A multitude of emotions runs through me when I behold this eighty-year-old family portrait which majestically adorns the walls of our house. Each time I look at it, I am transported back to a different era, filled with warmth and nostalgia.
This family photograph belongs to the last century, taken at my Tauji’s (Roshan Lal Mathur) Thomson Road Bungalow in Lutyens’s Delhi in 1945, on the auspicious occasion of my parents’ marriage. The picture captures a moment that has become a cherished legacy for all of us.
I was born in 1951, several years after this photograph was taken, yet I feel deeply connected to everyone in it.
In the picture, my grandmother, Smt. Dhan Devi (my grandfather, Lala Chandu Lal, had passed away in 1936), is flanked by her five sons, five daughters-in-law, her three daughters along with their husbands, and 36 grandchildren. The sheer scale of the gathering is awe-inspiring, a testament to the strength and warmth that run in our family.
Just like a banyan tree, she was a regal and noble lady, far ahead of her times. All her offspring were highly educated and well placed. Their immaculate, stylish dresses in the portrait speak volumes about their sophistication and the values they upheld.
Well-versed in Indian scriptures, she used to say that she had five Pandavas, and the eldest son standing next to her, Roshan Lal, was Yudhishthir (Dharamraj). The other sons were Kanwar Lal, Sham Lal, Mohan Lal, and Krishan Sarup (my father). Their wives were Sarswati Devi, Shyama Devi, Charan Dulari, Sheela Devi, and Sushila Devi (my mother). Her daughters were Shanti Devi, Shakuntala Devi, and Sumitra Devi, and their respective husbands were S/s Brijbans Behari, Sri Ram, and Ram Bharose.
With what alliteration she had named her daughters, reflecting her poetic sensibility and love for tradition.
In those days, a lot of planning must have gone into Tauji’s idea of this complete family picture, as all his brothers and sisters with their spouses and children from different places had gathered in Delhi for the marriage. Such a futuristic vision, to put on show a tapestry of family bonding, one that would be treasured for generations to come.
I drift in my imagination: how a professional photographer must have been hired, announcements for the great event must have been made in advance, asking everyone to be ready in their best attire and assemble in the lawns at a particular time. The photographer must have painstakingly made the seating arrangements and briefed the group about the nuances of posing and their needed facial expressions for a festive look. I am sure there must have been huge excitement in the family, and the entire exercise must have taken hours. The anticipation and enthusiasm must have been palpable, with everyone eager to be part of this historic moment.
Tauji was generous enough to give a copy of the picture to each of his brothers and sisters, which has been preserved in the families for generations. These photographs have become priceless heirlooms, connecting us to our roots.
The vagaries of time have taken their toll, and only a few seen in the picture are still surviving. All the sons and sons-in-law of my grandmother were great achievers, and in the course of time her grandchildren also made their names in the fields of education, civil services, engineering, medicine, defence forces, hospitality, aviation, business, and more. Their second and third generations are now gainfully spread all over the world, carrying forward the legacy with pride.
Indeed, a picture tells a thousand stories!