My Musings

ARUN SHIFTS TO BANGALORE. Arun got a job at Bangalore and he joined there on 1st August 2012. He left Gayathri, Sowmya , and Sriram at Padur, Chennai itself for the completion of the Academic year 2012-13 Sowmya and Sriram wrote the entrance exam at Vag devi school Bangalore on 15 Dec 2012; Sowmya was successful but Sriram is to write again in Jan 2013. He wrote on 19 Jan 2013 and got admission. Arun paid 41900 for Sowmya and 41500 for Sriram on 26 Jan 2013. Thus the School admission formalities were successfully completed. He decided to shift to Bangalore by end-March and he started his preparations accordingly. He finalised a house (2nd floor) at Marathahalli, Bangalore by 1st week of March. Rent Rs 13000.00 and advance Rs 70000. He paid the advance and did the paal kaaychi kudiththal on 13 March. We went to Padur on 2 March and stayed there for 6 days. His home articles were packed on 28 March (we two went there). The packers (ICM Ltd) were tocome by 11 AM but they came at ...

We celebrate Kolu every year and this year(2011) was no exception. We started the preparations on 28th Sep when the slotted-angles and sheets were taken down from the attic and steps (படி) were erected. The dolls were also taken from the attic, dusted, and generally cleaned. This is the first KOLU in our new, own house at Kalakshetra Avenue.   With this step over, Krithika decorated the place and arranged the dolls. Arvind took care of serial lights. Thus the Kolu started this year. Guests started coming from the next day. Aditi was ecstatic and excited. 3 Oct 2011 Today we hired a driver and we two, Krithika, Aditi went to Ambattur first. We took the Chennai bypass road to reach their house. Then to Lalita-Kumar's house at Avadi. Lunch there. Then to Vadapalani (Jayaraman-Kalyani). On our way back, we went to Mrs Saveetha's house at Adyar. She is a close friend of Krithika. Back home after 8 hours' travel. 5 Oct 2011. Today is Saraswathi Poojai. We perfrormed it nic...

THE DINING TABLE To designate this piece of furniture as just a dining table will tantamount to calumny and insulting. Multi-Specialty Furniture? Multi- faceted furniture? For want of a better word, let me call this dining table only. We purchased this sea-green colored table in early 1975 at Hyderabad. For a paltry Rs. 400.00, I guess. Then Vijaya and I ran around Hyderabad to get the chairs, made to match the color of the table. We had to try hard but we did manage to get the same color. Six chairs were got made at Rs. 100.00 per chair. At last, we too had a dining table and we could sit around it for eating. But, it wasn’t a simple plain dining table. When Ashok was months old, he would lie on the table and play with us. Then, 2 years later, in 1978 it would be Arvind to replace Ashok on the table! This legacy stopped as Arvind grew up. After nearly 28 years, in 2006, Arun’s daughter SOWMYA and then Arvind’s daughter ADITI resumed this habit. When they were about four – five months’...

Gayathri’s sister Meena’s Nichchaya thaartham was done on Monday the 12th Nov 2007 at Vishnupuram, 25 km from Kumbakonam. We two attended it. Here is a brief description. About 22 persons started from Chennai. We left by Pallavan Exp on 11th a/n. As to be expected, there were non-stop songs, eats, and what not. Since Deepavali had come just a few days before, every family brought the Deepavali bakshanams which vanished in no time. And also the idlies soaked with milagai podi. Sowmya was the star attraction, needless to add. She enjoyed the train journey. We reached Tiruchy by 9PM. There we dispersed as three groups, and our group of 11 went to Gayathri’s periyamma’s house. Night stay there. Next morning (12th), got up by 4-45 AM, had a wonderful coffee, then hot water bath, and we left for the next leg of our trip. At the Station the group’s strength grew to about 32. There was a passenger train at 0710 AM for Kumbakonam. It was not crowded when it pulled out of Tiruchy, but was jam-pa...

ON BECOMING A THATHA. When I was born in August 1941, I became a SON to my parents and a THAMBI to all my elder brothers and sisters. When I started getting younger brothers and sisters, I became an ANNA to them. When my brothers and sisters got married, I became various relations to different people. When Rama was born in 1957, I got a new relationship - i became CHITHTHAPPA. With Uma coming, I became a MAMA. My marriage was in 1971 and I became a HUSBAND. When ARUN entered our lives, I was a APPA. Sudha was born to Sugavanam, and I was a PERIYAPPA. From Vijaya's side, I became ATHIMBER also. My next promotion came when Santosh was born - he started calling me THATHA. Many followed to call me THATHA. When Arun married, I became MAMANAR. I became a direct THATHA on 17 May 2006 when Sowmya was born. And again on 17 June 2006 when Aditi was born. Same individual, but a series of new relationships. A natural corollary of Life. I am glad to be called by different relations by differen...

Another Long Walk Yesterday, the 23rd of Jan 2007 my wife Vijaya and I went to Thiruvanmiyur to witness the Athirudra Maha Yagyam being performed there. This is performed under the blessings of Sri Saibaba Swamygal of Puttabarthi. For 11 days started on 20 Jan. As we entered the South Avenue road we saw a huge crowd of men and women (women outnumbering men easily). We had to walk nearly 700 metres to reach the Homa Gundam. Very elaborate arrangements have been made and there were hundreds of Sai volunteers in white uniform to help. It was fabulous to see many old women as volunteers. The day's main Homam was over by this time (11:15AM) and so we were able to have darshan of the Gundam rather easily. There were any number of usual shops on both sides of the road selling Sai trinkets. The entire road was full of Sai pictures and photos, a very satisfying sight. From there we walked to Arun's house to see our granddaughter Sowmya. The child greeted us with her trade-mark BIG smile...