Covid-19 brought in its sway several lifestyle changes, ‘stay home, stay safe’ being one. Unaccustomed to changes late in life – in their 60 to 80s - the senior women of the Narayaneeyam Group-1 were determined to find ways to bring near normalcy to their daily life.
The result? They learnt the intricacies of a hitherto uncharted territory, Google Meet, and succeeded in their trial attempt at chanting slokams online on Ekadasi, the day before yesterday. Yes, necessity is the mother of invention.
All this in preparation for a mega event, the Narayaneeyam Saptaham (seven-day chant) starting on 19 November and culminating on 25 November, the Guruvayoor Ekadasi day. In these seven days all the members would chant slokas from chapter 1 to 90. The last 10 chapters would be rendered online through Google Meet where each member would chant her allotted solkas. Yes, several are the ways one can keep oneself engaged – more so in a spiritual way.
For record, Group-1, about 20 members, had already graduated with honours a year ago and has been staying in touch as a group with regular Ekadasi chant-sessions offline. The team leader (read Aunty) organizes the offline chant in such a way that each one gets to chant all the 100 dasakams (chapters) over a period of several Ekadasis.
The start of Google Meet is not without its ripple effect. Sons, sons-in-law, daughters, daughters-in-law, or spouses of members, as the case may be, are pressed into service to give them a helping hand to get started. Some members still hold on to their Jambhavan model mobiles. These may require to be upgraded to either smart phones or, ideally, tablets or laptops if their near and dear ones really care for them not to lag behind the rest in the Meet.
Yes, some of them were found struggling with Mute and Unmute operations. One could even hear external voices (read, their spouses) from behind lending ‘technical support’ to the best of their own limited exposure – just as I stood in readiness for such an eventuality back home though Aunty is way ahead of me.
Thus it is just possible that one may have to be on the look out for a Grand Sale of electronic goods. Doesn’t matter if Diwali sale is on its way out. Christmas/New Year sale is not far off.
Wantonly or otherwise, this exercise also revealed that Group 2, which has completed 50 of the 100 chapters, consists mostly of younger generation, full of life, energy and determination. Consequently the Old Guard watched with open-mouthed awe as the youngsters chanted their portions with supreme confidence. That should perhaps alert them not to rest on their laurels, but to perform still better in the final day, Guruvayoor Ekadasi, 25 November.
To mitigate the noises emanating from behind one’s room, the Group 2 members have already recommended ways where the team leader will hold the key to mute and unmute others’ voices. Yes, many improvements are under way; but the takeoff has definitely been good. None of the uninitiated expected that she would perform so well in her maiden appearance. No wonder the intercom chats among them these days is more on this rather than what sweets and savouries they planned to prepare for Diwali.
If senior women can make such strides, can the senior menfolk be far behind? No. In the Rudram Chamakam chant group, now more than a year old, they are already geared to excelling the quality of their online performance week after week. They are into embarking on new Suktams. Also they (we) host special sessions on members’ birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Yes, we are in a world of our own. After all a day well begun is a day well spent.
Who said that the seniors, men or women, don’t know how to keep themselves busy?
