Mangalore: From Rank Student to Booker Prize Winner—Aravind Adiga

Pics: Prajwal Ukkuda
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (CN)

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Mangalore, Oct 16: ‘An enthusiastic traveler, Aravind Adiga prefers simple living. He is a keen observer of the distinctiveness of every minute detail That’s why he has been successful in writing a Booker award-winning novel,’ says his proud uncle Dr K Raghuveer Adiga, orthopaedic surgeon in Fr Muller Hospital.



(File Photo)


‘He loves simplicity in his life. He used to stay in Woodlands Hotel and loved regular food like the ‘golibaje’ served there. He preferred to eat at ordinary ‘dhabas’ in the city. I hope the money and reputation earned through the Booker will not change his lifestyle,’ added Dr Raghuveer.

Only a simple man could have written that novel and Aravind has done it. Having seen all kinds of people in his life, his urge to know their innermost thoughts, has helped him  compare the darkness of Bihar and the brightness of Bangalore city, which is booming in the IT sector, continued Dr Raghuveer.



(File Photo)

Aravind’s father Dr K Madhav Adiga was serving as an urologist in Fr Muller Hospital, between 1979 and 1990. Another of his uncles, is a doctor too. But Aravind chose a different profession, journalism, which has taken him to greater heights, he remarked.

Dr Anil Shetty, pediatrician in Fr Muller College, was Aravind’s classmate from the third standard to the tenth standard, in St Aloysius High school. He is Aravind’s neighbour and good friend too. Aravind excelled at everything in school and was always a rank student, according to Dr Shetty.



His mother died just three weeks before his tenth standard final exams. It pushed him into deep gloominess, but he still secured the first rank at the state-level, he adds. ‘He is crazy about traveling and had been to Mangalore a few years ago. He got a call from somewhere and left the city within few hours. He reached Kashmir within a couple of days. He never used to stick to a particular place,’ says Dr Shetty.

Dr Sunil Furtado was Aravind’s arch rival in the classroom and the two were classmates from third standard to tenth standard. Dr Furtado is a neurologist in Satya Sayibaba Hospital, Bangalore. He says that Aravind was a very soft spoken, and helpful person.  Aravind got first rank in the tenth standard exams despite the death of his mother, recalls Dr Furtado who secured the tenth rank..

Aravind left for Australia with his father in  January 1991. Dr Furtado met him in 1992–93 over a coffee in Mangalore. They lost contact later, he says. Currently, Aravind lives in Mumbai while his father is in Australia. But the whole of India is his ‘Karmabhumi,’ his classmates explain.

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by Melka Miyar
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Comment on this article

  • Joachim Nazareth, Detroit

    Tue, Dec 16 2008

    Congratulations to Mr.Arvind Adiga and also to St.Aloysius college.I admire St.Aloysius college - it has provided very fertile soil to many a splendid minds.

  • doreen Kotian, Mangalore/Bangalore

    Wed, Nov 12 2008

    Congrats Mr.Aravind Adiga. You've made us Mangaloreans proud. Gud luck and God Bless in your future endeavours.

  • Veerendra.R.Achar, Mangalore

    Tue, Oct 21 2008

    My best compliments from Veerendra to Mr.Arvind. I was junior to you in St.Aloysius B batch. GOD bless all your future dreams

  • victor olivia sequeira& fly, mangalore/bangalore

    Sun, Oct 19 2008

    Congrats! Let many more laurels rain on you

  • Mohammad Rafi, Dubai

    Sun, Oct 19 2008

    Hello sir....heartliest congratulations for mega success...keep it up..

  • Shetty, UK

    Sat, Oct 18 2008

    Congratulations Mr.Adiga, you have made us all Aloysians proud. Your name sounded very familiar when I heard it on TV.Then it struck me it was the same name which was called probably a million times during school assemblies and annual days. Hope to read The White Tiger soon. Well done !

  • Manfred S. Karkada, Kankanady/Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Congratulations!!!!!! Arvind Adiga. It s matter of pride to say that you were my batch mate in 10th Standard at St. Aloysuis College. I wish you all success in all your future endeavours.

  • joe Gonsalves, Mangalore - U.S.A.

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    It is not a surprise at all that Arvind Adiga has made it. He has been a brilliant student. His father had built a great reputation for himself as an eminent surgeon in Mangalore some years ago. Madhav Adiga was a highly respected person at Father Muller's Hospital where he served for many years. He was a dedicated husband and a loving father. His wife's untimely demise plunged Madhava into grief. Later on he migrated to Australia. Hence - it is evident that son of a great person has brought honor to the family and also to the Country. I join scores of Mangaloreans in saying Kudos to Arvind.

  • Kirthi, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    I did not know that Anil and Aravind were so close friends in school. All the best to Aravind, Cheers

  • abhay chauhan, lucknow

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    hello sir....heartliest congratulations for mega success...keep it up...abhay

  • Mariam, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    When I saw the news on NDTV I rushed to check where Aravind hailed from. It's such a great feeling that somebody from my town has won this prize, on behalf of all the Mangloreans I congratutlate him and his family.

  • Sandesh , Mangalore/Singapore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Kudos to daijiworld and daijitv for getting these pictures to us, I was in aravind's batch.

  • Francis Corda & Hilda Corda , Mumbai / Canada

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Hearty Congratulations to you Aravind on winning this Booker Prize prestigious award.

  • Robert Fernandes, Mangalore/Dubai

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    It is pleasure to read and learn when some somebody do good and great.Aravinds brother Anad Adiga was in our 1986 batch in St.Aloysius who also secured 2nd rank in SSLC and 1st rank in PUC.great genious!!!!!!!!!!

  • Kiran, Mangalore/Bahrain

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Best wishes to Aravind Adiga,He was my school mate I was in a different section at St Aloysius. I am proud of you and St Aloysius. You mention that Aravind and Sunil got rank. Ajith too did well in exam but unfortunately his answer papers were misplaced by the SSLC board and his result was withheld for 1 month.

  • S Kumar, Mangalore/ Dallas

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Thanks Daijiworld for taking me down memory lane. Congrats to Aravind. He was my classmate.He has done us and our school proud. I also recognize Aravind and Sunil and Ajith from the photo. I was in their class till 10 std. Leo Sir, must have had real foresight about the three of them. I email sunil who is a neurosurgeon and ajith who is a PhD in Computers and is in San Fransisco, regularly. I dont have Adiga's email

  • Manjunatha C.N., Kasaragodu/Bengaluru

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Great achievement by this KannADDIGA.Kudos to u. I too had the previlege of studying in Aloysius and I too passed my 10th standard in 1990 (but not with such high marks) but from a different school, K.V-1, Kasaragod. May god bless Aravind.

  • Ajith , Mangalore, Bangalore, dubai

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congrats...we completed 10th standard in same year and I still remember he stood first in Karnataka, I wish I can also be like him one day.....ALL THE BEST !!

  • Ganesh Nayak.K, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulations Mr.Adiga. We Mangaloreans are proud of you. Please let us know more about Mr. Adiga's childhood and school days so that the younger generation may get best inspiration from his achievement. Is it possible to get his work translated in Kannada so that many more people can enjoy his work.

  • sheik abdul shukoor, beeri dammam

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Mr. Aravind Adiga, you made we indians proud . Congrats keep it up

  • Sarvotham Shenoy, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulations to Arvind Adiga

  • Ravi, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Congrats Aravind. Hi Sunil and Anil. I was in C batch in St Aloysius. Good to hear from you, All the best

  • Balakrishna G, Mangalore/Dubai

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congrats Mangalorean!!!You are the true writer & pride of Indians....

  • Ritesh Castelino, Mangalore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Well this is a welcome change for all the Mangaloreans Cause till now Mangalore has been in the news for all the wrong reasons from attacks to bomb supplies. Congrats to Arvind Adiga for infusing joy into the gloomy Mangalorean atmosphere. I just hope the national news channels highlight the fact that he is a mangalorean born in Chennai and not just born in Chennai.

  • Lokesh Shetty, mangalore/Abu dhabi

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Congrats Mr.Arvind , you made us Proud, MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

  • June Carvalho, Bangalore

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Adiga's is indeed a great achievement...from what we're reading he is a person full of promise...Melka has got her facts right...Sunil did get a 10th rank in SSLC and not 20th as someone has wrongly pointed out.

  • Dr.Ramachandra Kamath, Manipal/Malaysia

    Fri, Oct 17 2008

    Dear Aravind, Congratulations ! It is a great achievement !

  • Ophelia D'souzaPatrao, Miyar/Australia

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulations Aravind. You've made Mangaloreans proud. I also congratulate Dr. Adiga, who I worked with, when I was a student Fr. Muller's. It's great to know of Aravind's achievements.

  • Rao, bangalore

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulations to Aravind Adiga.....by the way , Dr Sunil is a neurosurgeon : not a neurologist!!

  • Sandeep Rai, mangalore/doha qatar

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    It is truly laudable that simple man Mr. Adiga reached great heights. We all NRI's very proud of him. At the moment all mangaloreans head is riding high. thank you Mr. Adiga and wish you many more success' in life.

  • Sequeira, Mangalore / Dubai

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Melka Dr. Sunil Furtado secured 20th rank in SSLC exams when Arvind secured First and the second file photo from left !st. is Dr. Furtado #rd is Ajit Mascarenhas and the last is Arvind

  • saleem puttur, Abu Dhabi

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulation.. We are proud to be a South Canarian

  • Charan Varghese, Mangalore

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulations!!! Arvind

  • Michael , Hyderabad

    Thu, Oct 16 2008

    Congratulations to Aravind Adiga on winning the Booker Prize.Thanks to Daijiworld for publishing the photos from Archives. I was Aravind's schoolmate and am proud to know about his achievement.

  • EDEL REGO, MANGALORE

    Wed, Oct 15 2008

    Hiii arvind, Congrats.. Regards, Edel


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