One Hundred Years of Life and Love

How many of us have had the privilege of attending a 100th Birthday Party? Yes, a party on completing one hundred years! Did I see some wide eyes and dropping jaws?

Ghumakkad too hadn't been so fortunate until last week.

My aunt, Padma Bhargava completed one hundred years of her life on 14th September 2026, filled with joy and happiness. We call her Padma Mausi. To celebrate this milestone, the family had organised an exclusive event in Gurgaon where she lives. I travelled from Hyderabad to be part of this momentous occasion. Sharing below a few pictures from the event as well as from Padma Mausi's archives.

Early Life

Born on 14th September 1926 she is the eldest of six siblings- three brothers and three sisters. For the first four years she was the only child and hence received all the love and affection from her parents. Married at 20 to Kameshwar Bhargava, she has stayed in various parts of India including Mathura, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata. 

Padma Mausi and my mother (Pushpa) are the first two sisters (from the left) standing in the last row in the above picture.

Out of six siblings, sadly two are no more. 

The Family Grows

Soon Chitra, Chandra, Sharat and Poonam arrived. They all got married. Padma mausi has five grandchildren and five great grandchildren (as on date!) who all love her the most. Sharing few pictures of her grandchildren who spoke during the celebrations.

Here is another picture with her great grandson donning the New Year headgear.

The Venue

Sharing below a few pictures and a video of the venue and the guests.

Conversation

Few months back, I had called Padma Mausi to convey that I would certainly attend her 100th birthday celebrations.

She responded in her crisp voice, "तो तूने मुझे यह बताने के लिए फ़ोन किया है कि तू आएगा ! पर मुझसे बात करने के लिए नहीं ?" Her humour is certainly intact at hundred years! In English, her response was "So, you have called me to convey that you will come for my 100th birthday. But not to talk to me otherwise!"

Fast forward to 14th September. Her 100th Birthday celebrations in Gurgaon. When I touched her feet to seek her blessings and congratulated her, she asked' "पर  यह बता कि तुझे कैसे पता चला कि मेरी सौवीं सालगिरह है ?" Isn't her memory and inquisitiveness remarkable at 100? After I explained that she was just a year older to my mother, she nodded in agreement.

Setbacks

She lost her husband 19 years ago. Within two years, her only son passed away. But a strong person that she is, she overcame both the personal tragedies with fortitude and courage. Credit also goes to Shashi her daughter-in-law, who despite losing her husband at a young age, pulled the life together. Both are a great support to each other. 

Six years ago, Mausi did feel a sense of emptiness on her 94th birthday when she wrote a poem. But as she wrote the opening lines, she converted it into a feeling of gratitude and well being of the whole family. Poem shared below courtesy Ajeet Bhargava, her eldest son-in-law.

The Cake

Everyone would expect the number '100' on the birthday cake. But no, it was '001' instead. Why?

Because Mausi explained that zero has no meaning in life. So the grandchildren then made it to '001' instead of '100'. It also symbolised Mausi's yearn for learning and her inquisitiveness like a one-year old!

Here are two short videos of the cake cutting. Mausi walks up to the table escorted by Shishir, her grandson.

Next video captures the customary cake cutting.

Her Pastimes

Padma mausi defies her age. Guess what? At the age of 100, she irons her own clothes, plays Sudoku everyday, waters the plants, chats with her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren using a Tablet, does knitting and likes to phone up people. Unbelievable? See the pictures below.

Aditi, her granddaughter who lives in Bengaluru, has summarised Padma Mausi's life in few words:

"नानी प्यारी नानी

लम्बी है आपकी कहानी

Your strength gives us strength 

Your wisdom empowers us

We know your blessings are always protecting us"

We bow in admiration and adulation to our centurion Padma Mausi. Her life continues to inspire, not only because of the years she has lived, but because of the grace, curiosity & purpose with which she lives each day.

We pray for her continued good health in the years to come.

Thanks for browsing. Stay connected.

Do leave a comment. It encourages us.

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ajeet Bhargava/ Gurgaon and Secunderabad/ 19th Sep 2026

#100thBirthday #OneHundredYearsOfLifeAndLove #PadmaBhargava #happiness #positivity #SelfDiscipline #IntellectualOccupation #SecretOfLongivity #SudokuAt100 #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Indian Naval Academy Train and Transform

What differentiates the armed forces personnel from their civilian counterparts?

Discipline.

Anything else?

Their value system.

Like what?

Nation first and always.

And how are such values inculcated?

By rigorous training at the time of joining and throughout the service life!

Training the Bedrock

Training is the bedrock of the Armed Forces. Training is fundamental to ensuring national security, transforming civilians into disciplined soldiers capable of surviving and succeeding in extreme conditions. It instills core values, builds physical and mental resilience, and develops teamwork essential for operational success. 

Whether it is the Army, Navy or Air Force, military training ensures the development of following essential attributes:

Discipline and Character Development: Military training instills strict discipline, resilience, and a strong sense of responsibility, shaping moral character keeping in mind 'Nation First'.

Combat Readiness: Rigorous training ensures that personnel can withstand high-pressure, unpredictable, and dangerous environments, enhancing their success in combat.

Teamwork and Camaraderie: Training emphasizes working as a unit, developing deep trust, camaraderie, and mutual support among troops, which is essential for mission success.

Physical and Mental Conditioning: It prepares soldiers (or sailors and airmen) for the immense physical demands of war—such as carrying heavy gear, traversing difficult terrain (or operating far away at sea or submerged in a submarine), and succeeding with limited resources—as well as the mental fortitude to manage fear.

Leadership Development: Training teaches individuals to take initiative, make critical decisions under pressure, and lead by example, preparing them for future leadership roles.

Skill Proficiency: It provides technical proficiency in using sophisticated weaponry, technology, and vehicles or ship borne systems, alongside tactical skills like navigation and communication.

Adaptability and Problem-Solving: Personnel are trained to adapt to changing battlefield dynamics and to innovate solutions, such as repairing equipment or adjusting tactics in real time. 

You may argue that many of these attributes are required in the civilian life as well. We agree But what differentiates is the purpose and objective. Rising above self. Thinking beyond profits.

Services Training Academies in India

In India, we have the training academies for the officers as listed below. Similarly for the personnel below officer ranks (PBOR), suitable training is imparted at respective Regimental Centres or schools.

National Defence Academy (NDA) - for all three services

Indian Military Academy (IMA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA) - for officers joining the Army

Indian Naval Academy (INA) - for Navy

Air Force Academy (AFA) - for Air Force

Indian Naval Academy (INA)

Located in Ezhimala in Kannur district of northern Kerala, INA trains the officers of all branches and specialisations. The cadets undergo a four-year training program leading to the award of an Engineering degree. Ghumakkad along with few other Navy Veterans had visited INA recently. All these Veterans had been 'instructors' (faculty) together at a premier training establishment of the Navy 52 years ago. That is why the visit to INA had special significance for us. 

Spread over 2500 acres, it is Asia's largest naval academy. With a seven km coast line, it imparts comprehensive training including watermanship training. INA harnesses solar energy, with most of the rooftops lined with solar panels. It trains and transforms the cadets. We share few pictures and videos of our day long visit.

Prior to INA's Inauguration in 2009, where was the Academy located earlier?

Buddies though nearing 75, are ever ready for a picture!

INA also trains the cadets from friendly foreign countries as shown by their national flags in the picture below.

Electronics and Communication department was of interest to all of us being former Valsurians!

Keeping up with the times! The AR/VR lab!

INA Library was a delight to visit. See the pictures below.

Cafe in the library building? Yes at INA!

Watermanship Training Centre

The Squadrons

Cadets are assigned a squadron on joining. Squadrons promote healthy rivalry in sports and other competitions. There are six squadrons at INA namely Achiever, Braveheart, Cheetah, Daredevil, Eagle, and Fighter. Pictures below.

Katari Cadets Mess

Mess Dining Hall

Get a feel of the massive dining hall in the video clip below.

To honour the mates who are no longer there, a 'Missing Mate Table' finds a place of honour in the Academy Dining Hall. See the picture below.

We also met a 6th Term cadet during the lunch break. Tall and trim, ready to take on the world. A picture of confidence. As per protocol, we can't show the face here. The cadets wear their term tab on the left collar as shown in the picture.

We the Veterans hosted a lunch for the Commandant and other senior officers of INA. On a personal front, many of us had served with the present Comdt's late  father in INS Valsura during 1973-75.

It was a privilege to present a copy of my book on Social Entrepreneurship titled 'BITS of Social Impact'. Picture below shows Capt PK Jindal presenting the book to the Comdt.

After seeing the strides made by INA, we all returned to Kannur with a deep sense of satisfaction and pride. Special thanks to Commodore E Govindan for organising the visit.

Challenges at INA

To get a first hand impression of INA and the challenges faced, we interviewed Rear Admiral KS Venugopal (KSV), VSM former Principal of INA. Excerpts:

HB: As Principal of INA, you must have interacted with the Naval Academies of other countries. How do you compare INA with other Academies in terms of infrastructure, faculty and the quality of training?

KSV: INA is one of the unique training academies focussing on 4-year BTech curriculum in Mechanical, Electrical/ Electronics subjects to match the Vision of the Indian Navy. The academy provides world class training with Infrastructure that includes state of the art laboratories and  simulators. Instructors and faculty are specially selected. The quality of training is of very high standards which is monitored regularly.

HB. With changes in technology, how does INA upgrade the syllabi and prepare the cadets for future? A case in point is increasing use of AI, VR, Drone technology etc in warfare.

KSV: When one compares BTech curriculum, the  training at INA matches with the infrastructure of any of the premier technical institutes in India. The syllabus is upgraded in two ways. Firstly, INA obtains continuous feedback from the operational units and other training institutions and the syllabi is upgraded/ modified  periodically. During recent times, INA has incorporated advanced technology laboratories featuring Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR). 

Secondly, INA has MoUs with leading technological institutions in India. This enables research collaboration, faculty development and inputs by expert professors on technological advancements.

HB: As you mentioned that the cadets on successful completion of the four- year program, qualify to get a BTech degree. Unlike a regular engineering college, how does the INA maintain a balance between academics and other aspects of Naval training?

KSV: This is the most challenging and an important aspect of training at INA where the focus is on all round development of cadets. Each graduate of this academy has to be intellectually confident, physically fit and emotionally intelligent. Like an equilateral triangle, the training in Academics (BTech curriculum), Physical Fitness and Soft Skills are given equal importance at INA. 

HB: Thank you Admiral for your time.

We are reminded of Frank Bell's quotation on education and training which says, "The goal of education is understanding; the goal of training is performance". We have created the following PQ- picturesque quote on a stunning picture by INA.

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The Veterans who visited INA had their Reunion at Kannur. You may browse the related stories of the Reunion linked below:

Veterans - A Powerhouse of Energy: Veterans never get old--may be a rhetorical or symbolic sentiment. They do get old like all other senior citizens. But when they get together for Reunions, they are a powerhouse of energy! As if re-born!

Kalaripayattu - World's Oldest Martial Art: Witness the thrilling performance with the Veterans during their Reunion in Kannur.

Theyyam Dance of the Gods: You haven't been to Kannur, if you haven't watched a Theyyam live.

Hope you got a feel of the Indian Naval Academy which trains and transforms the cadets into future leaders. Thanks for browsing. Do leave a comment, it keeps us going.

Stay connected.

   -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 27th April 2026/ Secunderabad

#navaltraining #militarytraining #INSEzhimala #IndianNavalAcademy #Kannur #kerala #NavyVeterans #Reunion #FFAReunion #Discipline #NationFirst #RisningAboveSelf  #Ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #PQ #FrankBell