how would kalams fathers convey complex concept to him?
Answers
Rameswaram, a temple town in Tamil Nadu, played a seminal role in shaping President Kalam. In his book, he describes with evocative detail the pilgrims catching a boat out at sea and the relationships between the Hindus and Muslims of his childhood.
Though the society around him was rigid and stratified along caste and religious lines, Kalam was fortunate to have some remarkable people in his life, who broke through these barriers and seeded in him a firmly plural and syncretic imagination.
His father's friendship with Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple, forms one of his most 'vivid memories':
"The high priest of Rameswaram temple, Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, was a very close friend of my father's. One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men, each in his traditional attire, discussing spiritual matters.
When I was old enough to ask questions, I asked my father about the relevance of prayer. My father told me there was nothing mysterious about prayer. Rather, prayer made possible a communion of the spirit between people.
"When you pray," he said, "you transcend your body and become a part of the cosmos, which knows no division of wealth, age, caste, or creed."
My father could convey complex spiritual concepts in very simple, down-to-earth Tamil."
Kalam had people in his life who broke through barriers and seeded in him a plural and syncretic imagination
Kalam also describes how easily his family enabled - and sometimes participated - in the festivals and rituals of the Hindus:
"During the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, our family used to arrange boats with a special platform for carrying idols of the Lord from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the pond called Rama Tirtha which was near our house.
Events from the Ramayana and from the life of the Prophet were the bedtime stories my mother and grandmother would tell the children in our family."