The Year 2019 Thus Far

Yes, SFV had a good start. We celebrated this morning the Republic Day in the amphitheatre. Shri Lakshminarayanan of Maple 3133, was the Chief Guest. He explained the evolution of the Republic Day. We wish the student community had carried a notebook to jot down important points. I observed many raising their eyebrows when he explained the difference between hoisting and unfurling a flag.

I know my friend Shri Lakshminarayanan of having retired from Central Government service. But now I suspect he had some teaching background as well - given the fact that the audience were hanging on his lips to hear more of him. Thanks, LN ji.

If in the last few days one mistook SFV premises for a sports complex what with a host of activities all around – volleyball, throw ball, badminton, tennis, carom, chess - it is because SFV is just through its annual sports events preceding the Ekatva-2019, slated for Sunday, 3 February. Yes, we look forward eagerly to that event too.

That reminds me. Walking around the Club House area in the evening one wondered if one was passing through a branch of the National School of Drama. Yes, Club House is abuzz with dance, song, drama, or skit rehearsals to entertain us on Ekatva. Children back from school after a tiring day and annual examinations on the cards, or homemakers setting aside their domestic chores, report at the venue to choreograph, perform or oversee activities. We also chanced upon some young children returning home after a full-dress rehearsal. We could guess what is in store for us on Ekatva, but I am afraid the organizers would just not wish me to be the curtain raiser.

I don’t know how it is with you, but pigeons regularly assembled in the shaft area in our apartment, and made a day of it with liberal droppings. We had access difficulties in cleaning them up, and had to put up with a pungent smell. So we got a pigeon net fixed.

Life became quite peaceful. But in less than two months the gaps in the net began to expand gradually – can’t guess if it is the handiwork of the pigeon to gain entry to their washroom area, or the poor workmanship of the pigeon-net fixer. And, one fine morning we heard once again ruffles of a solitary pigeon inside the shaft, and a cluster of fellow-pigeon sympathizers outside. Now how to save the one stuck inside, we wondered. Just about then the doorbell rang. The car-cleaner had come to collect the car-key.  God-sent opportunity, we felt. When requested he promptly agreed, got into the shaft immediately, and gently held the pigeon, got out of the shaft, headed straight to the balcony and released it. He did everything so casually like PC Sorcar in a magic show, and asked for the car key. We tipped him. He refused. We had to persuade him. Thanks my friend.

Faux pas can happen with anybody, be it Aunty or me. With her birthday round the corner, and her long stint with Apple IPhone beginning to yield diminishing returns, I thought I would buy her a new mobile phone with the Android software. She will then have the best of both the worlds. In consultation with Aunty’s sisters’ children, all of whom are in the IT field, we selected a good piece that has an automatic Android upgrade, and other features normally offered to higher segments.

Everything went fine except that the phone would take only 2GB internet network that we have in one room, and not the higher 4GB that we have in another. Consequently downloading would take longer at 40 MB speed, as opposed to 80 to 100 MB speed in the other room. We are trying to return the piece. In the Return Policy the online giant states clearly that one could return in ten days. But when we set to fill the return form it says only replacement is possible. Our efforts are still on to clarify to them that it is not a defective piece that we want a replacement for, but a compatibility issue. We’re hopeful better sense will prevail.

Meanwhile we look forward to Ekatva, Ram Navami, Sivaratri…

Retirees' Retreat

Early bird gets the worm. So, started the year 2019 invading the temples of Kumbakonam, Tanjore, Trichy, Chidambaram, Vaideeswaran Koil...for possible best of blessings. My colleague and friend Ragu, his wife Padma, Aunty and I covered 26 temples in just two and half days. ‘Cover’ doesn’t mean a whirlwind tour, of the touch and go nature. At each temple we persuaded the priest to share the Sthala Puranam.

Each of these Sthala Puranas is worth treasuring. But, space constraints restrict me to highlight just a few of them, more as a teaser. In all the temples one thing goes without saying: the artisans had chiseled these architectural masterpieces in absolute leisure time - phursat mein banaya hai.

First it was to Ramaswamy temple with the surrounding tall walls bringing Ramayana alive in colour painting format. Both ladies bought tickets for Archanai. While coming out, Ragu gently reminded them that it was okay to be doing Archanai in every temple, but our target would be reduced to just half. “Since this was the first temple, we started off with Archanai,” said the two ready-witted ladies and got away with it.  Then we went to Chakrapani temple and to Swaminatha temple (Lord Muruga). This is Ragu’s kula deivam, and it was here that his marriage was solemnized. Yes, with just five members being present – a pre-condition of Ragu, a believer in simplicity.

From here we went to Muruga’s elder brother, Lord Ganesha’s abode – Tiruvalamchuzi temple, then to Uttukkad Krishna temple, Darasuram and Pattiswaran temple. Marvellous architecture. Sorry for being repetitive.

By now, despite a heavy breakfast at Ragu’s favourite haunt, Hotel Mangalambikai (one of the few hotels where garlic is not used – Ragu was very particular), we felt hungry and decided to halt for lunch – at the same hotel. The young driver, Kartik, did his best to show us half a dozen other new hotels. Ragu was unmoved. 

Exactly after forty minutes of nap at the hotel, we began the afternoon session in such a way that we are at the gate when the temple will open in the evening. We covered Adi Kumbeswarar (Shiva), Tribhuvanam Sarveshwarar temple (Shiva), Tiruvidai Maruthur Mahalingaswamy, Uppiliyappan, Nachiar Koil, Kubera Linga, and Sarangapani temple (Vishnu).

In Nachiar Koil, Kal Garuda is taken out for procession on occasions. Starting with just 4 people to lift it, the weight keeps on increasing as it leaves one mantapa after another inside the temple, evident by more and more people, 64 and more, lifting it. Similarly, on return, the weight reduces at each stage.

Tired after long stretches of walks at each temple and travel from one temple to the other, all of us were waiting to hit the bed. Added to that Ragu reminded us we would leave hotel at 4.30 next morning, first to Chidambaram, a long drive, Thillai Amman temple, and then Vaideeswaran koil (our kula deivam), Dakshinamoorthy temple, not to speak of the famous Brihadeeswarar temple in Tanjore. This 1000- year old temple is also called the Big Temple, and carries the UNESCO heritage tag. No description of it will be too much.

On day three, Friday, 3 Jan, it was the turn of Trichy -Srirangam temple, Jumbukeswarar temple, Gunaseelam, Gneeliyaneswarar koil, Shri Yama Dharma Raja’s abode, and Shri Pundareekaksha Perumal. The Srirangam temple also preserves the 1000-year old mummified body the saint Shri Ramanujacharya.

Gunaseelam, where Prasanna Venkatachalapathy presides over, is where illness is cured. There is a mental health rehabilitation centre at the rear that has the stamp of the Tamil Nadu Government. We asked the priest if we could go there. “No, you need a medical certificate from the hospital authorities,” he said.

We rushed with all these visits in half a day. We thought ladies deserve some free time for shopping. Kartik took us to a home where the family made a living weaving handloom and silk sarees. The ladies nearly ransacked it.