What mother is and what her contribution to society needs no elaboration and we all share many aspects all along.

Here wishing all the mommies of the world a very happy, healthy, and fruitful life always.

Here is my story, a tribute to all mothers. 🙏💐👇

The day after my Mother passed away while on treatment for uterus or abdomen cancer at Delhi and she was cremated at the Nigam Bodh Ghats on the banks of river Jamuna. A close relative, fearing the liabilities of three young children suggested to my Father, then 48, that he remarries. Mother was then 40.

Men are vulnerable when circumstances leave them at the deep end without even a blade of grass to hang on to.

However, men are also the stronger gender. Dad was faced with grim reality, three children, eldest brother was 22, elder sister being 12-13 and myself just 8, to bring up including a girl, he opted for being a single father.

My elder brother was already in Kolkata, under the wings of my uncle Jai Singhji, about to finish graduation. My sister and self were moved to boarding schools in Ajmer and Udaipur respectively.

Life was very tough for a single father, but luckily, we had a family maid cum caretaker to take charge of the kitchen. Since he was a government official, he also managed some house-help to run the errands of a household.

Dad was strong. He coped.

We all learnt to be strong… He and destiny taught us not to crib, complain, whine, belittle who we were…We were potentially world class because we had a Mum who was certainly world class.

My grandfather, a Jaghirdar, while traveling by train on a pilgrimage with his entourage, spotted a family on the other side of the platform. He liked the young girl and begged her father for an alliance with their son. Rest is history and they got married in 1931. This was on the directions of family astrologer.

After her arrival in the family, my father was absolved of epilepsy attacks. A 5th class pass from Sojat City (in Marwar), she had raw guts and grit. She was a real woman. Though she got married around 13 years of age, she showed immense maturity in management of haveli affairs. She was revered and respected as an incarnation of Devi Parvati.

My dad’s posting was in Shri Ganganagar. Before returning from Delhi, my dad along with my elder brother visited Haridwar for last rites. My sister and I were at Ganganagar, and unaware of her passing away. As the chill waters of the Ganga swept away her ashes, we knew she would remain deathless in our hearts and minds…Mums are like that.

Mom had stitched a laundry bag with my name inscribed in her crochet art, a few months before she passed away. Did she have premonition of her death? Is it not an inexplicable, strange feeling someone is going to die? Believe me that this bag was required when I moved to hostel at Vidhya Bhawan in Udaipur.

I believe women make men stronger. On Mother’s Day, a tribute for a gender which is equal but different…!