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One of India's great visionaries in the field of medicine was Dr. G. Venkataswamy of Madurai. He is well-known all over the world for the wonderful work he has done to prevent blindness and restore sight. Aravind Eye Hospitals are the largest and some of the best run in the world with three fourths of the patients being operated free of charge. The cost of their care being subsidised by the patients who pay. His large and hardworking family support him all the way. Udar was a close friend of Dr. Venkataswamy. He used to recite Savitri 'to him whenever he visited Pondicherry. He also carried and installed the Relics of Sri Aurobindo at each new branch of Aravind Eye Hospital that was opened in South India. |
Aravind Eye Hospital - 22nd Feb.1988 - Installation of Relics in Madurai Dr.natchiar,Udar,Dr.G.Venkataswamy |
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Aravind Eye Hospital - 22nd Feb.1980 - Installation of Relics in Madurai |
In my life I have been blessed with my long contact with Sri Aurobindo Ashram. I had the privilege of having the Darshan of Sri Aurobindo on 24th April 1950. Since then I have been visiting the Ashram regularly. Sometime in 1956 or perhaps a little later I had the opportunity to treat some of the Ashram patients who had eye problems. We even did some surgery for some of the patients in the Tresor House. Gradually I made several friends at the Ashram and it was then that I met Shri Udar Pinto. - Dr. G. Venkataswamy - |
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Tirunelveli - 2nd Feb.1988 - Guesta for the inauguration |
I enjoyed listening to him telling us about several incidents in his life with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Every year he would give us the Ashram diaries and calendars. We requested him to bring Sri Aurobindo's relics to our hospitals to which he readily agreed. He brought the relics to the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore. We felt really blessed on these occasions. - Dr. G. Venkataswamy - |
For many years Udar suffered from cataract in his eyes. Mother told him not to get operated and to try to find other cures and that it will help others that way. So he went out of his way to try all possible treatments. None worked and he bore the disease for many years. In the meantime he had become friends with Dr. Venkataswamy who told him one day that unless he gets his eyes operated he will lose his eyesight permanently. This convinced him to have an operation, yet one cannot but wonder how and why a sadhak with cataract meets the genius who gives back sight to cataract-stricken Indians by the thousands. - Olivier P. - |
Aravind Eye Hospital - 2nd Feb.1988 - Installation of Relics in Tirunelveli |
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Bringing down the Relics from Sri Aurobindo's room for Coimbatore - 18th jan.1337 Dayabhai,Harikant,udar |
He had both his eyes operated at Aravind, Madurai. I remember he was not the least bit afraid of surgery and kept his calm throughout. He surprised the surgeon operating on him by singing during the surgery. I remember
the surprised surgeon saying that he had heard of surgeons singing during the surgery but this was the first time that he had heard the patient sing. At the time he was
operated we had not yet introduced intraocular lenses. And so we gave him contact lenses.
Once he dropped one of the contact lenses and as we all bent down to look for it, he stopped us saying, "Now let me drop the 2nd one and you all watch where it goes." And sure enough just an inch away from the second one lay the first one. -Dr.G. Natchiar- |
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