The 'Karva Chauth' connect

'Karva Chauth' is a Hindi version of karadaya nombu from the South. It is performed by the wife for her husband's health longevity and prosperity-a day long fasting diligently followed by the wife, chanting prayers and reading mythological/epic stories that witness the triumph of good over evil, of life over death, and faith over practicality.

The transition of the 'husband' figure from an everyday presence to elevated heights of love and hero worship is quite bollywood inspired, which is an Indian culture by itself. The 'nombu' or 'vrath' is a day of full on high loyalty as the sacred yellow thread around the wife's neck is a miniature thaali for the married and a prayer of protection for the brother from his married/unmarried sister.
 The moon is the source of ethereal connect that once when witnessed is a sign for the woman to seek blessings from her husband and break her fast.
And hence the feasting begins as another year of Karva Chauth time comes to an end.

The results of a marriage are in the everyday-there are good days, there are boring days and there are cold war days and patch up days in between like the phases of the moon. We women need days like these to embrace the light within us and shine on come rain or shine.

The Kollywood Phoenix

'Nayagan' was a movie for the masses and not a cult hero movie.It was 'inspired' by the 'Godfather' and had a star studded crew to make 'Nayagan' a hero of a movie.

Kamal never ceases to be himself, on and off the screen.His obsessive compulsion with himself clearly comes out in print in an article in The Hindu Magazine(a supplement with the newsdaily) dated October 21. Besides self claiming to be the trump card of 'Nayagan', he partners in glory with the artistes of his likes and considers them worthy of his mention and compartmentalizes the ones who were not and makes no bones about saying it loud.

The film has reached its 25th year and has been voted one of Time magazine's top 100 films. And Kamal has donned a 100 odd roles since then ('Nayagan' was released in 1987) in many standout movies that etch his every emotion and his unforgettable screen presence. A celebration of the art in any film goes beyond publicity, even negative.

A phoenix bird is symbolic of a hopeful soar, higher than the dark clouds that come on its way and even if struck by lightning, it rises from the ashes to fly all over again. And Kamal is kollywood's version of a phoenix. He has proved time and again that he can be the standout from the flock of stars in the tamizh film galaxy and rise beyond industry standards.

As audience, we still are positive that he'll reconnect with movies that become better versions of him as an actor and as a person too.

Sampradhaya-a musical tradition

Sampradhaya 2012 was an event that marked the parampara folk music or music spanning generations on folk lore of the regions across India. Be it Gurbani of the north(Punjab), tillana of the south, popular bhajans like vaishnav janato and the kannada devotional bhaghyada lakshmi baramma...Shankar Mahadevan and Aruna Sairam sang them all and this musical rhapsody marked the fusion music flavours of a truly unique India.

Music that can move even non-kutcheri goers like my husband and me to stay tuned in silence at Narada Gaana Sabha, Chennai, and be present for the entire 3 hour show was magical moments rediscovered.
We felt the rhythm and the pulse being part of the audience and stayed affected  by the sheer soul of their individual voices echoing even after the concert long being over.

Chennai is home to a distinctive food culture that is music to many a foodie's ears!! The crispy vadais floating on spicy and tangy rasam and sambar, with boondi on top, the ghee seasoned dollap of pongal that snuggles warm with smooth coconut chutney and the quintessential coffee or kaapi, sweet kesari and a whole menu for an evening tiffin outside of the hall at the canteen is a welcome feast prior to the main celebration!!

Unabashed and sitting pretty, we took in the whole aura of a music lover, of what it takes to be on an outing, specially in such a city and place where traditional/carnatic music (good food inclusive) is not just content matter on a brochure, but  at the back of every musically inspired Chennaiite's mind.

An accidental journey

I look around the raging flames. Iam the black cloud that circles the dark body. Iam inextinguishable and am in the heat of the moment. I've travelled many journeys and each felt like a beginning to an end...except this one...it ended in ashes, and I don't make any bones about it. The deserted train compartment was once full of sleepy heads, but I see skulls that I identify were my neighbours. The hand that rocked the baby lie in joined heaps of remains. I cry at their love and only death did them part. The water hose(s) of the fire ambulance wipe my tears dry, as its time to move on. I smoke out in dark circles, floating higher into an uninvited heaven. 'Rest in peace', I tell myself, as this journey by accident has just begun.

Chennai Chapatis

Cooking is a daily culture with most housewives and Iam one of the depressed blue faces when it becomes too daily a chore. I love food being cooked across various travel and lifestyle channels on T.V. and the delicate delicacy plated up for an eye feast. But when home food (almost!) is a call away and 'Chennai Chapatis' comes to my rescue, I thank my city for being on the food prefix for a whole menu of reasons:)
Yeah..food can be a place of solace and I feel redeemed when simple chapatis and dal, sambar rice/curry rice and that warm and fluffy curd rice consoles my stomach to a contented sigh finally.

It's my home away from home here...but eating humble is a cheerful reuninon with the food I knew from my past and today was one of those past perfect days.  

Dramatic memoir

Madras Players' 'Silence! The Court is in session' is a 100 minute play, featuring internationally renowned voiceover artiste P.C.Ramakrishna, Indrani Krishnaier and others. Directed by Vinod Anand, this is Vijay Tendulkar's Marathi version of 'Shantata!..."

The Egmore Museum backdrop and an old classic air conditioned hall added its old world charm to this 1971 play by the troupe that has come together in talented parts, while the fresher faces in the role play lend their own comeback distinction.

The court comes to a mock trial as the characters are drama performers who come to a remote village to stage their play. What begins as an imaginary accusation against Ms.Benare, takes a sinister twist as the woman is hushed into silence and tears with charges of infanticide, which in real is a well kept secret by her.

As her independent and open spirit gets mocked for by the witnesses, Mr and Mrs. Kashikar, Ponkshe, Rokade and the unassuming villager Samant, her anger against such societally salacious behaviour singles her out as an innocent victim to this vicious play.

Over dramatic in certain moments and genuinely plain and fun in some others, this social satire, for me, was a  debut dramatic memoir of sorts. And the show must go on...    

Key(e)s to a school reunion

Our school (Keyes High School for Girls, Secunderabad) has been common ground for our family ladies, young and old alike to get an induction into school education, friendships, to stay together as sisters and not cousins be it at school and while getting back home, and is not merely a school where we had studied and made grades, but made memories and lived a part of our childhood.

To me, dressed in purple uniform and walking on a pair of black and white, sweating it out to buy crispy rolls, puffy corn, spicy choley from the good old canteen(s) were moments to savour. The quick stationery pick Sardarji's shop adjacent to the canteen bought for many of us from our deep uniform pockets 'pocket money' to buy the much needed pens, pencils, orange candies, chart papers, maps and map drawing books. We drew, we wrote, we made paper planes and rode on our colourful dreams, candy mouthed and orange tongued and mumbled a chorus 'Goooood Morrrrning Teacherrrr' to mark the beginning of one of the many eventful days at our school.

The class timetable looked more like keys on a keyboard. Each subject or each note that were placed one next to the other were not quite in harmony, but was music to our parents' ears when we scored higher in them (subjects) than our earlier performance.

To be a gem of a sportsperson as in belonging to a Rubies, Emeralds, Topaz and Sapphires sports team was an essential. Diamonds are now our best friends and a luck invoking gem stone for better times ahead! We had our share of good times and not so good ones at school... Books carried our burdens, our only baggage then.
We've all outgrown them.Our thirst for good life and success much bigger than the water bottles we carried, our hunger for acceptance and competition much larger than the tiffin boxes we had bought for lunch.

Each corridor from our memories of school days will echo our primary, middle and high school times. We can all agree (perhaps) that we are the proud voices recollecting where we have come from and what we have become today! Family reunions with the ladies at home is never complete without this common slice of school times that we love to feed on.😊