EJJI'S PARTY PHOTOS 2

THE HAIR DRESSER'S PARTY & BEGGAR'S ROLE- Pictures No.1a to 1f

This was a unique party by all counts. I had hired a barber's saloon. A few of my friends were invited. As soon as they entered, they had a drink, and were asked to shave a portion of my head. Since space was limited, guests constantly had to leave as and when new guests were coming in. Towards the end of the party I looked like a plucked chicken. The owner of the saloon gave me a full shave. Shankar, Shyamala's brother, disinfected my fully shaved head with some good Hercules Triple X Rum. I then changed into the clothes of a "swami" and went to a local temple. I sat on the pavement outside the temple along with the regular beggars and asked for alms. The whole event was being secretly videographed and photographed from a car. Shyamala was asked to come and give alms to all the beggars including me. The exercise was an eye opener. I learnt that there is a union for beggars in Madras. There is a fee the beggars pay the union for the right to beg in a certain area. Begging was a lucrative business. I earned Rs.127-00 in a span of an hour!

THE WEDDING PARTY WITH EUNUCHS- Pictures No. 2a to 2j 

The other unforgettable party was one I hosted outside Madras on the Mahabalipuram Road. What was special? Everything! The theme was a traditional South Indian Wedding. The invitation by itself was exotic. The entertainment was given by a group of eunuchs. The music was performed by a group of pipers and drummers who usually play the music for funeral processions. The liquor served was from country hooch to good Scotch whisky. The food had a gravy dish in a huge cauldron, made with only the eyes of goats. And as such eyes, even when cooked keep floating on top of the gravy, anyone who went for a helping to the cauldron, had a few scores of eyes looking up at them from the top of the gravy. Fried quails were served with fish from Maldives, (a rare type of dried fish looking like a fossil or a piece of driftwood, that is pounded and served uncooked!) You had regular pipers and drummers that you see at Indian weddings welcoming the guests. Dinner was a sit down dinner, served any time through the night till early morning, on plantain leaves! The main menu was what is served in regular weddings. The carry home gift bag contained Norodh (a male contraceptive) and Anacin tablets (pain killer).

THE ROYAL MADRAS YACHT CLUB PARTY- Pictures No. 3a to 3 d

The venue was the Yacht Club, inside the Madras Harbor, but I had arranged a dance floor and bar on a motor launch. Though it was illegal, we sailed with music, booze and dance to the outer harbor that is the Bay of Bengal. My friend T.R.Rajan, "having had grandly of wine", fell overboard. Not knowing swimming, he was struggling in the open sea in pitch-dark surroundings. His and my luck, the motor launch turned around mid-sea just at that moment. And Paddu Mohan Raman my sister in law just then saw someone struggling in the sea. She alerted the boat crew who rescued him. That was an event that no one can ever forget. The main Club is a heritage building. There is even a piece of the shell that fell on the Club when the German battleship SMS Emden bombed Madras in 1914!

THE FANCY DRESS PARTY WITH A FLOOR SHOW- Pictures 4a to 4e

I hosted a fancy dress party where you could come “only if dressed in a fancy dress”. Strict adherence to the rule, and nearly all the 100 plus guests came in a variety of fancy dresses! Oh what a variety it was. And how much time, care and money they spent to come in fancy dresses. And what did I offer them in return? A strip show and limbo fire dance!! It was Madras in those days when such things were not done. A cabaret at a private party with ladies around?! The one big question everybody had to ask me was how I allowed Rasika and Sarika, lesser than 6 years of age to be present! Bharat Raman came as a typical A/C and D/C Arab (if you know what I mean!), with 2 wives both in purdah. One was his own wife Padmini, and the other was Ganesh Ram, temporarily made a "wife" for the evening. That was the most innovatve of fancy dresses that evening.

WITH THE SIVAJI GANESAN FAMILY AT BESANT ROAD- Pictures 5a to 5f

I owe a debt of gratitude to Ramkumar and his parents Sivaji Ganesan and Kamalamma. At a time when I was just coming up in life and business, Ramu and his family generously gave me their house in Besant Road to live in. They took me to be part of their family. The houses were in a gated enclosure, built by the family for their own use many years ago. All the four houses were identical. The four houses had only their family members or someone connected to their family for many years living in them. I am eternally indebted to the family for allowing me to live there till I built my own house. This party was in gratitude to their generosity. My debt to Ramu can never be repaid till the end of my life.