Thursday, August 13, 2009

Memories of Krishna Jayanthi

famed art of kannan
(I captured this art lately from a wall in my uncle's home.)
Keeping away my faith and disbelief, Krishna Jayanthi is a typical Hindu festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna - which falls today. Few years back I used to visit my grandma’s home on this occasion, since she celebrates the festival from her early days. Sometimes we (me & bro) put off to school on this day, showing reason that our friends in neighbor enjoying holiday, and visit our grandma’s home in evening or after return from school, incase went. After look after the tea shop along with grandpa, she would return home in evening and prepare for devotion. Those days aunt wasn’t married and its always fun being with her, and ever after marriage she used to visit on this occasion along with little kannan – my little cousin then.

On these occasion we used to see grandma to draw little foots of Kannan from the gateway in ground floor to first floor in home and she would draw those foots very beautiful and we also use to try with our little cousin’s feet, by dipping his foot on the dissolved rice flour and make him walk, but it isn’t easy to make him certain pace, so after few steps grandma would drew it with her hands. The pictures, idols and stores say that Kannan is cowherd, and hence grandpa has cows and buffalos, I thought then this was the reason why grandma celebrates this festival when mom doesn’t. There’s a kannan idol at grandma’s home and it’s one of a beautiful porcelain idol where in a shape of child kannan crawling with a hand full of butter.

On this day the idol was out off showcase and decorated by home jewels and kept on a table for worship, with brass lamps to glow at both sides. Seedai and Murukku made by grandma are kept in bowls at the table and being an ardent to the savory of seedai, I would be standing near the table, wait for the camphor to extinguish after worship to taste the seedai. Usually I don’t like butter and on this day they used to urge us to have little butter to taste, but I avoid it, thus aunt used to apply it on the mouth when I don’t expect. Once my little cousin was dressed like Kannan and he looks certainly sweet and till now that innocent face never conceal from memories and obviously it was the last time I remember I attended this festival.

There’re two types of seedai, one is salt and the other is jiggery, in these I love the jiggery seedai. The seedai is made of rice and urad dal flour, rolled like globe and dropped into the boiling oil pan and deep fried get us the tasty seedai. These days’ people buy seedai from stores and thus lose the zest of the festival and the keen tongues like us.

# Current song: Mukunda mukunda... one of my favorite from Tamil movie Dasavatharam

13 comments:

Anya said...

Love your story Jeevan :)
Very nice written !!
It looks a great festival !!!

I love that painting :)
( Are all woman so beautiful in India... She is a BEAUTY :)

Keshi said...

what a beautiful pic WOW!

** I love the jiggery seedai.

wut does it taste like?


TC Jeevan
Keshi.

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Well written!

I woke up early this morning and headed to the temple......!

Very satisfied and content!

Urmi said...

Wish you a very Happy Janmashtami.Beautiful post with lovely picture.

siva // ശിവ said...

I am unable to see the image, wish you a great Janmashtami.... :)

Kavi said...

Thats a particularly neat song and very topical indeed. Out here, the festival is big deal. And you know, its taken to heights. With Dahi Handis and such else !!!

I miss the seedais though !

Rajesh said...

Wonderful post. With Krishna astami a series of festivals begin.

Anonymous said...

lovely picture....its so true today we are missing our home made food so much on the festivities...we have all got used to buying the outside ready made food on these occasions....nice reading...wish you a happy janmashtami & independence day!

Anya said...

Happy independence day Jeevan :))

Sujata said...

Yet another beautiful post Jeevan. happ Independence day as well as Happy Janmashtami....

Anonymous said...

Wish you a very Happy Janmashtami, though it was late :)

Vishesh said...

ha for us its next month(can you believe that they celebrate a birthday on four different days!) My fav is badusha :D

Btw you got an award , check my blog :)

Jeevan said...

Anya – Thank you dear :) generally women are beautiful and Indian woman has a unique aspect and the picture resembles a homely women or mother.

Keshi – jiggery seedai taste sweet! thanks

Rakesh – Thank you bro. and nice it was a pleasant day for you.

Babli – Thank you :)

Siva – Thanks and I’m sorry if you can’t view the image.

Kavi – ya, I know the famed human pyramid festival of Mumbai that happens on Krishna Jayanthi, and its similar to our Uriyadi thiruviza in villages. Though we miss, but people changed from home make to shop buyers and wherever we bought, it never tastes like my grandma’s.

Rajesh – Thank you

Flyingstars – Thank you buddy, hope u have a lovely festival times :)

Sujata – Thank you and wish u the same.

Exposemaximum – Thanks Deepak :)

Vishesh – Thanks for the award, will check it soon :)