Hello Mumbai

                      

 

    Mumbai visit, be it the second time for an outsider, I feel is never complete without having a look at the majestic Gate Way of India.May be my brother also had similar thoughts.Heavy rain or hot sunshine is not a matter.It was pouring heavily. Yet he drove us to have a glimpse of the elegant entry point of India from the car.The city as well as the monument were drenched and cleaned by the heavy downpour.The historic
architectural marvel minus the pigeons in the ambience is something beyond our imagination.

                    Yes, we made it to Mumbai after two decades inspite of my brother's repeated invitation for atleast a week's stay at his home in Mumbai.Finally the Vinayagar Chathurthi before the week end by the end of August became an extended week end facilitating the response to a long pending request.

               Having a darshan of the all powerful Siddhi Vinayakar of the famous Siddhi Vinayakar temple at Mumbai on the day of Ganesh Chathurthi seemed so exhiliarating.
Must be a life time experience !
 

Diyas, the Diwali special

            Diwali this year is something special for us with the additional lights or the Diyas for enriched joy.

  

             Diwali is an occasion of Happiness and cheer with new clothes, sweets and crackers for most people in our state. A few may go in for Jewellery, new TV, furniture etc for their needs. Some may be carried away and lured by the the attractive offers that occcupy sizeable pages of the newspapers atleast for a week before the festival.Too colourful and delightful, not easy to be resisted ! Goddess Lakshmi  is worshipped with special Poojas by a section of the people.

          Beautiful Diyas, a gift from one of the friends in Mumbai, a couple of days before Diwali is sure to light our  homes with peace and prosperity.



                        
 

Thanks Varuna Bagawan

               Talking in the lighter vein,what can be a better gift for Diwali to the students and the staff of the educational institutions than the unexpected holidays announced due to the rain in many of the districts of Tamil Nadu  prior to the festival.This holds good only to the institutions who have declared a holiday either only on the day of Diwali or with one more day, prior to or after the Diwali.This announcement may not be a pleasant surprise to everyone as most of the  private institutions have declared a long holiday already for Diwali.

         Looking at the other side of the coin, one cannot help from being really sorry  and moved for the traders for whom the rain may be a dampener.Also for the farmers especially in the district of Thanjavur where it has caused a hige loss with thousands of acres of cultivated land submerged in water.

        Pleasure and Pain go hand in hand at times !

The Farewell

                             Never could one even make a guess to whom, I bade a farewell with a heavy heart, next only to my precious grandson  Jiji and his parents on my departure to India.

                     Johnson's County Library at a driving distance of 5 minutes was the place, frequented by me during my stay in US. for six months.Completely carried away by the facilities available as it was my maiden trip and enjoying its services to the most,the library has an indelible impression in my memory along with a few more places, persons and events.

                    The members permitted to take any number of books, is a big surprise to me still.Initially a book can be borrowed by the member for a period of 3 weeks and renewed 3 times on line each time for 3 weeks.If the book happens to be on hold by any other member, the renewal is not the accepted.With this facility, even an expensive book or books which are out of print, hence cannot be purchased, can be enjoyed for a period of 3 months. E books, Kindles, DVDs etc. etc.a special area for children and a good ambiance 
for the adults to sit and read amazed me.Books required by the members are registered on lines, so that they are ready in their names to be entered by self and taken out in a few minutes.Books after reading can be dropped into the drop box from the car.

                    Very interesting and colourful books about our nation became sources of my joy for the first time.The history and Geography of a few countries, biographies of some eminent personalities ,needless to say,were my companions during my leisure.  
                                 
                    All these facilities free,though from the taxes are unbelievable.One of my school mates, a citizen of Canada declared with a sense of pride that any town of North of America even with a population of around ten thousand is privileged with a full fledged library.

                  True, no wonder, with such amenities and the citizens making use of them, 
these nations are in the forefront , even some decades back !
                         
                      

                         

Navarathiri Day 10

                  

Sri Ambal - Siva Poojai

                 On the tenth day, the day after the Nine Days of Navarathiri Celebrations,Ambal thanking  Lord Shiva  and doing Pooja is the theme.The Alangaram is called Sri Ambal, Siva Poojai.

               The ten days of celebrations really made us delighted. It was enriching.
                                 
              We must really be proud to be born in a country with so many festivals and celebrations, to take us forward cheerfully.

Navararthiri Day 9

                                               

Sri Saraswathi Amman

 


                                        
                                 Today is Her Day, Saraswathi Pooja as the very name suggests. Sri Saraswathi, the Goddess of Learning blessed us on Day Nine of Navarathiri, thanks to the organisers of the Siddhi Vinayagar Temple.

                                      
                               Like yesterday, today also Her smile and Beautiful form with Veena is so captivating and rejuvenating.There is a cute parrot , not to be missed at one end of the Veena.May She shower all Her devotees with Wisdom to enlighten the individual, the family, the society, the country and at large ,ultimately the world.

Navarathiri Day 8

 

 

Sri Meenakshi Amman

                                 Sri Meenakshi Amman, the Goddess of Madurai is the beautiful form, adorned by the Mariamman on Day 8 of Navarathiri.She was so pleasing with an endearing smile,beauty and majesty,captivating me for some time.We used to get Her Darshan in Madurai frequently during the five years of our stay in the later seventies.No such unprecedented crowds and queues as seen today. 

                                 Meenakshi  Amman's blessings can be sought with the vision of the Amman at very close quarters within a distance of less than two feet tonight.That is a great privilege to be enjoyed only in small shrines like this, where I have seen Mariammans as  Goddess Meenakshi during the Navarathiri or Chithirai Thiruvizha Celebrations in a few temples of our locality.In Madurai synonymous with  the Meenakshi Amman Temple, She blesses Her devotees, that too, paid, more than eight feet away.Yet Her Power in Madurai is infinite.We make it  at the at least once in a year to Her seat in Madurai now.