A healthy century

Born in Pune on September 28,1913,Dinkar has been living an eventful life for more than a century in the city. “My father and grandfather were also born in the city,” says Dinkar adding that his ancestral home near Shaniwar Wada was destroyed in the famous Panchet flood of 1961.

Having completed his BA from Fergusson College,Dinkar worked as a teacher for four years. He joined the City Home Guard in 1948 and worked with them for a few years. From his marriage that lasted 61 years,he has three children,six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Although he lost his wife and a son over 13 years ago,he still has a very positive mindset towards everything.

“I won the first-ever national-level .303 rifle shooting competition in Delhi in 1956 and was felicitated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru himself,” says a proud Dinkar,who participated on behalf of the City Home Guard. “I have also seen Rajiv Gandhi during his childhood days,” says Dinkar,holding up a black-and-white group photo that was taken with him in 1956. Apart from being a former shooting champ,Dinkar is a known writer and a Sanskrit scholar with two books to his name.

Although Dinkar retired from the Indian Defence Accounts services in 1971,he did not stop working. He joined Vaidya Khadiwale’s Ayurveda factory selling unit as a manager and worked for another 25 years. Dinkar feels that retirement is not the time to relax but the time to strive for the betterment of society and its people.

Among his cabinet full of trophies and medals,stand two awards by the Limca Book of Records. The first one he got at the age of 92,Dinkar was recognised by the Limca for being the oldest person to climb Parvati hills eight times. At the age of 96,he set the record of being the oldest trekker to climb Sinhgad hill in 3 hours 20 minutes. At 97,he also participated in the Pune marathon and completed 4.5 km.

What is the secret of his longevity? “Discipline,” says the centenarian. Be it work or food habits,Dinkar observes restraint. No wonder he has no hypertension,diabetes,or any other major ailment. “I used to practice Surya Namaskar in my younger days and climb Parvati and other nearby hills as part of my morning exercise. However,now I owe my wellness to God’s blessings and his grace,” he adds.

Dinkar also claims that he has never cheated or lied to anyone to get any work done. “Over the years I’ve learnt that the only way one can be truly happy is by leading a life of principles,” he says.

When asked about how Pune has changed over the century he answers,“Before Independence it was known as a city for the retired. But after 1947,Pune has undergone huge progress in all fields. It is now a world-renowned education hub and a city for workers.” That is not to say that everything is going well. Once an avid reader and regular contributor to the editorial section of different Marathi newspapers,Dinkar says he no longer reads the newspaper. “I stopped reading newspapers about five years ago because the news used to only upset me. I feel I can no longer contribute in bringing about any change,” he says in all sincerity.