Down Memory Lane

by

Shyam Sunder Jhunjhunwala

SRI AUROBINDO'S ACTION

PONDICHERRY

1996

© Sri Aurobindo's Action

Pondicherry—605002, India.

First Published 1996

Distributed by:

VAK

The Spiritual Book Shop

P.O. Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Pondicherry-605002, India.

Published by:

Sri Aurobindo's Action

P.O. Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Pondicherry-605002, India.

Phototypeset and printed at

All India Press, Kennedy Nagar

Pondicherry-605001, India.

Author's Foreword

I landed in Germany on 18th September 95, for a five week stay with my daughter Manju. It was a coincidence that my first journey to Europe, thirty-four years ago, had taken place in the same month. But this time there was no agenda, no wish for sight-seeing either.

The name of the beautiful village where Manju and Michael have their pretty house is Niederalteich. The word means 'Under the Old Oak Tree'. The very next day Manju suggested that I should write of my life-experiences which, varied that they are, could be interesting for many. She repeated the idea the following day, and by that time an earlier feeling of mine that had remained dormant was revived, that of brief sketches of some of the inmates of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. I said Yes and started work on it.

Michael initiated me into computer composing; a great help in the preparation of the manuscript.

Quite soon, the title of the book emerged, 'Down Memory Lane', and it gave me the freedom to write without any plan.

This is the story of the book. It is neither a coherent life-story, nor a bare collection of memoirs, nor a diary, nor a character portrayal of persons. It is what the title says in its simple sense.

In Germany I would sit at the computer desk with the window opening onto the country fields, the short summer of the year turning into autumn eve. Wandering the memory lanes would provide the material.

I returned with a part of the manuscript. The rest of the work took me longer than expected due to other preoccupations. The bunch of forgotten notes of my visits to Mother regarding Auroville affairs was a valuable find.

And now other memories surface, but that will be lifelong. Isn't it?

Pondicherry

March 29, 1996 SHYAM SUNDER