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Appa Rao Vissa's Blogs >> Dr. Vissa Ramachandra Rao Report on 1st April 2012 Felicitation to Dr. Vissa Ramachandra Rao

FELICITATION TO Dr. VISSA RAMACHANDRA RAO
By Sri Veturi Prabhakara Sastri Vangmaya Peetham,
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Tirupati
A Report* on the Function held on 1st April 2012 at Sri Annapurna Hall, Sarada College Road, Salem 636004


Dr. Vissa Ramachandra Rao is an Eminent Educationist in the medical field and a Yoga Practitioner, a Literary Enthusiast, a Teacher par excellence, a soft spoken and kind person, a disciplinarian, upholding high values and principles. He had seen 1140 glorious full moons in his life and we wish he crosses 1200 full moons.
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*By Smt. T. Asha Sarma, Principal, Sri Vidya Mandir CBSE School, Salem Steel Plant.


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The Felicitation Programme started at 10 a.m. with a Prayer and Vedic Chanting by Sri Prabhakara Sarma of TTD.
After the Vedic chanting a ceremonial lamp was lit by the dignitaries led by Swami Yatatmananda, Secretary Ramakrishna Ashram, Salem. Prof. Ananda Murthy, Sri Prabhakara Sarma and Dr. Chitra Sampath were the others who lit the lamp. While the ceremonial lamp was being lit a shloka on the Jyoti was rendered by Smt. T. Asha Sarma:
Shubham Karothi Kalyana
Marogyam Dhanasampadaha
Shatru Budhir Vinashaya
Deepam Jyotir Namostuthe.
``Namaskaram to that lamplight which brings brilliance, auspiciousness, health, wealth and possessions and dispels the darkness of ignorance’’.







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Dr. V. Usha Sri, Principal of Sengunthar College of Education, Salem and the younger daughter of Dr. Rao welcomed the elite of Salem, Doctors, Educationists, Media, Students of Dr. Rao, friends, relatives and well wishers.

The dignitaries were honoured by Sri Vissa Appa Rao, eldest son of Dr. Ramachandra Rao and Smt. Annapurna, eldest daughter- in- law.
The Welcome Address was followed by a brief about Sri Veturi Prabhakara Sastri Vangmaya Peetham, TTD, by Prof. Veturi Ananda Murthy, Chief Advisor, S.V. P.S. Vangmaya Peetham. Prof. Murthy held the audience spellbound by his narration about Sri Sastri’s contribution regarding the publication of Sankeertanams of Tallapaka Annamacharya under the aegis of TTD. He also narrated a few anecdotes from the lives of Sri. Veturi Prabhakara Sastri (father-in-law of Dr. Ramachandra Rao) and Prof. Vissa Appa Rao (Father of Dr.Ramachandra Rao). He reminisced about his eldest sister Smt. Lalitha and his brother- in- law Dr. Ramachandra Rao and how they made a perfect couple complimenting each other in every way possible, a true depiction of “Arthanaareeswara”. Smt. Lalitha was a perfect hostess and was a home maker par excellence taking care and note of every one’s likes and dislikes.
Dr. Chitra Sampath, a renowned medical practitioner of Salem and a former student from S.V.Medical College, Tirupati, introduced the Guest of Honour, Dr. Ramachandra Rao. She gave a brief life sketch of Dr. Rao. She felt proud that she was a student of Dr. Rao and shared her experiences about Dr. Rao as a teacher and mentor. Dr. Chitra held her guru in high esteem and said in days when even books were a rarity and scanners were unheard of, Dr. Rao identified a New Artery in the Human Heart System and published the Discovery as ‘Rao and Rao Artery ’ which




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Received the attention of International Medical Community. Preserving the embalmed body and restructured skeleton of Late Professor J.B.S.Haldane, an eminent Biometrician and Geneticist at the Department of Anatomy, Rangaraya Medical College was yet another Professional accomplishment of Prof. V. Ramachandra Rao, she recalled. Dr. Chitra honoured her guru by adorning a shawl and received his blessings. What a way of paying respects to the Guru!
A citation was read out in honour of the Guest of Honour Dr. Rao and later presented by Sri Prabhakara Sarma, Officer of TTD. All the dignitaries on the dais were honoured with a garland by Sri Sarma.

Citation in Telugu Presented to Dr.Vissa Ramachandra Rao
Messages sent by people who could not be present on the occasion were read out.
Students, family and well wishers reflected on the guest of honour.
Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, an alumnus of Gulbarga Medical College (where Dr. Rao was a faculty member) was nostalgic about his student days and shared with the audience about how Dr. Rao could bring out the latent talent of his students and how humane and principled he was which is a rare quality. Dr. Javeed read out greetings from other students of Dr. Rao who could not attend the function because of their preoccupation.


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Dr.N.Lakshminarayana, formerly Senior E.N.T. Professor in Govt.M.K.Medical College and E.N.T. Professor, Vinayaka Mission Hospital, Salem and now a practicing ENT Surgeon, Salem, shared his experiences as a student when Dr. Rao was his external examiner of Anatomy. He was emotional when he said how Dr. Rao was kind and concerned about him on the day of viva voce when he was not feeling too well and could not perform well ``Such teachers are a rarity these day``, he observed.
Dr. M. K. Sambasivam, General Medical Practitioner, Salem and an alumni of Kilpauk Medical College also spoke very highly about his teacher Dr. Rao’ encouragement to students. What else does a Teacher want but to see his students in high positions following and upholding the values and principles taught by Him!
Dr.V.Yoga Jyotsna, Dr. Rao’s niece recollected how Dr. Rao took time off from his busy schedule and spent time sharing anecdotes with his family. Dr. Rao could identify her teaching instincts and encouraged her to join the teaching profession. She is currently Professor in the Department of Political Science in the Osmania University, Hyderabad. She also shared the secret how she got her culinary traits from her aunt Smt. Lalitha. She said that Dr. Rao was a person who was devoted to both his family and profession.
Mr. T.A. N. Sarma, Former A.G.M., C&IT, Salem Steel Plant spoke about his family’s friendship with Dr. Rao’s family for two generations. He explained that Dr. Rao as a strict disciplinarian and a yoga practitioner is leading a healthy life. He also said that his academic genes had percolated down to his sons, and daughters who held very high positions in the chosen fields of their career.
Dr. Vissa Ramachandra Rao, the guest of honour, responded by thanking every one personally. He was very alert and identified and exchanged pleasantries with every one among the guests and was very happy to meet his students, family and well wishers. Everyone who attended the function sought his blessings. More than 60 guests participated in the Function. Three officials and one Chief Advisor of SVPS Vangmaya Peetham of TTD, Four Ex-students of Dr. V.R.Rao, 4 family members and 17 relatives of Dr. Vissa Ramachandra Rao, educationists and people of other walks of life from Salem numbering 34 attended the Function.
Pujaniya Swami Yatatmanandaji, Secretary, Sri Ramakrishna Mission Asramam, Salem delivered the Presidential Address. He said that irrespective of social status, gender and religion, love begets love. Swamiji observed that Dr. Rao is a Teacher par excellence, a soft spoken and kind person, a disciplinarian, upholding high values and principles, leading his life in Prayer and service of others.
As the day of the Felicitation Function, 1st April 2012, happened to be Sriramanavami, Sri Prabhakara Sarma of TTD, spoke about the Importance of Sriramanavami as an auspicious day when the celestial wedding of Bhagavan Rama and Devi Sita was solemnised. He also said how Dr. Rao’s life was like that of Lord Rama – a dutiful son, a dedicated family man, a loving brother, a kind and loving person, a good friend, an able administrator, and a teacher par excellence.

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Dr. Ramachandra Rao presented a memento to Sri Prabhakara Sarma and blessed him.
Sri Vissa Appa Rao, Retired Joint Secretary, U.G.C., New Delhi and the eldest son of Dr. Ramachandra Rao, proposed vote of thanks.
A grand finale to the function* was the screening of a documentary on ‘Life and Works of Sri Veturi Prabhakara Sastri’ by T.T.D.
This was followed by a sumptuous lunch hosted and arranged by Dr. Vissa Ramachandra Rao. This was an occasion when all friends and relatives of Dr. Rao met each other after a very long time.

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*The entire function was excellently compered by Smt. T. Asha Sarma, Principal, Sri Vidya Mandir CBSE School, Salem Steel Plant. Also Four M.Phil. & Ph.D. students of Dr. Vissa Usha Sri extended their help in the arrangements for the Felicitation Function.