BY MAHADEV DESAI

Joseph Addison, English writer circa 1700, once wrote, ‘He who would pass the declining years of his life with honor and comfort should, when young, consider he may one day become old, that he was once young.’

The eldest son, Matthew Rao, cremated the mortal remains of Giriraj Rao, 83, a well-respected and loved national icon, according to traditional Hindu rites on Saturday, April 5, 2008. Standing by his side giving him strength were younger brother Shawn Rao, stepmother Elena, stepsister Alisha, Lynnne Douglas (a relative from California) and a large gathering of friends and sympathizers.

Subash Razdan, who presided over the Funeral service for beloved Giriraj Rao at the Wages and Sons Funeral Home in Stone Mountain, Georgia, essentially re-emphasized the meaning of life and separation of Body and Soul by quoting from verse 27 from the holy book Gita which says, “one who has taken birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, you should not grieve over the inevitable.”

The funeral service started with a somber worship and prayer service by the family members with rituals conducted by the chief priest Pandit Phani Kumar of The Hindu Temple of Atlanta at Riverdale. The two sons performed the final rites before the casket was brought into the main chapel for the eulogy, attended by many dignitaries and friends, including representatives of King Center, Mayor of Atlanta’s officers, National park Service, the Coca Cola Company and the diverse community organizations.

With Robert Sullivan of the Coca Cola Company co-presiding, and as per the wishes of the late Giriraj Rao, Gandhi Foundation of USA Chairman Subash Razdan welcomed the family and the friends, thanking them for their love and prayers during Giribhai’s illness in the hospital over the last month. After a moment of silence, Pandit Kumar recited shlokas from the Gita, followed by the prayer song Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram sung by the melodious Madhavi Dave.

Razdan reminded the congregation that, “We are gathered here to celebrate the life of our friend Giribhai, meaning brother Giri. It was Giri’s passion to improve the lives of others. By nature, he was blind to the faults of others. Even after knowing the failings of others, his regard for them remained the same. He was a man of many virtues.”

Rev. Maria Clemente of Doorway into the Infinite Ministries, in her eloquent tribute said, “So we gather together today to honor and celebrate the life of a great man, Giriraj Rao, and to know that indeed his soul does endure… As soon as I met him in the year 2000, I realized that this was a man who not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk. I thought, “Here is a man of great integrity and deep wisdom; a man who is the living embodiment of the power of peace even while standing in the courage of his convictions.” We are gathered here today because we answered the clarion call of our beloved Giribhai. Let us remember him by continuing to answer his call for unity, peace, and hope. Let us pay tribute to his soul by loving each other, working together, and creating the change we want to see in the world.”

GFUSA Deputy Executive Director Antony Thaliath related that Giribhai was born in Chennai, India. In 1946, he graduated from the University of Madras with M.S degree in Biochemistry. While at college, he was engaged in the freedom movement of India and participated in the ‘Quit-India’ campaign of Mahatma Gandhi. He came to Berkeley, California in 1946, on a Government of India scholarship. After earning his second Masters Degree in Food Technology, he met and married Carolina Aquino, and joined the Coca-Cola Company He served as the Chairman of Indian American Cultural Association (IACA); president of the Asia- Pacific American Council of Georgia, (APAC);Interfaith Coalition of Metro Atlanta, Georgia Human Relations Commission, and as the Executive Director of the Gandhi Foundation of USA, to name a few. He helped facilitate the installation and dedication of the Gandhi Statue at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. He worked diligently towards the creation of Gandhi Room at the King Center and promoted the messages and philosophy of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Last year, Giriraj became the first Asian-American to receive the GA Governor’s Award in Humanities. In October 2007, at an inter-faith conference at Emory University, Rao presented a shawl on behalf of the Gandhi Foundation to His Holiness Dalai Lama, who reciprocated and honored Mr. Rao with a Tibetan Ceremonial scarf.

Retired Coca-Cola Executive and supervisor, Robert Sullivan said that he had nothing but fond memories of working with Giri, who was jovial, dedicated and conscientious colleague. He had an inquisitive mind and enjoyed talking on variety of subjects. “It was no use arguing with him, because in the end, he always won’ he quipped.

Giribhai’s son Shawn said that his dad loved meeting people and engaging in conversation with them. Most of the time, he would get carried away, so usually the events organized by him ran behind schedule! He said his Dad believed firmly in duty to one’s family, career, children’s education, his homeland India and adopted country America. He not only looked after his immediate family but also supported distant relatives. He was a multi-dimensional man who strongly believed in inclusiveness, diversity and tolerance. He respected all religions and faiths. When the Gandhi Statue was dedicated on a cold January Saturday, his overjoyed dad had quoted Jackie Gleason, “How sweet it is”. Shawn concluded his tribute “ Dad,Your life, your legacy. How sweet it is!”

Following Shawn’s tribute, Madhavi Dave sang “Ghunghat ke pat khol” an elevating, devotional song by Juthika Roy.

Razdan read out a few (from the numerous) messages of Condolence received from Ambassador Ronen Sen; Dy. Chief of the Mission Ambassador Jassal; Consul-General of India, Ambassador S.M. Gavai; and BAPS Swaminnarayan Temple.

City of Atlanta Chief of Staff and GFUSA Vice-Chairman Greg Pridgeon read the message of heartfelt condolence from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. She commended Giribhai’s role in bridge building, writing, “Atlanta has been enriched and blessed by the vision, courage and leadership of Giriraj Rao. He will live on in our hearts.”

CEO and President of the King Center, Isaac Farris said that his late aunt, Coretta Scott King, always had a smile on her face when she talked of Giri Rao. “The King family is grateful to him and his team for playing a big role in the establishment of the Gandhi Statue as well as the refurbishing of the Gandhi Room at the Freedom Hall, at the MLK Historic Site. Brother Rao, we salute you for a job well done,” he said.

The former Superintendent of the National Park Service related that Giribhai was very passionate about forging the bond between the GFUSA and the King Center and in proliferation of peaceful progress.

Giribhai’s elder son Matthew underscored that his father was a caring and protective father. “If the soul is like a bird in a cage, then I am sure that bird will be perched on my shoulder to guide me always” he said.

Hindu Temple of Atlanta President Dr. Ravi Sarma described Giribhai as a karma yogi, who believed in universal brotherhood. He said that Giribhai had all the attributes of a realized Hindu. To him, message was more important than the medium, as reflected by Giribhai’s involvement in staging plays like Chandalika and Gajamukha.

IACA Board Member Vir Nanda said that Giribhai and he had worked closely on many IACA programs. Carolina, Giribhai and Nanda’s wife Lucy had contributed a lot of their time and resources to programs such as Spelling Bee.

Dr. Joy Berry, former Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission and matriarch of the Gandhi Statue project recalled Giribhai’s involvement in the Interfaith Coalition of Metro Atlanta. Dr. Berry also said that the spiritual head of Vedanta Center of Atlanta, Swami Yogeshananda, who was Giribhai’s college mate at Berkeley, upon hearing of Giribhai’s demise, commented, “Irreplaceable’!

The video services were by Syed Naqvi of ‘Touch of Dreams’. After the tributes and eulogies there was a slide show on The Life of Giriraj Rao.

The attendees, then, filed past his casket and paid their respects one last time. Giribhai was a champion of inclusion with an unwavering love and commitment to the message of peace and non-violence. He will be missed but his legacy will remain for the time immemorial!