She not only makes her village, Patamatapalem in Rajavolu panchayat, Guntur district proud but also Andhra Pradesh as Junnu Venkata Subbamma crossed 110 years of life which have been blessed – full of good health and vigour. She celebrated her 111th birthday on the auspicious occasion of Sankranti with 97 of her relatives and of course the villagers, who are all mighty proud of her.

She has five sons, three daughters and several grandchildren spread over five generations.

What makes Subbamma an example to follow is the fact that at her age she continues to be active and independent, able to move around without any help. According to her, the reason for this is a good diet which includes jowar, ragi and eating fruits morning and evening, regular eating habits, hard work and going for walks. “Walking will make one fit for life,” she observed.

At her age, she does get nostalgic and looks back at the days gone by. She recalls the occasion when as a child she attended a freedom movement programme where Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi spoke. Those days people would use bullock carts to reach the programme venue, she recalled.

“We saw the freedom movement and many people who sacrificed their lives for our liberty,” she remarked. Interestingly, she has never skipped any election and casts her vote regularly motivating others to do the same.

For the celebration, Subbamma cut a cake while all the villagers were offered food.