Rasika Mulesh Swami

Born in 1936, in Surat, Gujarat, India. Rasika has been the longstanding matriarch of our Swami and Ghantiwala families in the US.  

Rasika was the oldest of 8 siblings. She became the first female in her family to be afforded higher education due to the wisdom of her father, and despite the cultural norms at the time.   Through the Indian tradition of matchmaking, Muleshchandra Swami and Rasika Ghantiwala were introduced and married in 1962. The marriage was approved by her father since her intended had achieved higher education despite humble origins.   She achieved a master’s degree in languages and taught Sanskrit in India. Their daughter Vaishali was born in Surat.  Her husband emigrated from India to the USA to get his master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Iowa.  Rasika and Vaishali followed in 1967 after her husband accepted a job at Claflin College in Orangeburg SC.

They settled in Orangeburg where she furthered her education specifically in mathematics at Claflin College and added a master’s in education at South Carolina State College.  She worked as an administrative clerk at Claflin College for a decade even while earning her education degree. She spent over two decades teaching high school mathematics at Holly Hill Roberts High School.  Mrs. Swami was known as a no nonsense, demanding and strict teacher, yet many who feared her as a teacher came to pay her grateful regards later in life.

Early times were sparse and the family eventually afforded a car in 1969 and a house in 1974.  Their son Sanjay was born in Orangeburg.  She encouraged and supported her brothers to immigrate to the US. She and Muleshchandra were also instrumental in founding the first Hindu temple in South Carolina in Columbia.  She was naturally talented at cooking Indian vegetarian food for the family.

Her husband died early and unexpectedly in 1997.  Rasika lived in Orangeburg with family and friends nearby until 2020 when she moved to Myrtle Beach.  After retirement she enjoyed travels with family to California, Florida, Alaska, Paris, Wyoming, Vancouver, Vermont, Minnesota, Niagara Falls, the Caribbean, South America and Antarctica.  She became a maternal figure for the Bjerken family for over 2 decades.  She remained strong and grateful to have lived independently to age 90.  She was proud of Vaishali and Sanjay and their families. She loved watching her grandchildren, Devan and Meera, grow from babies into young adults.   Rasika enjoyed her home at the beach, watching the birds, the pond and the activity at the YMCA in her view.  She passed peacefully after a sudden illness yet enjoyed wonderful visits from family and friends.  Her innate wisdom included a ‘This is the Life’ attitude to the ups and downs of a life well lived.

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