We must become the Change, we want to see in the World - Mahatma Gandhi
True to the words of Gandhiji, we see in this section, an interesting article about Shri K.Gopalakrishna & Smt Mathuram who rose from humble beginnings to greater heights in their career and life. Shri Gopalakrishna would probably be the 1st Industrialist in our Sattanathapuram family.
The below article contributed by Smt Uma Narayanan grand daughter of K.Gopalakrishna & Smt Mathuram.
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Shri K.Gopalakrisha was born to N.Kailasam Iyer (hailing from Sattanathapuram) and Smt Meenakshi (hailing from Umayalpuram near Swamimalai/Kumbakonam). Shri N.Kailasam Iyer was a sub-Judge in the Madras presidency and served in what is to day Andhra Pradesh.
Born on the 19th July 1899, in Cuddappah (A.P). K Gopalakrishna had his early education in Kumbakonam. His College principal, an Englishman sensed his passion for engineering and encouraged him.
He came to Madras in his twenties and began life as a “Dubash” with Gillanders Arbuthnot. His love for motor vehicles led him to establish an agency for AJS motorcycles and Robert Bosch of Germany. This led to the establishment of the Union Company Motors which became one of the earliest Indian owned distributors for cars like Wolseley, Nash and others, and later Standard cars.
The assembly of Standard cars was started in a shed in Chrompet. On acquiring land at Perungalathur, Standard Motor Products of India Ltd. became full scale manufacturers of Standard cars - the Vanguard, Standard Pennant, Standard Companion, the Standard-20 van and the Standard 2000 car.
In 1956, he formed a collaboration with Armstrong of UK to produce shock absorbers and in 1959 with Solex & SEV of France to produce carburettors. These led to the manufacture of various car ancillaries under the banner of UCAL.
Shri Gopalakrishna passed away on 06.03.1977
In the 21st century vocabulary, he was a man with a strong corporate responsibility. The trusts began by him led to the founding of SOS Children’s Villages of India – Chatnath Homes, Karna Prayag and the K Gopalakrishna Dept. of Neurology at the Institute of Neurological Sciences, Voluntary Health Services, Taramani.
SOS Children's Villages of India - Chatnath homes : Chatnath Homes, a charitable trust affiliated with the SOS Children’s Villages of India! http://www.soschatnathhomes.in/
Karnaprayag Trust Centre for Women and Children is a reception centre for abandoned infants and babies: http://www.karnaprayag.in/
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| Shri K.Gopalakrishna and Smt Mathuram Gopalakrishna |
Sattanatahapuram family tree link
Smt Madhuram Gopalakrishna
Born in Kumbakonam, to Sharada and Srinivasan, Madhuram Goplakrishna was born in the year 1903, and was the youngest of five children .
She was an outstanding beauty. She was given in marriage to Shri.K.Gopalakrishna at the age of thirteen .They had one daughter Alamelu and four grandchildren. Smt. Madhuram was a very pious woman . She was instrumental in renovating the Balasubramanya Swamy temple in Teynampet and in performing its Kumbabishegam. She was very generous and contributed money and of her time to various charitable and social organisations like the Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam and the Saradha ladies union She donated property to Chatnath Trust,. She was an ardent devotee of Maha Periyava of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and followed the Sage's precepts. She died in 1986...
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Another connection between Sattanathapuram and Arupathy family
Arupathy Selvaganapathy Iyer (S/O Arupathy Natesa Iyer) wife is known as Smt Alamelu. (We affectionately call her as ambukka patti). Her grand mother was Sanamma patti a direct sister of Meenakshi Ammal (Shri K.Gopalakrishna’s mother). Sanamma patti was married to Yagnasami Iyer of Nangavaram who practiced as a lawer in Madurai.
Shri Gopalakrishna's daughter is Alamelu alias Baby. She was married to Shri K.V.Srinivasan a Chartered accountant of Komal near Kuttalam.
13 comments:
Has anyone clarified how Late Gopalakrisna Iyer was born in Cuddappah? Was Kailasam Iyer in Govt. service and in a transferable job?
My paternal uncle Sivaswamy Iyer of Toppu Vattaram, had his eldest daughter Janaki married to Late K V Ramachandran KVR was the elder brother of K V Srinivasan. By an extraordinary coincidence I re-established connection with Dr. K V Ranganathan, the youngest brother of K V R and K V S and we meet often in SanDiego. Another coincidence is that K V Ranganathan aka Rangan joined Geology degree course with me in Presidency but later left to do his medicine in Stanley Medical College. Rangan is one of the few who still call me Papa! My paternal aunt Janaki's daughter Susheela Rajagopalan's, (aka Ooty Papa) husband Dr. Rajagopal was the medical consultant for late GopalaKrishna Iyer. The bungalow of KG Iyer was very close to Lawley Institute, Ootacamund. Union Motors, Ooty boasted of two very loyal employees one Auuaswamy Iyer and Pathi. In my days in Ooty from 1951 to 1954 I used to interact with them. Dr. Rajagopal had taken me to visit KG Iyer on one of his professional visits. My days in Ooty was of fun, sports, riding, tenniss, cricket!
c r n
Dear Papa mama,
Regarding your query "Has anyone clarified how Late Gopalakrisna Iyer was born in Cuddappah?"
The above point has been clarified with the decendants of Shri K.Gopalakrishna Iyer and they have confirmed that he was born in Cuddappah (A.P).
Cheers,
Sundaresan
Message received via email from Shri S.Vaidyanathan [A.G.M - SBI Bangalore region].
Dear Shyam,
Thanks for your informative msg. Such great souls have stirred our thoughts to be noble.
Greetings
S.Vaidyanathan
Message received via email from Shri Sekar Balasubramaniam.
Hi Shyam,
It's nice of you to bring in Late Gopu Ammanji(as known and called by Late KNR's family) and his wife late Mathuram Mami in your blog. I met both of them during their last days at Chennai, along with Late KNR family members. Very nice people.
Rgds,
Sekar
Comments received via email from Smt Uma Narayanan.
I have shared your email with my grandfather's family members. It was heartening to note the responses. By the way my husband Karthik Narayanan wrote about Shri.K.G, while I put together the few lines about Smt Maduram,
regards , Uma
Dear Friends:
I was on the internet and came across your site talking about Standard motors Gopalakrishnan and Mathuram. As a child growing up in Madras, I have been to their house and remember Mathuram mami visiting my grandparents.
In our family she was referred to as Union Motors Rajam and was my grandfather's S. Vaithiyanathaswamiyer's first cousin. My great grandfather T.K. Sitaramaiyer and Mathuram mami's father were brothers. I would love to hear more about the family tree.
My name is Rama Shankar, I live in Chicago with my husband Shankar and two children.
Looking at the family tree, I think your relation Lakshminarayanan married to Mythili is my mother's cousin, except that I know her as Papa Aunty.
Would like to keep in touch with you. My e-mail is raviv2@gmail.com.
Kind Regards,
Rama
Hi Rama,
My name is Mini I am Gopalakrishnan & Madhuram's great grand daughter. My dad is Muthukrishnan, the eldest son of Alemelu & K.V. Srinivasan. i live in chicago too. my email minicaj@gmail.com
hi to all,
I am Sonya married Haritha the last son of KV SRINIVASAN and Alamelu alias BABY (daughter of K GOPALKRISHNAN and MATHURAM).
Unfortunately Haritha passed away on 11th of Sep 2002.
I have two children AARTHI alias ALAMELU and KAUSHIK alias SRINIVASAN. Both are married.
my email is sonyahs@gmail.com I live in Chennai
Hello, Rama.
My name is Sharada and my paternal grandfather, K.S,Jayarama Iyer, was Madhuram Gopalakrishna's eldest brother. We knew her as Rajam athai. We know that Jayrama Iyer and Rajam's father was Srinivasa Iyer, who married Sharada, daughter of Subba Iyer. But nothing much is known of Srinivase Iyer's family in our circles and we'd very much appreciate some input regarding that side of the family.
My e-mail is lartets@gmail.com.
With kind regards,
Sharada
Dear Sir
I came to your blog through Sunanda Sundaram (Grindlays Bank) mentioned in a comment on C R Natarajan of Madurai. She had heard about this mention nad asked my help to access the info.
Union Motors Gopalakrishnan was my father K Rajgopaul's Athan. Madhuram his wife was called Athan Manni. I am in touch with Uma as we are both alumni of Church park and worked on a book published to celebrate 100 years of Church park.
My father lived in Sirgazhi for many years as we were close to Nelpathur Balu and Ratnam Iyer. He lived in front of Jupiter Theatre in Kuttralam Narayan's house. Then he moved to a small hamlet near Sirgazhi called Thittai. He was called Thittai aiyya or Bombay Ayya. He moved away to Coimbatore and is now living in Pune (age 95) with my eldest brother Ramana Rajgopaul.
I am still in touch with Dr Raman of Sirgazhi and his family. I am in Sirgazhi and am a Freelance Journalist.
Thanks for your informative blog . I am sharing this with my brothers--nostalgia of course. God bless you.
Sorry--there was a typo--I am in Chennai. My father Dr K Rajgopaul was not related to Nelpathur Balu or Shri Ratnam Iyer--but we are closer than family. He is also not related to Shri C R Natarajan..he just used to live in Sirgazhi.
My father Shri. K. Rajgopaul informs me that Gopalakrishnan Atthaan's father Sri Kailasam Iyer was in the Judicial Servive as Sub Judge in Cuddappah when the former was born.
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