Rangan goes to school

After leaving Kottayur, Rangan started living with his parents, grand parents, sisters and brothers in Triplicane, Madras. Parthasarathy, the elder brother of Rangan arranged an interview in June 1951 for admission to the Raghavendra Elementary School about 2 kilometres from home. Though Rangan was 7 years old, the headmaster was happy with the test. Rangan even demonstrated how to write on sand with fingers and also using crushed green leaves on a wooden plank, which were easily available within reach. The headmaster straight away admitted him to 2nd class.  During one rainy day, while returning from school, Rangan happened to pass through Panduranga Math. Young children were reciting slokas guided by a pious teacher and same day informed his father. Very soon Rangan joined the Sahasranamam classes in the evenings and within a couple of weeks joined in the Veda classes also in the mornings. Rangan’s sister Rajam and younger brother Devanathan also joined the Sahasranamam classes.  Rangan was one of the favoured disciples and asked to stand up and recite a few slokas and stanzas from Sahasranamam and Upanishads to the occasional visitors. The teacher took special interest in Rangan and taught him “Granth” script and Sanskrit which very few were knowing at that time.   Rangan had learnt to respect teachers and started reciting Vedas and slokas regularly.