Construction of Ratnakara - 1968
It was in 1968 that 'Ratnakara' was constructed. Home of Jaya and Vemuganti Harihar Rao, Advocates, this building housed at least 15 people and a floating population. A shuttle court was part of the plan. Construction of this beautiful house started in February 1968. Ailaiah was the contractor and Veeranna the carpenter. Jaya's brother Seetaram (Ramu), a young Engineer working for Burmah Shell, designed the building Hari and Jaya, then 35 and 33 years old, got into it without a major financial plan, not even sure where the money would come from. The land was there - bought by Hari's father Ratnakar Rao. "We started building without any seriousness, just for fun! Somehow the house got built - with one client bringing sand and another providing cement", says Jaya. Ramu visited regularly to oversee the construction. "On one of my visits I found that Ailaiah had built the longest wall of the house (on the office side) a bit crooked. I asked him to bring it ...