Vijaya
Ananthaswamy
gedeactivereerd
Born in Bangalore on 4 January 1938, Vijayalakshmi — affectionately known as Viji to her family — was the last of seven children of Sharadamma and M. Mahabala Rao. The family moved to Shimoga in early 1944, where Viji spent her childhood and youth, studying at Sahyadri College.
Having married Gopal Varadarajan, she moved to Bombay. After tragically losing her husband in a car accident, she showed her quiet independence by choosing to study at Lady Irwin College in New Delhi, supported by both families.
In 1966, she and M. K. Ananthaswamy chose to marry, ignoring age-old traditions. They raised their two children, Aparna and Vinay, across several Bangalore homes — Palace Orchards, Jayanagar, JP Nagar — before finally settling in Adarsh Gardens in 2011, a vibrant inter-generational community she loved.
From the early 1970s, Viji lent her quiet strength, as Anantha devoted his energies to founding the Valley School, both behind the scenes and through her celebrated culinary skills. In the early years, she also managed the school kitchen and taught senior students to cook. With warmth and charm, she hosted people from all walks of life, and will be remembered by travellers from five continents. Her sweet voice and musicality — Carnatic, folk and cinema songs from the sixties and seventies, she also played on the harmonica — will be deeply missed.
Viji's love for animals was lifelong — from kittens and the family buffalo in Shimoga, to the many beloved dogs she and Anantha raised over the decades, all received her unparalleled love.
She leaves behind a rich legacy of relationships, kindness, and a nurturing spirit that made everyone feel at home. She will be truly missed by her husband Anantha, siblings Meena Lakshminarayana and M. Shankar Rao, children Aparna and Vinay, son-in-law Shanker, granddaughter Sneha, childhood friend Vanamala Thipaiah, and all the members of the Shimoga and Mallipatna families.
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