Dr.Gift Siromoney's Home Page

A former student in the Department of Mathematics

When I think of Prof. Gift Siromoney, the first thing which comes to my mind is the Astronomy classes which he used to take when I was in the third year B.Sc. He used to make the classes so interesting and this instilled in me a great interest in Astronomy and later in Astrology. He not only taught the subject but connected it to the culture and life style of ancient Indians. As a sample I still remember how he used to explain that the "lagna" in a person's horoscope is marked as the constellation which is rising in the east at the time of his/her birth. He had great interest in the history of Indian Mathematics. He used to visit the students in their home or hostel and show the planets through the sophisticated binoculars he had. He was a good orator and by his speeches gave proper directions to the students. In fact I still remember the farewell party in B.Sc., where he said how a person interested in Mathematics should pursue it in any environment. He was a good singer and a good performer on the Mridhangam. I had the good fortune of playing on the Veena on one occasion while he accompanied me with Mridhangam. It was an unforgettable event in my life.

After my post graduation, when I was hesitating to take up Ph.D. it was Prof. Gift and Prof. Rani Siromoney who really encouraged me to do research. Without their personal attention and help it would not have been possible for me to have finished my Ph.D. I cannot forget the special interest he showed in my studies. During the early years of married life, especially when I was rearing up my one year old daughter, Dr. Gift Siromoney used to bring to my house new preprints/reprints which they receive from abroad. When our first paper was accepted for publication, he came to my house and informed me and presented a very nice toy for my daughter. Such was the personal touch he had given to me and my research. I cherish the gift even now.

I remember the words of wisdom he gave me when I joined IIT, and they still remain as guiding force in my career. He had always been a source of inspiration for me. He was a moral support to me during the period when I was a Ph.D. student in MCC. On 21st March 1988, the day he departed from us, I felt as if I had lost a person who was like a father to me.

Kamala Krithivasan (B.Sc and M.Sc. 1964-69, Ph.D. 1974)
Currently : Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.