Satgamaya, V.R. Krishna Iyer’s abode for decades, never knew slumber even when its distinguished occupant was fast asleep.
For, it was not a house in the conventional sense of the term but more of a social and cultural institution frequented by people from all walks of life at all hours for one reason or another.
Over the years, Satgamaya had become synonymous with all social, cultural, and humanitarian causes spearheaded by the eminent jurist.
However, he did not get immediate possession of the house when he returned to the city in 1980 after retiring from the Supreme Court. He had to file a petition in the munsiff court to get the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal vacated from his house that had been rented out, in the process becoming perhaps the first former Supreme Court judge to fight a legal battle against the Union government. He spent close to two years with his son in Madras till the house was eventually vacated in 1983.
In his autobiography, “Wandering in many worlds”, Mr Iyer explains how the house was named Satgamaya. The house had been let out to the tribunal, the function of which was to discover “the truth of the assessee’s income.” Hence the name Satgamaya.
The house also played venue to countless public functions ranging from book releases to the launch of diverse campaigns by diverse organisations. For those turning up for assistance under various projects spearheaded by Mr Iyer, Satgamaya was sometimes the last citadel of hope. Satgamaya was also a permanent fixture in the itinerary of the who’s who from Prime Ministers to artists to cultural heads visiting the city. And invariably, senior members of the judiciary as well.
The realisation that there was no better name to gain credibility made Mr. Iyer the automatic choice as a patron for many new-born organisations, sometimes without securing his consent. A regular stream of visitors from different organisations used to flock to Satgamaya either to get his signature on a document or chart out a programme. During the last days, Mr. Iyer’s personal assistant Ramanathan V. Krishnan had a tough time keeping such visitors at bay. Satgamaya, which has witnessed a never-ending stream of visitors at all times, will fall silent, now that its key occupant is gone.
