A Memorial
Picture of Dr(s) C. Mallikarjuna Rao and Seetha Devi (dated 2009)
Parting is painful, especially when we know we will never meet again. So my eldest sister Seetha passed away on January 10, 2017 at Nellore, AP, India after being bed-ridden for over three years. Thus, in a way her being taken away by the God has relieved her of this earthly life for the Heavenly Abode (having passed away in auspicious day after the “Uttaradwara” was opened on Jan 8th at Nellore, AP).
It however, leaves all of us to bear the loss, and specifically me with an ‘irreparable loss’ of my oldest sister. Dr. Seetha Devi, (w/o Late Dr. C. M. Rao, see www.krrao.net for homage to him), who had a remarkable teaching career as a Professor of Physiology in medical colleges of Andhra Pradesh for over three-decades. In her life she with Dr. C. Mallikarjuna Rao, had been extremely helpful to all of relatives who came to Guntur, AP from the interiors of Andhra Pradesh for medical consultation and services.
To me personally, her involvement in arranging to let me meet and wed Indira was a boon! In several ways her counsel was valuable to me and her last message a few months before she passed away was “Baba, old age is very difficult so be careful about it” rings in my ears her concern for me.
Whoever can write better about my eldest sister than my older sister Ms Peddada Meenakshi, older to me by four years and younger to Sister Seetha by two years, recollecting of my late sister’s life of six decades back, even before her marriage to Dr. C. M. Rao that she emailed me on learning about passing away of her elder sister. The following note in italics is based on her email note:
I feel my sister Seetha is still with me though far away. I feel sister Seetha is still in India and me in the States or Delhi. Her professional career started with her joining the UP Government’s Medical Service and after an arduous internship involving several Caesarian Sections and Forceps deliveries in addition to several infectious and female related diseases. As a result in a very short time she was transferred as Lady Medical Officer In-Charge at Charkhari, (UP), India. Since she was too far away my parents asked to leave due to security concerns which caused immense unhappiness in the Government of UP. So, the Chief Minister of UP along with UP Government’s Health Minister made a visit to my sister and the entire city requested her to stay back and not to go, The Health minister said the Government would arrange Special Security and Police Escort for her all day and night. My mother said that would be all the more dangerous!
Next, my sister took a position at Rampur, ex Rampur State, UP, India where she was the only Lady Medical Officer. The Nawab (Rajah) of the ex-Princely State of Rampur personally requested her to stay with a promise to create an Inpatients Ward to admit the patients for performing deliveries and all of the ladies of the ex-kingdom felt very happy, comfortable, secure and safe. My sister had a very reliable servant/cook Parvathy, a Punjabi migrant from Lahore who served her 24 hours a day and would be always with my sister, accompany my sister to Hospital and remain there till her work was over. After a while she decided to leave for a lucrative position as the only Lady Medical Officer at Pilani, Rajasthan, India. Here she thrived with her immense popularity as Chief Lady Medical Officer of the City of Pilani including the Pilani Educational Institutions till she decided to get married and moved to Andhra Pradesh to join for a faculty position in the Andhra Pradesh Government Medical Colleges in 1956. She became a Professor of Physiology serving in almost all of the Government Medical Colleges of Andhra Pradesh.
“The Shraddha ceremonies according to Hindu Rituals are intended to nourish, protect, and support the spirits of the dead in their pilgrimage from the lower to the higher realms, preceding their reincarnation and reappearance on Earth. Shraddha ceremony enables the deceased (preta) to be admitted into the assembly of forefathers (pitri).”
Shraddha ceremony was performed by KR Rao according to the Hindu Rituals by the Head Priest, HTSM on Saturday, Jan 21st, 2017. The ceremonies were attended by Sunder, Uma along with their twin children Neil and Rekha from Atlanta. Similarly Manini (favorite granddaughter of my sister) with her husband, Supreet from Dallas also attended the ceremony. Several messages were received from several relatives for SHRADDHA KARMA for Late Dr. Seetha Devi, all of whom we thank for the condolences and sympathies they expressed for the passing away of reverend and affectionate oldest sister Dr. Seetha Devi who was cremated at Guntur, AP on Jan 12, 2017.
Picture of Luncheon after Ceremony with dishes ordained by the Head Priest, HTSM and prepared by Indira that morning from 5 am to 7am.
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