Capt. Krishnarao N. Panemanglor – An Enigmatic Gentleman in Baroda.

 

Capt. Krishnarao N. Panemanglor – An Enigmatic Gentleman in Baroda.

Chapter I: Ante

I never got to meet my Ajja or paternal Grandfather (KNP from here on) as he had passed away in 1951 - four years before I was born.
 

In the recent months that I embarked on compiling our Panemanglor Family Tree, as well as digitizing really old family photographs and going through some of our family heirlooms, what I knew about KNP's life, got more and more intriguing.  In the majority of the Black & White and sepia tones photographs, KNP is seen wearing a 3 piece suit, sometimes with a Pith Helmet, even where some of his relatives/colleagues would be wearing the semi Indian/Western outfits of the Indian jacket with dhoti/pyjama.. unfortunately, there are no photographs of the Panemanglor siblings or their families before 1915. Alas, as of now, other cousins have not yet been able to find any old photos of KNP from their trove of family albums.
 

I spent hours researching on the internet and had long chats/calls with several cousins, as well as questioned my mother (91+ years old), getting all of them to recollect anecdotes and snippets of family tales, to find out more about my Ajja. I have also tried to recall the many stories that my Papa had told me, years and years ago, and my wife Priti also reminded me of some of the tales we had been told.
 

After retiring from the Army (with over 28 years service), my Papa (Lt. Col. C.K. Panemanglor) decided to settle down in Baroda in 1969 – the city where he had been born, bred and buttered – as he liked to say. Papa & Mummy were there for 29 years – and I do regret that I did not take more interest in knowing about the family history associated with the city.. initially, I was too young, and home only for vacations from my boarding school (Rajkumar College, Rajkot); later when I was in the Merchant Navy, I would visit mainly during my leave periods. In those "oh-so-young" days, there were other more interesting things and distractions. Wistfully thinking back, it would have been wonderful to have Papa – who, by the way, was a raconteur par excellence – to have narrated their Baroda life & upbringing – and even show me/us the various places linked to KNP and the family. 

 So inevitably, this blog will recount the life & times of KNP and his kinfolk – based on family lore and legends.  Some facts – especially of his early life – are unknown and one can only make conjunctures about that time frame of the family history. And as this blog progresses, I sincerely hope that other distant cousins/relations might be able to add to or update the narrative. Where these accounts are based on conjuncture, I will indicate (cn) meaning "citation needed".
 

My Papa told me that originally, KNP's father Narayanrao lived in Coondapur (or Kundapur, South Kanara).  Based on this, we can surmise that all of Narayanrao & Chandakka's children were born in Kundapur, and likely completed their vernacular/English schooling in the Kundapur/Udipi or Mangalore region. All the 3 sons completed their Undergraduate studies either in Mangalore, Madras or Bombay (cn).
 

In the Nineteenth Century, the British colonial rulers in India – (once the East India Company relinquished to the British Crown) – embarked on further establishing the large network of educational institutes across India – specifically all the districts in the three Presidencies of  Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. The British also encouraged the various Church Missions, as well as the Princely states to set up similar institutions. Besides intending to impart Western style education to the Indian middle-class people, to inculcate a spirit of self-reliance and a capacity for initiative; to aim thorough knowledge, methodical application, and exact learning. And also for the creation, through the education of elites, of a class of interpreters who would act as a bridge between the Crown and the millions it governed. Such people as "a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but to a certain extent, English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect",  and through these "babus" they established the system of local Governance, under the British Colonial Law.
Thus the Imperial Civil Service (or Indian Civil Service – now the IAS) was further amended and the framework of the British Indian Legal system (suitably allowing for the deep roots in India's socio-political environment)  when High Courts were set up at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.
 

In the latter part of the 19th century, Bhanaps (Chitrapur Saraswats) – already an educated community, were opting to get schooled in the Western style institutes for Arts, Science, Law, Medicine, Engineering, Botany etc. Quite a few of them got scholarships from the local administration or assistance through their relatives established in the community. In due course, a large number of Bhanaps were inducted into the Bombay and Madras administrations as Gazetted Officers, got employment opportunities in mercantile offices as well as were holding important posts in local provincial governments, courts and schools.
For University studies, the curriculum of the typical upper-class education was dominated by classics (liberal education) and included a choice of a classical language: either Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew and even Avestan-Pelhevi – besides English, Hindi & the local vernacular language. However, for Civil Services (ICS, IPS, etc.) and the Bar (Law) – a classical education continued nonetheless to be vital to success since knowledge of Latin and Greek was favourably weighted in the marking scheme as the British Imperial system still used this for their jurisprudence. Latin was also extensively used in Medical and Botanical teachings.
And thus, I believe, that KNP graduated from Elphinstone College with B.A. Hons, with Latin as his Major.
               

Elphinstone College, Bombay. 1900s


The actual dates of migration of the Panemanglor brothers – Ramrao, Krishnarao, Shivrao and the youngest Sundarrao, to Bombay cannot be established – but appears to be in the in the late 1890's ~ early 1900's. Quite likely Ramrao (the eldest) was the first to go there to seek his fortune, followed by the others.
The family initially lived with other Bhanaps in Bhalchandra Chawls near Grant Road Station which was built in 1900 or so.
            

(representative foto of) Bhalchandra Chawls opp Grant Road Station (W).
 

 

 

Was razed & redeveloped in 2015 – a 20 storey tower called Amorina Heights and another one – the 35 storey Shri Jayant Darshan now stand in the same ground.



Later, the family established their home at Raghav Wadi (earlier Haji Kasam Wadi) at French Bridge          
 


Raghav Wadi

 In that generation, looking at our Family Tree (where there are still many blanks for year of birth / year of death), it appears that some siblings got married around the turn of the century  - first, sister Ansuya (mid/late 1890's), then Ramrao (around 1900-01),  Krishnarao (KNP) around 1903-04,  followed by the others in the following decade. (cn)
 

The brothers initially lived at Bhalchandra Chawls on Shankar Shet Lane or Bhajji Galli (as it's popularly known) opposite Grant Road Station. Not know is exactly when they moved to Raghav Wadi at French Bridge – before 1910 – likely when the parents Narayan Rao & Chandakka moved to Bombay, and the family got larger with progenies being born.
 

Aside from KNP, the other brothers would go on to join the Mercantile Banking sector: Ramrao was the first Indian Manager of Lloyds/Grindlays Bank in India. Shivrao was with First National Bank and Sundarrao was with Bank of India. The last two ended up as Chief Accountants.
 

In 1906, KNP was employed at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai – as a Lecturer teaching Latin – as a classical language for the Bachelor of Arts course. Fr. Frederick Dreckmann was the Principal.




St Xaviers College in 1900s


In the normal run of events, KNP probably would have pursued a career of teaching Latin & other subjects and risen in the academicians' stream. However, this was not to be..
 

In the following year, KNP would meet a very important personage at St. Xaviers College  (SXC) – after which his entire life, thereafter, would completely change.

To be continued...