My Musings

AVAKKAYA OORUGAI. Each one of you has heard about Avakkaya oorugai. Andhra women make this pickle with a religious devotion and dedication (karma sradda) you have to see to believe. The oorugai preparation starts with purchase of good quality mangoes. Unlike elsewhere in India, the purchase of mangoes is done in AP on one specific day only. The entire city will be in the mango market on that early morning! People purchase mangoes in number (and not in kg) – 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 etc. When we were in Hyderabad, our need was just 25, at best 50. Telugus purchase 100s or 200s. Cutting of mangoes is a very specialised skill, and many persons will be available with sharp knives (aruvaal) and cutting boards. They will cut your mangoes for a fee. Wash the pieces and keep them dry (sunlight).During the “avakkaya” season, the entire city will be full of til oil aroma. Specially brought from the famous Samalakkotta town. One can readily get the other ingredients like powdered mustard (KADUGU PODI...

FIRE TRAGEDY AT KUMBAKONAM - 17 JULY 2004 The fire accident at Kumbakonam was most gruesome. The pics shown on TV were stomach-curling - one shouldn't see such macabre and ghastly pictures EVER. More than 87 small kids ..... what a tragedy. Almost all parents and would-be-parents in India would have been shocked beyond words on seeing the tragedy. Two days of blah, blah and TV and newspapers will forget this and hop on to some other "juicy" story. Politicians will vie with one another in announcing compensations, in throwing accusations at the Govt and then go back to their routine. There will be 'impractical' ideas from intelligentsia. (Already some big expert has told that "all thatch-covered schools in TN must be closed down". To this, a former educationist has replied, 'Then you have to close down more than 75% of schools'). Another expert opines that schools should not be allowed on narrow roads !!! Wah, what an idea, as though Indian cities...