HYDERABAD: Their Wedding Journey Begins
Their story is like any other regular story – of a boy and girl who get married, a simple traditional wedding. Marriage begins the day you are done with your wedding.
Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao and Gruhalaxmi had an arranged marriage, but it was match destined by stars. “We were born and brought up in the the same village, Kintali in Srikakulam district. We both studied in the same school (Zilla parishad High school, Kintali). My father was a farmer and my wife, Gruhalaxmi’s father was also a farmer. When the question of career arose, I had to choose a place other than the one I used to live in. I moved to Visakhapatnam. Though we are from the same village, ours was a arranged marriage and we both met, saw each other, 45 days ahead of our marriage in our village. I got a chance to talk to her. So this is how our arranged love story began and led to marriage,” recalls Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao, a physician in HIV medicine. The doctor has also been chosen for Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Award, a rare honour that was presented at the British House of Lords in September 2015. He works as a professor at the Department of Bio-technology, JNTU, Hyderabad. He is the director of Center for AIDS Policy Studies and Research (CAPSR), he also heads the Division of Cancer and HIV therapy (NIH USA).
Favourite Memory
For the first time in the village several photographers came and took pictures, famous Nadaswaram from All India Radio artists, huge pandals, entire village was electrified with generators, all APSRTC buses in between Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam were directed on that day to their village. “Seeta Rama Kalyam movie was played, table meals, few thousands of cooldrinks, shamiyanas, entire feast was arranged in our school grounds and the grounds were filled with hundreds of cars, buses and other vehicles, a rare scene in fifty years period. The then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, late NTRama Rao sent a personal letter with his greetings which was sensational in those days. As all those were arranged for the first time in our village, it was a favourite memory,” says the doctor who is also a Guinness World Record holder in HIV prevention research work for achieving the largest awareness Red Ribbon.
No jitters here!
“We were not nervous at all as the marriage was planned by involving different teams ahead and practically I came to the marriage on the same day by 10 am from Visakhapatnam while the marriage was at 7 pm,” says a Padmasri awardee Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao.
He fell in love the moment the mediators told the doctor the name of his future wife. And the bride was already his admirer. “I used to hear his speeches in All India Radio on how to quit smoking, nutritional values of common fruits etc, and my father used to praise his speeches in addition to all people in the village. Since then I started admiring and liking him,” says Gruhalaxmi.
Support from the better half
“My wife encourages whatever I propose and I like her simplicity, friendly-nature and love towards fellow beings and residents of our colony. I learned to respect everybody by seeing my wife’s nature without showing any partiality towards anybody and extending affection towards relations and friends,” says Surya Rao and she adds, “I like the way he calls my name and speaks at any point of time and keeping in touch almost at all times despite being a busy medical doctor.”
Going Strong
It’s almost 32 years, they kept their promises to each other. “Fights are nearly nil as we proceed doing things after discussion with each other and mutual consent. When the question of disagreements arise, one of us normally maintains silence without continuing arguments,” he says. “We both are busy in our family matters and whatever we like in each other, we immediately implement it, whether it is going for shopping or to a picnic or going to any pilgrimage or a holiday tour or visiting abroad. And hence we keep ourselves in love always,” she adds.
Standing as an example
Even though Dr Surya Rao has inspired many young people to follow his footprints, being the first medical graduate among around 25 villages to marry without taking any dowry, he considers Sachin Tendulkar and Dr Anjali Tendulkar marriage as a model. “Sachin being a cricket star married an ordinary doctor who is elder to him and leading a very exemplary family life which is quite admirable.” With so many marriages falling apart around us today, the couple feels, “Mutual respect, mutual understanding, supporting each other, concern for each other, valuing each other’s sentiments and opinions and suggestions and adjusting temper are the principles behind any successful marriage to move and stay close as couples emotionally and spiritually.
Grand Affair
Though the marriage was performed in their house, in a small village, six km from Srikakulam town and around 100 km from Visakhapatnam, a huge crowd, from a common man to a collector, from a maid in a house to a Minister, filling all streets in the village attended their marriage function. Thirteen varieties of dishes were cooked and served which was a big talk of the day in those days. Walking down the memory lane, remembering and cherishing those special memories, Gruhalakshmi says, “Those moments are close to my heart and still make me happy from within. As a bride, I was brought to the marriage venue by an ambassador car in the streets with a band playing music and fireworks by all my friends and relatives.”
A doctor is treated like a God in their village. “Getting married to a doctor was the most exciting thing for me,” says Gruhalaxmi and adds, “I was excited on hearing that literally giants like Diwakarla, Saladi, film producers attended the marriage ceremony.”
Best moments
The couple, who has been married for 32 years, says, “We both struggled to send our children to school, to maintain their progress records and to solve troubles created by them in the college.” They have three children – Srujana (B.tech, MBA) married to Nandeshwar (B.tech, MS(London), son Sri Charan, IRS working as Assistant Commissioner in customs and central excise, Government of India and the youngest daughter Sravana perusing her final year MBBS.