RIP Prof. Eknath Tulapurkara

[Marathi Mitra Mandal IIT Madras]

We inform with great sadness that our beloved Prof. Eknath Tulapurkara (Retd. from Aeronautical Engineering and living in Adyar), popularly called Tulaji, is no more. He passed away on Jan 3 at 10-25 pm due to complications after a bypass surgery in Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet. His son was with him at the time of his passing away. 

Prof. Karmalkar shares fond memories spent with Prof. Tulapurkara-

“I met Tulaji for the first time on the day I set my foot on IITM campus as a B.Tech student in 1978. The interaction grew as in those days, every year, as preparation for Ganesh Chaturthi cultural program, IITM Marathi students used to gather in his house for Drama practice. He and his wife would also participate in the drama. The drama used to be held at Maharashtra Mandal (Egmore), where all Marathi students and faculty would go in a bus. In the last 15 years, we started holding the Ganesh Chaturthi cultural program in IIT itself. At least during 2007-2016 when I was the Advisor of the Marathi Mitra Mandal, Tulaji would come every year and guide the Ganesh puja held in HSB. He would urge that Marathi faculty have an yearly get-together. 

Tulaji was a deeply religious person, e.g. he performed Sandhya and Puja daily and attended Swami Paramarthananda's lectures every week. At the same time he was actively immersed in Social Service. For years together, he went to a temple in Taramani once a week, gathered children who were deprived for some reason, taught them Bhajans and guided them in school education. One of those children later joined M.Tech in IITM. He started the Voluntary Blood donors club in IITM in 1981 and continued to take care of it with support from Retd. Prof. Aswathnarayana (App. Mech. Dept.) and later Prof. Deshmukh (Phys. Dept.) until 2001 after which they handed over the reigns of the club to me. In keeping with his deep service mindedness, and as per his will, after death, his eyes were donated to Sankara Netralaya and his body to Madras Medical College for research purposes. 

Much more can be written about him. I have not touched upon his professional achievements here.

May Tulaji's soul attain the lotus feet of the Lord.”

-Shreepad Karmalkar.

Marathi Mitra Mandal,

IIT Madras.