Learning never ends

            Learning never ends. An honest saying, if we have the passion. One of my passions, being reading and writing, is also a kind of learning. Age is just said to be a number, that may sound soothing and pleasing, especially for the senior citizens. Yet it can't be a fact, always, for most of us, along with age, develops the art of forgetfulness, oblivion and searching for the things, misplaced, Substitutes and comforts could facilitate some errands like driving, cleaning and household chores, alas, no such replacement for tracing our misplaced things on a day-to-day basis.

        To sharpen our memory, nothing could be as easier and comfortable than the greatest pride of our, Tamil language, the Universal Thirukural. During the school days, not so mature enough to enjoy memorizing the couplets, earmarked for memoriter, it was just a part of the examination to score marks. In our days, scoring high marks, especially in Tamil was not that easy. Even, our college mates, who had got admission to much sought after professional colleges had repeated the Language papers. Unlike the present day, equal importance was given to the Languages also, a few decades back. We studied with great fervor all subjects till the school final. Even the last student in the class knew the fundamentals of all the subjects. Having been a teacher at all levels, this is a major difference noticed by me between the school students of our days and the current days.

           Back to the Thirukural, it is a big surprise to me that nearly, about, three hundred Kurals could be held in my mind with the study of half an hour a day for two months and recalled at ease any moment. With my collars up by the pride of my memory power, that learning never stops, misplacing day to day used articles and searching for them also never stops. 

           

To be carried out or not

          No day ends, honestly, without a small feeling of guilt for not touching the laptop, that was bought for my use, exclusively, Every other day fleets fast; my resolution remains, just a resolution.. Finally  the great day has turned after nearly fifteen months to erase the sense of guilt, pursue my passion of writing and also to do some justice to the amount paid to buy the laptop, some four years back.

          Also, often, the sonnet of Milton flashes in my mind, where he feels guilty and is  afraid of God for postponing his skill of writing. Nowhere do I stand close to the great poet and his genius except harboring the guilt.

         Let me close the post, with a vow to touch my Shakthi, the Saraswathi once in a fortnight if not in a week, 

Joy, Beyond Words

              The First citizen of India is from a humble and rural background. That gives each and everyone of us loads and loads of confidence, courage, joy and what not.

              Yet, when someone, within our circle of acquaintances achieves something, it becomes a source of joy, beyond words. A woman, rather a girl to us, in her late twenties, from a family known to us for more than three generations has  become the branch manager of a bank and got a chance to serve the people in her own hometown. Getting an opportunity to serve in the hometown is not common in the banking sector.

               Women fly planes in the armed forces, drive heavy vehicles from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, hold high positions in judiciary and have ruled the country even before centuries. No domain can now be termed as male dominated, not served by women. They are scions of empowerment ! 

             Even decades back, women have held top positions in nationalised banks. As, said earlier, still...exuberance, excitement and double fold joy can not be ruled out on visiting the branch, managed by our girl and couldn't help saluting her. She not only made my day but the entire week !  

My Boy, My Joy

           My Boy came to our house on the day of the Panguni Pongal, the main highlight of the Mariamman Festival held last week in our town. My last post  depicts that  Utsavam  and the related events .Can there be any festival globally without  vendors, selling colourful articles for household, the kids and also for the adults. Giving and getting thiruvizha kasu, irrespective of the age is a part of such festivals. Petty cash was distributed during the Arupathu Moovar Thiruvizha at Mylapore as long as my mom was alive.

          This Tom Cat, just for fifty rupees was so attractive and tempting, when we went around the temple late at night, enjoying the Pongal cooked in pots using firewood and the bustling crowd. There can be no festival sans the crowd. This balloon cat, with a big smiling yellow face, wearing a bright blue attire and a big tummy seemed to beckon us to be taken home. It may be thought as weird to buy a balloon at such an age and only passionate people like my mom, who finds a big joy in small things can understand this.

          My Boy can be a source of joy, if smileys are stress busters. Seated, rather standing on a table in the  front room of our ancestral house in our hometown, he seems to smile and greet us as we pass by him, luring my spouse also to be a big fan of him. He often refers to him as, Payyan jammun irukkane.

        

End of the two Lulls

                                    Blessed we are to be present in our hometown for the Great  Mariamman and the Kaliamman Festival, celebrated after a lull for two years since the outbreak of the pandemic. With that, a lull in the updating of posts in my blogs also comes to an end. A big thanks to all the Gods and Goddesses for slowly restoring normalcy globally and subsequently enabling the people to earn their livelihood.

                               The great fervour, passion, pride and the involvement with which the local festivals are celebrated almost in all the parts of our country is one of the great attributes of our unique culture. So also is the Annual Mariamman and Kaliamman Panguni Thiruvizha celebrated for ten days in our town. Year by year, the magnitude of the festival increases qualitatively and quantitatively with people, converging from places far and wide.

                     Long back, it was only a local festival for ten days with the men, women and children from the near by villages, thronging the temple. It is no more such a scenario. Today it is a festival of the  confluence of the people, who had migrated nation wide and even world wide in search of greener pastures.

                 Such is the power, the divinity, the grace and the compassion of the Mothers, The Mariamman and The Kaliamman. Doubly blessed  that our residence is located in the Mada Veedhi of the temple to be honoured by the aesthetically decorated Urchavar Ambal on all days and the well grown lush green Mulaiparis, beautifully designed Uruvams and the brightly lighted Mavilakkus on the day of the Pongal.

           We are confident that such divine powers are sure to guard and save our town, state, country and the world at large. 

Belated Welcome 2021

                        A belated but a sincere and joyous welcome to 2021. Let's bid good bye to 2020 with the lessons learned and the experiences gained from the pandemic, rather than blaming the year. After all, what can the calendar and days do against the fury and power of Nature. The magnitude of the loss of lives, economy, the sufferings, pain and agony, world wide is beyond our control and description. yet there is always light at the end of tunnel.

                       Let's begin the New Year, as usual with a sense of hope and optimism, always nurturing love, care, gratitude and acceptance.

          

Salute the Five

                Amazing and wonderful to know, how Ulaganthar of Ulaganeeghi had honoured and immortalized the five great professionais, whose fees or Dakshinai should never be withheld;  they should be paid, that too with a smiling face; failing which such people must be ready to face the wrath of Yama, the God of Death. What a kind of righteous man was this Ulaganathan who lived a century and half back.Anxious to know the great five professionals! 

                Dhobi  and Barber are the priveleged to top the list, followed by the Teacher, Midwife and the Doctor. These five heroes, definitely must have discharged their duties sincerely without a materialistic bent of mind. Hence it has been advocated that they must be paid whole heartedly.

                 What a type of society had existed with the professionals discharging their duties with fervour and devotion, that an entire stanza has been earmarked, mentioning their selfless services; they deserve to be offered their dues with a cheerful visage. If not 
Yama will take care.

                 Sounds like Utopia....Platonic ! Such uprighteous men do continue to exist in all fields, may be less in number. A hike in their numbers is sure to make, if not the world, our state into a Utopia. Anyway a big congrats to the Fabulous Five! Let us salute them; before that the great Tamil writer, Ulaganthar of the Ulaganethi fame! We bow down before you Ayya for such a valuable work.

To Tamil with Love

         

          The affinity for our Mother Language is nothing but natural, so has been my  passion to attempt some write ups, about travels and the persons  whom I adore.Even a few poems, of course not worthy to fit into the genre; yet the simple joy in venturing is fascinating.

         Now it is a million dollar question as how, all of a sudden developed my intimacy, right phrase to use, with the poems of Virtues in our language, especially the Eladhi, Naladiar, Moodurai, Thirukural, Aathisudi, Kondraivendhan, Purananuru, Ulaganeedhi and so on.

        The Ulaganeedhi of Ulaganthar of the Eighteenth century, beginning with Odhamal Orunalum Irukka Vendam, is simply amazing, sounding rhythmic and musical. It may seem funny and even weird!  Enamoured by its beauty and the universal ethical values of its content in single lines of what not to be done, started memorizing it. The confidence and energy levels seem to have been boosted, discovering the ability to memorise texts at this age of early sixties. Yet forgetfulness in simple tasks on a daily basis is an irony! May be they are too mundane to  gain the attention and focus! They may be sharpened with this latest skill.

      What a Devine Language is our Tamil and indeed, we are a blessed race ! 

Special 2020

        The New 2020 is going to dawn in a few hours for us this time at Coimbatore, place of our domicile. We were out of the city for a couple of years.

       2019 has to be termed as an endearing one, to be looked upon with a sense of gratitude, not because it was very joyous and exciting; but that some tough decisions could be taken for the good, not willing to leave things to probability and chance with a sense of uncertainty hovering over the head. Really blessed with a firm mind and determination, God has always been with us to face the toughest challenges with acceptance and courage.

       We welcome the New Year with a big smile and a sense of optimism to turn our adversities just into experiences to learn from. God is always ready to heed to our just and sincere yearnings and sure to make it something special, apart from making it healthy and peaceful. New Year is certain to bring new arrivals in the family with His Blessings. 

                           Welcome 2020 



       

Thamirabharani Pushkaram

                The Thamirabharani Pushkaram may be an astrological event at the outset; to me it was an occasion to take a trip, down to to my hometown and also down the memory lane. Tirunelveli is my hometown but my parents left for Chennai for the good some forty years back.Coimbatore has been our home for the past three decades whose salient features are listless, very lovely and charming.Yet Tirunelveli, is also close to my heart; its people are known for their education, valour, hard work, loyalty and so many other attributes.

              Most of the times, my visit to Tirunelveli may be for some auspicious occasions like marriages, house warming ceremonies, religious festivals etc.This visit is something very special and memorable as I got the opportunity to fulfill my long pending desire of taking bath in the river on whose banks at Sindupoondurai, I was  born, brought up and moulded. 

            Many a times, I used to wonder, why we people, including myself eulogize a lot about the tourist destinations abroad, when our own country has plenty to offer, both for pleasure and pilgrimages. Many well known temples around my hometown are yet to be discovered. Two such places are the Narambunatha Swamy temple at Tirupudaimaruhar and the Gajendravaradha Perumal temple at Athazhanallur. Both the temples are little close by and at a distance of about nearly 30 kilometres from Tirunelveli, easily accessible by good motorable roads.

              Both these temples, the former, a Saivite temple and the latter, a Vaishnavite temples are built on the banks of the divine Thamirabharani.The Gajendra Varadha Perumal in the standing posture at Athazhanallur is very majestic.According to the legend, it is believed that only in this spot, the elephant, Gajendran got liberation, Mukthi from the crocodile.

            Actually it was a momentary decision taken by us due to a sincere and fond invitation by one of my cousins.Profound thanks to her. Our visit to the Pushkaram coincided with the grand Dasara celebrations on the following day of Vijaya Dasami  at Palayamkottai turned the momentary decision to  a life long joy to be cherished for ever.

  

Belated Good Bye and Belated welcome

                Belated bye bye to the sweet 2018 and the same belated welcome for a healthy, peaceful and subsequent 2019. Being happy to be late than never. Late only in this post but a grand farewell and a standing ovation fused there as every year at 12 midnight between 2018 andn2019 with the prayers and greetings.


                Really, abundantly thankful to God for making me accept things as they were with great fortitude in 2018; life has to go is the truth. With the same blessings and hope, we are truly confident to make the coming year as happy as possible and make others happy, which is nothing but reconciliation.


              It may sound silly, even strange ; the last couple of months of 2018 was most endearing to me, as I was able to resume my writing. The years 2016 and 2017 had been totally blank, with not even a single post in both my blogs. The reasons may be a hundred and one but feeling was one; that of guilt.

          The year 2018 dawned at New Zealand; the first time, out out of the boundaries of our homeland. The joy was none the less exuberant, flooded in the colorful fireworks at the City Tower, Auckland. Awesome was it! 


       2018 was special with the dawn at New Zealand faraway from Coimbatore; again this year also it is away from Coimbatore. We welcomed the New Year with the Poojas and prayers at our ancestral home in Sattur. Highly hopeful that God will bless us and the entire family with good health and the subsequent  wealth, born out of it ! Once again welcome ,  2019!  

       





      

Hibernation and Rejuvenation

          Long hibernation..unduly long..more than three years since my last post..unbelievable..the urge to write was always there; more was the guilt. Looks like something supernatural, as if some charm was preventing me to sit and write,pursuing my passion; finally the day has dawned. Many a days, the constant but lingering thought was, with which topic to start with; that also flashed in a moment. The historical Tamirabharani Pushkaram, which has taken the river and our hometown, Tirunelveli to global heights.


         Sans no belief in astrology, the Pushakaram did not come close to my heart but the fascination for the perennial Tamirabharani and Tiruneveli, the town of my birth, education, marriage and even the place of my son's birth was something beyond comprehension .A couple of years back, happened to read the fiction, The River Sutra by Gita Mehta, sister of the Orissa chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik.


        The story carried me to Nasik and the river Narmada and also to google for the beautiful images of the river and the cities on its banks. They in turn took me back to the days of our great civilization and culture.  No wonder ,the bonding between me and the enchanting Tamirabharani grew still stronger, prompting to make a trip to Tirunelveli. With the oscillating mind and no proper travel plans, the travel in public transport buses from Coimbatore to Tirunelveli and back was a  little bit tedious but the feeling was that of immense joy with a great sense of rejuvenation.

Super San Antonio

         
       The mesmerising River Walk is one of the main attractions in the city of San Antonio.We could spend only three hours in the city of San Antonia after attending the wedding of my cousin's daughter in Austin.A co passenger who happened to be from Chennai,flew with me from Kansas City to Dallas.He had done his Master's in San Antonia and lovingly insisted that, going all the way to Austin, though only for two days, the River Walk of San Antonia, just two hours drive should never be missed.


      The grandeur of the boat ride through the river for 40 minutes covering the entire city with its hotels, offices, historic buildings on both the sides of the river was awesome.Actually this is not a kind of river like any other river with sand banks on either sides but concrete walk ways and buildings, something rare and also picturesque.


    This wonderful view of river with the buildings seemed to be a miniature of Venice, despite the fact that Venice is more excellent in its majesty and magnitude.My brother from Detroit and a paternal cousin from Tennessee, also invitees for the wedding had backed up this trip from Austin to San Antonia and back.

          A word of thanks to them and the co passenger !

The Gala Wedding

           The gala wedding of my cousin's daughter held at his place, Austin is one the happiest and memorable moments of my second visit to US.Meticulous were the arrangements in each and every aspect, be it the decoration of the marriage podium and hall, the costumes of the bride, bride groom, their parents, hospitality shown to the invitees,the food etc.


         Weddings are always joyous occasions for us to bless the couple, to meet our relatives and friends, to renew the connections with the acquaintances, to become nostalgic and go down the memory lane, and also enjoy new contacts and of course the delicious wedding feasts.When the wedding is organised in a distant land, it becomes an event of double joy, happiness and enthusiasm. 

        Only the venue of the wedding happened to be miles away from our hometown but it was very much our wedding in respect of all the rituals, traditions and customs right from the auspicious Rose Manjal Thirumana Pathirikkai, Mappillai Azhaippu, Yanai Kudhirai Arasanipanai,Mulaipari Thelilthal, Pallangkuzhi Aduthal, Appalam Udaithal, Thengai Uruttuthal and so on,without any compromise. The real efforts, a natural outcome of the mutual love, care and interest of the close knit family seemed obvious, making the event grand and memorable.

      The Colour Purple, also an acclaimed novel by Alice Walker, a living legend among the American authors, was the theme of the wedding.The alternate invitation for the wedding, the the decoration of the wedding dais and the back drop, petals on the dinner tables and the glittering Sarees looked pretty and gorgeous in the purple colour. 

      The occasion made evident how my cousin's family maintains the ties with their friends and relatives.Such a huge crowd,from not only the local place but also from different parts of US and a few countries on both the days, one on the day of wedding in a star hotel and the next on day of the reception in one of the halls of the University of Texas was said to be unprecedented in most of the weddings held at US.

            The South Indian food arranged was very delicious and enjoyed well by the Americans.Many of them in our costumes of Sarees and Kurthas looked graceful.My cousin's family personally took care of each and everyone of the invitees.They were very overwhelmed at the presence of their cousins,relatives and friends from far and wide.

          Watching the weddings online, is known to us.Now,thanks to the 
parents of the bride, the auspicious occasion was enjoyed live by about two hundred of our relatives with fun, blessings and a sumptuous buffet in the Banquet Hall of Hotel Aryas at our home town, Tirunelveli. A novel and noble gesture!

        May God bless the couple with all prosperity and joy in their married life.

                

                    
               

A Happy Reunion

               A big thanks to my cousin and his spouse for organising the wedding of their daughter in the last week of August in Austin, that coincided with my visit to my daughter's house in Kansas.

               My last visit happened to be a great reunion of the three classmates in the city of Detroit.This time Austin turned to be the venue for the joyous wedding as well as the memorable meeting of siblings, aunts, uncles, relatives, niece and nephew from far and wide.

              The happy announcement of the wedding of my cousin's daughter at Austin, his home for more than twenty years was known to me five months prior to my departure to US.The very moment, I decided to attend the wedding.More than being my cousin,younger to me by two years and exactly of my immediate younger brother's age, he was very much a childhood friend for both of us in Tirunelveli, our hometown till he left for Coimbatore for his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees at the prestigious and magnificent Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. 

           On the occasion of the birth of my son in late 1970s, the greeting cards congratulating on the arrival of the new one, not common in those days sent by both of them, my cousin, a student of TNAU,Coimbatore and my brother of the Regional Engineering College, Trichi,now renamed NIIT are still cherished by me as treasures.

         In those days of living together in the same town paved the way naturally for strengthening the ties with the extended family members, developing an intimacy, the quality of compromise, feeling of security etc.No games with the computers, ipads but all outdoor games like Kabbadi, Killi, Pambaram, so on under the canopy of the branches  of the Mango and Tamarind trees. 

     For us girls with no gender bias of excluding boys, indoor games galore, naming a few are Cards, Thayakattam, Pambukattam, Pallanguzhi and Kalachi, a game  played by the girls with the throwing and catching of seven pebbles one after one in rhythmic motion using both the hands.Can there be a better indoor exercise for the entire arms, wrist, eyes and above all developing a focus with the eyes and a power of concentration with the mind simultaneously!Not the days of indoor equipments for exercise, investing a sizable amount!

    Going  to take bath and swim in the great perennial river, Thamirabharani, the life and pride of Tirunelveli, playing Pandi, other games and drawing water from the well could act as conditioners for physical fitness.

    Be it Kapparichai livu, Quarterly holidays,Arapparichai livu, Half Yearly holidays,Muzhu Parihcai livu, Annual vacation, a commuting by a town bus with the fare  of 20 paise  could bridge the gap of five miles between our houses.It was also fun going to movies, discussing them, taking sides with the great  heroes of those days, Sivaji and MGR, Jayshankar and Sivakumar.

    The crown of all the feathers is the visit to our family temple called Malai koil, nestled in the beautiful, sylvan settings of the Western Ghats.

    Above all drenched in the love and care of all the aunts, uncles, Achi and Thatha, the golden days of the childhood, partly enjoyed by our children could only be heard but rarely experienced by most of the kids of the future generation!

    

Grandpa Turned Corporate

             A very Senior Executive in an MNC, that is my younger brother was nothing but a wonderful Thatha to my grandson, Jiji of four and a half during his stay with us for three days at the residence of my daughter at Overland Park, Kansas.

            My brother was on a purely personal trip to US to attend the wedding of  a cousin's daughter at Austin, Texas. En route he had a break with us.Despite being a busy executive, he graces us with his presence on all the auspicious occasions of our big family, be it a Wedding, Engagement, 60 th B'day or 80 th B'day.Yet it would appear that he was physically present with his mind full of preoccupations about work.True, that the face is the index of the mind.

          The picture became totally different for the three days,on playing the role of an affectionate grandfather perfectly. Jiji also felt very comfortable calling him Thatha, hundred times a day, getting glued to him at home or at the outing or on the drive to his preschool or swimming class.Both of them were kids in their role play, reciting of rhymes and dance. All this seemed to be a typical flash back of the good old happy days,he spent with my son of the same age during his vacation from the IIM nearly three decades back.

       These days," Tension " has evolved into a buzz word even with the toddlers, a word unknown and unsaid by us till a few years ago.

       The best panacea is taking time off to disconnect the modern gadgets and reconnect with a mind cent percent charged only with love and care.

         

Uzhavar Sandhai at Kansas

                            Uzhavar Sandhai, only the name is Tamil but the Farmer's Market of the Kansas City where I felt very much at home with the crowd, is thousands of miles away from our home state

                           A couple of weeks back, while sharing my reflections on Adi Velli and missing my nativity,never had it occurred to me then that soon my visit to this Farmer's Market would make up for the loss and carry me very much to our local markets.That may be the daily Uzhavar Sandhai, just a ten minutes walk from our house at Coimbatore, other weekly Sandhais  within a radius of three kilometres from our residence, the mammoth Friday Sandhai at Sulur.The attractive Sandhais pictured in our Tamil films mostly in the fight scenes can be a perfect replica of the Farmer's Market here minus the hero and his enemies.

                  One side we can see  colourful tents selling garments, in an other stall small toys are heaped and so on.Then the long roofed corridors with the farmers standing behind the tables with their products on the table in small bowls called baskets.The tags with the price per basket is on the table.Their vehicles mostly vans and trucks  used for transporting their farm proucts from the farms can be seen parked near them.Right from our Vendaikkai, Katharikkai, Kothavarai, Murungaikkai , Vazhaipoo, Avaraikkai , Araikkerai, Murungaikkeerai all very fresh directly from the farms beckon us to buy everything.

                 What was so  joyous,surprising and exciting was the sight of the Pachai Sundaikkai,green and raw. Even in our hometown, Coimbatore, this Sundaikkai  is got   mostly from the kitchen gardens and rarely available in the markets. This Sundaikkai is very much relished by my daughter.During her visits to our hometown,at times it is sad that she has to forgo them, neither available in the kitchen garden nor in the market.So what else can make a mother happy to find the beloved vegetable of her kid in a faraway land, which has become her home!

             This green Sundaikkai is sold as Thai Brinjal or Pea Eggplant.Here Brinjal is tagged as Eggplant in all the Indian Stores and so also in the online cookery recipes.Our Brinjal and sundaikkai is much used in Thai Cuisines.

           Tender coconuts and Karumbu Juice delighted us as it was hot here in the mid of August.Similar to our Sandhais, cookies and eatables, not branded are displayed and sold in small sack.A number of small shops like our petty tea shops with the sound of the music could be spotted round.

           What made me happy and feel at home is the surging crowd holding the children in the hands or pushing  them in the strollers.Such a crowd has not been witnessed by me so far in the hospitals, big malls or even international airports.

            One more aspect of this Market worthy to be recorded is only cash payments, quite contrary to the system of swiping the cards everywhere even for transactions of less than five dollars.This seemed to me a different side of US.In and around the market,men singing and seeking arms could be sighted.

          Be it it India or the US, markets and masses go together!

          That is universality! 

            

Two Prime Ministers Meet

                 

Nanbenda!

                    True Friends ! This was the title given earlier. What immediately comes to one's mind is a long time friendship or a friend in need, as the adage, A friend in need is a friend in deed.

                  This interesting friendship, at the age of less than five, true to the age is beyond the nations, colour and race.

                 My beloved grand son, Jiji, four and a half years old had been studying in a pre school and that was closed in June, July and the first week of August. So he was admitted in a different school during the break.

             Every evening Jiji used to return from his class and ramble on about the happenings at school. Landon was found to be his close friend.Daily Landon's name would figure in his talk.

           In the first week of this month, Friday was the last day for Jiji in the summer class.The following week his old pre school was going to be reopened.On the last day Jiji was late to school. Landon was eagerly waiting for Jiji. On seeing him, Landon became wild with joy, hugging him and showering him with toys. 

            Back home after dropping her son at the school, my daughter was little upset, that the dear friends  would not meet each other on Monday.I chided her for not clicking them in her phone.Later,to our pleasant joy, the teacher had mailed a picture of both the boys, titled The Best Friends.

          During Jiji's return from school in the evening, to our surprise there was a tag attached to his bag with Landon's name and a contact no. Jiji' father had gone to school to pick him up.The teacher told him that Landon' mom had already picked him up, sticking a note of her contact number on Jiji's bag.What a momentary thought and presence of mind ! My son in law had given our contact no. to the teacher to be passed on to Landon's mom on Monday.

        Both the moms talked over the phone.Dates were scheduled, rescheduled and finalised for the two Prime Ministers to meet.

        A week later,yesterday, being a Sunday, both the Prime Ministers had their high level talks, playing and having snacks and ice creams in an indoor play area.

       Sadly, both the friends parted after an hour with a heavy heart !

       

The Irresistible Call of Adi Velli

           Looking back at Coimbatore,the music of the devotional songs  from the nearby temples, the decorations and the colourful garlands outside the temples, the rustling of the glittering silk and semi silk sarees of the women folk, their hair adorned with Malligai Poo, a sight very common on the road,in the commuters to work and also at work, people thronging with the Vettrilai,  Pakku, Pazham and Thengai to the temples in the evening, are more than enough to declare that the Friday must be a special Friday like Adi Velli.        


         Thousands of miles across the oceans from our place, as long as we are inside the house , everything is very much Indian, to be true, very much like Tamil Nadu,even Coimbatore with the same food,all the items A- Z, from Vazhaipoo, Vazhai Thandu, Murungaikeerai available at the 5 or 6 Indian stores within a radius of 3 kms, all the Tamil Programmes telecast by the popular Tamil Satellite channels, the Poojas performed for all the festivals at home, inviting the ladies for Thamboolam on auspicious days can bring a festive fervour inside the house but never the ambiance of the parts of our country interwoven with the celebrations of not only Adi Velli but any religious or national festival.

      But we made it to the local Hindu temple, at a drive of 20 minutes on the first Adi Velli, which also happened to be the first day of the Tamil month, Adi.

     Adi is also the month, when people offer Adi Kouzh to Amman and distribute it to the devotees.My mother, an Octogenarian with an unflinching courage enjoyed the prerogative of preparing a very big pot of Koozh with the aid of the maids and offered it to the people with the Murungai Keerai, which is said to be the combination for the porridge in Chennai. 

         This year is the inauguration of the offering of the Adi gruel by my mom. For years, Annadanam is offered at our door steps on the occasion of the Arupathu Moovar Thiruvizha, a rare celebration of the 63 Nayanmars at the Shiva Temples but a grand festival of the Kapaleeswarar temple in Chennai.With the falling of this festival on convenient days in the year make me take off from my work to go to Chennai and enjoy the Thiruvizha.

      Next year, let me be a part of this Adi Festival with my mom in Chennai and invoke the blessings of the Goddess.

Dear son ! We are so proud of you !

             Occasions galore to be proud and delighted on knowing that our products, both in the professional circle and personal circle, top at various levels in their academic pursuits, career path ,reach greater heights at the IT industry, enter the medical fraternity to serve the humanity, pass the UPSC Examinations to become Collectors, Police Officers, migrate abroad to top Universities for higher studies, work and assignments, qualify to be Chartered Accountants,accomplished writers, singers,dancers,eminent sports personalities,so and so. The listing, definitely is to be infinite. 


           In this context, what moved me very much in recent times is the noble, undaunted and unselfish decision of my friend and erstwhile colleague's son to join the Indian Army to serve the nation.Needless to say, a topper both at the school and at one of the renowned Engineering Colleges in the city of Coimbatore, with excellent academic scores, multiple placements in various MNCs and bright prospects of getting admission for a Master's Degree into premier institutes within the country and off the shores, this patriot has brushed aside all the offers .

          Clearing the tests at different levels held for five days,especially the rigorous ones for physical fitness, in the first attempt,despite being a strict vegetarian, abstaining from eating even eggs,recruited as a Lieutenant to serve in the Permanent Commission,recently he left for Dehradun for training in the Indian Military Academy, just within two months of completing his Engineering degree.  

                   
        It deserves to be recorded that he is the only child for his parents, born a few years after their marriage with the ardent prayers to various Gods.His mother during our days of working together frequently used to remark that her son becoming a great professional was never her desire but to turn out to be a good individual .Her lofty ideals, no doubt, imbibed in her son have moulded him  into a valuable professional. As per the sayings of the universally renowned Tamil poet in the globally acclaimed couplet, Thirukural

            Eendra Pozhudhin Peridhuvakkum Thanmakanaich
           Chaandron Enakketta Thaai
                   

          The parents must be really proud, gifted to be blessed with such a precious son.He called on us to get our blessings. It must have been our privilege to have called on our dear son.Nevertheless,with all our pride, happiness and encouragement, consoling my friend with tears welled up in her eyes, anxious about the risky job, was not that easy.

            Other than using this platform to express my boundless joy about the innate qualities of our son,it is also a medium to reveal my wish that the world should be one and every body kith and kin of a large family as visualised by our illustrious Prime Minister, Nehru.

            The content of an essay of a school student in an Essay Competition at the National Level, qualifying him to speak at the UNO, published in The Hindu, a few years ago remains indelible in my memory.To that " large hearted boy " the whole world is one and the various divisions into different countries and boundaries  exist only to facilitate effective administration.

          
            Such a scenario, soon to become true, the days are not far away, when the defence people are free from risks, safe and secure,only to help the people in times of inevitable distress,natural calamities, within and out of the country.

           Perumal Devanpatti,a small village near Srivilliputhur enjoys the rare privilege of sending at least one son from each family to the Defence .With the blessings of the Goddess Muthumariamman, the presiding deity of the local temple, every one has returned safe and continues to be safe in guarding the nation.My fervent prayers to Her to safeguard our son and all the other sons, serving in the Defence sector.

          With such youth, having noble and patriotic bent of mind, the days are fast, for our country to become a super power, turning the vision of our charismatic President, Dr.Kalam into a reality

        Congrats and Hats off, our dear son ! We are so proud of you !Definitely  an icon for the posterity, you are !May God bless you with all peace and prosperity in your life!