whose food we eat, their song we sing

Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi, the protagonist of “Cooking at Home with Pedatha” is no more. She passed away on 20th February this year, leaving a void behind. This blog is a tribute to her.

Warm, friendly, and above all, an embodiment of unconditional love, she was charming, witty and ever so passionate about cooking and feeding.

A.P.Parigi, her son writes:

As her son, I have lived with and known Amma, who is popular now as Pedatha to readers of her cookbook, for over 50 years. My vivid, early memories date back to the late 1950s . I was all of nine years of age and remember being fascinated with how she went about taking care of the house and guests. If I were to say I owe her my life, it would be an understatement . In fact, every son knows and sometimes realizes this sentiment, when his mother is no longer around to connect with and reach out to. If I have some claim to seeing the future before it arrived, I possibly, early in life realized how integral she was to every thing I did and will do in my life.

Scenes from the Mumbai launch; Parigi, the proud son speaks about his mother; Cine Celebrity Yash Chopra with Pedatha, Parigi, his wife Vrinda Parigi (lady in black), Jigyasa & Pratibha

In Pedatha’s view, relationships were sacred and every one was bound to contribute to make this world a far better place to live in. She was very simple and affectionate, and did not expound lofty thoughts, but her idealism was apparent in her simple belief in goodness and love. Having lived a life of 86 years, it was but natural that she had faced sorrows and joys, had been witness to tragedies and great moments of achievements and success in life, but somehow through it all, she remained simple and serene and spread this positive energy to anyone who came in contact with her. She simply believed in spreading happiness.

Effortlessly she could connect People, Relationships and Food. Cooking and serving people was her way of life. Amma was one of those rare individuals who in her interactions with others demonstrated the Law of attraction. She always believed in the Power of human thought. She possibly never knew or realized that she was a master at explaining many valuable Secrets of Life. However adverse the circumstances , she could always get people to once again start believing in themselves. She had this gift which she generously deployed to spread cheer and happiness in every home. Her motto was : Nothing is impossible.

Through her culinary skill she possibly conveyed the power of positivism and the need to live in the present, using the learnings received through generations before her. To believe in oneself, to have faith in the future, that the future will be influenced by the way you think. She always said you will finally be what you dream to be. So always dream and think big. You will get there much to your surprise.

Mrs. Sarla Surya Rao, Pedatha’s sister wrote a page titled “Pedatha…an inspiration” in “Cooking at Home with Pedatha”:

‘Pedatha’ is my eldest sister Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi. Born on 2nd May, 1921 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, her earliest memories are of the large house in Behrampur where she grew up - especially the hustle and bustle in the kitchen. She used to love watching our mother cook with love and care to feed the large family and friends, including illustrious visitors like Gandhiji, Rajagopalachari, Gopal Reddy and others.

Our mother, Late Smt. Saraswathi Bai Giri, wife of former Indian President, Bharat Ratna Dr. V.V. Giri - was an expert cook. She was a repository of knowledge of a vast variety of Indian vegetarian cuisine. Subhadra, the eldest of a large number of eternally hungry siblings, was ideally positioned, as she modestly puts it, to imbibe the best of culinary skills from our mother.

Sarala Athaiyya and Pedatha chatting away

Due to her husband late Shri Krishna Rau Parigi’s official postings, Subhadra has lived in Madras, Delhi, Ceylon, Burma, and in Pondicherry (during French rule). A great host, her house was always filled with guests. While in Pondicherry and Burma as the Vice-Consul’s wife, she herself used to make dishes which were thoroughly relished by locals and visiting dignitaries alike.

She currently resides in Bangalore and is the mother of four children, Saraswathi Dinesh, Rekha Ram Jayanthi, Late V.G. Parigi, and Preetham Parigi. A good conversationalist, she can fluently speak Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English.

Those who meet her love her, and those who eat her food admire her cooking. No wonder she has admirers all over the world.

I am flattered that Pratibha and Jigyasa have asked me, among innumerable friends and relatives, to introduce my sister.