CHILDREN OF THANGASAMY NADAR WITH BIOGRAPHIES
All five children of Thangasamy Nadar, photo taken on 28th December 2023.
Family get-together held in 2013 in Madurai with all blood relatives & close friends. All the five children of Thangasamy Nadar with spouses) standing in the first row. In the middle, Mrs.Jebamani Samuel, mother of Stephen Samuel is seated. Family of Stephen Samuel including daughter, family of Ebenezer Sudhakar including son Daniel Jonathan and daughter Salomi, Joseph Vedamanickam and his wife and daughter Anita with her children, being close family friends & relatives, Moses Ponnappan, brother in law of Samuel Victor, Samuel Victor's daughter Rani Solomon with her husband Solomon and two daughters Priscilla and Lydia, Joshua David, son of Jeyasingh David).
Thangasamy Nadar and Nesammal couple has five children (four sons and one daughter), and they are: (I) Samuel Victor,(D.O.B:16-04-1943) (II) Esther Leela,(D.O.B:31-07-1944) (III) King Calvin,(D.O.B:15-04-1946) (IV) Jeyasingh David,(D.O.B: 28-04-1948) and (V) Job Anbalagan,(D.O.B : 23-10-1949). He had extra-ordinary affection on them.
The family was living in Munnar Town in a wealthy atmosphere. He had special affection on his daughter Leela, being the only girl-child, and on his son Jeyasingh, who was very naughty and shrewd, making him happy by his wits and sleeping with him, whenever he was at home.
Whenever he returned from business tours, he would bring basketful of fruits of the season, in a large quantity, and hence, the children would be eagerly awaiting his arrival. Before his coming to the house, he would arrive at his shop, and from there, he would send home the fruit baskets in advance, to herald his arrival in town. Once the children saw the baskets, they would jump in joy, and would eagerly await his arrival at home. On seeing his coming from the distance, the over-joyed children would run towards him. At times, the children, especially Leela and Jeyasingh would not have the patience to wait at home for his arrival, and would rush to the shop to see him. On seeing him, Jeyasingh would climb on him and would hold him in one arm, and would catch Leela’s hand by his other hand, and would make their way home. On reaching home, he would affectionately pat the cheeks of the other children who were waiting at the door-step, for his arrival. On his entering home, he would lift the youngest son, who would be beside his mother, and would keep him in his arms.
Since Thangasamy Nadar was not able to pursue higher studies in his native village, when he was young, he determined to educate his children to attain higher status in their lives. Therefore, he took his children to cities like Madurai in Tamilnadu for higher studies, after their primary education in Munnar. When his elder children were studying in Madurai, whenever he visited there for business purposes, he used to call on them and to keep them with him in the Udupi Boarding Lodge in the West Masi Street, where he used to stay, till his departure. The children enjoyed their stay with their father as they were provided with all the food items they wished, and taken for shopping entertainment etc. His real enjoyment was to make the children enjoy, and he had no other personal enjoyment in life. He was very humoristic in nature and used to call or address his loving children and wife by humoristic pet names in Tamil and Malayalam, such as “Mootha Kaluthai”,“Aadukaali”, “Peria Mandayan” , “Kozhippee Thinna Naayie”, “Chinna Mandayan”,“Poaththu” etc. The meanings of such pet names with reasons are given below.
Old Photo: Calvin, Anbalagan, Jeyasingh (standing), Late N.D.Sahayaraj, Leela with child Sudha, Late Paul Nesam, Late Jebakkani Victor with child Rani and Victor
Samuel Victor (“Mootha kaluthai” – means ‘Elder ass’)
Since he was the eldest in the family and also he would not be readily available when searched by the father, and normally be away in a remote corner of the town or outside the area with his friends for entertainment. Hence, he was called by him in this pet name.
Esther Leela (“Aadukaali” – means – ‘Dancing leg-gar’)
Since her legs won’t rest in a place, and keep on running from here and there, she was called by him by this pet name.
King Calvin (“Peria mandayan” – means – ‘Elder, big-headed chap’)
Since his head was bigger than others, and also had a belief that he got more brain due to this. Hence, he was called by him by this pet name.
Jeyasingh David (“Kozhipee thinna naayi” –means–‘The dog, eating fowl’s droppings’)
Since he was very naughty and shrewd and made everybody happy, by his jokes and wits, including his father, he was called affectionately by him in this pet name.
Job Anbalagan (“Chinna mandayan” – means – ‘Younger, big-headed chap’)
Since his head was also bigger than others, and had the same belief as in the case of his elder brother Calvin, that he got more brain due to this, and called by him by this pet name. (This photo is the family photo of late Mr.A.T. Alexander, father in law of Job Anbalagan taken on 28-6-1993 on the occasion of the former's 60th birthday)
Nesammal – His wife (“Poaththu” – means – ‘Buffalo’ in Malayalam language)
Since she was fatty and dark in complexion, and also lived in her own ways without hearing anybody’s advice, including her husband’s, she was called by him in this pet name.
The pet names such as ‘dog’, ‘ass’, ‘buffalo’, ‘monkey’ etc. are still used by the people to call their dear ones. He also used to address his other close relatives of his shops also in this manner, and they liked it as they knew that it was due to the affection on them. His children loved him so much, that even if there was any argument between their father and mother due to some misunderstandings, all the children would be with the father’s side except the youngest, as he was too young and growing under the total care of the mother. His eldest son learnt motor cycle riding in his teen age in his father’s motor cycle. He was using an imported costly bicycle with modern extra fittings, and also he was one of the pioneers of using Transistor sets when introduced, in Munnar.