Don’t
take my word for it. Just recap the events and decide for yourself.
With
an overwhelming response to its hunt for SFV
has Talent, our cultural wing started off with a bang the other day
displaying talents of children. The nearly two-hour show was well received. In
order that the event didn’t end up all
watch and no munch, the organizers had arranged with a vendor for
uninterrupted sale of Churmuri. Alas, the vendor displayed the “Sold Out” board
sooner than expected. For those who missed it – the talent show I mean - a
replay was organized the next day too.
Not
satisfied, the hunt extended, this time to catch them young (read seniors).
There was to be an event on 25 Nov. Unfortunately we were away. So can’t guess
if it did go through.
Turning
a little religious, earlier a detailed chanting session, with Rudram, Chamakam,
among other slokas, was conducted under, if I am permitted to say, SFV’s
Asthana Purhoit Shri Navin Kashyap, ably assisted by a select few co-chanters,
and a large number of attentive listeners. “This would be a good opportunity
for me to brush up my memory of these slokas, learnt as an adolescent,” I said
and joined them, aided by a book. But I was no match for their catch me if you can speed. Better sense
prevailed, and I chose to enjoy more the positive vibes that the reverberating chant
pervaded the Hall, than provide a lip-movement that will more be an apology for
rendering.
Many
of you might have noticed a new member to the SFV family taking rounds in the
Joggers park. Like they say in Tamil, Yanai Varum Munne, Mani Osai Varum, (The
Sound of its Bell arrives before the Elephant). Similarly yards before Mr
Chandrashekar comes (yes that is his name, and he stays in Cedar probably), we
could hear slokas resonating from his smartphone. I asked him if it was
Upanishad. “Yes, Mundaka Upanishad,” as he went a step further to share the
finer points of it. I wondered if he had burnt the midnight oil just the
previous night to get all this at his fingertips. Kudos, sir. Muthuraman, of
Ebony, the chief aide to Navin Kashyap at the puja-chanting session, joined us.
He is very much into spirituality, as I could gauge. The topic during the
rounds gradually moved to Advaitha, Vishistaadvaitha, and Dwaitha, the
philosophy of life, etc., making me feel I should be the odd man out.
Moving
to the mundane world, marriages are in full swing in SFV. Our friends
Lakshminarayanan and Prabhakar’s sister who bought an apartment in Maple
recently, solemnized her son’s wedding last month. The way she is deeply rooted
in SFV so soon, looks like she has no regrets at having left her lavish
Jayanagar independent house in favour of this fun-loving community. Welcome,
Madam.
Today
two more marriages take place. Smt Kalavathi Madaiah & Dr Dundamadaial of
Maple 3126 celebrate their second daughter Gomati’s wedding with Dr Sirikishan
Shetty in JP Nagar. We learn a convoy of cars had lined up for the Tamarind
Tree.
Nandini
and Gautam of Oak are off to Secunderabad to perform their son, Subramanya’s
wedding with Mrudula, also today. Their kula
deivam is Kuke Subramania, and they wanted to seek the blessings of their
family deity before the marriage. Luckily Aunty and I were all set for a
whirlwind Karnataka-temple tour starting with Kuke Subramania. We took their
invitation card, but were skeptical if we could get past in one piece and give
it to the pujari. Yes, it was preordained. Despite the rush, the policeman on
duty allowed us entry up to the door from where the pujari goes to the sanctum
sanctorum. We gave him the card, he looked at it and placed it before the deity
with his customary rituals. I prayed for someone else’s happiness and
prosperity for the first time, instead of my charter of demands.
If
all this activity is less, then what is more?
V
V Sundaram
Maple
3195
30
Nov 2017
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