MB#69: 𝙄 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙢, 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞 𝙍𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙚.

[MemoirBlogthon #69] My birthplace, Amalapuram, is defined by two profound visits: the first, a memorable journey in the late 1960s where my father proudly showed me the Dowleswaram Barrage and the beauty of the Godavari's Konaseema region. The second, decades later, was a bittersweet pilgrimage that found my ancestral home replaced by a school playground, proving that while physical roots may change, the journey to locate them is the lasting legacy.

MB69 On Godavari River Ferry-Amalapuram Temple-Back to Dhavileswarm Cotton Bridge

Amalapuram, Godavari, and the Legacy of the Delta

The name "Amalapuram," East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, instantly brings back a tide of nostalgia. Though I was born there in 1954, my memories are vivid yet sparse, defined by just two significant visits—the first orchestrated by my father, and the second, decades later, orchestrated by me.

The All-Green Journey of the Late 1960s

The first visit, in the late 1960s, was an adventurous "all-kids" detour during my father’s official tour. He was an engineer overseeing the progress of three bridges across the Godavari River, and he used his official Willys Jeep to take me and my siblings to see our maternal grandfather, the late Sri Konduri Viswanadham garu, who was ill and bedridden in his ancestral home.

The journey from Vijayawada took us to Rajahmundry, on the banks of the Godavari. To reach Amalapuram, we had to journey to Kotipally and cross the river to Muktheswaram, on the other side. My father deliberately chose a ferry ride for this leg, taking the Jeep along with us. The boat journey on the Godavari in the Konaseema region is breathtaking, reminiscent of Kerala with its lush greenery and coconut trees. It was a memorable experience, filled with serene waters and a glimpse into local cultural life.

To ensure I saw everything, we returned via a different route: across the Dowleswaram Barrage. My father proudly pointed out the man-height gates and the innovative design of the barrage, a structure built by the renowned British engineer Commander Sir Commander Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton. The bridge-like causeway allows one to cross the vast Godavari water without getting drenched. We even visited a small museum at the end of the barrage, paying tribute to the "Delta Architect" who turned the Godavari Districts into Andhra Pradesh's "rice bowl." My father, an engineer himself, clearly relished sharing this piece of civil engineering history, linking my birthplace to a legacy of construction and prosperity.

This journey was Father's final chance to see his father-in-law, making the trip emotionally urgent, a detail I didn't fully grasp until years later.

The Return: A Pilgrimage and a Playground

The second visit occurred in 2014, four decades later, during a family pilgrimage to East Godavari District temples. This time, I was the one bringing my family to the place of my birth.

On that day, my 60th birthday, I spent the better part of the day in Amalapuram. Yet, the visit was bittersweet. When we reached the location of my maternal grandfather's ancestral house, I was shocked. The large, old home, once presided over by my grandfather (a retired Circle Inspector of Police), was gone. In its place stood school sheds and a playground.

The property had been sold by my maternal uncle, the late Sri Ramanadham Garu, a prominent radio engineer, as he had grown too old to look after it. It was a poignant moment: the physical memory of my birth home was lost, replaced by a new center for childhood learning. The land, though no longer ancestral, continued to nourish a new generation.

The contrast between the two visits is stark: the first was a journey of adventure, family duty, and professional education led by my father; the second was a pilgrimage to reconnect with roots that, ironically, were no longer physically present.

My father instilled in me the inclination to seek out and appreciate my origins, and I was keen to return with my own family. The journey across the Godavari remains a powerful metaphor for life—a river always flowing, connecting our past in Amalapuram with our present.

### MB#69: Quiz

MB69 Question: On the first trip in the late 1960s, what unique method of transport did the author and his father use to cross the Godavari River?

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• A. A pedestrian bridge.
• B. A ferry boat carrying their Willys Jeep.
• C. A newly constructed rail bridge.
• D. A private motor launch.

MB#69: Quote

"The river is everywhere." – Hermann Hesse (from Siddhartha)