Guruva Reddy, as we all know, is extremely creative. Some of you may recall his son’s wedding a few years ago at Emaar, where he encouraged his guests to visit and bless the couple anytime during the day, not just at the Muhurat time. There are so many such other instances we have experienced with him over the years. Having grown up with him in Guntur, I was privy to even more of his zest for life.
Where there is Guruva, there is life. In fact, he even gives life to death.
The invitation to lunch he, his brothers Hari and Narasimha, and their respective families hosted last Sunday in memory of his late father Satyanarayana Reddy garu beckoned us to celebrate his life with the tagline, “Cherishing his memories with smiles and a sense of gratitude.”
And what a celebration it was! When one walked into the hall, one could see an exhibition of Uncle’s entire life, carefully sorted into different categories. Photos of time spent with each of the children, grandchildren, etc., were on display. The whole ambiance and the attitude of the family members was that of gratitude to a father/grandfather, uncle.
My favorite photo was that of Guruva, Harsha, and Uncle posing like in the Manam movie. But *Naga* took out another image of Aunty feeding Uncle a cake, and Uncle in turn feeding Aunty her meal when she was ill.
A poignant moment of companionship captured for us to reflect on love and living.
Our scriptures encourage us to do the Panchamaha Yajna, of which *Pitr Yajna* is an important facet. Through this lunch, Guruva and his family showed us a unique way of expressing gratitude and celebrating the death of a life well-lived.
Thank you, Guruva & Family, through those photos and the memories that you cherished, you in turn gave me a memory and a lesson that will surely stay with me until my own death.
Hari’s Curries
A Buffet of Reflections