After completing his PhD at the University of Manchester, my father returned to India and joined the physics department at the University of Madras as a Reader in 1952. He was later promoted as Professor. He was developing the theory of product densities that he had initiated in his PhD thesis and studying applications of it by himself and with his students. He availed every possible opportunity to invite eminent scientists to the University of Madras and to our family home Ekamra Nivas and encouraged his students to listen to their lectures and engage in discussions with them. When my father visited the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton in 1957-58 at the invitation of its Director Robert Oppenheimer, he had the opportunity to listen to over one hundred seminars on theoretical physics by the leading researchers of that generation. My father returned to India filled with a desire to expose students to the latest developments in modern physics. Not satisfied with the curriculum at the Madras University, he gave advanced lectures in theoretical physics to students at Ekamra Nivas. Eager students gathered at the seminar to hear his lectures, and this was formally called The Theoretical Physics Seminar. He invited eminent scientists to lecture in this seminar. My mother Mrs. Lalitha Ramakrishnan, graciously hosted the foreign speakers and the students by arranging lavish South Indian dinners after the seminars. I was a very young boy, but I had the privilege of meeting the eminent visitors. The seminars were held in the upstairs lecture hall of Ekamra Nivas, and the dinners were either on the lawns or in the rear building, and were often served on plantain leaves as is the custom in South India. Some of these eminent scientists were our house guests. The magic moment was when Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr visited Ekamra Nivas in 1960 and lectured in my father's seminar. Bohr was visiting India as the guest of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. When Bohr returned to Delhi on completing his visit, he told reporters that two things impressed him the most: the massive set up of the Tata Institute in Bombay, and the small group of students trained by my father in Madras. This statement by Bohr was flashed in national newspapers like The Hindu, and it attracted the attention of Prime Minister Nehru who wanted to meet my father and his students. With the assistance of Mr. C. Subramaniam, the Minister for Education, such a meeting was arranged at the Raj Bhavan, the residence of the Governor of Madras. After meeting my father and his students, Nehru asked my father what he wanted. Here was the Prime Minister of India asking what you want! At such an instance you do not ask for anything meagre. My father asked for an institute for advanced research like the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. With the support of Mr. C. Subramaniam and the benevolence of Jawaharlal Nehru, MATSCIENCE, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, was inaugurated on 3 January, 1962, with my father as its Director.
Attached is the list of eminent visitors to Ekamra Nivas and the Theoretical Physics Seminar from 1954 to 1961 prepared from my father's documents. Dates of the visits are given in parenthesis. The list of students in the seminar is also given. I have included a few pictures of visitors to the Theoretical Physics Seminar and there will be additions to this in the future. Subsequently, I also plan to describe my father's association with these eminent scientists as well as recollections of my father about the visits of these scientists as noted by him in his original memoirs.
Professor and Mrs. Alaldi Ramakrishnan (seated) at a meeting in Madras of the Asian Students at which Education Minister C. Subramaniam (speaking) was the chief guest. It was at this meeting, after listening to Prof. Ramakrishnan, that Mr. Subramaniam decided to meet the students of the Theoretical Physics Seminar (October, 1959).
Education Minister Mr C. Subramaniam in conversation with Professor Ramakrishnan during a dinner at Ekamra Nivas where he met the students of the Theoretical Physics Seminar (October, 1959).
Mr. Coleman, President of the Plenum Press, New York, (center) shares a light moment with Alladi Ramakrishnan at Ekamra Nivas (September 1964). Plenum Press agreed to publish the proceedings of the anniversary symposia and certain other special conferences of MATSCIENCE in a series entitled "Symposia in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics". Altogether ten such volumes edited by Alladi Ramakrishnan were published between 1967 and 1970.
Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan and Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan with Sir James Lighthill (FRS) who visited "Ekamra Nivas" in November 1961. Also in the picture is Mr. C. Subramaniam, Minister of Education.
Alladi Ramakrishnan welcoming and introducing Nobel Laureate Donald Glaser (Berkeley) to the students of his Theoretical Physics Seminar, January, 1960.
Nobel Laureate Donald Glaser (Berkeley) with members of Alladi Ramakrishnan's Theoretical Physics Seminar at Ekamra Nivas, January, 1960
Mrs. Lalitha Ramakrishnan with Mrs Donald Glaser at Ekamra Nivas, August, 1961.
Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan, Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan and Students of the Theoretical Physics Seminar, with Prof. Abdus Salam (FRS) at Ekamra Nivas, January, 1960.
Professor Abdus Salam, FRS (Imperial College, London), lecturing at Alladi Ramakrishnan's Theoretical Physics Seminar at Ekamra Nivas, January, 1960.
Students of Alladi Ramakrishnan's Theoretical Physics Seminar keenly listening to a lecture by a distinguished visitor at Ekamra Nivas.
Nobel Laureate Donald Glaser (Berkeley) explaining an idea to the students of Alladi Ramakrishnan's Theoretical Physics Seminar, January, 1960.
Prof. Alladi Ramakrishnan introducing the students of his Theoretical Physics Seminar to visitor Professor Abdus Salam (Imperial College, London), January, 1960.
Mrs Lalitha Chandrasekar (third from right) enjoying a South Indian Style dinner served on a banana leaf at Ekamra Nivas. Also in the picture are Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan (extreme right) and students of the Theoretical Physics Seminar, November, 1961.
Astrophysicist Subrahmanyam Chandrasekar (second from left) enjoying a South Indian style dinner served on a banana leaf at Ekamra Nivas. Also in the picture - Alladi Ramakrishnan (third from left) and students of the Theoretical Physics Seminar, November, 1961.
Alladi Ramakrishnan (R) hosted a dinner at his home Ekamra Nivas for Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr (Center), January 1960.
Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr in discussion with Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan at Ekamra Nivas, January 1960
Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr and Mrs Bohr with Alladi and Lalitha Ramakrishnan at Ekamra Nivas, Jan 1960
The eminent physicist Abdus Salam with Alladi and Lalitha Ramakrishnan at Ekamra Nivas.
Krishna was always with his father in Madras when distinguished visitors were present, and on many trips abroad that Alladi Ramakrishnan went on. Here is Krishna with his father Alladi Ramamkrishnan and Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr at Ekamra Nivas, Jan 1960
Abdus Salam (left) with Alladi Ramakrishnan, Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan, and students at Ekamra Nivas, Jan 1960 (Photo updated June 1, 2010)
Abdus Salam in a discussion with Alladi Ramakrishnan and other guests at Ekamra Nivas, Jan 1960
Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr at a South Indian Style dinner (served on a plantain leaf) hosted by Alladi Ramakrishnan at Ekamra Nivas, Jan 1960
Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan conversing with Mrs Niels Bohr during a dinner at Ekamra Nivas, Jan 1960
Alladi Ramakrishnan with E.T. Nambi Iyengar who helped maintain all the correspondence for the Theoretical Physics Seminar
Richard Dalitz (L) and Murray Gellmann (R) with Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan at Ekamra Nivas, 1961
Alladi Ramakrishnan took all the visitors of the Theoretical Physics Seminar on excursions around Madras. Here we see Murray Gellman and Richard Dalitz at Mahabalipuram, 35 miles south of Madras - 1961
Alladi Ramakrishnan, Mrs Lalitha Ramakrishnan and their son Krishna with Professor Marshall Stone at Madras Airport
Alladi Ramakrishnan in front of Fuld Hall, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, Fall 1957
Alladi Ramakrishnan had his office in this building at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton during 1957-1958. His son Krishna also had his office in this building when he visited the Institute in 1981-82.
Alladi Ramakrishnan in Europe during a trip in 1960
Alladi Ramakrishnan with Nobel Laureate Niels Bohr at Bohr's home in Copenhagen (1960).
Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan and the students of his Theoretical Physics Seminar with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Raj Bhavan (Governor's Residence) in Madras on October 8, 1961.
Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan explaining the work of his group to Nobel Laureate Donald Glaser (Berkeley) at the Theoretical Physics Seminar (August 1961).
Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan with Nobel Laureate Donald Glaser at Ekamra Nivas (August 1961).