and though he met a few important persons, nothing came of it.
At that time Diwan Bahadur R. Ramachandra Rao was the Secretary of the Indian Mathematical Society. Ramanujan thought something good will come by meeting and briefing him. Ramachandra Rao was working as Collector in Nellore District. Ramanujan went to Nellore. After seeing Ramanujan’s genius Ramachandra Rao decided to help him. He took upon himself to support Ramanujan financially till he secured a good job. (I remember our father telling us about this when we were children). At last Ramanujan secured a post in the Madras Port Trust as a clerk.
Ramanujan was encouraged by some of his well-wishers and his English boss in Madras Port Trust to contact Prof G. H. Hardy of Cambridge University. Impressed with Ramanujan’s deep knowledge Hardy arranged for him to pursue research in Mathematics in Cambridge University. He also arranged for a B.A. Degree from Trinity College and thereafter arranged the honour of Fellow of the Royal Society. Ramanujan became the first Indian ever to be conferred with this honour.
डिसंबर 22, 1962 वर्षी रामानुजनाच पंचत्तरवां (75th) जन्म दिवसाच स्मरणोत्सव म्हणून इंद्यन पोस्टल डिपार्टमेन्ट एक पोस्टेज स्टॅम्प उतरिवले. पहिल-पहिल॑ मी रामानुजनाच चित्र (पेट) पाह्यलते ते पोस्टेज स्टॅम्पांत होततेच.
इंद्यन मॅथमटिकल सोसैटीच कित्येक प्रमुख लोके अणी पोर्ट-ट्रस्टांत त्यंच वरल॑ ब्रिटीष अधिकारीच प्रोत्साहन हे अग्गीन ऐकींघ्यून इंग्लंडाच केम्ब्रिज यूणिवरसिटीच प्रोफसर जी. हेच. हार्डिच बरोर संपर्क करले. रामानुजनाच अपार पांडित्य पाव्हून प्रोफसर हार्डि त्यांस केम्ब्रिज यूणिवरसिटींत॑ जाऊन संशोधन कराच व्यवस्था करून देले. नंतर॑ ट्रिनिटी कॉलेजांतून बी.ए. बिरुद करून देले. मात्र नहो, Fellow of the Royal Society हे महा आदर पणीन मिळ्ळ॑ त्यांस॑. हे महा आदर मिळ्ळते भारत देशाच पहिल॑-पहिल॑ मनुष झाले श्रीनिवास रामानुजन.
पहिलंदा कुंभकोणमाला गेलतम्हा रामानुजनाच घर पाह्याला झाल नाहीकी म्हणाच संकट यंदा झाल नाही म्हणून सांगिट्लों की, यंदा पणीन थोडक॑ संदेह झाल॑. सांगतों. पसिद्ध सारंगपाणि देऊळ बीदींतेच आहे हे घर. घरच॑ बाहेर ओठाकलतर उजव॑ पटीस देऊळाच थोर उंच गोपुर डोळेला देसेल॑. पाष्टे सारंगपाणि देऊळांत श्री नारायणाच दर्शन झालांपिरी नौ घंटेला रामानुजनाच घरच॑ सोमोर (समोर) येवून पाह्ताना घर झांकून किलुप घाट्लसाच पाह्यलों. काय करणे ? कोणालतरीन विचारुया म्हणजे कोणीन न्होव्ते तिकडे. तिकडेच नंखर वेळ ओठाकून कोणतरीन येतातका म्हणून पाह्त होतों. बर॑ झाल॑, थोडक वेळांत घराच समोर सडासरिवून रांगोळी घालाला एक बायको आले. त्यंचकडे विचारताना कळ्ळ॑, बारा घंटेला घर उघडून दाखिवाला एक मनुष येतील म्हणून. अम्हाला ते बरोरेच पडल॑. कां म्हणजे, पट्णाच थोडक दूर असाच गर्भरक्षांबिका देऊळाला जायाच उद्देश पणीन होत॑ अमास॑. एक नवस पालन कराच होत॑ तिकड॑. जाऊन दर्शन करून येयाला तीन घंटे तरीन होईल. म्हणजे बरोर बारा होताना इकड॑ येऊन पावुया. जास्ति योचना करनास्क गर्भरक्षांबिका देऊळाला निघलों. पर्तून येऊन पाह्ताना घर उघड होत॑. घर पाह्यींगाच मनुष पणीन होते.
December 22nd 1962 was Ramanujan’s 75th birth anniversary. The Indian Postal Department brought out a commemorative postage stamp to mark this occasion. This was the first time I saw Ramanujan’s picture.
The house is in the same street as the one in which the Sarangapani Temple is situated ( Temple Gopuram in the background )
I told you that the disappointment which I had for not seeing Ramanujan’s house during our first visit to Kumbakonam was made up during this trip. Well, this time also there was a hiccup. Let me tell you. The house is in the same street as the famous Sarangapani temple. On 20-12-203 President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had declared this house as a National Monument. Standing outside the house you can see the tall gopura of the temple on the right side. In the morning after having darshan of Lord Narayana at the Sarangapani temple we reached the house at 9 O’clock. We found the door closed and locked. What to do ? There was nobody there to enquire also. So we hung around the place for some time when a lady arrived to sweep the place in front of the steps with diluted cow dung water for decorating with rangoli. On enquiring with her we were told that the caretaker of the house will come at 12 noon to show the place to visitors. This suited us as we had planned to proceed to Garbharakshambika temple situated a little far from the town. We had to perform a thanks-giving darshan at this temple. This will take about three hours and so when we return to the house it will be 12 noon. Without thinking further we proceeded to Garbharakshambika temple. When we returned the house was open and the caretaker also was there.
Bedroom looking into the front street
Kitchen
Back yard with well
घराच आंत घूसून एक घंटेच समयांत पूरा पाह्यलों. एक-एक खोलीच फोटो पणीन काढलों. मात्र न्हो, वीडियो पणीन काढलों. संतोषविणी बाहेर उतरलों. तिकडून अम्हाला कुंजमेडु श्री राघवेंद्रस्वामी मठाला जामते होत॑. सुमार एक घंटेच प्रयाण होईल म्हणून समेच निघलों.
कुंजमेडु मठ दर्शन अणी तीर्थ-प्रसाद, हेज विषीन अग्गीन सांगतों तुम्हाला अण्किएक दिवसी. सद्याला नमस्कार.
We spent an hour in the house and took photos of all the rooms as well as a walk-through video of the house. Felt very happy as we came out. Some of the photos and the video are posted here. From there we had to proceed to Kunjumedu Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. As this was about one hours ride we left immediately.
I shall tell you about our visit to Kunjumedu Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt and the Tirthaprasad thereat another day. For now, Namaskar.