The Seed Beneath the Volcano
Vol. I, K. Rajasekhara Reddi
The plant Acacia arabica is called 'tumma' in Telugu. These thorny trees grow everywhere whether water is available or not. One place in the Krishna District where there are innumerable tumma plants is called Tummalapally. At one time a number of Brahmin families relocated from Tummalapally to Bezawada for their livelihood. Tummalapalli Gopala Krishnamurti—'Pantulu'—belonged to one such family. His ancestors worked as teachers in the Chitty-Guduru Sanskrit School and some of them started residential Sanskrit schools. The sons as well as daughters in their families were Sanskrit scholars and poets. Probably due to this reason, a proverb, 'Even if they sneeze, Tummalapally people seem to utter something in Sanskrit,' came into force.
It seems that he was born in 1865 or so. He had a brother named Bala Ramaiah. Pantulu thought of learning some professional course to flourish in his life, so from childhood he rose up by hard work, step by step. It is said that he studied in a Christian institution at Machilipatnam and later received his F.A. (Fellow of Arts) there. In those days, lawyers were treated with high regard in the society. Chances to earn a lot in that profession were many, so Pantulu proceeded to Madras and joined the Law College, staying in a small rented room in Triplicane and preparing his own food. He lived in a disciplined manner and in his leisure time taught children so as to have additional income.
Like the other members of Tummalapalli family, he studied and assimilated philosophy books thoroughly. He also used to contemplate spiritual matters, besides reading about them. He implemented all traditional good customs in his life. While searching for proper knowledge to achieve his life's objective, he came under the influence of the Theosophical Society. There he came into contact with Tallapragada Subba Rao, who was also residing in Triplicane, and who originally belonged to Kakinada. Under his influence, Pantulu's life entered a new phase.
Subba Rao was a close associate of Madame Blavatsky, one of the founders of the Theosophical Society. He was well-versed in Hindu esoteric knowledge. Both of them used to go to the Society center at Adyar. Pantulu came into contact with Blavatsky and Col. Alcott at the Society.
During the second half of 1890, the most important person in the Theosophical Society, Annie Besant, visited Bezwada while touring in India. She spoke eloquently about the spiritual lore of Hinduism. Pantulu approached her and donated a little money from his earlier savings. Afterwards he took part in the activities of the Society. His way of life began to change.
Pantulu completed his law degree and started his practice in a small room at Bezwada. He was considered as an intelligent lawyer and he was elected as secretary of their Association.
It is not known who was his first wife for she passed away before bearing children. His second betrothel was to Annapurnamma, a daughter of Challamraju Satyanarayana. But destiny had its own scheme of things in store. Ineluctable fate dealt a deadly blow. In spite of being in the pink of health, his fiance died two days before their marriage. Everybody was paralysed by the pathos of the situation. After some time, her father surprised everyone by offering his second daughter, Durgamma, to him, but for some reason or other Pantulu refused. After a great deal of persuasion he reluctantly relented and started his family life afresh.
In the human scenario, the plot of destined drama winds and unwinds itself with unknowable and unpenetrable cause and effect, replete with fateful meetings, relationships, comingling and meaningful coincidences. This phenomenon is known by modern thinkers as synchronicity. It suggests that there must be a hidden meaning in relating with people which aims at a specific purpose. By pitchforking Pantulu and Durgamma as husband and wife, inscrutable Fate designed and determined its imperious and impervious formula.
Durgamma was twelve years old when she married. She was strikingly beautiful and her well-chiseled features, glittering eyes and sweet voice animated her countenance. She was short of stature but of balanced proportions, well-acquainted with household chores and had profound knowledge of sacred scriptures. Her religious roots were deeply-embedded. She was the embodiment of an ideal wife and the soul of traditional Hindu womanhood.
The marriage with Durgamma brought prosperity to Pantulu, as timely rain yields bumper crops to the farmer. He constructed a house at Bezawada and earned fabulously as a popular lawyer. He purchased a number of plots at Bezawada as well as a number of fields in Gudiwada area. They had no sons but they had two daughters, Rukminamma and Saraswathamma. They adopted a boy of his brother Bala Ramaiah named Jagannadham.
After purchasing fields in Gudiwada area, Pantulu desired to shift from Bezwada to Gudiwada. In 1903, on the road from Gudiwada to Bantumilly, he purchased an old tiled house and a lot of space around it. He started construction of a good mansion for his family.
Meanwhile, learning that Col. Alcott had come to Machilipatnam by steamer from Madras and was staying with Vemuri Subbarao, Pantulu rushed to Machilipatnam to meet him, informing him of his donation to the Theosophical Society. He invited Col. Alcott to Gudiwada. Accordingly, Col. Alcott was his guest for a day. He promised Col. Alcott to provide a good building for Theosophical Society at Gudiwada at his own cost and pledged that he would work for the Society.
During a short time, his mansion was completed. Around the building there was a compound wall; there were two pillars before the main house. There were also niches in the walls to place oil saucer lamps. Opposite to the compound gate, there was the main door of the main building. On the left side of the main door, there was a room for an iron safe. The jewels of the women and handbags of gold coins, besides bundles of currency notes, were placed in the iron safe. Important promissory notes and other valuable papers were also preserved in the safe. Pantulu attended to all court affairs and transactions in the same room. To assist with his work he had a clerk.
On the right side of the main door, there was another room. It was an office and drawing room. In that room, a number of cupboards contained law books as well as literature on the Theosophical Society. A number of philosophical books also had an important place there. In between the cupboards, the Hindu daily was placed in an orderly manner in bundles. Further inside, there was a dining hall, adjacent to which was the kitchen. The bedroom was to the left of the hall and the prayer room was attached to it; there was also a cellar with a large safety chest in it.
Very near the kitchen, there was a well with ample water. Just like his earnings, the water level never decreased. In the yard, there was a big tulasi (basil) fort, decorated in a majestic way with turmeric and vermilion, and provided with niches in which to place the sacred lamps. In the yard near the compound, a number of trees such as pomegranate, almond, mango, etc., were planted. For worship purposes, plants like red china rose, jasmine, ever-blossoming red jasmine etc., were also planted.
At a little distance from the main building there was a verandah. There were some rooms also in the outer house. Children were fed in there and sometimes in the afternoons, sitting on crude native cots, womanfolk used to have afternoon rest while gossiping amongst themselves. At the end, the necessary number of latrines were provided. A number of additional rooms were built to provide accommodation for cooks, servants and other dependents. Their distant relatives also had a separate hall for their occasional visits.
On the right side of the house, there was a wooden staircase made of Rangoon teak, at the top of which, on the front side, was a balcony made of wood with diamond-shaped cuttings. On the left side Pantulu had a special prayer room always under lock and key that others were not allowed to enter. On the backside he had his bedroom. There was an almirah, a writing table and four or five teak chairs. The rest of the upstairs was a common hall. The hall was used for philosophical discussions and reading etc. In the hall, a small, special room made of straw was specially constructed for visiting ascetics.
Though Pantulu did not directly participate in the Independence struggle, he supported it in his own way. He had direct contacts with top leaders in the state and donated liberally to the movement.
In 1918, the Library Movement infused patriotism, political activity and desire to serve the country and the people. For this movement Pantulu purchased a number of books and presented them to the library. He had contacts with national Andhra leaders like 'Desodharaka' Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramayya, Kompalle Hanumantha Rao, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, 'Desa Bhakta' Konda Venkatappayya and others.
During those days, 'Vignana Chandrika Mandal' was popular among the public. Komarraju Venkata Laxmana Rao was its chief editor. They were selling historic novels, biographies and other books of a hundred pages for a quarter of a rupee. Pantulu assisted this agency for its development. He also established 'Saraswathi Niketanam' to publish a number of philosophical books. 'Poornayoga' and 'Dharma' by Sri Aurobindo, the saint of Pondicherry, were translated into Telugu and published.
Avanindra Tagore's 'Bharata Silpa' and the Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore's 'Upanyasa Manjari' were among its important publications. The great classical philosophical book, 'Maha Gnana Vasistha', was also printed. This publishing agency was patronised by Pithapuram Zamindar Surya Rao, Mungala Zamindar, Nayani Ranga Rao, and Vissanna Peta Zamindar, Mothe Ganga Raju.
Pantulu was first among the chief patrons. The names of Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao, Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramayya, and Kompella Hunumantha Rao, appeared later; the author of 'Malapalli', Vunnava Laxminarayana Pantulu, was also one of the patrons.
In 1913, in the town of Bapatla, agitation was started for Andhra State on a linguistic basis. In 1914, large-scale meetings were organized for the second time, now at Bezawada. Pantulu attended the meetings and contributed for their success. He convinced a number of his associates also to donate. These meetings were attended by many eminent people from all over the Andhra area, including Kandukuri Veerasalingam Pantulu and Chilakamarthi Lakshmi Narasimham Pantulu.
Pantulu proceeded to Machilipatnam in 1914 to meet Annie Besant when she came over there in connection with the anniversary celebrations of Noble College. After the meeting, when somebody was about to introduce him to her, she said, 'He is not new to us. The Society knows him very well. He does not need any introduction to us.'
In the last leg of the 19th century, two German social activists, Sultaz and Reifflljen, started the Cooperative Movement among the small agricultural landholders. The rural economy had collapsed under the octopus grip of usurers' hegemony. They coined the slogan, 'One for all and all for one,' and mustered the helpless farmers to be united as 'One society for one village.' This movement gained momentum and a thousand cooperative banks came up in Germany. These ripples also effected British India. In 1898, the State of Baroda started the Mutual Aid Society for small landholders.
In 1904, the Movement opened its first cooperative bank, in Kanchipuram. The British Indian Government passed the Cooperative Society Act. The Shymala Rao Vittal Cooperative Bank started 'Cumulative Deposit Scheme' in 1906. It slowly spread to other parts of British India.
Tummalapalli Gopala Krishnamurti
It was a strange irony that Pantulu, who was himself a rich landlord, lent money at government-approved rates called 'dharma vaddi' from a cooperative bank to help poor farmers. It was a small incident that was said to have triggered this. A poor farmer named Ramayya, who had two acres of land, was known to Pantulu. Ramayya had borrowed the sum of Rs500 from a local moneylender for the marriage of his daughter. Several years elapsed but he could not pay it back. The moneylender confiscated his land, house and other valuable things, thus rendering Ramayya to rubble. Indeed, Pantulu, who might have heard several such cases as a lawyer, consoled him for his baneful situation and extended his helping hand by leasing land to Ramayya to start his life afresh.
Pantulu was dead against social injustice. As an upholder of basic human values with committed convictions, he decided to rescue those impecunious farmers he could. On humanitarian grounds and with deep sense of social awareness, he decided to start a cooperative bank at Gudiwada, the first of its kind in Andhra.
One day he assembled all the small holding agriculturists in town and explained at length the benefits and advantages of a cooperative society to overcome the huge debt traps of the cruel moneylenders.
The uneducated and innocent farmers listened to him attentively and pledged their total support. Since he was on the forefront of personal involvement, their response was electrifying, as many people placed great faith in him. As seed capital they contributed Rs2,623.
Thus the Gudiwada Cooperative Bank came in to being on 9th July 1915. He was the first Founder Chairman of the Bank and he served up to 1918. He was regarded the pioneer of the cooperative bank moment in Andhra. Later the bank became well-established and turned into the Cooperative Urban Bank.
In 1919, Mahatma Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Ram Mohan Library at Bezwada. Pantulu attended the meeting and donated to the Congress party.
In 1921, Gandhi visited Bezwada for the second time. Koonala Poornachandra Rao, of the old town, an admirer of the Congress party, invited Gandhi to his house for lunch. Gandhi agreed on the condition that Poornachandara Rao should donate Rs1,116 to the party. Pantulu was also one of the special invitees for the lunch. In that context also he contributed to the Party.
Also, in 1921, All-India Congress meetings were organized at Bezawada. Many national leaders like Chittranjan Das, Motilal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Roy, Babu Rajendra Prasad and others attended the meetings. Pantulu likewise actively participated in them and further contributed to the party.
In 1929, Gandhiji again toured in Andhra and visited Machilipatnam. Pantulu paid his respects to him and donated accordingly to the Party. Gandhiji recognized him and enquired about his welfare esteem. Thus Pantulu took active part in political and social movements, with zeal and patriotism. His friends and close associates affectionately referred to him simply as Tummalapalli Pantulu or Pantulu Garu.
In spite of many avocations, he had a great attraction for the Theosophical Society, its objectives and its teachings. Not merely a liking but verily a thirst for it. Indeed he was completely identifying himself with it. His one and only lifetime objective was to become a perfect Theosophist. He wanted to rise to philosophical heights and make his life purposeful. By following the Theosophical path, he sought to attain Salvation.
Pantulu strictly respected tradition and Vedic religion on the one hand to attain this goal; on the other hand he benefited from the support of the Theosophical Society. It appeared like riding two horses at the same time. There was not full agreement or any association between them and it led to conflicts within himself.
Pots prepared at the same time may appear to be similar but they may not rest properly on a pad. There may be a defect or dent in their making. In the personality of Pantulu, lack of coordination might have led to his internal conflicts and dual attitudes.
Some time back when he met Col. Alcott in the house of Vemuri Subbarao, he had promised to provide a building for the Society at Gudiwada. He also promised to work for its development. Accordingly, Pantulu started the work to fulfill his promise. By that time, branches of the Society were already established in Bezwada, Nellore, Guntur, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Visakapatnam, Vijayanagaram and other towns. A branch was also operating in Hyderabad, in Nizam State.
Without begging or borrowing, he wanted to provide a building from his own funds for the Society. His will was powerful and the work was completed in 1916. In central Gudiwada, a big building was summarily made ready for the Theosophical Society.
On the upper floor of it a separate hall was allotted for the Esoteric Society, a very important branch of the Theosophical Society. On the ground floor a hall was provided with necessary facilities for discussions and meetings. A number of rooms were also attached to it. Furthermore, four rooms were constructed on the roadside of the building for rental purpose, the income of which was utilised for maintaining the Lodge.
For its inauguration, representatives from all over the state were invited, besides from the Adyar Center. A close friend of Pantulu, Chittamury Subbaraidu, took active part in organizing the function. Annie Besant, the president of the Theosophical Society, sent her good wishes for the function. George Arundale, Jinaraja Dasa and others also extended their greetings. The building was handed over to the Society. It was said that Pantulu was the first person to construct such a palatial building at his own cost for the Theosophical Society.
Thus an inseparable bond was formed with the Society. It was attracting all the members of his family towards it like centripetal force. This foundation was laid down for an important future event. The necessary ground was prepared for the commencement of the making of a great history.
On the top of the building, a cement statue of Lord Sri Krishna playing his flute was erected. The passers-by felt as though the real Sri Krishna was standing there. The building was called Krishna Nivas.
Pantulu was not hefty in appearance but his personality was commanding. He had a golden complexion with catchy features. His look indicated a strong desire for knowledge and his nose, a strong will. His broad chest reflected a noble-heart. He looked sharp.
The wisdom of Pantulu was invisible. He could easily please the British judges with his fluency of expression in English. He would stretch out the legal points this way and that and sometimes twist them to defeat his opponents, but he was never unscrupulous. He never tried to win cases on the basis of false evidence.
Though he never sought out advice from anybody, he would not hesitate to advise others. By nature he acted as he liked and as he believed.
Some of his friends did not like that he lent money to the needy and used to comment, 'A man of your stature is not expected to lend money like a mere businessman. Will moneylending earn you name and fame?'
Pantulu would reply, 'There is nothing wrong in what I do. It is not business in my view, it is a kind of social service. I am helping needy persons and charging only lawful interest from them.' Thus he justified his service to the poor.
At the time of repayment to him he was strict regarding calculation of interest as well as the period. Only after the amount was totally paid would he lend money again for a fresh period.
Similarly, when the crops failed or due to flood or any other reason, if the lessee did not pay the rental revenue on the fields, he was not considerate. He used to argue, 'When there was a bumper yield, did you give me excess revenue? Why should I lose my due income? It won't do.'
His external appearance and internal personality sometimes differed with one another. He was both closefisted and generous. He appeared as double-tongued to his friends; they could not understand why such a rich man was so close-fisted.
'Yes, by hard work and breaking my head, I took care of every pie of my income. I knew the value of money and how to respect it. If we do not respect our hard earnings, will it stay with us? The managing of money is as difficult as the earning of it. That is an important principle.' Thus his commentators were silenced.
Though he was of medium stature, his white dhoti and turban added to his dignity and dominance. He always wore the turban whenever he went out. He was a man of few words and his facial expressions made him appear a reserved person.
In those days it was the practice to provide food and other facilities to poor boys. Pantulu remembered the difficulties of his boyhood days. He provided food for one day in a week to such poor boys, and he saw that his friends also joined him. He could not tolerate disrespect. Give respect and take respect was his policy.
Once, due to absentmindedness or some other reason, a weekly boarder boy was indifferent towards him in a marketplace. Next time as usual when the boy came to his house for food, he angrily shouted at him, 'Have you already become blind with arrogance? You are not able to recognize elders and respect people properly?'
Pantulu was not easily approachable for friends or relatives, who ever they might be. They were kept at due distance. He was veritably perfection personified and endowed with an inflamed sense of discipline. He opined that discipline defines the character of a man and determines his success in life. He observed strict timings in his routine, like German philosopher Immanual Kant, at 6:30 A.M. daily worship and prayers, breakfast 8:30 A.M, Lunch at 12:30 A.M. and going to bed at 9:30 P.M. Early in the morning he used to wake up 4:00 A.M. to read books and letters. Indeed he made at a routine for everybody in the house.
The eldest daughter of Pantulu, Rukminamma, was married to Yellam Raju Harinarayana, who was from a rich family. At the time of the birth of her son Gopalam, she died at Visakhapatnam. Vemuri Chinnaiah Rao, son of Vemuri Subba Rao of Machilipatnam, married his second daughter, Saraswatamma. Both the son and the father were lawyers. Chinnaiah Rao had a son named Narasimha Rao and two daughters, Rajyalakshmamma and Subhadramma.
It seems that he was born in 1865 or so. He had a brother named Bala Ramaiah. Pantulu thought of learning some professional course to flourish in his life, so from childhood he rose up by hard work, step by step. It is said that he studied in a Christian institution at Machilipatnam and later received his F.A. (Fellow of Arts) there. In those days, lawyers were treated with high regard in the society. Chances to earn a lot in that profession were many, so Pantulu proceeded to Madras and joined the Law College, staying in a small rented room in Triplicane and preparing his own food. He lived in a disciplined manner and in his leisure time taught children so as to have additional income.
Like the other members of Tummalapalli family, he studied and assimilated philosophy books thoroughly. He also used to contemplate spiritual matters, besides reading about them. He implemented all traditional good customs in his life. While searching for proper knowledge to achieve his life's objective, he came under the influence of the Theosophical Society. There he came into contact with Tallapragada Subba Rao, who was also residing in Triplicane, and who originally belonged to Kakinada. Under his influence, Pantulu's life entered a new phase.
Subba Rao was a close associate of Madame Blavatsky, one of the founders of the Theosophical Society. He was well-versed in Hindu esoteric knowledge. Both of them used to go to the Society center at Adyar. Pantulu came into contact with Blavatsky and Col. Alcott at the Society.
During the second half of 1890, the most important person in the Theosophical Society, Annie Besant, visited Bezwada while touring in India. She spoke eloquently about the spiritual lore of Hinduism. Pantulu approached her and donated a little money from his earlier savings. Afterwards he took part in the activities of the Society. His way of life began to change.
Pantulu completed his law degree and started his practice in a small room at Bezwada. He was considered as an intelligent lawyer and he was elected as secretary of their Association.
It is not known who was his first wife for she passed away before bearing children. His second betrothel was to Annapurnamma, a daughter of Challamraju Satyanarayana. But destiny had its own scheme of things in store. Ineluctable fate dealt a deadly blow. In spite of being in the pink of health, his fiance died two days before their marriage. Everybody was paralysed by the pathos of the situation. After some time, her father surprised everyone by offering his second daughter, Durgamma, to him, but for some reason or other Pantulu refused. After a great deal of persuasion he reluctantly relented and started his family life afresh.
In the human scenario, the plot of destined drama winds and unwinds itself with unknowable and unpenetrable cause and effect, replete with fateful meetings, relationships, comingling and meaningful coincidences. This phenomenon is known by modern thinkers as synchronicity. It suggests that there must be a hidden meaning in relating with people which aims at a specific purpose. By pitchforking Pantulu and Durgamma as husband and wife, inscrutable Fate designed and determined its imperious and impervious formula.
Durgamma was twelve years old when she married. She was strikingly beautiful and her well-chiseled features, glittering eyes and sweet voice animated her countenance. She was short of stature but of balanced proportions, well-acquainted with household chores and had profound knowledge of sacred scriptures. Her religious roots were deeply-embedded. She was the embodiment of an ideal wife and the soul of traditional Hindu womanhood.
The marriage with Durgamma brought prosperity to Pantulu, as timely rain yields bumper crops to the farmer. He constructed a house at Bezawada and earned fabulously as a popular lawyer. He purchased a number of plots at Bezawada as well as a number of fields in Gudiwada area. They had no sons but they had two daughters, Rukminamma and Saraswathamma. They adopted a boy of his brother Bala Ramaiah named Jagannadham.
After purchasing fields in Gudiwada area, Pantulu desired to shift from Bezwada to Gudiwada. In 1903, on the road from Gudiwada to Bantumilly, he purchased an old tiled house and a lot of space around it. He started construction of a good mansion for his family.
Meanwhile, learning that Col. Alcott had come to Machilipatnam by steamer from Madras and was staying with Vemuri Subbarao, Pantulu rushed to Machilipatnam to meet him, informing him of his donation to the Theosophical Society. He invited Col. Alcott to Gudiwada. Accordingly, Col. Alcott was his guest for a day. He promised Col. Alcott to provide a good building for Theosophical Society at Gudiwada at his own cost and pledged that he would work for the Society.
During a short time, his mansion was completed. Around the building there was a compound wall; there were two pillars before the main house. There were also niches in the walls to place oil saucer lamps. Opposite to the compound gate, there was the main door of the main building. On the left side of the main door, there was a room for an iron safe. The jewels of the women and handbags of gold coins, besides bundles of currency notes, were placed in the iron safe. Important promissory notes and other valuable papers were also preserved in the safe. Pantulu attended to all court affairs and transactions in the same room. To assist with his work he had a clerk.
On the right side of the main door, there was another room. It was an office and drawing room. In that room, a number of cupboards contained law books as well as literature on the Theosophical Society. A number of philosophical books also had an important place there. In between the cupboards, the Hindu daily was placed in an orderly manner in bundles. Further inside, there was a dining hall, adjacent to which was the kitchen. The bedroom was to the left of the hall and the prayer room was attached to it; there was also a cellar with a large safety chest in it.
Very near the kitchen, there was a well with ample water. Just like his earnings, the water level never decreased. In the yard, there was a big tulasi (basil) fort, decorated in a majestic way with turmeric and vermilion, and provided with niches in which to place the sacred lamps. In the yard near the compound, a number of trees such as pomegranate, almond, mango, etc., were planted. For worship purposes, plants like red china rose, jasmine, ever-blossoming red jasmine etc., were also planted.
At a little distance from the main building there was a verandah. There were some rooms also in the outer house. Children were fed in there and sometimes in the afternoons, sitting on crude native cots, womanfolk used to have afternoon rest while gossiping amongst themselves. At the end, the necessary number of latrines were provided. A number of additional rooms were built to provide accommodation for cooks, servants and other dependents. Their distant relatives also had a separate hall for their occasional visits.
On the right side of the house, there was a wooden staircase made of Rangoon teak, at the top of which, on the front side, was a balcony made of wood with diamond-shaped cuttings. On the left side Pantulu had a special prayer room always under lock and key that others were not allowed to enter. On the backside he had his bedroom. There was an almirah, a writing table and four or five teak chairs. The rest of the upstairs was a common hall. The hall was used for philosophical discussions and reading etc. In the hall, a small, special room made of straw was specially constructed for visiting ascetics.
Though Pantulu did not directly participate in the Independence struggle, he supported it in his own way. He had direct contacts with top leaders in the state and donated liberally to the movement.
In 1918, the Library Movement infused patriotism, political activity and desire to serve the country and the people. For this movement Pantulu purchased a number of books and presented them to the library. He had contacts with national Andhra leaders like 'Desodharaka' Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramayya, Kompalle Hanumantha Rao, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, 'Desa Bhakta' Konda Venkatappayya and others.
During those days, 'Vignana Chandrika Mandal' was popular among the public. Komarraju Venkata Laxmana Rao was its chief editor. They were selling historic novels, biographies and other books of a hundred pages for a quarter of a rupee. Pantulu assisted this agency for its development. He also established 'Saraswathi Niketanam' to publish a number of philosophical books. 'Poornayoga' and 'Dharma' by Sri Aurobindo, the saint of Pondicherry, were translated into Telugu and published.
Avanindra Tagore's 'Bharata Silpa' and the Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore's 'Upanyasa Manjari' were among its important publications. The great classical philosophical book, 'Maha Gnana Vasistha', was also printed. This publishing agency was patronised by Pithapuram Zamindar Surya Rao, Mungala Zamindar, Nayani Ranga Rao, and Vissanna Peta Zamindar, Mothe Ganga Raju.
Pantulu was first among the chief patrons. The names of Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao, Ayyadevara Kaleshwara Rao, Bhogaraju Pattabhi Seetaramayya, and Kompella Hunumantha Rao, appeared later; the author of 'Malapalli', Vunnava Laxminarayana Pantulu, was also one of the patrons.
In 1913, in the town of Bapatla, agitation was started for Andhra State on a linguistic basis. In 1914, large-scale meetings were organized for the second time, now at Bezawada. Pantulu attended the meetings and contributed for their success. He convinced a number of his associates also to donate. These meetings were attended by many eminent people from all over the Andhra area, including Kandukuri Veerasalingam Pantulu and Chilakamarthi Lakshmi Narasimham Pantulu.
Pantulu proceeded to Machilipatnam in 1914 to meet Annie Besant when she came over there in connection with the anniversary celebrations of Noble College. After the meeting, when somebody was about to introduce him to her, she said, 'He is not new to us. The Society knows him very well. He does not need any introduction to us.'
In the last leg of the 19th century, two German social activists, Sultaz and Reifflljen, started the Cooperative Movement among the small agricultural landholders. The rural economy had collapsed under the octopus grip of usurers' hegemony. They coined the slogan, 'One for all and all for one,' and mustered the helpless farmers to be united as 'One society for one village.' This movement gained momentum and a thousand cooperative banks came up in Germany. These ripples also effected British India. In 1898, the State of Baroda started the Mutual Aid Society for small landholders.
In 1904, the Movement opened its first cooperative bank, in Kanchipuram. The British Indian Government passed the Cooperative Society Act. The Shymala Rao Vittal Cooperative Bank started 'Cumulative Deposit Scheme' in 1906. It slowly spread to other parts of British India.
Tummalapalli Gopala KrishnamurtiIt was a strange irony that Pantulu, who was himself a rich landlord, lent money at government-approved rates called 'dharma vaddi' from a cooperative bank to help poor farmers. It was a small incident that was said to have triggered this. A poor farmer named Ramayya, who had two acres of land, was known to Pantulu. Ramayya had borrowed the sum of Rs500 from a local moneylender for the marriage of his daughter. Several years elapsed but he could not pay it back. The moneylender confiscated his land, house and other valuable things, thus rendering Ramayya to rubble. Indeed, Pantulu, who might have heard several such cases as a lawyer, consoled him for his baneful situation and extended his helping hand by leasing land to Ramayya to start his life afresh.
Pantulu was dead against social injustice. As an upholder of basic human values with committed convictions, he decided to rescue those impecunious farmers he could. On humanitarian grounds and with deep sense of social awareness, he decided to start a cooperative bank at Gudiwada, the first of its kind in Andhra.
One day he assembled all the small holding agriculturists in town and explained at length the benefits and advantages of a cooperative society to overcome the huge debt traps of the cruel moneylenders.
The uneducated and innocent farmers listened to him attentively and pledged their total support. Since he was on the forefront of personal involvement, their response was electrifying, as many people placed great faith in him. As seed capital they contributed Rs2,623.
Thus the Gudiwada Cooperative Bank came in to being on 9th July 1915. He was the first Founder Chairman of the Bank and he served up to 1918. He was regarded the pioneer of the cooperative bank moment in Andhra. Later the bank became well-established and turned into the Cooperative Urban Bank.
In 1919, Mahatma Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Ram Mohan Library at Bezwada. Pantulu attended the meeting and donated to the Congress party.
In 1921, Gandhi visited Bezwada for the second time. Koonala Poornachandra Rao, of the old town, an admirer of the Congress party, invited Gandhi to his house for lunch. Gandhi agreed on the condition that Poornachandara Rao should donate Rs1,116 to the party. Pantulu was also one of the special invitees for the lunch. In that context also he contributed to the Party.
Also, in 1921, All-India Congress meetings were organized at Bezawada. Many national leaders like Chittranjan Das, Motilal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Roy, Babu Rajendra Prasad and others attended the meetings. Pantulu likewise actively participated in them and further contributed to the party.
In 1929, Gandhiji again toured in Andhra and visited Machilipatnam. Pantulu paid his respects to him and donated accordingly to the Party. Gandhiji recognized him and enquired about his welfare esteem. Thus Pantulu took active part in political and social movements, with zeal and patriotism. His friends and close associates affectionately referred to him simply as Tummalapalli Pantulu or Pantulu Garu.
In spite of many avocations, he had a great attraction for the Theosophical Society, its objectives and its teachings. Not merely a liking but verily a thirst for it. Indeed he was completely identifying himself with it. His one and only lifetime objective was to become a perfect Theosophist. He wanted to rise to philosophical heights and make his life purposeful. By following the Theosophical path, he sought to attain Salvation.
Pantulu strictly respected tradition and Vedic religion on the one hand to attain this goal; on the other hand he benefited from the support of the Theosophical Society. It appeared like riding two horses at the same time. There was not full agreement or any association between them and it led to conflicts within himself.
Pots prepared at the same time may appear to be similar but they may not rest properly on a pad. There may be a defect or dent in their making. In the personality of Pantulu, lack of coordination might have led to his internal conflicts and dual attitudes.
Some time back when he met Col. Alcott in the house of Vemuri Subbarao, he had promised to provide a building for the Society at Gudiwada. He also promised to work for its development. Accordingly, Pantulu started the work to fulfill his promise. By that time, branches of the Society were already established in Bezwada, Nellore, Guntur, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Visakapatnam, Vijayanagaram and other towns. A branch was also operating in Hyderabad, in Nizam State.
Without begging or borrowing, he wanted to provide a building from his own funds for the Society. His will was powerful and the work was completed in 1916. In central Gudiwada, a big building was summarily made ready for the Theosophical Society.
On the upper floor of it a separate hall was allotted for the Esoteric Society, a very important branch of the Theosophical Society. On the ground floor a hall was provided with necessary facilities for discussions and meetings. A number of rooms were also attached to it. Furthermore, four rooms were constructed on the roadside of the building for rental purpose, the income of which was utilised for maintaining the Lodge.
For its inauguration, representatives from all over the state were invited, besides from the Adyar Center. A close friend of Pantulu, Chittamury Subbaraidu, took active part in organizing the function. Annie Besant, the president of the Theosophical Society, sent her good wishes for the function. George Arundale, Jinaraja Dasa and others also extended their greetings. The building was handed over to the Society. It was said that Pantulu was the first person to construct such a palatial building at his own cost for the Theosophical Society.
Thus an inseparable bond was formed with the Society. It was attracting all the members of his family towards it like centripetal force. This foundation was laid down for an important future event. The necessary ground was prepared for the commencement of the making of a great history.
On the top of the building, a cement statue of Lord Sri Krishna playing his flute was erected. The passers-by felt as though the real Sri Krishna was standing there. The building was called Krishna Nivas.
Pantulu was not hefty in appearance but his personality was commanding. He had a golden complexion with catchy features. His look indicated a strong desire for knowledge and his nose, a strong will. His broad chest reflected a noble-heart. He looked sharp.
The wisdom of Pantulu was invisible. He could easily please the British judges with his fluency of expression in English. He would stretch out the legal points this way and that and sometimes twist them to defeat his opponents, but he was never unscrupulous. He never tried to win cases on the basis of false evidence.
Though he never sought out advice from anybody, he would not hesitate to advise others. By nature he acted as he liked and as he believed.
Some of his friends did not like that he lent money to the needy and used to comment, 'A man of your stature is not expected to lend money like a mere businessman. Will moneylending earn you name and fame?'
Pantulu would reply, 'There is nothing wrong in what I do. It is not business in my view, it is a kind of social service. I am helping needy persons and charging only lawful interest from them.' Thus he justified his service to the poor.
At the time of repayment to him he was strict regarding calculation of interest as well as the period. Only after the amount was totally paid would he lend money again for a fresh period.
Similarly, when the crops failed or due to flood or any other reason, if the lessee did not pay the rental revenue on the fields, he was not considerate. He used to argue, 'When there was a bumper yield, did you give me excess revenue? Why should I lose my due income? It won't do.'
His external appearance and internal personality sometimes differed with one another. He was both closefisted and generous. He appeared as double-tongued to his friends; they could not understand why such a rich man was so close-fisted.
'Yes, by hard work and breaking my head, I took care of every pie of my income. I knew the value of money and how to respect it. If we do not respect our hard earnings, will it stay with us? The managing of money is as difficult as the earning of it. That is an important principle.' Thus his commentators were silenced.
Though he was of medium stature, his white dhoti and turban added to his dignity and dominance. He always wore the turban whenever he went out. He was a man of few words and his facial expressions made him appear a reserved person.
In those days it was the practice to provide food and other facilities to poor boys. Pantulu remembered the difficulties of his boyhood days. He provided food for one day in a week to such poor boys, and he saw that his friends also joined him. He could not tolerate disrespect. Give respect and take respect was his policy.
Once, due to absentmindedness or some other reason, a weekly boarder boy was indifferent towards him in a marketplace. Next time as usual when the boy came to his house for food, he angrily shouted at him, 'Have you already become blind with arrogance? You are not able to recognize elders and respect people properly?'
Pantulu was not easily approachable for friends or relatives, who ever they might be. They were kept at due distance. He was veritably perfection personified and endowed with an inflamed sense of discipline. He opined that discipline defines the character of a man and determines his success in life. He observed strict timings in his routine, like German philosopher Immanual Kant, at 6:30 A.M. daily worship and prayers, breakfast 8:30 A.M, Lunch at 12:30 A.M. and going to bed at 9:30 P.M. Early in the morning he used to wake up 4:00 A.M. to read books and letters. Indeed he made at a routine for everybody in the house.
The eldest daughter of Pantulu, Rukminamma, was married to Yellam Raju Harinarayana, who was from a rich family. At the time of the birth of her son Gopalam, she died at Visakhapatnam. Vemuri Chinnaiah Rao, son of Vemuri Subba Rao of Machilipatnam, married his second daughter, Saraswatamma. Both the son and the father were lawyers. Chinnaiah Rao had a son named Narasimha Rao and two daughters, Rajyalakshmamma and Subhadramma.
