With or Without Ice? Close Encounters with Ananth ‘Mangli’ Shenoy after 27 Years

With or Without Ice? Close Encounters with Ananth ‘Mangli’ Shenoy after 27 Years

With or Without Ice? Close Encounters with Ananth ‘Mangli’ Shenoy (who owned a makeshift Sugar Cane Juice cum Bhelpuri/Charmuri shop near St Aloysius College-Mangaluru) after 27 Years.

Mangaluru: If you happen to be a alumni of St Aloysius Institutions, studied there between 80s and 90s, then you will surely remember the name “Mangli” aka Ananth Shenoy who was running a makeshift sugar-cane juice cum Bhelpuri shop near the entrance gate of St Aloysius College, opposite to the mosque on Lighthouse Hill Road. The last time I saw Mangli was in February 1990 when I left to USA, and on that day when I told him that I was going abroad, with tears in his eyes he said, “You all Porbus (Catholics) go to America and don’t come back. Then you’ll forget your hometown, your college and probably also me…….”- but when I met him recently after nearly 27 years, he couldn’t recognize me at first sight, but gradually remembered me and was very happy. Even though I had come down to Mangaluru so many times after I left to States, but never thought of meeting Mangli (sorry!!)-until a few days ago, after watching a sports event at Mangala Stadium I decided to have a sugar cane juice- and what a surprise? I found my dear old friend Mangli, once again serving me a delicious frothy Sugar Cane Juice, which brought memories of my days at St Aloysius High school and College.

“What happened-You were plumpy during college days, now you have gone skinny but look nice,” he said. “Regular diet and exercise made me lost weight” I replied. He laughed- probably he didn’t believe me. Anyways meeting Mangli was indeed a “Close Encounters of “Mangli” Kind” after two decades, and I was overwhelmed to meet my longtime friend whom I had associated with during my high school and college days at St Aloysius. Before and after school and college hours we used to spend some leisure time at Mangli’s shop- and Mangli used to crack some jokes or leave some Pataki’s (Gossip?). We all loved him, more than he loved us- such was the bond between many Aloysians and “Mr Mangli”.

Mangli’s was a familiar face that brightened us every morning on our way to school or college. Never did a day go past without us sharing pleasantries on our way back and forth..not forgetting the lip-smacking Bhelpuri/charmuri with tomato or Kadle (peanuts) and the frothy special juice he would turn out for us. Not just for Aloysius students, he was also friendly and familiar with others who used to patronize his shop during evening hours, while spending their time near the Tagore Park, during those days. He was like a GPS for everyone- also a friend and mentor to students who always took guidance and advice from him during youth trouble times. For his kind gesture and fruitful advices that he used to give to students, he was felicitated by the then headmaster of St Aloysius High School, Fr Louis SJ, who even now at the age of 76 still remembers and appreciates it.

At this senior citizen age, Mangli has never stopped working since he started crushing sugarcane in 1958 at the age of 16, instead still at the helm of the Sugar Cane juice shop, now located opposite to Canara High School-Urwa-adjacent to Mangala Stadium VolleyBall Court-he daily comes there at 4 am, gets ready with everything, and by 5 am he is ready to serve his early bird customers- some who go on their morning walks and those who come to exercise or play at the Mangala Stadium. And later in the hours, he has students from the nearby school and other general public- and also his friends and well-wishers. One thing for sure- even now he loves children and others like his friends, more than his customers.

When asked how it all happened to get that nickname as “Mangli” -he narrated the story “As far as I remember there a student at Aloysius High School whose name was Ozzie Pereira, whom once I called him ‘Mangli’ for fun and just for the heck of it, and the other students near my shop who heard this began to call him by this name. Even though Ozzie didn’t like him to be called Mangli, but we both decided to be nicknamed as Mangli- and it worked quite fine for both of us- and here I am still a Mangli for many, but Ananth Shenoy for a few.” And that’s how, K Ananth Shenoy became ‘Mangli’ to students and the rest- from priests of St Aloysius Institutions, lecturers, teachers and other staff.

Looking back at his history- it was at the age of 16 after his father’s death he took over the business of running the sugarcane juice shop. During that time he was in 9th standard- to earn the bread for the family, either his mother had to work or he had to start working- and Ananth Shenoy opted for the latter. During then there was one, Ramachandra Mallya, who was running a juice stall in Nehru Maidan who had brought two sugarcane juice machines from Bombay (Mumbai) and Ananth hired one machine on a daily rent of Rs 2/- and started his makeshift juice shop near Aloysius campus.

His sugar cane juice shop helped many sports enthusiasts to quench their thirst after playing hockey, basketball, football, cricket or other games. An avid cricket enthusiast himself who had captained his team in school in rubber ball cricket, Mangli even used to inspire the Kabaddi team of St Aloysius school which then went on to win a medal at the state level. Mangli had a fascination of roaming and during offseason (monsoon time) he used to go to Bombay- and while in Bombay visiting Chowpatty Beach he saw vendors selling pani puri, bhel puri and other chaat items, which tempted Mangli to introduced such items in Mangaluru at his shop. This addition of Mumbai snacks at his juice shop attracted more customers, which helped him to buy the machine from Mallya instead of renting it.

But when everything was working good for Mangli, his wife Asha aka Jayalakshmi became a victim of paralysis at a very young age. A few years after the birth of their only daughter Nandini, she became paralytic and was bedridden for 20 years. Mangli along with his sister took care of his wife who died at the age of 39. He got his daughter married off soon after her graduation and she is now settled in Karkala, married to a civil engineer. Though his daughter and son-in-law have been forcing Mangli to quit working and come and stay with them, he is stubborn and wants to continue working till he able to.

In 1986, Mangli handed over his Light House Juice shop to his employee Seetharam (who still runs it) and shifted his business to Bunder area, as one of his clients, a port officer offered him a shop there, along with an electric sugar cane juice making machine. But unfortunately, during 1992 Ayodhya tension between Hindus and Muslims, his shop was set on fire by miscreants. Many offered him help to restart his business at the same location, but Mangli who didn’t want to take any more chances of such communal incidents decided to move his shop near Mangala Stadium, where he is still in business.

Presently he lives alone in his rented house at Bejai Kapikad. He gets up early in the morning around 3 am-takes bath and gets ready to rush to his shop-where Mahesh, a college student at Besant Evening College gives him a ride on his scooter every morning. Mangli says that Mahesh is like his son, who even helps him out at the shop- and he treats him well like his family member. Regarding his business, Mangli says he is happy, where he makes around Rs 400-500 daily, and Rs 1000 plus during summertime, between 5 am-4 pm business hours. While running his business opposite to Canara High School he became close to a student named Shravan Kadri- and their association grew so well, that Shravan is not only a friend, but Mangli says he is also like his own son.

Shravan, who is now a bill collector for Mescom makes a daily visit to Mangli’s house and provides lunch/snacks without charging anything to Mangli- and Mangli says that Shravan even checks on his health and even takes him to the hospital when he is sick. Mangli appreciates what strangers have been doing and done for him, rather than his own brother and his family whom he had supported during those days, but don’t help him when he needs help during his old age now. He says when he was hospitalized with Malaria a few years ago, none of his relatives came to see him nor provided any help- it was his friend who cared for him when he was bedridden.

But even though none of his family members/relatives came forward to help him when he needed help, but Mangli even now appreciates the love and support shown by some of the customers, whom he calls them as friends, among those are the family members of J F D Frank, whose lived very close to his LHH Rd sugar cane juice shop. Naveen Frank, one of the son’s of JFB Frank had said, ” We lived adjacent to his juice shop at Light House Hill and grew up knowing a young Mangli. He had a great regard for my mother, who although being a Catholic, officiated on Mangli’s’s wedding day as one of his own family members. So great was his regard for her, Mangli closed his business for three days following the unfortunate death of my mother at a young age of 37 years. Yes, I agree he was part of our family.” Mangli has great respect for Late Benjamin D’souza, who was the Physical Director at St Aloysius College, who had also supported him whenever he faced difficulties. He still remembers former Rector of SAC-Fr Denzil Lobo SJ (who had once visited his shop near Mangala Stadium), and also Fr Prashanth Madtha SJ and Late Fr Ronnie Prabhu SJ (former SAC Rector).

In conclusion, all I can say is that K Ananth Shenoy aka “Mangli”, even at the ripe age of 76 is still such a simple person, so affable, striking the sentimental chords of so many people! Isn’t it great? People with lots of wealth, with stiff upper lips should a take a leaf out of the lives of people.like Mangli, and follow in his footsteps. He is not looking to be rich and famous but wants to work hard until he is able to, and wants to save enough money for his retired life or health care expenses, thereby not being a burden for others. He still has love towards students, and remembers many of them who still come by and meet him- and he feels happy when he sees them. As the saying goes “Early to Bed, Early to Rise- his daily routine, going to bed early and waking up early has kept him healthy and active- and he wants to remain that way forever. It was indeed a pleasure to meet my buddy ‘Amchegelo’ K Ananth Shenoy aka “Mangli”- and now I know where to find him so that we can share our news and views of yesteryears and current. May God bless Mangli- a friend of many Aloysians and Mangaloreans!