A film on Swati Kale and her garden in Durgadhiwas

In 2020, shortly after we went through the Covid19 lockdown, we made a short film "गुजगोष्टी बागेशी : स्वाति काळे".

There is so much to learn from her approach to gardening and life!

Please turn on the subtitles in English, if needed.

From the Garden : August 2020

Datura (Brugmansia) 1st August 2020

Brahmakamal (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) on the night of 2nd August 2020

A prize for Swati Kale's garden!

Six years ago, her garden waited for more than two weeks, patiently, for her to come back from the hospital, only to bloom full strength when she was home - that was just one of the signs visible to us of the bond, the conversation that she has with her plants every day. And today we heard that Aai gets the second prize in the city's annual competition this year. in the category for family gardens. The prize is not for the flowers you see in the photos here though - it is for the amazing variety of useful plants she grows and uses, it is for the many eco-approaches she has been practicing for years before the city admin started appreciating it, it is for the obvious love she shares with her garden. The judging committee dropped in un-announced last month and was thrilled to see that her garden is not a landscaped one - I haven't seen such a happy judge ever for any competition!

Aai has made a real garden for the family - we use what grows - all sorts of veggies, the jhadoocha jhaad for brooms, fruits (tutti, jambhul, bananas etc) are left for the birds and the bats. There is a biogas in place, a solar cooker that has been in use for decades, composting pits that digest 'waste' not just from our kitchen and garden but also leftovers from two bhaajiwalas round the corner (she hasn't bought manure or soil from outside in decades)...actually, the list is just too long to put down here!

Her garden exemplifies her good nature (over the years, she has tolerated all the 'damage' done by the dogs, as well as an archaeological dig and an insect hotel set up by an enthusiastic grandson) and her unending curiosity to try out new experiments. It is her garden that brings her calm (she shrugs of any sign of a bad mood with a walk with her plants)... and we all, of course, happily feed off that good feeling! 

What else can I say to the most chilled out mother-in-law ever - Congrats! The prize is just public recognition of all that we have been blessed with!

Prof V G Kale - Life and Work (English Translation)

The English translation of the book प्रा. वा. गो. काळे: व्यक्ती आणि कार्य is available now at this link.

Prof. VG Kale - Life and Work by Dr Subhash Kale

Dr Subhash Kale has written and published a book on Prof V.G. Kale, that can be accessed at this link

Marriages and such

Durgadhiwas saw many marriages,from Gangumai to Nana.Some were twinned

One marriage can now be referred to as a generation has gone by.

Everything was ready, cards distributed,outstation relatives arrived,and a Vyahibhojan

Kaka who was looking after things,called for the list of 'sthalas',who had been

The wedding took place at the same muhurta,even revised invitations were distributed.

VISITORS

A variety of visitors called on Dada all the time.Some were kept in waiting at the hall above the porch,and were called in turn to visit Dada in the main hall. Of course most were from Pune but there were a few VIPs from outside.

When the first state cabineit was formed in 1938 or so,many meetings were unofficially held at DD.,mainly because the ministers had no experience of managing government.Most of the ministers in the Kher ministry used to come.

Another prominent visitore was Late Shri Vaikunthlal Mehta,he used to hold long discussions with Dada.He was a remarkable man in physical terms. To look at him,one would imagine a slight breeze can blow him away.He often had lunch or dinner at DD.His meals consisted of 5 small purees-20mm-, small vati of milk,a spoonful of bhaji,and exactly one spoon of rice.How he could survive on this I dont know.Once he came with the prospective chairman of state transport,which was born that time.I forget his name.They were to stay the night. I made the arrangement at Swagat,which was vacant. Kaka was served a transfer order on the day of the Vastushanta]They had a cup of tea,and went back to DD.
Another VIP was the Late maharaja of gwalior,Jayajirao.Unlike others,he had made a prior appointment to have tea with Dada.We did not even have a decent crockery set,so I went to "Cheap Store" in camp and brought everything. The conical cups are from that meeting.

Prof P.K.Atre, Master Vinayak used to come often to solve some money problems of Navayug Film Studio.However Dada refused to become Chairman.But I remember we used to get free passes for screenings of their films!


shrini

Letter of memories from Ram Kale

This is a letter to Abhijit from Dr. Ram Kale, who has many associations with our house.

Dear Abhijit,
Thanks for your mail. I am writing here some of my memories of Durgadhiwas.
Durgadhiwas is a lovely mansion. From the road, it looks like a sage, engrossed in deep meditation. Its design is unique; there is no wastage of space, no passages. I understand that at one time, it had a second floor also. I guess, for a professor of Fergusson College, this must have been a dream project. Large house, sprawling compound, in short a villa. Your great-grandfather was indeed a man of vision. I was so impressed by his personality that I ventured to write an essay on him. It was published in ' Vyapari-Mitra ' Denali special Issue.

During my two years at the Fergusson College, 1954-1956, Subhash and I were batch mates and at our practicals, Subhash used to be my side. My hostel friends were impressed when Subhash , a rather reserved person, called me home for lunch at Durgadhiwas. Nanasahib and Subhash's mother took special care and were cordial to me. As I recollect, during conversation, I mentioned about my likes and dislikes, more particularly, about 'ladies fingers ', bhendi-bhaji. Later, Subhash again invited me around my birthday in November. This time, the table was set with decorations of petals and leaves, Maushi prepared fried bhendi, and told me to taste with an assurance that I would like it. Yes, I did. For me, this was the first time ever that my birthday was celebrated. Therefore, the memories are fresh.

I did not score enough to get into Medical College. I think, Subhash was away somewhere in north when the results arrived. He had told Nana to send my result. Nana sent a telegram. After I entered Nair Hospital Dental College, I was feeling depressed. Subhash invited me to visit Poona and stay at Durgadhiwas. Your family consoled me and assured that I shall do well in my college and I should put my heart in my studies. I must have visited Durgadhiwas again once or perhaps twice, because my colleagues at the Dental College, particularly, Anjuben Jhaveri and Anil Joglekar would tease me asking if I have ' toontoon ' in Pune. I would bluff and say, ' yes, she is ghari, gori and has dimple '. Later, when Anju met Shobha, she asked me this was the toontoon. Anjuben visits India often, as she stays in Washington DC and I am sure, she would happily confirm this story.

I was passing through Poona after a week, at the invitation from Helene Moos-maushi at Gargoti and came to Durgadhiwas. Your grandmother was admitted to Sasson Hospital and Subhash told me that I should not visit her but he assured me that he would convey my wish to meet her.

On my return from Chicago, I joined Sassoon Hospital Dental Dept. but could not stomach the atmosphere of hatred and distrust of Hon. Staff. So I decided to leave the post. Subhash had realized my predicament as I did not have a place to stay. He told me to stay at Durgadhiwas with Nana and I had memorable time there from 1st Feb. to 31st May 1963. I came in close contact with Nana. I would prepare my morning tea and leave for Dr. G.V.Desai's clinic. After dinner, I would walk back from Deccan Gymkhana to Durgadhiwas, I was given the room behind the dining room. I would discuss with Nana many things . He taught me the importance of discretion or Taartamya. At times, Prof. Appasahib Kokil and Mai-atyabai would visit and there would be more interesting chats.

In June, 1964, I got married to Shobha. My Wedding Invitation had a footnote, stating ‘No Presents, Please’. This irked Nana and Subhash no end, and we would argue on this subject endlessly. I stuck to my family tradition. Eventually, they did follow and joined my way.

Brigadier Upasani and Sumati-maushi were occupying the ground floor. I had developed good rapport with them. Once, I went for a dinner. Though Upasani-sahib was a teetotaler, he had stocked variety of alcoholic beverages. He offered me a drink, but I declined, saying that though I would normally enjoy a ' chhota ', I can not have it in Durgadhiwas. To me this place is like a temple.

Durgadhiwas is now 80 + and it shows few signs of its age. But I want you to know that your family has kept it in great shape though I do not like the tin protector on the terrace.

With best regards to you, Sumita and Shreedhar, who is the fifth generation occupant,

Ramkaka.

Anecdote about VG Kale

Apparently V G Kale was known in the Fergusson College campus as someone who did not entertain small talk. So he didnt invite people over and did not encourage what he saw as aimless chitchatting in other peoples' houses. One afternoon a group of professors decided to drop in unannounced and "get" a cup of tea out of him. When they arrived and made their intentions clear, Dada went into the kitchen and gave instructions for tea to be served. The professors were thrilled with their 'achievement' and after their tea, went back to their houses, full of how they had pulled a fast one on the great 'miserly' VG Kale. But when each of them told this story to their wives, what they heard was " OH! you were at their house for tea?Thats why she came asking to borrow some tea leaves/milk/sugar"!
Dada had the last laugh!
P.S. Principal Kogekar who told me this story was quick to tell me that Dada was not in anyway a miser. On their trips to the Indian Economic Association meetings, he would give the students his wallet and tell them to make sure everyone had enough to eat and drink for the entire train journey.

My second childhood home

Vishwas is only two years older to me, and one year ahead in school, we used to be together most of the time. We shared a common interest, namely the Meccano. We used to make cars and trucks and working cranes. Vishwas used to make cardboard camera using shuttlecock carton tubes and cardboard boxes and one magnifying lens and used to have "shows" of some advertising and sundry pictorial material that used to come to the "Artha" office. Our common interests also included the huge Hudson car belonging to the Anna Gokhale family from Baramati.
Though our compounds (Swagat and Durgadhiwas) were separate, there was an open corridor between them and Vishwas and I (and the much younger Raju Dongre who used to stay on the ground floor of "DD") used spend our evenings circling both the houses and the enormous plots around the two houses.
Subhash is much elder to us both and we were much in awe of him (I still am), as he was a model student, handsome and we used to be totally impressed when he used to go for NCC parades in the crisp uniform.
Sharad Deodhar, son of Appa, was older to me by 4 years, but he used to come during summer vacations and stay at Swagat, and so did Asha, Shriniwasdada's daughter, who is my age (she never fails to point out that she is 10 days older). We four used to really have a ball.
A cousin of ours, Sumati Karve, got married here in 1955, the family stayed at DD and the function was held at Swagat. It was my thread ceremony next year, and Dinesh got married in 1957. The two houses used to be so full of Kales, Deodhars and Gokhales, all of whom regard DD as THE headquarters.
Even today, I don't regard DD as anything separate from Swagat. It is one continuum.

more from durgadhiwas

Like most Hindu families, our branch of Kales had family deities. These of course were from Nandivde,the home village.The only time they came into application was at the time of some religious rite,name of which escapes me.These deities were Chankai,Bhavkai,Rawalnath, and of course Karhateshwar.Temples to the first three, as well as a Ganesh temple are,at least were when I saw them last, right in front in a row, in Nandivde.Karhateshwar is a little distance away,on the sides of a cliff which overlooks Devgad harbour(Devgad mangoes are famous.)

I stated in my first blog there is an elephant path, paved with dressed black stone from Nandivde to Karhateshwar. Karhateshwar temple has springs,giving copious flow of water,year round.There are bundles of paper listing the donations and requests for special prayers at the temple.Most are signed by JOG family

There is a vast level plot of land north of Nandivde(probably built up by now).

Dramatis Personae

Cousins

Dada and Kaka had a sister.For some reason,nobody seems to know about her.She was married to one Waman Deodhar who resided in UP(I suspect he came from one of the families which went over during the Peshwai and stayedthere). Both of them passed away, and a word came to Dada, asking to take away the two orphaned boys,Gajanan and Shridhar,or Anna and Appa.
They grew up in the Kale household,Anna becoming an M.Sc.and industrial chemist,and Appa went to VJTI Mumbai to become a weaving master.Anna had a company called Sanjeeven Mfg.Co.,one of whose products was Sanjeeven Hair Tonic,widely advertised as the answer to Baldness.However ,he himself was totally bald.May be like doctors do not take family as patients,hair oil makers do not use their own product.The family had a house in Maharashtra Society,Ahmedabad(Karnavati). His son is also named Sanjeevan.He visits Pune off and on.
Appa had one son,Sharad,a naval officer,who passed away recently. Anna and and Appa were as different as two brothers can be.Anna was a health enthusiast,biut Appa was a Bon Vivant.They used to visit regularly and kept in touch,their children also did.

MAI

Gangu,Dada s daughter,was called Gangumai.After college,she married G.R.Kokil then headmaster of a school in the small town Kagal,in Kolhapur State.There was some opposition to this marriage from relatives,because the Kokils were Deshastha,while the Kales were Vatsa Gotri Chitpavan Brahmins.Kokilnana or Ganpatrao later became a professor in Kolhapur,and was also a personal tutor to the princes in the Karveer royal family.He was also a turor to Miraj princes,and lived in a Miraj owned bungalow in front of the railway station at Kolhapur,half of which was kept as a guest house for the Miraj family.
The bungalow still exists but is closed in by warehouses.Gangumai was the headmistress of the Maharani Girls High School, and was a popular and respected figure in Kolhapur academic circles(These were the days of NaSi Phadke,ViSa Khandekar,Prabhat Film Co. etc)Most of us in D-Dhiwas used to spend holidays at Kolhapur with them and they also visited Pune quite often.Their visits were much looked forward to,they brought Kolhapur Sugar Cane(A thick juicy variety),Kakvi and Gur-slabs.
They inherited a plot of land near todays Kamla Nehru Park,and they sold it and built a house on land given by Nana,the Savitri bungalow in which Vishwas and Jaya live.Shrini has many
many fond memories of the Kokils.

Nana

Nana,or Shripad,was one of Dada s two children,the other was Gangu,Gangutai Kokil.
Nana did his BA,and enrolled in law,but gave it up,and helped Dada with his increasing activities.He practically ran Artha a weekly ,the first in Marathi to deal with money matters. Dada of course guided,and wrote the most important articles.The paper is now in other hands.Nana was good at tennis,and soon,Prabhavati,his wife also joined him.They were high up among the tennis crowd in Pune.Prabhavati,"Dhaktya Vahini",was the first woman around to wear shorts on the tennis court.She was also Badminton Champion.She brought in new,better habits into the family,one of which was to bathe and change clothes,before evening dinner.Shrini and she were great friends used to sit by the Devghar,with"Thorlya Vahini"(Savitribai),and read aGeeta chapter every evening.Shrini used to pester Nana to tell him how things worked viz.doorbells,light bulbs,phone etc.He found a book in which all was given,and patiently explained to me.He used to get up at 5 am make tea for Dada,and boil an egg.Dada used to have this before setting out for the morning walk.Nana continued to make bed tea later for various people including his grandsons so they could study early.Nana had one quite remarkable ability,He could get dogs to 'sing' with him!He would go OOOOOOO and the dog also went OOOOOOOOO with him!

Memories of Dada

Today there are three living members of Kale family who have lived with Dada in Durgadhiwas. Shrini is the oldest. I, Subhash (born 1939) and Vishwas (born 1945), both sons of Dada's son Shripad, lived in Durgadhiwas with Dada. By the time I arrived on the scene, Shrini had moved out of Durgadhiwas. I have only a few but distinct memories of Dada.
Dada used to be on the first floor of the house most of the time. He had a huge arm-chair (called "elephant chair by us") in which he sat in the library, located in the centre of the first floor. The walls of library were lined by wooden shelves full of books. In the window there was a telephone- a novelty in those days. In the hall upstairs there was an easy-chair made of bamboo, painted blue,and a stand of reading lamp stood behind the easy-chair. Dada used to do his reading here too.
I have a clear memory of a day when Dada is coming home probably from his morning walk. He is wearing a dhoti, long coat and his "rumal" round the head, has a walking stick, comes from the eastern side of the house, walks round the "ota"-platform outside the kitchen, goes towards the door. I am playing on the ota; he affectionately but briefly (as was his nature)speaks with me and goes inside.
The final scene etched in my mind is of Dada's last day. He had the south-west corner room upstairs as his bedroom. The balcony on the western side was fitted with retractable blinds made of bamboo strips. This was to keep away the sun. Dada occupied this room during his last days while he was ailing from cancer of stomach. The day he passed away, in the morning hours, I was taken by my parents to Dada's bedroom to pay my last respects. Later I was taken to the porch downstairs to have Dada's last "darshan.

Home Economy

D-Was basically an upper middle class household,but set up of households has changed so much that a brief description of those times may not be amiss.There was very little of ready made things.Clothes,food,pickles,papad,even milk were not readily available packed. D-Dhiwas had a buffalow for milk and a bhayya used to look after her and also milk her.So there was plenty of fresh-DHAROSHNA milk,warm as it came from the animal.We grew lentils,gawar, bhindi,rajgira and dried and kept in sealed tins.Variety of veg.in the market was small.Tomato, cauliflower,gobi were rare(Older people did not eat tomato because it was blood-red!)Suran, Lal Bhopla,were always kept on the shelf,for use when required.There were four families in the BORI colony,road not made between D-Diwas and Pawar Quarters,so we were isolated.
Mrs, Belwalkar, Joshi, Kale and Talpatrikar used to get together once a year to make papad,and pickles.Except the cheapest, all clothes were custom made by tailors.Car tyres were repaired and pumped by hand by the driver.Most footwear was made to measure.The only ready food was bread,which a baker called S.Wyse delivered.His bill said,on top 'By appointment to the Tsar of Russia'!

Savitribai

Prof.Kale s wife was Savitribai.She hailed from the Rajwade family.Her brother was a staunch Satyagrahi,and spent most of his life in jail,for patriotic reasons.In her younger days when Dada was struggling to earn,she worked hard,under the supervision of Durgabai,who I understand was a strict mother-in-law.Dada s first real home was a bungalow at the Fergusson College,the first bungalow when one enters the main gate of the College.After Dada built Durgadhiwas(1926),things were easier.Savitribai,whom everyone called VAHINI,then had plenty of time for religious rites.Both Dada,and NANA,his son were 'rationalists',and never participated in any pooja or other observences.Shrini was therefore very handy to all the poojas.The family had a retained brahmin,who ran the poojas.Shrini has now forgotten most of the poojas,except one at which a wonderful thing called kayaras was served!Vahini went with Dada to most of the films,marathi ones,shown in Pune.He had a permanent 'Box" at Prabhat theater.

Chiman

Dada found employment as Reader to Justice Ranade.Ranade s eyesight was not good since his job entailed lot of reading,he employed a Reader.A couple of rooms at the back of the Judges house, was a perk of the job.It enabled Dada,to complete his education,and then he joined the Fergusson College as a lecturer.He was also the Rector of the hostels,which brought him contact with students directly.One of the students,Chintaman Vinayak Joshi started writing some humorous stories.One such effort,brought him to Dada s attention,which led him one day to remark 'thats our CHIMAN !' The name did not stick to C.V.Joshi,but he made Chiman the character around whom his stories revolved.Thus was born Chimanrao,the most famous story hero of those times.C.V.Joshi wrote many books,and many of his stories have been serialised on TV.
There was an unexpected sequence.Chiman s sister,Vatsala Joshi married another Chintaman,and became Sagunabai Kale,Dada s Bhabi and Shrini s mother.

Sangli and Pune

When things got a bit out of hand,Govindbhat decided to get out of Konkan and go to Desh.He came to Sangli,where he had relatives (Bhide s). In a while he decided to go to Pune, and set off without telling his wife,Durga.(Yes, the same as in Durgadhiwas!)
When Durgabai, a formidably able person,I am told,found out, she put Vaman(Dada) and herself and took a bullock cart to Pune.There were of course no buses or trains. It appears the journey took about three days.
Durgabai knew very well how to find her husband.She went to various Ganesh temples, his favourite haunts.Finally she found him at Theur,a place on the eastern outskirts of Pune.Theur Ganapati is one of the Ashtavinayak Ganapatis.

In all of the above musings, based on what older relatives have told me, there is a conspicuous absence of dates.Even Dada s birthday, it appears is a guesswork.The year is probably right,but the day and month,iffy.