With the exit of the much affectionate and caring Durga Pinni, we lost yet another icon in our Jillellamudi fraternity among the ladies, who is closer to all the families equally. Gentle, soft spoken, motherly figure of Durga Pinni is cherished by one and all among us. She is missed evenly by all of us regardless of the person’s nearness, relation or otherwise.
She has been a generous hostess always, serving a sumptuous fare to all those who reached the home. Also, she has been much concerned about the well being of the families of all those who neared her and spoke to her. In my case, she always enquired about Bhanu and the children as to how they are faring and all.
Personally, have known Durga Pinni ever since the early 1970s while they were staying at Vijayawada. She took an active interest in the many issues connected to Jillellamudi.
She took an active part in the Golden Jubilee of AMMA in the year 1972, as also in the Diamond Jubilee during the year 1983. She accompanied all of us in the fund-raising campaigns in utter simplicity and great humility. She mixed with all the participants on those occasions very cordially with natural zeal and enthusiasm.
All events and happenings at Jillellamudi interested her intensely. Every year she took upon herself the bounden duty of active participation in the celebration of DHANYA ABHISHEKAM, the ARADHANA UTSAVAM of NANNAGARU. She collected the receipt books eagerly and did her best to add to the resources for the staple food needed throughout the year at the ANNAPOORNALAYAM feeding at Jillellamudi.
For me Durga Pinni along with the much beloved Ramarao Babaiahgaru followed my activities at Vijayawada having a good encouraging word uttered in my absence which always reached me, and her compliments were of great encouragement.
Both as an elderly couple also had a say or impact in the writing effort of the English articles. In the beginning I always avoided writing about personal experiences at Jillellamudi with a little inhibition. They advised they merit public disclosure in view of the continued association had, graced by AMMA during HER physical form.
She stressed that even if I do not release them in public, they should be written and compiled to be disclosed at an opportune moment. This made me overcome the restraint and prompted me to publish the same in the columns of our Magazine VISWAJANANI and the journal MOTHER OF ALL.
This effort once started continues by the grace of AMMA who only prompts the writings in all respects and not much of personal contribution in terms of content, diction, and all other related aspects. Further, Rama Rao Babiah garu followed the same with keen interest and used to discuss the same with me whenever we met incisively.
Truly as the very close family member of AMMA, being the sibling, she displayed the same spirit and outlook towards all the members of the fraternity. She has been gentle, benign, caring, and generous. She played the motherly role in the true terms and actualized the same.
In real life, Durga Pinni actualized the core values of Arkapuri, that being partaking one’s lot to the heart’s content and sharing with others. In the process she played the true role of the householder and exemplified the concept of the ideal housewife cited in our Sanatana Dharma, worthy of emulation for all the women folk now as also for the future.