English

MY AMAZING CHILDHOOD DAYS ………

(Episode 3 - “Akshata Tritiya” and other incidents)

Hello dearies,

After a gap of several days, here I am trying to travel in my own Time Machine and going down Memory Lane. I will be penning only the positive moments I travelled through those wonderful years, and NOT the negative and sour ones which were plenty too……

Socializing had a totally different connotation then. It meant DIRECT interactions with friends and relatives, and in many cases, totally strange people. First, I will touch upon Akshaya Tritiya, and then go to other matters.

What, after all is Akshaya Tritiya?

1. 1. The Sixth avatar of Mahavishnu, Parasu Rama was born to Sage Jamadagni & Renuka (How he killed his own mother to fulfill his father’s wish, and later, got back his mother alive asking for a boon from his father etc., is a different Story).

2. 2. Ganga Maiya (or, Bhageerathi, the name coming because of the unbelievable, mind-boggling, and dedicated efforts of King Bhagirath to bring the holy Ganges river by penance to relieve his ancestors off their countless sins). and the river in full fury landed on head (Jada, or the matted hair) of Lord Shiva. you know the story.

This is the problem with me. I tend to drift away from the main topic and dwell upon unrelated information…. !!! I will try to stick on to the main topic, namely, A.T

3. 3. Adi Shankara recited the “Kanaka Dhara Stotra” (According to legend, the young Shankara was on his “Bikshaadan” for the day, and this poor Brahmin Lady had only one Amla or Gooseberry to offer him). Pleased with her altruistic and sincere devotion, Shankara sang the now famous ‘Kanaka Dhara Stotram’, starting with the Pallavi, “Angam Hare PuLaka Bhooshanam Ashrayanti….” followed by 22 charanams, and the Gods above showered dozens of golden Gooseberries on the courtyard of the poor brahmin lady. We had been to the “Illam” few years back when we went to Kalady for the Upanayana of my wife’s cousin's grandson.

4. 4, The day Kubhera retrieved all his lost wealth.

5. 5. On this day, Bhagvan Veda Vyasa started writing Mahabharata.

6. 6. Sudhama (Kuchelar) reaches Dwaraka and meets his bosom friend and school mate, Krishna. {And you know how in his extreme delight (nirvriti), how he forgot to ask his friend for any Alm or financial favors….!}

7. 7. Pandavas received the “Akshaya Patra” from Surya Deva during their Vana Vasa. (And how the vessel dries up once Panchali has her share of food, and how Krishna handled the furious Durvasa by eating the one small bit of spinach leaf that somehow got stuck to the vessel side despite Droupadi’s cleaning it, etc., etc)

8. 8. Most importantly, the day Ma Anna Poorani incarnated….. (by the way, do not forget to visit Her temple at Varanasi – outside the main temple of Vishwanath, if you go there). It was a very small temple when we first went there some 8 or 9 years ago, and performed abhishekas ourselves, and touched her feet, but found it is so huge and completely renovated now.

You may be wondering what this guy is going on yapping and yapping instead of telling about the title, i.e his ‘amazing’ childhood days …. !!!

On this day, the small girls of my village (Manjapra) would gather in one of the houses. Earlier, they would collect the rice, provisions, vegetables etc. they would cook the food for themselves that day, in fact, a feast. The name of the game, however, is “Mounam Udaithu Samayal”. That is, till they finish the cooking they are not supposed to talk. The silence (Mounam) is broken ONLY when the cooking is complete, and the food is ready to be served. A small exemption ids that some elderly ladies of the village would help them in cooking by giving instructions – again through actions. Some of us naughty boys would peep in and try to find out what these girls are up to, but are chased away mercilessly by the girls……. It was all fun for the girls, and a way learning the art of cooking at a very early age, which will be very useful later in their married lives.

In the evening, my mother will Keep a huge Andaa, and another Arinkan Chatti, one filled with ‘Panakam’, and the other with ‘Sambharam’. My father would have by then, prepared bowlfuls of Mambazham pieces (skin peeled), and Chakka Pazhams. Being the season, we get plenty of them from our backyard. After the children so also the elders are served all this to their satisfaction (unlimited), the kids are give 4 annas each as ‘baksheesh’. You can visualise the proud look of yours truly, as a young kid on those evenings, year after year….

A N D A A

A R I K A N C H A T T I

That was ‘socialising’ in the true sense of the word. No mobiles or messaging, no pods or pads, no desktops or laptops…… it was all one to one to one. And it was real fun too, and learning process at its best.

I am stopping this episode here, dearieeesss. I am reserving “other incidents” for my next episode on my childhood days……