I first met Shri Mohini Mohan Ratho in early Feb 1998 soon after our marriage. We were returning to Rourkela from our visit to the adobe of Lord Jaganath at Puri and had stopped at Cuttack for a day. Mohini Mohan Ratho is Padmaja’s Mausa and hence mine too. Mohini Mausa attended our marriage but I don’t count that meeting. I was too dazed at the time 
My first impression of Mohini Mausa was a little intimidating. I had heard of him from my new bride but the telling had not prepared me for the hearty man and his massive presence. He came to pick us up from my grand parent’s home at Sutahat, Cuttack. He drove a diesel Ambassador with great dexterity through the narrow and crowded by-lanes of Cuttack. The lack of scratches on the old car testified to his skill behind the wheel.
The more I learned about Mohini Mausa the more I came to like him. He was a grand old man. Kind and hearty, Mohini Mausa had a ready wit. A booming voice that somehow managed to be soft and caring. I don’t know how he did it but everybody seemed to like him. His wife often seemed exasperated with him but their love was transparent.
I knew him for a decade and met him at least once a year during our visits to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for the summer vacations. Mohini Mausa had a passion for cars and dogs. They lived in an old, sprawling colonial bungalow in the heart of Cuttack. In fact they own a very large track of land in the city and all the Ratho brothers live in the same complex though in different houses.
Mohini Mausa died in 2008 from his old heart trouble. He left behind his wife of more than half a century, two daughters, two sons and a large brood of grand children. Mohini Mausa also left behind his distinctive and unique brand of living. All his children are stamped with it. They are all people it is easy to like and love, for they give of themselves so readily and freely.
I must admit that I miss the old man. The Lord does seem to call back his best children early.
The family printed a 20 page booklet in memory of the patriarch, with contributions from the grand children and a few photos. I scanned my copy of the small booklet to post here.
Full booklet in PDF Format (6 Mb) & a ZIP file containing individual pages as high resolution PNG format images (88 Mb).
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