She was a great follower of Kasturba Gandhi and named her last son after her. Her son Kasturi recollects that the Photo of Kasturba Gandhi was found missing on a Friday morning and She insisted that the photograph be retrieved and brought back immediately.

 

She was very cordial with everyone and ensured that good relationships were maintained with all relatives and servants too.  She also cordially attended to Clients who came to consult Shri.Varadachari, congressmen, ministers and served them excellent homemade coffee as She herself was very fond of coffee.

 

Her daughter Vydehi recalls that when the mother of Shri.Varadachari was about to die, she called for Mangammal and placed her hand in the hands of Shri.Varadachari and said “she is the Mahalakshmi of the house. Take good care of her” and passed away.  

 

Mangammal also used to mediate between couples and settle their differences. Since she had many children, childless couples would take her blessings.

 

She was very fond of cats and had a pet cat “cheely” which would come every evening. On the contrary Shri. Varadachari would take both his legs and keep them on the chair to avoid the kittens and she would laugh. One day, his grandson Late Dr.Shri.G.Venkatadri took the cat away and left it in a faraway place since he thought the cat troubled his grandfather. But when he came back home he found the cat sitting next to his grandfather as if it had never left the house.

 

She always told her daughters that marry the boy only if you like him despite the fact that they had many daughters to marry off. She had the hobby of collecting nice porcelain dolls, chettinad baskets and glassware.  She used to distribute new sarees to the poor women.  

 

She took care of her mother-in-law, her sister and their mother and also her own mother.  She ensured good relationship between all of them. She also used to stitch leaves together to make leafy plates out of them and they used to look so professionally done.These plates were used to eat food.  She also used to weave on the Charka.

 

Also, when her leg was amputated she still retained her faith in God and said she had worked very hard and now God had arranged for her to rest a little and enjoy the care of a loving family. .

 

Her son Kasturi recalls, that when the flag that was hoisted 26th January 1959 and it bent to the side, his mother had remarked that it does not augur well.  The next day she passed away.

 

 Recollection by his Children

 

His children recollect that he spent much time with all of them despite his very hectic schedules of practicing in courts and being engaged in freedom struggle in association with the Congress. That he used to read Ramayanam to his children and even would personally accompany them to the shops to buy clothes and even crackers during Deepavali. That often he took them to various temples.

 

 

His third son Mr. K.V.K Gandhi recollects having accompanied him to several Congress meets when his father used to buy him strawberry ice cream on the way home and in Mr. K.V.K Gandhi’s words “the taste still lingers”.

 

Mr.Gandhi also recalls that his father was very fond of poori fried in ghee and he would eat it in a silver plate which had a gold coin embedded in the center.

 

Mr.Kasturi recalls that his father used to play tennis at the club and he encouraged his children to play cricket. In fact he sent a poem “To my boys” in Telugu from Jail - a picture of which is available to us below :