Stupid-station

Look at the picture, shows a girl child was married to a dog in presence of the relatives where this takes stage in the state of Jharkhand. The superstition that turns stupid situations these days is not uncommon in India. The human-animal marriage lists some believes that links human and animals to avoid bad lucks. The world runs in technology and everything turns simpler and fearless today, still some people bind there minds in easily following customs. People and law are blind to force the rights on when every such incident light up and people only to put interest on the news and not to point out the wrong act. For our beliefs who are we to force the children who are innocent about what is happening to them and when there is ban on child marriage how could we accept human-child marriage that is not legal.

It seems cruel in the above picture where the dog and child are forcefully pulled to participate in the ceremony. Where ever the people get to find a reason for their superstition, not even left the tooth gum to consider a bad luck. read here. This indicates me of the urgency they need to set them free from the bad evil they practice. There was another incident written by one of our friend in his blog that happens in a village of Tamil Nadu’s Neyveli, where the girl children below to age of 10 were beaten by there parents in a wipe on the public, was the heights of there belief to get plenty of rain and make village productive. How many of us are there to think these incidents to sweep seriously and how many where to see this just funny and laugh at the innocent peoples? I don’t find much to take it, where these are only countable and who know as we count the numbers may increase and rumours may spreads the superstition from individual to undividable from people.

Indeed loss

One of the most intelligent and a fantastic Tamil writer is not alive. I have not read any of his books, but have read his some articles in weekly magazine, and wonder at his answers for nearly everything. Sujatha's dialogues present in films to my most favorites, just makes me expect more films within his dialogues. Really the time world is looking for his upcoming grand projects suddenly fallen down is a sudden shock and a complete loss for his millions of fans. Let he rest in peace and respect.

Inspecting mirror

Come across road, sights in mirror
progressive path, visible before

Decision depend to take steps before
within mirror noticing behind

Look at back, before to go further
see those behind you, life or thing
think before your turn

Learning from the past, experience
comes by; playing in future the rest,
could even happen to wonder at best.

Riding visiting

Sun was shining on Sunday, but not me feeling it along the Coromandel Coast on a short long drive filled with chillness inside the wagon. Uncle brought a new car, so planned for a ride in ECR with our family and then it was visiting the traditional family deity temple few kilometers away from Kalpakkam. It was more than ten years back we went, this time grandma was with us, so made her to visit the temple what she was asking for long time. On the way we picked the cousin bro, who was still spending his holidays wandering after attending the Mamallapuram Magam. The place was clueless to find, when the time we visited last it was vacancy and nothing to do with rarely people visit. Now buildup with structure, the temple attracted more people and have priest to take care devotees. There was a known family in the same villages, we stop there who never knows them except dad, but the people are more human enquiring where even both of us were unfamiliar. I wonder at people behavior that I find only in villages enquiring people and share the moment as familiar.

Still I find the small children looking around the car and asking about what is it, how it works…. There was a little one with festival cooling glass making fun with others, I really impressed in there amuse and innocent smiles. On returning we parked the vehicle on roadside with paddy fields and small canal runs where we stopped for lunch. The wishes came along passing the dried Palar river bed and clean water stays some where the ditches to think playing in it. When ever I see a dried river with little waters, the mind craves for fun ride on like trekking style. For grandma she needs to meet some relatives in mamallapuram and I was eager to visit my dear sister there we get to spend with her in times waiting for grandma to finishing her attendant with relatives.

Bro was driving (in his style) the way, this time unusual for me traveling except from Maruti 800 and this vehicle with more spaces and to climb and down though not comforts me whom really have quite satisfied with my position at Maruti. One or two thing I disagree with my brother driving was too speed and unaware of overtaking places that made me to use the seat belt and then only I felt how safe is to use seat belts are in highways. Anyway it was cool and different ride, going to some place that was like memorable time had been revisits with my lost uncle shyam’s thought with whom we first get there.

Magam Festival

Similarly I have not much explored and aware about the festival Masi Magam that come in Tamil month of Masi (February-March). This festival usually falls on full moon day following the Makram star on this month and is considered highly favorable across south Indian Temples, especially in Tamil Nadu. This year Masi Magam felled on Feb 21, the full moon day. The important aspect of this festival is taking idols from the temples to the seashore or nearby ponds to dip and is also related to holy bath ceremony. After doing pujas and other rituals at the shore, thousands of devotees are throng near the shore to witness the worship and bathing in the sea.

In this process the Lord Vishnu and Shiva Idols are the most brought to the shore and also Idols from the Shakti temples. The myths are numerous according to Masi Makam and each temple has a myth for celebrating this festival. According to legend this festival importantly relates to Lord Shiva, who appears as a child before King Vallala of Tiruvannamalai, who has contributed in spreading the benefits of Girivalam and Arunachala temple and a passionate devotee of Shiva get promised by lord to perform his last ritual as he have no son or heir. What relates to this festival is the king died on a day is known as Masi Magam and it is said that the Lord performed his last rites. So it is believed that every year the Lord visits the sea to perform the last rites of the King and whoever bathes in the sea during Masi Magam will merge with him and will get mukthi(salvation).

Once in every twelve years people celebrate it in grand, and was called Maha Maham which is celebrate with great importance at the Adi Kumbeswaran temple in Kumbakonam. This temple holds a huge tank and the water from cavery driven to this tank, which deemed to be special and holiness. In my experience I was able to cover one of the celebrations in late years at Mamallapuram which was our ancestors place. This is one place the festival celebrates with highly important of two days. The first day before Masi Magam is known as Theppothsavam (floating festival). On this day Sri Ulaguyya Nindra Piran (Sthalasayana Perumal) idol from the nearest temple brought to the tank and kept on the decorated barge to make it float along the tank, to sail around for nine rounds. The steps would be filled with people watching the float raft and those interested are allowed to pull the float.

Masi Magam is conducted on the continuing day with special ritual performance for Uthsava Perumal (festival god) idol that brought to sea. After the proceeding are over, the idol was keep few distance away from the sea for moments, so that the devotees can take dip (with more excitement along with family and friends) in sea what they believe as holiness bath and then to get received blessing from the Lord. They won’t allow anyone to bath in the sea before lord enters. These are some process I have witnessed from one of my experience at Masi Magan some years back and I hope there would be nothing have changed so far. This year my cousin’s family whet to take part in Mamallapuram Magam and for some reason I unaccepted there invite. When I am writing this, the festival has been over already with a day passing, but I thought to share something about this festival.

Photos from onerupee.net. Both pictures are taken from mamallapuram masi magma.