Page 9 - Memorial Book Thilaga Mylvaganam

Recollections by Daughter Jano (Janaki Ramachandran)

Amma’s Early Life

Born on 25th June 1926, at 52 New Chetty Street, Kotahena, Colombo, Sri
Lanka she was the daughter of a postmaster who later rose to Supdt. of
Post Offices and Private Secretary to the Minister of Posts and
Telecommunications and her mother was a housewife. Amma had older
brother Siva (Anandan) and younger brothers Gnani, Ragu and younger
sister Puni. Due to her father’s career transfers they lived in several parts of
the Island during her early years. She studied at Good Shepherd Convent
Kandy, Good Shepherd Convent Colombo, Uva (Boys) College Badulla, St
Ursula Convent Badulla, Good Shepherd Convent Nuwara Eliya, Wolfendhal
Girls School Kotahena, Good Shepherd Convent Kotahena, Vembadi Girls
School Jaffna and St. Scholastica’s College, Kandy. As a Tamil growing up in
predominantly Sinhalese areas, she had a deep appreciation of the history,
geography and cultural practices of each of these areas. Amma was a true
woman of the land with a rich Sri Lankan cultural heritage. This she
demonstrated by her love of English, Tamil and Sinhala music, dancing,
drama and literature. Amma played the harmonium while Siva would sing
and dance and Gnani accompanied with a rabana drum. The siblings were
well known for choreographing their own performances to the family,
friends and even the general street public with or without parental
permission and often to earn pocket money. Amma and her older brother
Siva were constant companions. She followed him around and played
cricket and football and he even made her wear boxing gloves and taught
her boxing.

Characterised as reading at every possible opportunity, she was chastised
by her mother for not helping with the housework. Amma perhaps never
gave a serious ear to these admonishments because to my knowledge she
got us children involved as early as she could into the regular sweeping and
cleaning and the rest was left to the domestic staff. Reading in bed armed
with chocolates and nuts was a ‘tradition’ she earnestly followed to her
very end.

Late Mrs. Tilakavati Mylvaganam 8