Granny’s Golu

First time my grandmother has arranged a Golu at her home and she has been collecting idols and dolls for more than a year and she herself has done some things in ice cream sticks and straws. She has been working on handicraft things for some time now as a pastime and become more passionate about it lately want to display her items and her collection from the recent tour to Gujarat and Rajasthan has much inspired to go for a Golu.

(click image to enlarge)

Golu is a custom conducted during the festival of Navaratri in South India, is an exhibition of various dolls and idols kept at homes by the families who follow it traditionally and anyone at their belief and willingness. Navaratri, which means nine nights, is a Hindu festival celebrated in India is devoted to the goddess of power, wealth and knowledge. Durga, being the main goddess of the festival is worshiped throughout the nine days in various forms, ends at the 10th day known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra is the highlight of the festival.

The Golu adds glitter and gleam to the festival by the display of colourful idols and dolls at homes and some public places caught everyone’s attention esp. kids who are more attracted to it. In childhood days our parents used to take us to our great father house to check their Golu on invite and it would be very nice to see the arrangement of idols on step series and floor at below with set of things like playing cricket, marriage ceremony, farming at field, forest with wild animals and hills, blinking around in serial lights.

On this occasion the houses that hold Golu provide snacks to visitors that offered to the idols that day and there would be a variety of snack as Prasad every day and a small gift bag will be given back while return. Some of our neighbours have Golu every year at their houses and invite mom to check… and this year too mom went to come back with small gift as boxes and plates and Prasad.

Parents going through fast on non-veg throughout the Tamil month of Puratasi, mom helped grandmother in arranging idols along with cousin sister. My grandmother wishes to check me the arrangement of Golu, but being unable to visit her home due to discomfort I really miss the Golu coming from my own family and that too from my sweet grandmother. These photos were taken by my cousin to let me see how the grandmother’s Golu comes out.

Weapons festival at uncle's workshop

We had a good celebration at my uncle’s workshop yesterday due to ayudha puja, I get to meet some of the old employs with whom once I was very familiar and had brotherhood relationship and get together at other hand with family was nice except kid annoyance. I liked watching the preparation of the festival towards the worshiping and distribution of puffed rice bags to works, customers and neighbours along with sweets and fruits.

Ayudha puja is a day dedicated to worshiping or taking care of weapons, tools and anything on motion which help us in making life easy and comfort. Like how livestock for farmers, its weapons, tools and machines for labours and employs and civilians who involve in hard work and without these utensils it’s very hard to work with bare hands.

I am attending the ayudha puja celebration at uncle’s workshop after three years now, which was once my favourite festival time spent along with workers and having fun by watching or at least involving in cleaning, painting and decorations. It was something more than a decade old memories I couldn’t avoid this moment and sat to wheels while watching things happening around and the latter joys were missing a lot quite this time. Since lost my great uncle a decade ago, who begin this workshop and illuminated our lives equal to great sunlight, we lose the complete charm of the festival celebrated at everyone’s great amusement. He never denied offering to anyone in need and on the occasion of Ayudha puja the workshop will be crowded with well-knows and even strangers come and collect puffed rice bags and employs will get their one month salary as bonus along with a set of new dresses. I don’t know even we celebrated Pongan or Deepavali this way in grand and happy mood, but Ayudha puja is very special to us to look after then and growing up adjacent to car workshop we always stay in workshop playing with uncles and annas (brothers) who work there. When I think back now, I feel glad to be at least I enjoyed my childhood with good hearted people who were very helpful in my life and I am always be thankful to those guys who I really wish to meet and let know what they are doing. I convey my great wishes and regards to them always at heart. Following last 3 years after great grandmother’s death, the Ayudha puja comes down to simple celebration and this year the decorations of colour papers and festoons are missing. Aunt prepared sundal, vada and along with sweets and puffed rice the festival illuminates to camphor fire toward worshiping and break down of pumpkin and coconut and lemons under car wheels. Ps. this time I couldn’t take any photos, so sharing pics from the last time I attend the festival.

Sunday – out with cousins

Late Sunday we cousins were around Marina and Besant Nagar beach as nothing to do after late afternoon and been couple of weeks as I went out, we head to Elliot beach first. To our surprise the always crowded beach on Sunday looks deserted with least vehicles parked and stalls scattered everywhere despite looking unpleasant, the early evening was stroked by sunshine.

As soon we stop the vehicle an interesting beggar boy knocked the door asking money, being in an age of 6 or 7 he refused to get down hanging from the footrest even getting his penny of Rs.2 from cousin he begin to count ek dho theen char. First we though he just expecting some more money and we aren’t doubt in it and since he is a north Indian boy so asking in Hindi… but his counting was on us. We were four of us inside the vehicle and so he wants 4 Rs – a rupee from each one of us! Lol

Sky near Marina beach

The boy made our day laughter and I don’t know whether it is his innocent or intelligent way of getting money, he left us after sometime holding the door. It wasn’t 5 minutes we stayed there and just to move the ticket collector stretched the bill of Rs.10 as a parking fee which is usually Rs.5 and the bill also printed the same, but the guy gave us two tickets and asks 10. It’s quite unruled but without arguing we gave him a folded 10 Rs note and without unfolding it he put it inside the pocket and went away. But only we know the secret that the note was actually a torn and invalid which my cousin was waiting to exchange.

Been empty and nothing munching available at Elliot we decide to go Marina beach and this is first time we cousins alone went out and drive by my elder cousin among the younger ones who is well trained by now. The marina as usual crowded and plenty of cars and buses kept unloading people into the second longest beach in the world. We could see most of the vehicles land in unshaped, recalled me the times how we overcrowd the poor Maruti 800 which perhaps breathe hard to carry us anywhere without breakdown. People may wonder if I say once we were 12 people travelled in the tiny Maruti 800!

Sky near Marina beach

Later sometime watching people around we left the marina before it get overcrowded and cause traffic jam to bring movement uneasy. Cousins had sweet corn, bread sandwich and ginger coffee but I didn’t like those and my fav sundal and groundnuts were unavailable and the ginger coffee wasn’t their taste and couldn’t withstand the sharp spice of it to only waste after some sip. On way back home we again passed the Elliot beach which wasn’t same as we visited in the early evening, had no place for parking and quite crowded and a stage of art had been grown among them then quickly. It was good time spent out with cousins.

Balanced growth

We all know that we can’t live without food and how many of us really care for those producing the quite ingredients. Today people all concentrate on development which we all think as computer based and make easy things without hard work and pain by just sitting in front of computers and gadgets and of course it’s not an easy take though, physical ability has reduced and mental strain has increased since we forget to balance either.
Today almost development is based on technology basis and most of them just want to become an engineer and work in MNCs or software companies which pay high and have a wide vision of aboard. I’m not complaining about them or this system based development and thus I never qualified to talk about others and the wisdom based on studies and knowledge, I just express from the views and thoughts I read and felt from.

We all need this kind of development which I have no different opinion from others, but this is not alone a life of living and we need to give total equivalent to agriculture which holds our breath. We all know that it’s impossible to live without eating and food is not quite based of cereal products it also includes vegetable and fruits and if not agriculture where could we get all these from. There used to say there isn’t a best medicine like food!

I’m nothing to say new here but felt to say that the care and concern given for agriculture isn’t right unlike we give to technology based development which lack to look beside either agriculture or its related livestock business and growth. I can’t quite deny that technology isn’t helpful in agriculture any ways, but still beyond an edge is totally based on soil and water resource. What really put down the agriculture was lack of employees who weren’t content with the income and goes in search of jobs in cities and towns.

Today how many youngsters willing to take agriculture as their career and get down in field to make certain for its future progress and productivity. Man, education and knowledge is to develop every individual to think and work on their own and experience a life of great wisdom and values… but how many of them work based on their studies and interest. Its overall experience and talent make one a great employ or CEO.

My question is when one can work with such jobs why can’t take agriculture as a career to make certain it has a bright future to behold beyond its struggle and starvation. The technology has developed a lot and make certain that anything is possible, but why can’t we still bring up the suppressed agriculture and give hand to our foremost life saver and best among the businesses.

I just write what quite mind says about and I’m not much deep in details about the facts to make certain or explain except through sense of what I see, read and come to know that there’s something dying or unconcerned beside great development in technology. What I really want to see was that both technology and agriculture are developed at balance to build a developed India.

Unusual

The earth spins
at supersonic speed
leaving stars to blink
at great velocity,
the days and nights
flash at immense speed
leaving eyes to faint
headaches to core
unwind to breathe
but desire to live
while struggle to see
only darkness at night.