Finding A Long-lost Colleague!

Thanks to Swaminathan Lakshminarayanan (VLS), I was able to locate and talk to my SAC-ISRO colleague Dr KS Rao, a Microwave Remote Sensing specialist, yesterday after a gap of 35 years! 

He had joined Remote Sensing Area, Space Applications Centre in 1976 along with me and left in 1981 to join the Center of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE) at IIT Mumbai. It seems from 2003 - 2015 he was working with the Kuwait University. 

He has two sons, one an IT professional in USA and one a CA (Chartered Accountant) in London. Elder son left his 15-year career with Cisco and is presently associated with an ISKCON temple near Florida, USA. Second son’s wife is also a CA and they are settled in Mumbai. That is as far as we ordinary humans go! 

On his return to India in 2015, and quitting his professional field of Microwave remote sensing, Dr Rao has taken a retreat from the external world and started an inward journey by pulling back his focus from the sense objects to the Self. 

He got back to his home town in rural Andhra Pradesh and established a Radha Rasabihari Temple and an Ashram by constructing a two storied structure that also houses two seminar halls and a large dining room. 

Dr Rao told me that he was associated with the Hare Krishna movement from 1986 onward and used to conduct Bhajan in his house regularly. You can see the location of his Prabhupad Ashram on Google Maps. The Ashram's address is: Vasavi Nagar Colony, Jandrapeta, Chirala, Andhra Pradesh 523165, just 5km from Chirala Railway Station. 

Today, his typical days start before sunrise at 3:30 am and continues throughout the daytime with Mangala Aarti, various types of poojas, bhajans, Shrimad Bhagavatam classes, distribution of food to the devotees and the poor, evening prayers, etc. 

So best wishes to my friend Dr Rao who has found his true calling in philanthropy, social concerns, charity, and spirituality. And to Mrs. Rao too who is an active and devoted participant in all these activities.