This is a short post, and the reason will be evident to you as you read along!

1951! Tatayya got released from jail after Communist Party changed its stand on Armed Struggle and acknowledged that what was a localised strategy in Telengana, cannot be nationally applied, and the Government lifted the ban on Communists in response. Ammamma gave up her successful tuitions and moved with Tatayya to Vijayawada, where he joined Vishalandhra paper as Chief Reporter. They initially took lodgings at a locality called Suryapeta. It was a low lying house and they shifted to higher ground house in the same area later (This house was called Vennapoosa Subbiah's house as he used to sell butter. It was a very hard working family, later they also opened a shop in Chikkadpally in Hyderabad). Ammamma gave tuition to the son and daughter of a communist leader called Kadiyala Gopala Rao. A woman communist leader Mallu Swarajyam, who was still underground as she was involved in the Telengana Armed Struggle, stayed at their house for two days before moving on.

Ammamma became pregnant in the low lying house and Suryavati Athayya came down to help her in her confinement. (Suryavati Athayya attended your births too!). On the 9th of June, 1952, Suryavati Athayya's brother came visiting and a non veg feast was prepared for him. They partook a heavy lunch and then Ammamma went into the kitchen garden to pluck dondakayalu (small bottle gourds) for this man to take home with him when he left. She vomitted (and till date she reminds me that all the good food she ate was vomitted because I chose that inconvenient time to make my appearance in this world!) and went into labour and she was rushed to Janaki Bai Nursing Home. Almost within the hour at 2.50 pm in the afternoon, she gave birth to a baby girl and that is me! It is such a coincidence that the sequence of this narration came in perfect timing today, even the star is Moola, again by sheer coincidence! I am overwhelmed by this and Ammamma is also feeling so happy today.

Ammamma had a great love of literature and Tatayya was no less. He readily agreed to Ammamma's suggestion that I should be named Kinnera because of the poem written by Vishwanadha Satyanarayana called Kinnerasani Paatalu. This is a beautiful, long poem based on a legend on the river Kinnerasani - a tributary of Godavari. Ammamma loved the name. The name, however, was highly unusual and rare and most people used to do a double take and ask for the name again. They also found it difficult to pronounce it initially. In today's day there are quite a few Kinneras, but in those days, it was pretty rare. I have not come across any from my age group. The name gave me a distinct identity and lots of people remembered me merely because of the uniqueness of the name, despite the various pronunciations they ascribed to it. Even forty five years later, in London, someone asked me if I was the daughter of Savitri Devi, the great teacher they admired, only because of the unique name! Incidentally, the lady who asked me this question was Ammamma's student Yoga, whom she taught in 1960, but coincidentally, was also the grand daughter of the poet Vishwanadha Satyanarayana who wrote the poem!

Ammamma laments that she had so much talent for literature and writing, but that she did not pursue it. I am however, happy that her linguistic gifts and passion are vested in her three grand daughters and that one day maybe she will realise her dream through all of you - Shraavya, Laasya and Nishita!

Happy Mother's Day Amma - it is not my birthday - it is your day today! Love you.
This photograph of Ammamma and me was at Jhansakka's wedding (Suryavati Athayya's only daughter) and I was around 10 months' old.