Welcome 2015

Devi Durga

                             
                                 We are all getting geared up to welcome 2015, bidding good bye to 2014.Looking back 2014 has been a year with a lot of blessings from God and a few disappointments. Thanks to the Almighty for his abundant blessings.

                                   My fervent prayers to all the Gods and Goddesses to bless each and every one in the universe with all peace, prosperity and happiness. 

                                  My humble request to the Shantha Sorubi Durga to keep me cool and composed and free from unwanted and undue stress for nothing at all. Goddess Durga is mostly visualized as awesome but this Devi Durga in a temple is so pleasing and endearing that makes me call her Shantha Sorubi,
remembered in my prayers daily, for me to be calm and courageous.

                                 Jaya Jaya Devi Durga Devi Saranam !

                                
                                   

                        

Flowers ! Flowers ! Flowers !

                                       Ten thousands saw I at a glance,
                                       Making me joyous !

                        In the flash of a second, these lines, though modified, can make the lovers of poetry recall the great Nature poet William Wordsworth and his Daffodils, one of the most wonderful poems of the English language.

                     Beautiful, bright, and colourful Chrysanthemums and roses of numerous variety for sale in front of the Sai Baba Temple in Mylapore.  greeted us immediately we step out of the house.


                    This time, during my visit to my mother's house in Chennai,
my greatest source of joy were nothing but these Chrysanthemums, similarly looking Kenthi flowers, so elegant and amazing, and the multi coloured roses.

                   Malligai and Jathi, full of fragrance, yellow and white Sivanthippoo, Purple coloured Vadamalli ,Kolikondai adorn the entrance of the temples and flower market in Coimbatore also.

                   During our periodical visits to Madurai, along with the temples, Madurai Malli too attract us.But, the variety in Chennai seemed to excel the others.

                  What else can be a simple source of joy than the flowers!

East or West, Alike are Beliefs

                               

On Halloween's Day

                             East or West, beliefs are the same and also the way of expressing them.Ash Gourd is kept outside the house or tied in front of the house on the day of Grahapravesam to ward off the evil eyes or spirits from the new house.

                            Similarly in the west countries also, Pumpkins are displayed in the porch on the Halloween's Day.They are carved aesthetically and candles are lit inside the carvings. This is one of many celebrations associated with the Halloween's Day in the U.S.
A belief goes with the lighted candle that they receive the blessings of the spirits that are benign and ward off the spirits, malign in nature.

                         In our places on Friday nights and a few other occasions Ash Gourd smeared with kungumam are cut and thrown in front of some shops making it risky for the pedestrians and people riding on two wheelers.Instead they can be displayed in the front that they remain for months together.

                        Human Minds are alike, be it East Or West ! 

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 !