Ashok Rao

Ashok Rao spent his life building — quite literally. As a civil engineer with the Karnataka Public Works Department he oversaw the design of over forty small bridges across the state. In 1978 he built the family home in Malleshwaram with his own hands during weekends, a bungalow that still hosts every family reunion and every grandchild's first birthday. He was known for two things at work: never taking a bribe, and never leaving the office before the last file was signed. He was known for two things at home: making the best masala chai in Bangalore, and letting his grandchildren beat him at chess.