Mrs YGP - Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy passed away

[rajeshnat]

Founder of PSBB schools and noted chief patron of Bharat Kalachar passed away few hours back on Aug 06,2019. Condolences to her family.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 552547.cms

[Nick H]

93... wow! Always seemed like she would go on for ever, but, of course, nobody does.

There must be many members here who have know her all their lives, and some, of course, attended her school.

Condolences.

[thanjavooran]

Very sorry to hear. Deepest condolences. RIP

[rshankar]

Condolences to her family and her circle of influence!
May her AtmA attain SAnti!

[shankarank]

Sincere condolences. I have met Mr YGM her son once during his drama visits, enjoyed the conversation. Always cherish the few concerts that I got to attend in Bharat Kalachar. Will be remembered as a great patron and educator.

[arasi]

YGP Mami…
An outstanding woman! As a teenager, I admired her so much for the articles she wrote in Sports and Pastime, being a wannabe journalist myself. Her beauty and personality added charm to my first encounter with her at a family gathering. I had only heard about all the work she had done in the field of education since I have been away from India for a long time. The past twenty years or more, I have met her many times and every year that I am in India, I would meet her one way or the other. By visiting her (she also happens to be the m-I-law of one of my cousins). She released Sumitra Nitin's second CD of my compositions. One of he brightest women I have met, her keen interest in everything and everyone amazed me. She read my books within a few days of my giving them to her and she called me and spoke to me soon after. The last time, though I was there at her house, I said, don't disturb her. I heard her voice from her room: you better come and say hello to me! She spoke to me for a while--not getting a few more minutes of rest before she had to get ready for an afternoon Bharath Kalachar programme.

Her love for the arts and her writing and speaking skills are the part of her that I am acquainted with and admire her no end for. The way she would make a mini speech at the end of a concert every day during the long season, voicing her keen sense of rasiktva!
I shall miss her. A namesake(as she noted once) who lived a full life, engaging herself tirelessly in matters of education and culture as she did. Her friendliness is something I shall cherish. If that's the way things go, I'm hoping to meet her at a later date and have long conversations with her then...

May her soul rest in peace. Thinking of all the family...
.

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

Remarkable lady. Like ARASI I have followed her articles in Sports and Pastime(as "RASHMI"). A pillar of strength to her husband's drama troupe.

My late father-K.S.Mahadevan and she were very close and often discussed concerts that both attended together and MRS YGP was keen to know what my Dad;s impression was and how he was going to frame his review. She has been a good family friend encouraging my daughter's dance and would promptly take up my Dad's recommendation of a budding artiste. She was a great administrator and her School has an impressive record in the academic world.

My father told me about an anecdote about Mrs YGP. I believe Mrs YGP at the request of a friend gave a chance to a young vocalist male I think--I do not remember the name. She had invited my father to attend the concert and write a review, At the end of the concert she is reported to have asked my father as to what he thought of the concert. My father paused a moment(he was ambivalent about the performance) and said I am not going to write the review. Mrs YGP I believe agreed wholeheartedly with the assessment and that is the best thing to do.(Caveat: My father a rather benevolent reviewer--especially when it comes to young artistes--apparently felt that his review may not be helpful to the artist--no malice involved here). My father always respected her opinions about artistes and between themselves they shared many trials and tribulations of running a Sabha(my father was associated with Shanmukhananda Sabha and as such had many experiences with artistes, audiences and the contrast between the Bombay sabha and the Chennai sabhas was shared between the two.
Despite her reduced mobility in the last 15 years or so she would make sure to attend the concerts in the Mylapore area.
When my father passed away in Sept 2006,Mrs YGO was one of the first persons to come to my brother's house in R.A.Puram to pay her respects.
Younger folks in the forum--in the current environment of women empowerment-- cannot imagine how in the Fifties the climate was indifferent if not hostile to women of extraordinary strength and how despite her husband's immense popularity thro his dramas(with Pattu) overshadowing her-- Mrs YGP held her own gracefully without being combative or antagonistic towards the Society of those times!!

She lived a rich life made tremendous contributions to the fields of Art,Dance and Music.

MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE!!

CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY.