In Memory of Indira Venkateswaran

It is with immense sorrow and regret that we inform you that Smt. Indira Venkateswaran, beloved spouse of the late Dr. Ananthakrishna Iyer Venkateswaran, and mother of Dr. Rashmi Venkateswaran (Ottawa), Dr. Anand Iyer (Washington, DC) and Mrs. Meena Kothandaraman (Lexington, MA), passed away peacefully in the early afternoon of September 12, 2024.

Smt. Indira Venkateswaran was a resident of Ottawa since 1964. She was an exceptional wife and mother, who took pride in her Hindu culture and never missed an opportunity to share it with others. At a time when there were few Indians in Canada, she travelled proudly and independently everywhere, dressed in a sari and wearing a pottu/bindi. She was first to volunteer at her children’s school, and later taught at Montessori for many years. She volunteered for over 30 years at the Ottawa Hospital, General campus, CHEO, and the Children’s Exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History. She also worked for the Government of Canada as a translator and interpreter. Her proudest accomplishment was the establishment of a Heritage Hindi school. She created all the teaching content and made learning Hindi a memorable and enjoyable experience for countless students. The annual shows were widely attended in anticipation of the plays she wrote and which the graduating students presented entirely in Hindi.

Before the Hindu Temple of Ottawa was even built, Smt. Indira and Sri Venkateswaran’s home served as the local temple, open to everyone and celebrating all yearly festivals. Monthly sankirtan/bhajanai were held to help encourage the children and youth of our community to learn and revere our traditions. Navaratri was grandly celebrated with the first kolu in Ottawa. Everyone was invited, friends known and new, to attend wearing their finest traditional attire and jewellery. At each of these events, people left with their eyes feasting on traditional dolls, pictures and murthis of India, their ears filled with beautiful, spiritual music and their bellies replenished with delicious food, all homemade. Smt Indira and Sri Venkateswaran made their home a warm and welcoming place for all and a great many of those children and youth attribute their interest in our culture and traditions to the memories created in this home.

Smt. Indira was an accomplished musician. She was a Rajasthan state champion sitar artist of the Nikhil Banerjee gharana and a gifted tabla player. She taught both sitar and tabla for many years in Ottawa. Her love of music extended to her children, and she sacrificed the comforts of her life in Ottawa to take them yearly to India to undergo intensive training in Carnatic music (vocal, mridangam and violin). It was an immense source of pride to her to see her children perform professionally.

Smt. Indira was an incredible cook, and her delectable dishes are still remembered by one and all who tasted her cooking. An entire generation of bachelor graduate students in Ottawa claim without a shadow of a doubt that they survived and flourished thanks to the food she so affectionately fed them. Regardless of what time of day some0ne showed up at her doorstep, she would always have food ready for them. A wonder that all her children still marvel at to this day.

She had a bright laugh and a kind word for everyone who met her. She will be sorely missed and fondly remembered by all, but especially by her daughter Rashmi, son-in-law Hari Parameswaran, and their children Amaresh and Nikhila, her son Anand, daughter-in-law Anita, and their children Keshav and Arya, and her daughter Meena, son-in-law Murali, and their children Ameya and Naveen. She leaves behind her loving siblings and countless other family members as well as innumerable friends.

Smt. Indira left her mark on the local community, the Indian community, friends, family and even strangers. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you make a donation to the Arthritis Society of Canada.

The funeral will take place at the Heritage Funeral Home (https://heritagefh.ca/) on Monday September 16, 2024, 10AM EDT. For those who cannot attend, a live-streaming link can be found at the website.

We thank you all for the kind messages in which you have shared your memories of Smt. Indira and expressed your love and admiration for her but hope you will understand when we ask that you give the family time to recover from the shock of this sudden loss. Your support, kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated.