The Inspiration of Two Brothers - Dnyandev and Tukaram

The story begins in the early 1950s, in the quiet Indian village of Uplai, a small village in the Solapur district of Maharashtra. Two brothers, Tukaram and Dnyandev, grew up under the same roof, the elder fondly called Tuka. In those days, male-dominated households often favoured sons—especially the eldest—over their sisters. Eldest sons were showered with privileges: the best food, the most attention, and in Tuka’s case, even a bicycle—the only one the family could afford.

Creative representation of the brothers

Years passed. By 2025, the brothers were in their mid-seventies. Dnyandev, now a retired banker, had raised two successful sons who built their lives in Mumbai and Pune. Tuka lived simply in the same village, his only steadfast companion a bottle of alcohol.

Last year, Dnyandev fulfilled a childhood dream: he built a bungalow in the village, naming it Vitthal Smriti—“In the Loving Memory of Vitthal,” their late father. Vitthal had been well-liked but flawed, his only claim to success being that he never sold the family’s ancestral land despite his own drinking habit.

The friend paused, understanding at last. The same roots had fed two very different trees. And sometimes, the same inspiration can lead to entirely different destinies.

Vitthal Smruti - Built in 2024