my uncle's attempt to takes all of us down the memory lane......
ENJOY SPIRIT OF ONAM FESTIVAL AND THE GRAND SADHYA TODAY, WHEREVER YOU ALL ARE.
If there is time to stop and reflect......as we race along....
recall earlier Onam get togethers with mother and father at Guruswamy Mudaliar St, and all of us toddlers...from Radha (only teenager),down to Kunju, with Shanthachi & Babyachi (late teen beauties ),taking charge for the pookalam and all of us going round the neighborhood to collect all possible flowers.. intruding into the private compounds nearby and once straying into MS.Subbalakshmi's house, being chased by her dog, and then her watchman.. only to be forgiven by her and allowed to pluck more... the sheer joy of coming back home with baskets full of
flowers... once Shantachi approves the collection, it sends a thrill of achievement for all of us..... we sit round and prepare the pookalam... bigger than last year... getting bigger and bigger...sivalingam flower used to be most prominent..followed by shoe flower, there was that yellow variety in abundance...ahhhhh, the smell from that sivalingam flower ... i can get it
now.
And then after a few years, at Lloyds Road, this pookalam got to be the biggest.... maybe many of you will remember the photograph taken of Shanthachi in her green sari and looking stunning....aniyatan fell for this picture... and a couple of more pictures taken which are on the patio of Krishna Kripa, even today... mother used to toil from early morning cooking all the varieties with that smoke filled kerosene stove and firewood place... house used to be
filled with relatives as if there was no dearth of mouths to feed, with the full regiment of us, marching about ....
by this time all of us were into our teens ... That was the last Onam with Shantachi around ... the
first Onam, after her marriage was awful... we boys organised a pookalam in a hurry, all the time talking about how we missed her..that was in '65..
Onam for the next few years was confined to going to Attan's house from the hostel, to enjoy the real tasty spread from the beautiful young vibrant adathiamma. her culinary skills belied her age then (...and even now)!
The first Onam after marriage at Deepak Niwas and many that followed thereafter, was like a community lunch ... so grand was the occasion, that almost the entire Nandambakkam village used to converge at PS's house... invited or not... each felt had the right to walk in... and was treated as an honoured guest... years later, the grand pookalam of Rajini used to be the highlight...gone were the sivalingam, shoe, yellow flowers... substituted by colored powder of all
shades, some flower to justify "poo" of kalam...flowers if needed had to be purchased from
mambalam market...no one had time... gone was the excitement of going round and plucking them ....
The Onam with Sundari... all by ourselves at Cochin with Lalit as a toddler... his excitement knew no bounds with the chance to throw flowers around the main door (entrance to flat)... malu followed later to share in this excitement ... process of plucking thumba poovu is still fresh ....
the last Onam at KrishnaKripa with mother and father is crystal clear...1987... we had gone from cochin.. the pookalam then was simply the best I can recall...since 1964...Unniattan was in charge and with him around, anything had to be simply 'Grand'.. the small porcelain idol of Krishna at the centre of a huge circle filled with flowers (purchased of course), in various designs mixed with coloured powders ... photos are there... the sadhya... mother being there to serve... urging us to have more...
Dubai Onam days were filled with very happy get togethers of myself being in the lead role..with all nephews niece and families...the numbers expanding with years..... sadhya packets were purchased on few occasions from Sunrise rest' ... and for several Onams, between 95-2004, Sundari's special touch for 'sadhya vibhavamgal' delighted the taste buds of of all of us and several special invitees always there.... sadly "pookalam" got reduced to a few flowers ... no time...no flowers... no plants...
Onam... the day brings something special ... joy and thrill is always there...at its best enjoy in reality, at the worst in "virtual reality" in recollections, as it is today for me.... being in Kuwait... another working day, but no one can stop my mind enjoying all the bygone thrills.. and to share with you all....
hope you have time to read this.... I am also, as busy as all of you... but had to get up one hour
earlier to share this special memoirs..... that continue to inspire every generation with sheer joy
and thrill ...
enjoy the day..
love and cheers,
mohan/mama/atta (achappa also be included)
ENJOY SPIRIT OF ONAM FESTIVAL AND THE GRAND SADHYA TODAY, WHEREVER YOU ALL ARE.
If there is time to stop and reflect......as we race along....
recall earlier Onam get togethers with mother and father at Guruswamy Mudaliar St, and all of us toddlers...from Radha (only teenager),down to Kunju, with Shanthachi & Babyachi (late teen beauties ),taking charge for the pookalam and all of us going round the neighborhood to collect all possible flowers.. intruding into the private compounds nearby and once straying into MS.Subbalakshmi's house, being chased by her dog, and then her watchman.. only to be forgiven by her and allowed to pluck more... the sheer joy of coming back home with baskets full of
flowers... once Shantachi approves the collection, it sends a thrill of achievement for all of us..... we sit round and prepare the pookalam... bigger than last year... getting bigger and bigger...sivalingam flower used to be most prominent..followed by shoe flower, there was that yellow variety in abundance...ahhhhh, the smell from that sivalingam flower ... i can get it
now.
And then after a few years, at Lloyds Road, this pookalam got to be the biggest.... maybe many of you will remember the photograph taken of Shanthachi in her green sari and looking stunning....aniyatan fell for this picture... and a couple of more pictures taken which are on the patio of Krishna Kripa, even today... mother used to toil from early morning cooking all the varieties with that smoke filled kerosene stove and firewood place... house used to be
filled with relatives as if there was no dearth of mouths to feed, with the full regiment of us, marching about ....
by this time all of us were into our teens ... That was the last Onam with Shantachi around ... the
first Onam, after her marriage was awful... we boys organised a pookalam in a hurry, all the time talking about how we missed her..that was in '65..
Onam for the next few years was confined to going to Attan's house from the hostel, to enjoy the real tasty spread from the beautiful young vibrant adathiamma. her culinary skills belied her age then (...and even now)!
The first Onam after marriage at Deepak Niwas and many that followed thereafter, was like a community lunch ... so grand was the occasion, that almost the entire Nandambakkam village used to converge at PS's house... invited or not... each felt had the right to walk in... and was treated as an honoured guest... years later, the grand pookalam of Rajini used to be the highlight...gone were the sivalingam, shoe, yellow flowers... substituted by colored powder of all
shades, some flower to justify "poo" of kalam...flowers if needed had to be purchased from
mambalam market...no one had time... gone was the excitement of going round and plucking them ....
The Onam with Sundari... all by ourselves at Cochin with Lalit as a toddler... his excitement knew no bounds with the chance to throw flowers around the main door (entrance to flat)... malu followed later to share in this excitement ... process of plucking thumba poovu is still fresh ....
the last Onam at KrishnaKripa with mother and father is crystal clear...1987... we had gone from cochin.. the pookalam then was simply the best I can recall...since 1964...Unniattan was in charge and with him around, anything had to be simply 'Grand'.. the small porcelain idol of Krishna at the centre of a huge circle filled with flowers (purchased of course), in various designs mixed with coloured powders ... photos are there... the sadhya... mother being there to serve... urging us to have more...
Dubai Onam days were filled with very happy get togethers of myself being in the lead role..with all nephews niece and families...the numbers expanding with years..... sadhya packets were purchased on few occasions from Sunrise rest' ... and for several Onams, between 95-2004, Sundari's special touch for 'sadhya vibhavamgal' delighted the taste buds of of all of us and several special invitees always there.... sadly "pookalam" got reduced to a few flowers ... no time...no flowers... no plants...
Onam... the day brings something special ... joy and thrill is always there...at its best enjoy in reality, at the worst in "virtual reality" in recollections, as it is today for me.... being in Kuwait... another working day, but no one can stop my mind enjoying all the bygone thrills.. and to share with you all....
hope you have time to read this.... I am also, as busy as all of you... but had to get up one hour
earlier to share this special memoirs..... that continue to inspire every generation with sheer joy
and thrill ...
enjoy the day..
love and cheers,
mohan/mama/atta (achappa also be included)
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