RGB Monday

One of the neighbour’s colourful Kolam drawn for the Pongal festival. I really liked the way they created a Pongal pot boiling over the firewood stove aside their colorful Kolam and I took this shot  in evening while  coming around our street and the Kolam should have perhaps drawn in the morning to look little  distorted.

Our Pongal

The last we celebrated Pongal in our traditional way i.e. cooking in firewood stove, was five years back, on the terrace of our native home in Adyar. Surrounded by close family members, we settled for a firewood stove, enclosed in bricks, and placing a new mud pot atop and calling Pongalo Pongal as the Pongal (boiled rice/milk) overflows the pot, it was quite delight as we ever so directly celebrated the festival under sunlight. Pongal is a festival celebrated esp. to thanksgiving the sun for it’s entice source of energy and other natural elements for helping farmers in good harvesting. Not only farmers, Pongal is believed to bring auspicious to everyone, the way Pongal boils over the pot.

Mom's Pongal Kolam, - in front of the gateway

Shifted to an individual house in 2013, I planned to celebrate the festival in more traditional flavor, bringing my dear ones into another cheerful enclosure of firewood, mud pot and sugarcanes. But nothing worked out and I couldn't make anything as I wished, as I myself suffered with the fracture in my femur. This year, still living in an individual house with enough space to make firewood stove, we went ahead to celebrate the festival, in our personal interest, as it was not possible to recreate a then moment.  I think personally, Pongal is a social festival and it should be celebrated by all together. Not only Pongal, but I think every festival is celebrated to bring togetherness and sharing.

Follows our Pongal Pot: 

 

 

RGB Monday

 Few colorful Kolam from Pongal. 

On the evening of Pongal (Jan 14), I went for a walk around the neighborhood, like what I was doing for the last few years on Pongal day, looking for colorful Kolams drawn from the neighbors. Same as last year, I couldn't find many kolam, but somehow managed to click some.

Happy Valentines to all 

RGB Monday

Colorful Kolams

The above one is from the New Year, and what follows is our Pongal kolam.

And both the simple kolams were drawn by my aunt.

For the past two years, mom has been unable to draw kolam with my aunt over the festive season due to leg problems. My aunt is also facing some health problems lately, unable to draw large kolams on her own, and has resorted to simple colored kolams. This time, for the Pongal, mom was exhausted because of excess house cleaning, and she was so tired that she doubted whether she could carry out the event the next day or not. But I'm glad she woke up normally for Pongal, and the rest of the day went well. 

RGB Monday

A colorful Kolam from neighborhood...  

Captured from the evening walk (in wheelchair) on the day of Pongal and the Kolam looked bit scattered by the time I shot as it was drawn early in morning. 

RGB Monday

A couple of colorful Kolam from the neighborhood, shot on the day of the Pongal festival last month. 

Since I took this from my evening walk, the Pongal pot kolam (above) drawn in the morning was scattered a bit at the bottom as people used by.  

Both the Kolams above were from the same house in the neighborhood. 

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)

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.

Christmas and Pongal Pictures

I did arranged with few things from the showcase on the Christmas Eve alike a year before, and burn few candles around it and thus it marked the event to glow. I was happy to play that moment by blowing candles and having chocolates, but by chance there was no one to share my joy except my mom.

Unlike Christmas, we had a wonderful moment at our native home on pongal, by celebrating the festival in a traditional way by making pongal in fire woods stove on the terrace and worshiping the greatest nature sun for producing heat to help us and our environment to survive in many ways.

It was something difficult for me to celebrate this festival on terrace, but giving importance to my interest and desire my parents prepared for this. People always prefer to celebrate the pongal in there homes and increase in nuclear families, the tradition is slowly decreases and ends in cooker whistle and television program. I always wish and think pongal isn’t a religious festival, it is a harvestival festival and thanksgiving to nature. In this way the world revolves and survives by nature and is made to share happiness, love and comfort.

In each and every way we’re occupying nature’s space and thus we all have a reason to celebrate in common, so why do we need a celebration in our home alone and why can’t make it as a event to get together where happiness and joy shares. I always wish the pongal is celebrated by inviting our neighbors, friends and relatives and make a equality pongal where our relationships are kept in touch.

I know I was late to produce this post and pictures here. I was taking these pictures with another camera and due to some virus in memory card it took this much time to deliver the pictures through photo studio. Thank you.

Home Décor

Christmas is here and I wish you all Merry Christmas and advance Happy New Year. I generally like festivals and the happiness it provides. Decorating a Christmas tree is always fun and for last few years I started to put led lights to keep up the festival spirit and star to bight up the night. It’s my mom decorated the tree really but I enjoyed watching and telling her what to hang where. Here I share few photos from my simple home décor. Hope you all enjoy the holidays. Cheers! 

Collage on lighting and start

 

Mom's simple kolam

My Experience with Megaphone

There were the days, during the elections, or kind of emergencies, people speak through the megaphone to draw attention or warn people of the upcoming danger.  Sometimes they speak live on the mike, other than playing the recorded voice of the announcement while coming around the streets in the autorickshaw to let people know. The same applied to the announcement of polio drops, every year, had now become a common use by hawkers in selling their items instead of shouting out the throat.

To my memory, I first heard the recorded voice (used by street vendors) was the silk lace buyers in bikes, in urging tone buying old silk lace of any kind at a reasonable price. And regardless of Sundays, they used to wander our street playing the recorded voice as disturbing the leftover peace, and many a time they stop near our home and playback the audio aloud.  Following their footsteps, I heard the same in different words from the sellers of Idiyappam – a rice noodle dish from south India, Kolamavu (chalk or rock powder used for drawing Kolam, a design drawn in front of the houses as an invite to home), Knief grinders; and many others on the track. 

During the lockdown days, some vendors came on the street selling veggies in mini-trucks, as coming out of the home has been restricted, these vehicles pull off the doorstep and their playback is something constant and without a break is a headache. Glad they aren’t often these days after the announcement of relaxation; though I care for their livelihood, the noise they create was a nuisance. Today I found an interesting thing happening right outside the home, where a north Indian hawker, with a bike, loaded with door and floor mats were adjusting his megaphone. And I just watched what he was doing as he handed over the megaphone to a vegetable vendor, who parked on his side speaks over it like one mat 20 rupees, two mats 50 rupees’ in his familiar tone of selling vegetables in Tamil.

It’s apparent that he doesn’t know Tamil and though he may understand, his trouble with colloquial forced to use him on his behalf. He playback the megaphone as the vegetable vendor moves a little,    turned back to respond with a smile. I moved the way hawkers helping each other even if it was a little bit of this. I think about the many vendors who ventured into the south Indian states (or any other state with different languages) to speak or understand, this kind of help from the fellow vendors will improve their business, and hope to survive out of their town. And this is what inspired me to write the post – my experience with megaphones.   

Kundrathur + Thiruneermalai

On the way back from Sembarambakkam Lake we checked the Kundrathur Murugan Temple which is located on a small hillock positioned between the Poonamallee and Pallavarm section of suburbs of Chennai. The temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan whom according to legend has stayed in this hill during his travel from Thiruporur to Truttanigai – one of his six homes generally known as Thiruthani).

The time we checked the temple, its sanctum has been closed and parents went around its corridor and I stayed back looking for pleasantness around the unclean environment. From the hillock we could see the far away lake and get to view the places around the hill. The small hill also has a road to temple top for peoples comfort and those who can’t climb the stairs.

What special about this temple they say was that Lord Murugan is seen along his both spouses Valli and Deivanai but one could not see him with both of them at same time viewing from side. Whether the temple is renowned for Lord Murugan or not, the hillock is popular for cinema shooting and many Tamil movies had been captured here, and thus what interested me to check this place for very long.

Built in the period of Chola dynasty by the King Kulothunga Chola-II, the Murugan in this temple is said to be north facing unlike other temples in Tamil Nadu.

Along the way back home we passed the Thiruneermalai which is few km from here is also a hillock temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and it also has a foot temple similar to hilltop. The time we come across the temple it was on its renovation process and the foot temple tower was paint in bright colors and was closed for public visiting.

The temple owns a tank on the other side of the road, which has four sides of road called Maadavethi has planted by coconut trees and people residents. It was the time of margazhi (winter month in Tamil calendar) and so every gateway of the resident was colored by kolam and tank being filled at least cause a wonderful sight with the shadows of inner mandabam (hall) and things around.

This hillock and temple tank too is on the list of cinema shooting and the tank had been on many scenes as background and one of ‘Koundamanis’ renowned coconut comedy comes under this shadow and the hill stairs were on fought between villain gangs and heros.

Gonna miss you, Achu!

Just a year back Achu’s family shifted to the house behind us (as we reside in row house) and within a couple of months we become familiar and friends later. Though Achu become my best friend, I really wonder how I miss writing or sharing photos (except on Instagram) of him here, but I think we become too close to write something specific about him and he was there even at times unexpected. He’s very special to me in many ways and he’s someone always knock at the door with pristine love and he becomes so attached to me only lately but now he’s supposed to move on L

Achu’s father was transferred to Bangalore and he will be leaving us in a week or some time. For about a year I have been watching him (and now he’s 2 ½ age), he’s been growing though best parenting I could say for sure. He’s very quiet and approach things at easy and patience. I really amaze at his attitude even at this little age, which is indeed comes from his parents who has been friendly and down to earth. He never took anything from others and even as friends he refuses to take anything from us unless showing it to his mom and we never discouraged him on this front.

His parent’s trust us, as well as Achu agree to be carried away only by mom. He developed an attachment very soon with mom and even our puppy Maya become familiar with his sounds and smell; almost maintain silence whenever he enters our home freely.  We even unlock the little gate when Maya is tied so that he don’t find difficult in opening and  he is fearless coming close to Maya and she’s also forceless. Achu is a great observer and watches things patiently and try to apply it through his innocent pace. Even my relative’s kids who has the rights to call me mama (uncle) doesn’t calling or visiting me but each time he utter the word,  with sheer innocent, I quite feel connected and content. I actually feel Achu’s approach fills the crave for a kid at home and we treat him as our own kid and he keeps calling mom (as grandma) and take her to his house and ask to sit-down.

The entire scene used to be sweet and his parents watch his attitude with admiration, and if my wheelchair ramp is laid at the doorstep he call me to come down to play with him. He likes seeing me coming up/down the ramp (and he calls this swwing, the sound of sliding) and then he used to bring his cycle and try the same. He note how I put into the wheelchair and how footrest and board is placed and try to do same. He likes bison (Indian guar) which he had seen during his trip to Valparai and he wants me to show bison on laptop and leaning on me he keeps asking for other animals and birds. The way he takes rights on me truly make me feel happy and thinking now, that he will be away soon I would really miss him, as well as my family.

On  his  little bike

His innocent giggle, smile and cry for silly things make me watch light-hearted. And something very sweet about his cry was he sound like a newly born.  Absolutely he’s a gifted child and I am really glad to share his giftedness though their stay as next door resident. Like I said above, Achu’s parents are very friendly and used to share their happiness and grief with us and only because of their pressure (to the landlords) a ramp was built in front of the house to prevent water entering the house. It was an unexpected move even for them and they too feel unhappy for gonna be parted. I know nothing is stable in this world; and this move too will have something better for both. Let’s hope. 

Achu's  sketching around mom's kolam

Backing the Memories

Friend Balar has tagged me to write about my eight-summer holidays. Here is mine (a big post!!)

Summer holidays are very expected times that too in our school and collage days. For me holiday is as usual like others its grannies house. My grandpa house is just 2km from my house, in my childhood days I go there in weekends and come, but on holiday times only I could stay their and I enjoy with my sweet aunty. I used to roaming behind my aunty wherever she goes, we both go to her friend’s house, beach, and cinemas... Bro and me would like to fight with her with pillows and some times even with broomsticks hehe… Playing with the tube water, spraying on each other, bathing in the water tank at grandpa bull shed are the days that never comes again. After aunty was married our visit to grandpa house has reduced, but it’s really fun if the grannies houses have a terrace. We usually spend our times in the terrace by leaving kits. In this my bro fly kits well, we also used to put maanja (no English meaning) for the thread, not like using glass piece or rust, with the Kolamavu (the powder used to draw kolam) and color calcium power that used for whitewashing house.

Visiting grandpa’s village is another fun, the green fields, playing in vayakkal (canal) and bathing in pump set is a wonderful enjoyment. In our village visit there was this interesting sight kattukku porathu (going to forest), to pick cashew nuts. Going there is very thrill as the forest was under government, its risk to go inside, but we go with our uncle to pick cashew fruits and nuts; we kids collect the nuts that was spills and bring it to field. Then we burst the nuts in fire and my uncles distribute our shares. After eating nungu (Palmyra fruit) we create this adventure vehicle called nungu vandi (Palmyra vehicle), I love to drive this vehicle. Taking two nungu and connect with a bough and another stick to push it is called two-wheeler and single wheeler is taking a bending stick and connecting with it. To add more fun, we take the dry plam leaf and stick it with big thorn and drive in the village streets, it gives this tap tap tap sound.

In one of my holiday to my relative village, my cousin and me were walking inside the Savukku grove (the trees that use for burn fire) that we always do to reach the lake. That day in the middle of the grove we were shocked to see this cow was died, and being alone we screamed in the fear, and my cousin run from that place quickly, as I was running slowly I couldn’t see him near. I was crying in fear and confuse which way to go and the thoughts of the ghost rumors were threatening me and with a different sound from the grove was more shivering with me and only I could reach the house after roaming sometimes inside the grove. After this I have little fear on the groves.

The most excite expectation was to visit my small grandma house near Chengalpattu. They live in a calmness place with little house and hills surrounding, it’s the place for us to enjoy well with my cousin aunty (she is a year elder than me) and uncle. We spend much time to story taking (kadhai peasa) and playing dice, going to their garden. Sitting behind the cycle with uncle and rounding all places is our main work, and escaping from my bro who cries to come with us. Going to Thirukkalukundram and visiting temples, going around the hill on full moon days is what I like, esp. to eat sundal, pongal that was given by houses around the hill.

My first long time travel for the holidays and very enjoyable one was to Ooty. That was a big story till we start and end our trip. We had this big travel in the small Maruti car with 5 adults and 3 children (that time i was 11 years old), including the bags. Climbing the hill was so pleasant the chill wind experience is awesome. Rolling in the green grass at botanical garden, being with my little cousin the trip was enjoyable. Driving on the Ooty-Mysore road was a jungle safari; near mudumalai sanctuary we find dozens of elephants, monkeys, dears... The cool breeze, in the calmness road we making noise esp. shouting Veerappa ennga irukka (calling the sandalwood smuggler veerappa, where are u), that was the times veerappan were involved in kidnapping, that was funniest :D Going to the great Mysore Palace, beautiful and the tired waking on Krishnarajasagar Dam to watch dancing water. In that trip the more adventures and fearful place was this Hogenakkal. Traveling in the Parisal (Coracle) in the 60-foot deep water, the bathing in the falls and the canal, hot fish fry on the banks are superb.

My first time holidaying in kodaikanal (my most favorite hill station) was very stressful, even thought with some kind hearts I managed to enjoy with pain. The place we stayed was like an old bungalow, but mornings were very different, with rose flowers blooming around our house. Last year we were with our whole family to kodai, with the help of wheel chair I could go everywhere, the mist filled sight in Coaker walk, drizzle rain allover are awesome season. The road leads to kodai to thekkady was great sense, the both sides are sky raised hills and green fields, different language. The boat ride in Thekkady was shivering joy.

Its 10 years since this summer holidays we visit Ooty, very happy to write the memories again here. First pic was from Ooty, with my family, the boy in violet coat is me:) the 2nd one was the car we travel to ooty. Thanks for giving time to my big post!

I send this tag to one and only Thooya:)

Country Pongal

The Pongal festival has something special than any other festival, where this only festival celebrates for 4 days. In foremost years, cultivation was the only main source of lives, so celebrating this in pomp way still continues till now for four days as Bhogi, Pongal, Maatu Pongal & Kaanum Pongal. In villages, welcoming pongal is such delight, so as cleaning the houses, whitewashing, coloring, and keeping surrounding clean and dignity, to draw kolam (drawing) to look better the place to make pongal. The pongal is mostly prepared with new rice, from the harvested paddies before some days to pongal, with newly grown sugarcanes without dullness of its greenish, turmeric bunch and vegetables, with newly did oven. Oven, not to think the one in our kitchens, it’s made out of three pieces of mud clays, that kept for dry a week before painting colors or to daub the dissolved bull dung on the old ovens to make burn with palm leaves.

The day before pongal is Bhogi. The things that remains after cleaning houses and those useless things to thrown away are burnt in front of there gateway. By this they believe the adversity clears and welfare spreads. On pongal, the elders in house wake up early to bath before sunrise, to lit oven and decorated mud pots to arrange in count of newly married couples, from one to three pots to prepare pongal. After worshiping sun and nature, the pongal pots brought into home for special prayers. The next day was Mattu Pongal (Bull Pongal). It’s the day to honor the bulls, which strongly support to cultivation and cultivators. On that day, bulls are bathed and there stalls been cleaned, to prepare small pongal within stalls, later the pongal is served little to bulls and distributed to others. On that day bulls are let free and mostly unused to works.

In some towns and cities in Tamil Nadu, on the bull pongal day they conduct bull catching festivals - known as Jallikattu, and other games that kept front bulls. The fourth and final day of festival is called Kaanum pongal. On the usual process, people go out with there families to beaches, temples and tourist space and spent there whole day entertaining themselves, forgetting there hard works and spared freely. Similarly the whole villages celebrate these four days happily and the main reason it continues for thousands of years celebration is because of its simply peoples friendly. As its needs no big worship or prayers, the only intention of this festival is happy celebrations. Let’s celebrate the Pongal, welfare to spread and delight to sunshine in our lives.

#Check for Chennai Sangamam below

பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள் / Pongal Wishes

Pic by Jeevan (mom's kolam)

தை திங்கள்  திருநாள் 

தொன்மை வாய்ந்த  தமிழர் திருநாள்
கால்நடைகள் தொட்டு  
வேர்வை சொட்ட
உழைக்கும் உழவர் திருநாள் 

மழையின்றி வெயிலின்றி 

அயராமல் உழைத்து 

உலகுக்கே உணவளிக்கும் உழவாளி 

வானுக்கும் பூமிக்கும் 

இடைப்பட்ட வாழ்வை இணைக்கும் விவசாயி. 

வாழும்  வள்ளல்களாகிய 

நம் விவசாயிகளை வாழ்த்தி

போற்றி பாதுகாதிட உருதிஎடுதிடுவோம் .

Thai moon festival
the ancient Tamil festival
touching livestock’s
and dropping of sweaters
working farmer’s festival.

Unexpected to rain and sun
working tirelessly
the farmer, feeds the world
connecting the co-existence
between earth and sky.

To the living philanthropist
farmers, let wish and take vow
to praise and protect their deeds.

Footnote:

Pongal, is a harvesting festival of Tamil people, festival of farmers, who feed food for the entire world. It’s a way of thanksgiving natural elements, cattle’s that assist the farmers for good harvest. Pongal is celebrated as four day festival in Tamil Nadu, with the beginning of the Tamil month Thai (Jan 14 or sometime 15) which believed to bring flourish, prosper and hope into life.

As per Tamil proverb ‘Thai Piranthal Vazhi Pirakkum’, which means the birth of Thai will show signs of new path in life. Pongal also marks the cultural identity of Tamil and a route of thanksgiving nature in their unique way of boiling rice – which is the meaning of Pongal; and worshiping cattle’s and sun and rain for their basic sustain throughout the cultivation.

This year the nature wasn't favorable for farmers, as well farming faced a severe setback with lack of rain and prevention of opening Kaveri water from neighboring state, all leads to destruction of crops.I hope and wish nature provides plenty of good deeds to farmers, flourishing ever like before and farmer’s golden paddy grains gain more scope than gold in trade market. So wish you all a very Happy Pongal. இனிய பொங்கல் வாழ்த்துகள்.

Happy Onam

Photo on mom's colorful kolam

With colors of Onam,
life becomes a Pookolam
and delight of Orchids.

Wishing Happy and Colorful Onam to all! :)

RGB Monday

 A couple of colorful Kolam from Pongal. 

These are the remaining Kolams from the Pongal festival (Jan 14), which I shared here. As usual, I went around the neighborhood on Pongal Day looking for colorful kolams drawn by the neighbors, I couldn't find many kolams this year, same as last year, but I did manage to photograph a few. 

New Year Eve

The New Year begins for me with mild disappointment, even before the former end, as I anticipated my cousins to join me on the eve to welcome another brand new year. Though it isn’t a matter really to discus or argues or anything new to complain, as I have been through this many times but I wished they were beside me, like they nod for my midnight cake-cutting plan, despite whatever keeps them away.  It was for the birth of 2013 that we all gathered at our home and celebrated the night in a similar way. Thus I wished to recreate the moment. But at least there was enough greetings shared through phone calls during the wake up of the course to another 365 days.

New year collage (thanks fotor.com)

Excitement is something always exits when beginning a thing or so in anticipation and for the New Year the excitement is something special and always stimulates a mindset to celebrate or at least share the joy though greeting each other for a healthy, wealthy and peaceful journey ahead. I know nothing is going to change big whether we gather or not for the eve, at least it creates an opportunity to share a bit and lean warm greetings through the winter cold night. The night was noisy like ever, while many pedestrians on foot following their faith, bikes and cars sped ferociously creating a bang to head out at risk.

I was at home leafing through the final stage of the book I intend to finish before the yearend as I took vows to read more books in the coming years, I find reading books comforting and inspiring to see life ahead. I also decided to watch enough movies (except Tamil) this year, since my list has been growing with the collection of movie titles from overseas, I want to watch at least a movie per week whether I write a review or not. Coming to the New Year eve, we had a small cake cutting witnessed by my only parents (since bro went asleep already) and cousins couldn’t make up, we spent an hour next catching with dear ones either calling or receiving at phone. Mom used the time to complete her New Year Kolam, she suppose to drew in morning, added colors under our sight as it is untimed to leave her alone to do so at gateway. The New Year day was spent almost in front of the TV, watching movies I haven’t. 

Things happens beside (pongal)

This year’s Pongal was something very simple and somehow boring until cousins came home. The thought to celebrate the festival in a traditional way never comes home easily unless I force to make it rather like the former year where rice boils to firewood under sun light and sugarcanes to hold either on the terrace, we loud Pongalo Pongal as soon the milk boils over.

Every year I wish that Pongal happens in a village and this year we went further to plan a trip to join a Pongal celebration in a village but by chance we missed the opportunity for some reason in traveling and even though I’m happy that at least we gave such concern to plan and hope next year we visit villages on Pongal festival. The festival went off usually how Chennaities celebrate it in there cooking vessels in kitchen and later watch television programs and go out the last day to conclude the festival which is known as Kaanum Pongal.

This year’s Pongal was something disastrous because of the deadliest accident happened in Kerala where more than 100 Ayappan devotes were killed due to the rollover of a jeep and following stampede in a hilly terrain. It was terrible to hear such an incident before yet to go into a festival mood and even it doesn’t much bothered here, its causes are sorrow. Unlike the obvious one above, one of my dears got into an accident and happened to fracture his wrist and even he’s not relatively close, I grown up by cutting my hairs from his hands since I remember.

What truly bother me was that within minutes he left our home finishing my hair cut he was hit by a share auto. I never saw a person like him, who never changed in his attitude and care for our entire family and closely associate with us since we began to practice. What touched me a lot was even in this condition with a fractured arm, he was thinks about my next hair cut which has a month time and there’re many barbershops in our neighbor and he employs many in his shops to serve and still he care for me is simply astonishing and such people are rare in this society.

He’s not alone a barber; he’s a finest Nadaswaram artist who performs for any rituals and temple festivals and there isn’t a function happen in our family certainly without his concert and we are not even to invite him, he understands and comes to play without an invitation and money comes next to him before us and anyone. I couldn’t say anything in front of things happen and I thought that moment what all his plans got disturbed because of his fracture and for a barber and who plays Nadaswaram the hands are very important and source of life and what he going to do having festivals at phase.

Beside these the festival days went off peaceful even there isn’t much happiness to cheers and experience to share, the last day went out on a brief ride on ECR and it was fun going along with cousins in car and chatting and teasing either. Everywhere it was congested on Kaanum pongal which is usual and to believe it was unusual to see so many people crowded the ECR till Mamallapuram. Yearly the counting just increases in crowd and never seems to reduce and it’s enchanting to see people crowded for happiness and fun! And I’m happy in sharing with you all.