Lucknow’s oldest pensioner: At 102, she continues to draw happiness, good health

Waking up early for meditation, taking a bath followed by a light breakfast – this routine may sound normal but only difference is that the one following it is a 102-year-old Lucknowite Jayanti Joshi.

For Jayanti, age is just a number and perhaps this belief kept her going all these years.

She is also among the city’s oldest pensioners and draws Rs 76,000 per month as pension. Her husband Bindeshwar Prasad Joshi, who was an IAS officer, retired as home secretary in 1968.

The UP Secretariat Pensioners’ Welfare Association on Wednesday felicitated Jayanti for her long innings as a pensioner.

“It is a matter of pride for us that we have a 102-year-old pensioner in the city. We decided to felicitate her and make her feel special,” says chief treasury officer (CTO), Collectorate, Sanjay Singh.

Jayanti is as active as her great grandchildren and more organised than any other member of the family.

“Even at this age she is very organised and knows the house well. She knows what is kept where and is very particular about her diet and medicines,” says Jayanti’s son Dr Bhuvneshwar Joshi, who is a management consultant.

“Throughout her life, she had home-cooked food. She takes simple and balanced diet with more protein than carbohydrates. She turned a vegetarian about 40 years ago just to keep her diet simple and light,” Bhuvneshwar adds.

He says his mother is self-dependant and needs no helper even at this age. “She prefers doing things on her own – be it wearing socks, dressing or going for a walk,” he says.

“My parents were among the few couples who celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary which is rare. I am really thankful to god for giving her a long life,” says Joshi.

Though Dr Bhuvneshwar is unable to tell the pension of his father at the time of his retirement but says that in 1996 (at the age of 87), he drew around Rs 11,000 as pension.

His father passed away in March 2012 at the age of 102 after which his mother started drawing the pension that kept increasing over the years.

As per the rules, the basic pension increases by 20 per cent if a person crosses the age of 80. It goes up to 40 per cent after a pensioner crosses 90 and gets doubled if he or she crosses the age of 100.

Asked about the key to his mother’s long life, Bhuvneshwar says restricted diet, organised lifestyle and family’s support and affection keeps her active.

“We never miss a chance to tell her how much she is important to us. We involve her even in the pettiest of family matters just to make her feel special,” he adds.

Giving a strong message to people who consider the elderly as a burden, he says having old people in the family is a blessing.

“One should not take them as burden. They should tell them how much they love them and make them realise that their presence in the family matters,” he remarks.