Mr. Suryanarayana Rao – A Tribute
As a tribute to my teachers, I had written this about Mr. Suryanarayana, my mathematics teacher during Intermediate days at Hyderabad:
“There was one Mr. Suryanarayana who was a Don in the World of Calculus. His style of teaching was so simple and clear that I became a fan of Calculus. He used to be called M1 at college. [It was a system to label teachers as M1, M2, so on in SRM Junior college/ Special Coaching Centre]”
In response to this, I have received a connect from one Mr. Vidyanath saying Mr. Suryanarayana is no more. He passed away 4 years back.
During our Intermediate days, professor was not keeping very well. He would come whenever his health permitted him to. We would wait with great excitement for his arrival. Because once he came, the class would be a roller-coaster ride. Nobody would believe it was a mathematics class. He would stand on the dais for a mere 15 minutes; explain the concept that he would be handling during the next two hours. Then, he would walk around between the benches clarifying doubts of students with amazing patience.
Subjects like Calculus, co-ordinate geometry and others were just made to sound so simple. It was Mr. Suryanarayana Rao who drove the fear of mathematics away from us. Instead he made it our most favourite subject. I know of atleast 80 people (my intermediate class) who just adored him. Some of us would call him “Thatha” not out of ridicule but affection.
Even today if I am faced with a problem of mathematics, I won’t run away saying that I have forgotten all this. Instead I will try approaching it from first principles. The fundamentals which the Great professor has so superbly taught us. It is now fun to do mathematics.
Thanks to you Sir. Thanks! If I say you were God to me, I don’t think I would be off the mark. Guru devo bhava. Now that you are with God, please tell God to send more people like you to make more students understand the fun behind every subject. You know the best as to how learning can be made effortless.
In the form of your death, special coaching center has lost its best professor. The students are never going to realize what they have lost. The student community, who has learnt from you, will know what a great loss it is. For me, it’s a great personal loss. I have lost my Guru. And I guess I had done something really bad not to know about the loss for 4 years. I will miss you Sir!
Also, thanks to Mr. Vidyanath for updating me. Please keep in touch.
I liked your post very much. I too had teachers that will remain in my heart for all my years. For their dedication, knowledge, support, and genuine love of their subject.
Lisa:
Thanks so much for your comment! :)
Not only for their dedication, knowledge, support, and genuine love of their subject but for the same dedication, knowledge, support, and genuine love that they arouse in us that they stay on in our hearts! :)
Aditya… Is it not amazing that how much ever we talk and put in words, it does not encompass the emotion, attachment that we feel for icons like these!
I think India is alive and kicking NOT because of Hotmail Bhatias, Parliamentarians, Corporate honchos, IT gurus… it lives in small gods like these who take care of even the smallest flowers that grow in the garden… and it unfortunately dies with passionate people like… I just hope, one day there is somebody who can listen to us and keep these people, the respect for them, alive… forever.
Thanks a lot for tagging me…
I will be around… and will keep coming back…
Vidayanath,
It is so true! Words don’t seem to encompass what we are feeling. The feeling is so enormous.
Great gurus who take care of small flowers! Wow! Vidyanath, that’s a very good statement! And very profound too! Suits Late Mr. Suryanarayana Rao’s greatness.
Thanks for replying! Keep coming! :)
Hey Adi,
Indeed Mr.Suryanarayana is definitely one of the best teachers I have had.He absolutely personified great knowledge and greater humility.I just luved the way the taught, giving just enough information and not spoon feeding.
Hari
Maatha Pitha Guruve – Deiyvam
It becomes so difficult to one day just to hear somebody is no more & when you share such a great association with that person & still think he is teaching the new batches after we became alumini of so & so institution!
I met few of my teachers recently & I wonder where are so young & enthusiatic teachers who used to punish us & scold us left & right for all our mischiefs, Most of them have not retired..!
Amen!!
Veena:
Great teachers never retire. And neither to they die. They live in our hearts forever. And somewhere we try to follow their model of teaching whenever we get a chance to teach someone! That’s the greatness of these teachers!