Born : 1st January 1901
Died : 18th August 1981
Educational Qualification : M.A.B.L
Native of : Coimbatore.
Wife : Janaki Ammal
Children : 7 Sons and 2 daughters.
A prominent personality in Coimbatore. The title 'Dikshadar', meaning one who received God's grace, was awarded to his ancestors, of which he was the last holder. Said to be one of the decendant of Appaya Dikshidar, a sixteenth century saint regarded as an avatar of Lord Shiva himself, well versed in Hindu scriptures.
He was Chairman of Vasundhara Bank founded around 1940 with 273 shareholders. This bank later merged with Indian Overseas Bank in 1972. He was appointed as the liquidator of Indian Overseas Bank and successfully recovered the loans in 7-8 years.
Ran a Company Chemicals & Fertilizers Pvt Ltd. a fertilizer trading company with offices in Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Ooty, Conoor. Kothagiri. Satyamangalam, Pollachi. Udumalpet, Erode and Annur. He had earlier bought this Company from Seshasayee brothers.
Also ran Soap and Ink manufacturing Company in Thadagam Road. Coimbatore.
Unfortunately none of the businesses saw success and resulted in huge losses.
Owned 267 acres of Agricultural land near Dharapuram and Karatholuvu village in Udumalpet district. Due to land ceiling act brought out by the then Government, these lands were distributed among the progenies and ultimately had to be sold due to mounting losses in failed businesses.
Achievements include managing the Kozumum estate extending upto Palani consisting of 12 villages.
One of the earliest donors to Vivekananda College in Mylapore, Chennai where three of his sons later studied.
Other offices held by him include
- correspondent of Suburban High School
- President of Ramnagar Brahmins Association
- Trustee in Ramar koil in Ramnagar, Coimbatore.
A Sanskrit scholar well versed in Hindi scriptures.
His house in Ponnurangam Street was a mansion with a large reception room, a huge hall, a veranda with open terrace on two sides, one for water storage and toilets and other, a staircase for first floor. A bathroom, a big dining hall, a large kitchen, a pooja room. The mansion also contained an office room in front near the reception area along with two other rooms in the ground floor and three rooms in the first floor and a large open terrace. The front was also sprawling with a garage and backyard housed a big cow shed and open toilet(in those days). The side space contained many huge trees and plants. It is said that many a marriage was conducted in this house, as part of charitable activities carried out by my thatha and paati.
My paati was known for her kind heart and her charities to families and individuals who made it to good stature in later life. She is talked reverently by some of those recipients.
He lost his fifth son, who was in the Indian Air Force, in a road accident that shattered him. He was a diabetic patient who developed gangarin in both the feet and suffered for long due to this. He was nursed at home by his sixth son during this time. Ultimately he succumbed to this and reached God's abode at the age of 81.
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