Festivals and Celebration

Christmas is the initial of the festival seasons of winter followed by New Year, Pongal and yet to come Republic Day and it’s always pleasure celebrating a festival whichever way it was. Whatever the belief believed beyond any festival at its edge is happiness and it comes as a break from the busy scheduled life of everyone on behalf are suppose to take this chance to get-together with family and friends to rejoice the eve.

(Pongal kolam by mom)

I quite disappointed with the way holidays and festivals are celebrated today in front of televisions and no one is willing to go out by joining with others to make the merry joy into rejoice and it’s disturbing to see some seeking benefit for just being happy and make others feel alike. I feel that we are lost from the path of tradition that quite harvest the happiness and thanksgiving is something we all need to think about others who are behind us being a force to push ahead.

There was a time eagerly waiting for the festival greetings via post from our dear ones far away and what our technology has done today in communication is simplify to the least, but lost to touch the heart of everyone. The words have become shot and sweet but their relationships have become lack of savor and the significant of talk or text have come to least when there is plenty of ways to communicate.

(Nativity done by my grandmother)

There used to say that each individual is united as society but what’s happening these days are the individuals becoming more individual to think a lot about themselves alone and only the last though is given to society . We aren’t to blame anyone since the individual growth is rising to summit and standing on their foot doesn’t care much for others... and so the gap increased between relationships has created the distance to share the joy. Hope u all enjoyed the festival season!

(My Christmas tree)

Pongal wishes

The auspicious day on Tamils front
reliable to the source of living
is the harvest that brings home fare

The anticipation of new rays
as sun changes its way, is believed
to bring hope and prosperity into home

Thai, the month of Tamil
marks the many beginning of life
is the initial sow this Pongal harvests

By thanksgiving the nature and cattle’s
on this day of harvest, let wish
salvation reaches farmers from starvation
and by cutting off grains
happiness is invited into their homes.

Footnote:

The silver brass lamp were shot from last year's pongal festival at home.

Wishing you all a very Happy Pongal
இனிய பொங்கல் நல்வாழ்த்துகள்

Manakudy – Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is partially a Kerala perhaps in many ways, lies within Tamil Nadu resembling a lot and has plenty of churches, and Manakudy is a fishing hamlet facing the Arabian Sea on the west coast of Kanyakumari. I wasn’t planned to visit this village but got to spend some time on its shore while on the way and back from checking the Chothavilai Beach – an isolated place away from the crowded Kanyakumari on the west coast. (More on it later)

Drive by 8km from Kanyakumari, Manakudy is parted as Mel and Keezha Manakudy which is separated by the river Pazhayar that span like a lake here, merges with the sea. Manakudy is one of the worst affected areas in Kanyakumari by the 2004 tsunami which swept away many lives and things from here, and with one of them we talked from here says the bridge that was connected the hamlets was washed away by tsunami to 500 meters into the river and pulled back into the sea.

It’s said the bridge that was made of four concrete pieces, each weighted 400 tones was washed away except for the two pieces that pushed to remain on both ends of the river. What attract me in Manakudy were the two churches each built on Mel and Keezha Manakudy which comprises the old and new and both are attracted by their colors of pale while and yellow along the spellbind architecture.

The St. Andrew’s Church painted in pale yellow is very old and closes to shore, and because of this the Church glows to golden orange in evening while sunsets on the sea. The Keezha Manakudy church is a newly built holy cross church, flashes in white and easily catches the attention. The Mel and Keezha Manakudy are connected by a temporally built small iron bridge that contain to pass MPV and the view from here was wonderful to see the waves rushing into the river and far away mountains and newly constructing bridge on the lake opposite.

The yearend, Thane

Hope it was a wonderful beginning for every one of you this year and it’s been two weeks since I posted something and I was almost away from online and because of cold and cousins visiting home and laptop problem I couldn’t get interest to post anything even got chances to do. The New Year eve went off peacefully and pleasantly at home through cutting cake at mid-night and tuning songs to share the joy and calling some dear ones on their asleep… parents did a visit to our street end Pillaiyar temple for the mid-night special worship, and it dawned for us between the crackers sound and kids screaming a lot at neighbor, wishing happy new year.

The news channels helped in understanding the joy across the country by reporting from every city’s hub about the ongoing celebration and this time we get to realize the new year eve was partially joy since it was the second day of the Thane cyclone that unturned the Puducherry and Cuddalore district to immense destruction. First time we get to see the terrific face of the cyclone and thanks to the media that reporting every aspect of the cyclone and its devastation from time to time and understanding its progress that sent almost trees to fall in this district which had been the major hub for cashew and jack fruit cultivation which is internationally renowned for these.

We can’t take it easily when people says that almost trees of cashew and jack fruit lost their places and it will take minimum 15 year to begin its next cultivation if the trees are replaced by plants now. I had been to both these places and know the wealth of the greenery and one can smell the fragrance of cashew nuts frying once across the Panruti in Cuddalore district and in decades this is the first time a strong storm windblown and make people feels that tsunami is better than cyclone that it only affects life that close to shore but cyclone strikes across the land and goes interior until it gets weak.

(mom's kolam)

The Thane also left it foot prints on Chennai’s shores creating transparent changes at the beach fronts; where waves pulled in and throwing away the sands makes it feel minimize in distance between sea and the shore. The night before cyclone crosses ashore, the wind was blowing very strong here like unlike before and we were kept checking news often the day and night on its progress. The cyclone also reminded the tsunami to too many as both the disasters happened at same period of the year-end; we all wish the New Year brings new hope to those affected by cyclone and restore back to normality soon. But the immense lose of trees is inconsolable… in the era of planting more trees to restore the environment this tragedy has increased the burden.

Cold Break

Time flew very soon and here comes the Christmas to exuberant the year end, as well as the year ahead to brighten with smiles and happiness and peace at heart. Wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year :)

(our Christmas tree)

Due to cold, I couldn’t read or write much now, so let me pause here to play sometime before or after New Year. I bought a Christmas tree and decorated it with the help of mom and cousin Ashwin and here u could see my tree gleaming with led bulbs. Photo was taken with mobile cam, and more on the celebration soon. Pls forgive for the clarity. Take care and enjoy! :)