I am not surprised at the outpouring of love and respect from family and friends for Kumar Bava. Very few people in the world are able to positively influence so many lives as Kumar Bava did, including mine. Even in his last years, while he was navigating through considerable pain, he was always ready to offer unconditional support and guidance. Clearly, a lot of us in this shared community are indebted to his wisdom and care, and now that he decided to leave so soon, there is no way to give back.

Om Sadgati.

GVS …as we fondly used to call him in our HVS school days, was always a topper in our class. He was outstanding in mathematics and English. In fact he taught me many a concepts in mathematics in school and we used to study on his terrace in Esamiya Bazar House, near Koti. We also went to guitar classes together for a few days. There are so many other memories about him … which I will always cherish.

He had in-depth knowledge in all areas be it music, philosophy, history, politics, movies (you name it). He was a big NTR fan. He was an outstanding orator both in English and Telugu and used to win all debate competitions in school. He was always willing to help anyone in need, even in school.

A man who stood for values and righteousness. Someone who was very courageous and open hearted.

He was his usual self (witty and humorous) when some of our close school friends met him at his house a few months ago. He never mentioned or cribbed about the immense pain and suffering he was going through during that time.

Our HVS class mates will remember him as a friend who was very intelligent yet humble and who was “ever” smiling. He will always remain a topper for all of us in our class. A topper…. in our hearts as well. 

Our 3 Am friend, a generous host, gregarious conversationalist and a humane being.

I first met Surya when I was newly married.  As my husband's close friend, he had come over with hot samosas.   I just had to listen to how and where the samosas were made and I had to say it tasted great!

Lunches and dinners at Surya's place meant being served ghee not in teaspoon or even a tablespoon but with a serving spoon.

The conversations ranged across Advaitha, philosophy, statistical methods, sartorial choices, relationships, history, politics  Gita, Upanishads, poetry, literature, sales - makes me cry just listing a few!

Surya was generous, period! It didn't matter if he had the resources to provide someone in need.  He just gave, unconditionally.

We could reach out to him anytime and he was always, always there for us.

Hey Surya, you are missed badly!

I have known Kumar for almost 40 years, primarily through our association with our mutually closest friend, Shaik Saleem. Always remember him as fun-loving, jovial, kind & caring.

My last conversation with Kumar last May epitomizes the character of this great human being. Saleem had just passed away suddenly and we were all in deep shock and while mourning/grieving together, Kumar said what I can never forget.

"Why didn't God take me instead of him. I have all these issues." 🙏

Dear Kumar, thanks for all the memories, I will cherish fondly in the days to come. I am sure you are enjoying the painfree stay in heaven in the company of Saleem and other loved ones. RIP 🙏

Suryakumar was one of my best friends. I was working at OMC when Surya joined the company. He immediately had an impact on everyone with his easy going nature and his ability to make friends quickly. We had travelled together throughout the country on many assignments and this helped us develop a bond for each other. We became family friends right at that time. 

He was one without malice. A person who loved to help everyone. Most importantly, he spoke what was in his heart and rarely hid anything. He also had the ability to constantly improve himself.  Except for the time he went to US, we have been in close touch with each other and I have helplessly watched all his suffering. I wish a good person like him had not gone through this suffering but we mere mortals do not understand God's design.

We used to talk about so many things and whenever I read a good poem or heard a good song, I would call him up and we would discuss it. He would do the same. We would discuss any professional issues we were facing. In fact, each of us was a good sounding board for the other. I know Surya has been like that for so many people.

I will definitely miss him. I will miss his enthusiasm, I will miss his love for literature and his predilection for debates. More than anything else I will miss a very good friend. A friend whom you want to call whenever anything good or bad happens to you. 

Beloved *SURYA KUMAR garu* was more than a family friend for me. A well wisher to my family and a great advisor of my children's career. He guided in many ways to us. A person with great personality, good heart, an intelligent human being, abundance in all round knowledge, a good orator, a great Financial Consultant to so many financial institutions in India and abroad. An excellent spokes person with a great voice, a good dialogue writer, his speeches are worthy, can attract the audience with his quality of depth in the subject matter he possesses. He wrote a number of articles in different social media, he appeared in TV shows too, which was found appreciable. Now I find very difficult to digest his absence. One of the best and most liked person of my life he was. Sri Surya kumar garu wrote the following poem on *12th November, 2013* and mailed it to me, it delighted me with the inner meaning in it. *"నేను నాది"* ఉన్నవి రెండే రెండు ఒకటీ నేను, రెండోదంతా నాది అందుకే భయం! నాది కాబట్టి నాకు కావాలి, రాదేమో అని భయం! నాదే కాబట్టి నా దగ్గర ఉండాలి, పోతుందేమో అని భయం! నాకు వద్దకపోతే నా నుండి దూరంగా పోవాలి, ఉండిపోతుందేమో అని భయం! నాకు చిరు ఆశ కలిగితే నాకడి అంకురించి చిగురించాలి యేండిపోతుందేమో అని భయం! అదంతా నా 'అది' అయితే అది నా 'ఇది' అయి, నాదే అయిపోవాలి, ఇది కాస్త అడయిపోతుందేమో అని భయం! ఇదంతా నేనే అయిపోయి అదంతా నాదే అయి, *నేనే కనక పోతే,* అదేవయిపోతుందో అని "లేని నాకు" భయం!!! A strong will power he had, a fearless person, it seems the fear itself got feared of him at the end. Pray God to give strength to the bereaved family members and my “words cannot express how saddened we are to learn of this loss" We are all here for you *Jyothi garu”* The memories with Surya kumar garu remains in our hearts for ever. May the departed soul rest in peace🌹🙏💐 From *Sunita & Patnaik family* Dharma Apartment Seethammadhara Visakhapatnam

What can anyone say about Kumar.  He had some exceptional qualities as a human and everyone around him , with him has experienced all that.  His affectionate brilliance has captivated all of us and made it so difficult to digest the inevitable.  Each day he learned and implemented. I will him a pragmatic spiritual practitioner.  U should hear from the doctors and hospital staff as to what kind of an evolved and super conscious human he was.   I want to only celebrate his life now as he was an inspiration for me in million areas.  Love u buddy.  You are in every cell of my body. How can I not miss you every breath I take.  Bestest buddy Sai Prasad 

Surya Kumar was a man full of wisdom, wit, and humor! He had a contagious smile and a warm, welcoming spirit. He was always available to those who needed him & was full of encouragement!  We really got to experience his personality and  his insights when he came to the U.S. for Ram & Anya”s wedding! He gave 2 magnificent speeches summarizing the importance of family & friendship. We treasured his friendship and we will miss him dearly and his legacy will live on through his children and grandchildren, Love Deborah & George Landis…

Kumar bava has always been and will always remain special to all of us❤️

Every gathering he would be the limelight, sitting in the middle of the group and entertain all ages with his wisdom and Witt ❤️

Deepest condolences to all bereaved families! I have missed one of my best friends and well wishers !My friend will always remain in my heart and memories. 

Kumar. That's how he wanted me to address him even though he was Kumar Mavayya relationship-wise. And because of that, in his memory, I'll address him as such.

My professional career began in technology sales. For a greenhorn like me, sales was seemingly alien with no or limited success. Very soon my management dialled up the pressure much to my embarrassment and helplessness. It was a moment of despair and vulnerability that made me wonder if I'm cut out for success, and if I was half as good as what I thought I was. My self-confidence nosedived and there was no respite at work.

I'm unsure of the occasion when I wondered aloud my worries to Ramu Mavayya, and I suppose that's what entwined my destiny with Kumar's.

I don't exactly recall much about my first meeting/call with Kumar, but I do remember his reassuring voice telling me that it'll be alright. He introduced me to several nuggets about selling and helped me discover the joy of communication to persuade another person. His book recommendations and sage advice instilled tremendous amount of self-faith in my abilities. Results started showing at work, and suddenly I felt transformed professionally.

Not only was he so passionate about the art of selling, but he was constantly looking out to encourage younger folk to consider sales roles. I'm fortunate to have enabled his passion by mentoring and guiding 2-3 individuals. Inadvertently he taught me the importance of paying it back. I treasure this very much, and hence I'll aim to extend his passion by continuing to advise the younger generation to considering the sales profession.

That said, much to my chagrin, my relationship with Kumar was largely limited to professional discourses but I've come to realise his versatility only after his passing.

I feel a huge void because I cannot confide in the first and only mentor that I ever had in my career. However, he's essayed his role as a mentor flawlessly. I don't need mentoring anymore from him, because he's channeled the confidence and the will to succeed into me. That phase of him hand holding me will last my lifetime, and that confidence is the embodiment of Kumar that I'll hold close to me forever.

Kumar, thank you for being there when I needed help the most. Thank you for being you and for helping me become who I've become. I'll see you on the other side, boss! Sending you much love. Stay cool, and keep smiling.

I have known mamayya since I was a kid and had great memories all along. Mamayya was a force of nature and emanated positive energy. He was warm, friendly and very caring. I always used to look forward to seeing him on my trips to Hyderabad. I am so glad that I could spend a good few hours with him in December (2022) and those moments will constantly be with me forever. He has definitely left a huge void and I will forever miss him.

Kumar Mamayya and Extended Family

I know Kumar for over three decades. Strangely though, for a long time, we never had opportunities to meet. Nearly, five years back this month I happened to meet him at Hyderabad.

By then he was dealing with an insidious health condition. We both were, by strange coincidence, dealing with similar circumstances. We spoke in the same tone, spirit and for the purpose.

We talked about Hinduism, philosophy, children, marriages, and our passions. It was a profitable and thoughtful discussion. I felt meeting doppelganger in my thoughts. That assuring. We got connected.

Again, I met him after 18 months later. By now, he was physically frail, down, and losing his voice. I witnessed his struggles and understood challenges. That was viscerally painful.

And yet his spirits were running high. He didn’t want sympathies nor emotional vibes.

He explained me about Mahavakayas. Later sent me videos. To start, I struggled to follow the narrations. These are the Vedic philosophy foundations that would explain the absolute and the truth. Metaphysical and esoteric.

By now, I knew Kumar elevated himself to a spiritual plane that few would even attempt. He was realistic, practical and understood the truth. He was liberated. And contended.

Kumar is unique in many ways.

To start with, he was a genuine Liberal. His liberalism is sprouted out of strong value systems. He espoused virtues (dharma). As a result, he was attuned with time without losing his soul.

This is not easy, in this complex and oftentimes extremely complicated world

Simplicity his greatest asset. Profundity of his communication astounding.

How long we know someone is a mere number. How much we learn, appreciate, gain and enrich is the true value of any relationship. Kumar uniquely stands out.

Kumar lived for collective good. His actions and impact are imbibed in us. Words do not do the justice.

Our thoughts are with Jyothi, Ram Aditya, Manasa, his beloved sisters, extended families and phalanx of friends for whom their "dear Surya"

May his soul rest a peace.

- Lakshmi and Kishore  

Afternoon walk at Indira park — with surya Kumar

With Cliffu!

I love you Daddy! Will miss our pappis.

At my wedding - A family photo

Cool dad

Family get together, daddy dancing as usual with enthusiasm