Dr Moodliar-Rensburg honours great-grandmother in memoir

TO PRESERVE the legacy of her great-grandmother, an indentured Indian, Dr Seshni Moodliar-Rensburg recently penned a memoir, Annamma Vather (Moodley): A Matriarch – Gratitude, Love, and Honour.

- NADIA KHAN

"It is a heartfelt memoir, a blend of biography, family history, and cultural legacy. It chronicles the remarkable life of Annamma Vather and her enduring intergenerational impact," she said.

Moodliar-Rensburg, 48, originally from Overport in Durban, and now living in Milton Keynes in the UK, said the seed for the 244-page book was planted during her childhood.

"I was inspired by stories my mother told us, the time I spent with extended family in Pietermaritzburg and visiting the Vather's Lodge and temple my great-grandmother built. I initially wanted to write about the lodge and family. However, over the years the idea matured. I later read an article by my uncle, Dr TR Krish Moodley, which was published in a newspaper in 2010. It became clear that the book should be the story of my great-grandmother.

"The book honours my great-grandmother, who was a formidable woman. Her courage, love and resilience deserves to be remembered. During the indentured period, she defied the odds to become Pietermaritzburg's second-highest ratepayer, a successful entrepreneur, temple builder, and mother of 10," she said.

Moodliar-Rensburg said her research involved speaking to relatives and visits to India.