The Month That Was - in SFV

While memories of Punarjani-2008 still linger, a six-digit amount was passed on to an NGO for flood relief operations after accounting for all the ‘event’ expenses. Kudos once again to the organizers and all SFVians for making it happen. Not to speak of the efforts of Col Paddy and Nalini for the timely transport of relief items to the needy and, no less, the single-handed efforts of Ms Komala, of 301 1, to collect and send relief materials to Kodagu.

Amidst these visible efforts, there is one SFVian who preferred to do his mite rather quietly. He and his old-time friends chalked out a direct-assistance programme. Thanks to their connections in Wayanad, about forty of these donors identified and ‘adopted’ one family each in Wayanad whose homes have been devastated by the flood.  For twelve months the donors would credit to their account, opened since, a monthly subsidy to partly defray their expenses. By then they hope these families to rehabilitate themselves. And the SFVian in question is……Well, don’t keep guessing. He wishes to remain anonymous. Although this is the second month of operation, I too came to know of it now, accidentally. Early next year I hope to join him to Wayanad to see how his adopted family is faring.

Moving from humanitarian to knowledge-enrichment activity, the MC’s Knowledge Sub Committee team deserves full compliments for the initiatives taken on Bodhisatva Talks. The third in the series was on: Open Source Philosophy – Linux Study. They insisted on participants to register their names, who satisfied these pre-requisites: “Are you using Android Phone, have you ‘googled’ ever, and watched videos and Youtube…” Though I answer them all in the affirmative, I couldn’t muster courage to enlist, for fear of the speaker converting the session into a classroom and pointedly ask me questions --- and I look lost.

On the health front, MC took two initiatives. First, it launched the services of Shankara Health Diagnostic Centre in mid-October. The Lab representative would be in SFV Clinic on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7.30 to 11 a.m. to take blood samples, as discounted rates. With nearly a fortnight passed, probably it is time to check what the response was like. Anyway, MC can only take the horse to the pond, not make it drink.

The second is to organize Guasa free treatment to get relief from chronic pain such as Head Ache (not the one caused by others), knee pain, lower back pain, etc. My preliminary investigation reveals that many have benefited by this – at least two I know of. In any case, without prejudice to this treatment method, I would prefer to wait for about ten days to check if those who underwent hold the same view.

Now it is time for entertainment. And one can’t think of anything better than the Dandiya Night on 27^th. Foot tapping music, many old and some new, scintillating dance by SFVian ladies attired in glittering costumes to suit the occasion, and menfolk encouraging them with repeated applause. The only regret was that the ‘official version’ ended a little too early before the organizers invited everyone to join for the impromptu attempts.  We learn that prizes were given to the best-attired female, best performers – male and female… My senior-citizen friend, Mr S. Chandrashekar, nicknamed the ‘Advaita philosophy expert’, got away with the best performer, male.

Altogether it was a very good evening. And why not, if you have a food court lined up with fairly decent varieties to choose from - Masala Dosa, Puri-Paddu, dry gulab jamun, cold ice cream of different kinds, spicy, chatpatta items, and the usual pani puri man doing brisk business mentally keeping count of how many servings he has done to each of the ten or twelve people he caters to simultaneously. Going by the crowd, matching the one at the Dandiya venue, I would guess the residents lived up to the organizers’ “Close Your Kitchen” call.

Punarjani 2018

Bangalore, Sunday, 7 October. The Metrological Department had predicted heavy rains in Bangalore for the weekend. Fear engulfed the organizers foreseeing yet another postponement.

As it turned out, the day was bright and sunny with audience in fact looking for shade as the day progressed. Yes, that is the way Nature cooperated with Punarjani 2018, the fundraising event, in sharp contrast to the havoc it played earlier in Kerala and Kodagu bringing untold misery.

Originally slated as SFV’s annual Onam celebration for 9 September, it was postponed to yesterday and rechristened to Punarjani (Rebirth) 2018 in view of the floods, and setting aside a major chunk of the collections for flood relief operations of both in both places.  Laudable efforts indeed, and SFV Malayalees deserve full compliments. And no less, SFVians for proving equal to the occasion. Is that what they call Vasudeva Kutumbakam?

Given the changed circumstances of the event, one felt the event would be on a low key. But how sadly - and welcomingly - we were mistaken.

Change is constant, they say, and so it was. The founding fathers set the stage two years ago to celebrate Onam festival in SFV. And the new team set the stage to improve upon it, with erecting a magnificent stage, to begin with.

Stalls were lined up - food court, clothing, automobiles, fancy goods, and one by Sobha. Now wait a miniute. No, not manned by the Customer Relations department to listen to the grievances of residents, but the marketing staff on a prowl for its upcoming ventures.

Both the morning and evening sessions started way behind schedule. Maybe, but the entertaining and engaging items that unfolded themselves, amply compensated for the wait. First they gave the audience a touching visual account of the devastation the floods had caused.

The morning session explored talents from within SFV, proving beyond doubt that we lack them in no way. And the evening by professionals, from outside, giving a glimpse of what the amateurs could turn themselves into given total dedication.

The delayed start had its impact down the line, the lunch to say the least. But one felt it was worth the wait. Normally nothing works on an empty stomach, they say. But not so the food, more so served by Krishna Das caterers (?). A sample survey of those who had had their meals and those who were on the attack, showed that the dishes were delicious and, more important, were served with gay abandon.

Now the stocktaking - which item of the day would you rate the best? Well, here is the response I got from a cross section – without a mike in hand: “The dance performances - Mohini Attam, Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, and Odissi,” said a middle-aged lady. “We liked the breathtaking acrobatics by the young group of boys and a girl,” said a group of adolescents, without a second thought. “I would give it to the morning session which proved there is no dearth of in-house talents, and we should encourage them,” responded an ardent lover of art and music.

“The compere takes the cake for keeping alive the audience interest,” quipped a calm and composed resident in his 50s.   “Vaishnav Girish’s renderings, in particular Bin Tere, and the soulful Kal Ho Na Ho as a tribute to the young violinist Balabhaskar was the best,” said another, who himself is a singer of a sort.  Another with his wits at his end, said, “As is wont in such functions the public address system manages to disown their masters at the nick of time. But this time it was not so, and that is the best part.” Not to be outdone, a senior overhearing the ‘interview’, said, “I liked the Bank stall offering 8.75% interest on FD.”

“For me, it is the Kannada number by the lady. She could attract audience participation as well,” interjected a lady from behind. The best response I personally liked, however, was from a 92-year old lady on wheel chair: “The total programme as such, like a good meal, with neither Sambar, Rasam, Avial, Pickle, nor Payasam, staking the claim. What a way to explain! Did someone not say, variety is the spice of life?

Anyway, thank you sooooooo much organizers.