My Tam Brahm roots

My fathers grandpa was Mr.Thiagaraja Narayanaswamy Iyer, an orthodox Tamil Brahmin and a cool drink manufacturer. The year was 1898 and the place Tiruchirapalli. He converted to Christianity. His name changed to Vincent Noelswamy Iyer. His cold drink brand came to be known as ‘Vincent’ and so has my surname. 

That was quite revolutionary. I clearly know where my rebel genes came from.

I have always wondered why he did so.

• Did he not find meaning in the mantras?  
• Or did he find something in the Book of Christians?
• Did the European missionaries bribe him?
• Or was he simply disgusted with dhotis and wanted to wear pants?

 It could be any of these or none of these. I would never know

I wondered about the 'What if my Grandad didn't convert scenario'...... I would have probably been in Trichy, wearing a nine-yard saree and jasmine flowers, sipping filter coffee, learnt Bharatnatyam (Carnatic music would still be out of my league considering my cracked-up voice) .....or I may have been an IITian and the first Indian woman to have got a Nobel prize for Physics or Math.  Either way, I would have been a miser. 

Presently, the Indian Brahmins are getting poorer. 'Hum do, humare ek' rule is strictly followed by Brahmins because they can afford that much only. In a country which has reservation and protection for minority religion, backward caste, women, senior citizens, children, dark skinned, all kinds of challenged people including those with common sense and hard work, Italians, tigers and environment.... Brahmins would soon become an endangered species .... if not extinct.

(The blog writer is not racist and identifies herself as a global citizen with open views)