Diwali Gifts - Gesture & Response

Yesterday afternoon PP3 residents gathered at the temple premises to felicitate PP3 staff for their excellent services throughout the year. Sweet packets with solid envelopes, of varying weights, were distributed. Every resident present there got an opportunity to give the gift - with a select few biding their time to give it to the person of their choice. I spoke randomly to a cross section of people on this. Here is an account.

Ram Charan, a cafateria staff. He speaks fluent Tamil and Malayalam. His father is Tamil and mother Malayalee. When on a visit to Kerala, they call him Kuttappa. He had this to say:  ‘Pramadam sir.’ This was the first time he was receiving it, and was overwhelmed. ‘Residents are so loving and caring’. 

Mrs A Rajeena, of the team entrusted with the responsibility to keep the complex and residential units spick and span was showering praise on the residents and their goodwill towards them. She was extremely happy.

Shri Venkatachalam, at the corner Villa in front of Block B, worked in Ordnance factories in several stations. For the uninitiated, he is always to be found hosting Navagraha pujas every weekend.  He says: “I am fully for this. It shows we are all one. It should be continued. This is the only way we can express our gratitude to those who take care of us.”

Shri Thyagarajan, Rental Block. He and his wife are comfortably settled here. He worked as the Head of Mechanical Egg in PSG College of Technology, and, for a few years as Principal of another college. His observations: “This is a good gesture and should continue annually. That is the only way we recognize the services they render. Nonetheless, obtaining a consensus on the contribution-amount may be a good idea.”

Mrs Lakshmi Nimbalkar, of Extension A. They moved couple of months ago. Their base is Hyderabad, and are still retaining the home there. She says this is a good initiative and should continue. As of now she has only reasons to feel happy at stay in PP3. But it will take a while to firm up their opinion,

Mr Radhakrishnan of Extension B has been in PP3 for over 8 months. Does he like the ambience? Of course. Precisely why he has booked an apartment in Phase 5. He endorses many others’ views that this is the only way residents can express their gratitude to them for the relentless services they render. It should be made a compulsory annual activity. .

Mr Sivaramakrishnan of Block 1, retired engineer from BHEL, says that in the olden days we used to give new clothes and sweets. Clothes have become outmoded. So, rightly we are giving cash to  permit them to make the best use of it. And that is our way of expressing our gratitude to them.

Mrs Chitra Desikan of Block 2, affirms that this is a team effort, no individual can do all by himself. And they have done an excellent job, and should continue to do so. It is given that in a community there will be different views and opinions. Majority opinion should prevail. The Desikans are here since two years and they like the place immensely.

“Uncle, what is your own take on this?” some readers may ask, as two of the persons I ‘interviewed’  asked. “Well, anything that is good, should continue. And so this activity.”

A laudable effort indeed. Three cheers to the organizers.

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PP3 Navaratri Celebrations - My Take

I don’t know how it is with you, but with me often the thought of a forthcoming event - say train travel - is more interesting than the event itself. This applies no less to Navaratri celebrations. Initially you are on cloud nine until complacency takes over slowly but steadily.  

Days 1, 2, 3 started off with enthusiasm as never before with musical chair ruling the roost - to get a seat at the temple function, that is. Days 4 and 5 passed off peacefully, with steady signs of downslide. Day 6 touched the low ebb.  

Like during office- days when one got an elated feeling on Thursday evenings: “Thank God It’s Friday, and weekend thereafter,” Day 7 rekindled joy at the forthcoming Durga Ashtami, Navami and Vijayadasami celebrations. And, there you were, fully geared for a final assault in a Kal Ho Naa Ho spirit. 

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A resplendent air of festivity filled the PP3 complex with pujas, chantings of Lalitha Sahasranamam, Devi Mahatmyam, and stutis resonating, not to speak of ladies move around attired in their best.

The Gujan Paripalana management arranged prasadam in the morning and  evening, and different kinds of payasam on all nine days, with no repetition. Distribution was clubbed with lunch and dinner so that everyone is covered.

During the entire period of celebrations the discerning eyes watched brisk movements in Vijayalaxmi, Geeta Rani, Dhivya, Saranya, Surya… ensuring that all arrangements were in order - be it for the busy morning puja arrangements, the evening seating arrangements in the auditorium, serving water to the audience who would not like to miss a minute (even the system-generated pressure had to wait till the interval), or make a special bus  pick-up and drop arrangements to counter rain. ‘Anticipation’, seems to be the watchword for their operations.

In sharp contrast, Arvind, the Cafeteria Manager, was his usual unruffled self wearing his iconic calm and composed Buddha face. He shouldered the extra responsibility of packing and distributing Prasadams, payasams with his customary casual approach. For him, ‘This will also pass’ seemed to be the doctrine.

Yet another quiet, but smooth operator was our respected temple pujari Bharat. He performed all the rituals perfectly, but minus any pomp and show. 

If the Management was so enthusiastic, the PP3 residents proved Hum Kisise Kum Nahin. In recognition of the year-long excellent services provided by PP3 staff in their respective fields, Shankaranarayanan & Co, from the resident community, collected/is collecting voluntary contributions from residents to be disbursed to PP3 staff on Diwali. 

Meanwhile, for Navaratri the ladies collected voluntary contributions and offered ceremonious Manjal Kumkumam to the lady staff and resident ladies. No less equal to the occasion. Sky is the limit for such gestures. Long live that spirit.

Pujas and rituals all the way and no lighter moments is like all work and no play. Just not done. The Management so thoughtfully organized a series of Carnatic music recitals and discourse by a well known artist. Film-music dance and cultural programs featuring PP3 staff attracted special applause. God knows how and when they got time to rehearse these perfect-deliveries with the Navaratri-arrangement-responsibilities added to their routine work. No less, the in-house talents, enough and to spare, organized group bhajan, dance, singing sessions, food-for-thought speeches, not to speak of a full fledged drama . Befitting the retirement community that we live in, the theme was, “Age is never a bar to start a new venture”. By and large all the shows ran to packed audience, a fitting finale to residents’ day’s hectic schedule.

Finally, the inanimate objects. The good old original pattu, heavy-weight sarees that lay suffocating in the attic in an antique trunk, pining to see the light of the day, too got their annual turn to resurface, and to be their Owner’s pride and Others envy.

Bottom line: Our in-house varied talents may not match the best in town. No matter. We are a contended lot, and are hell-bent on enjoying life to the full.

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Activity Abounds in PP3 - Round Up

Navaratri is round the corner -  nay, it has started today; and there is ample evidence of it if the Golu so ably arranged by the resident ladies, on both sides of the Guruvayoorappan sanctum doorway, is anything to go by.  

As I went to the temple this morning for darshan, all chairs well laid out for ladies to start kumkuma archanai. Needless to say the ladies were attired in their best - some sporting the colour ‘prescribed’ for day 1; others disregarding it after our friend Shankaranarayanan clarified at the Sunday morning Aanmika Valli meet that this finds no mention in the puranas. It is the handiwork of textile trades to promote their products.

The temple priest, better still, purohit, Shri Bharat Sharma who, with his suave features, can easily pass for a movie hero, did all that the occasion called for, from his standpoint. In other words, the stage was fully set for Navaratri celebrations. Well begun is half done.

I find this, and other celebrations that go on in our PP3 from time to time, a strong point for permanent relocation - Sankatahara chaturti, Vadamalai for Hanuman or special pujas at Murugan sannidhi for one’s birthday, marriage anniversary, etc., to mention a few. Simply put, out of the 30 days in a month you are sure to stay busy for at least 20 days attending one event of the other, meeting people  - and having a chat as bonus.

Chanting of Lalitha Sahasranamam, Vishnu Sahasranamam, Hanuman Chaleesa, Rudram, Chamakam, and Suktams, Sai Bhajan, and a host of other prayers on specific days is another hallmark. If during these functions you find the inescapable presence of Parameswaran ji and Vishweswaran ji  chanting ashtotram in front of the respective deity, don’t mistake them for temple staff. They represent our residents community doing this yeoman’s service facilitating purohit’s duties.

Similarly you will find Madam Vasumati, or Geetha Vaidyanathan giving a helping hand in the conduct of Sunday morning functions at the sit-out area of the cafeteria. Then there are others who ably convey messages through captivating stories from epics and puranas. Yet others participate in Anthakshari with a me-first spirit. Overall, it is a small, well-knit community. Yes, Small is Beautiful, goes well with PP3.

Then there is a Karaoke team. Mind you, one can earn one’s place in the group after an audition. The group renders periodically Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and other film songs. Some renderings turn out outstanding, some good, some pass the muster, and a few leave scope for improvement. All in the game.

Then my friend from Extension B has already begun in full blast the curtain-raiser for his forthcoming drama.  In the process he raises our expectations so much that he and his team will have to live up to it. We wish them all the best and look forward to the team's performance matching the promise.

(If you have any comments, please write them NOT in  WhatsApp or elsewhere, but in the Post a Comment column of the Blog.  It then stays with the blog. Thanks.)

Storm Over Puri Masala - in a lighter vein

The Cafeteria Manager of our Retirement Home had listed Puri-masala for today's breakfast - apart from the mandatory Idli. When items such as Puri, Rava Dosa, Paniyaram,  are on the cards, even those residents who have opted not to have breakfast, join and enjoy the fun.  Thus, on such occasions, for all the three batches the dining hall is houseful, only a formal board is not displayed.

This morning the residents seated themselves with banana leaves meticulously cleaned to welcome hot puris - only an accompanying ritualistic japam was missing. But alas, the puris were not in sight. Some unexpected delay in the centralized kitchen catering to all three phases of the retirement home. The alert cafeteria boys lost no time in going around with hot Idlis. Not many takers. "We will wait," announced some while many said to themselves. A few chose to have it ad interim, more as an appetizer, but it ended up as a near full breakfast leaving little scope for the much-awaited puris. A mistake they will hopefully not repeat.

As is wont, the discussions at the hand-wash room thereafter obviously were all about this. Some said, 'the wait was too long," another said, '"still it was worth waiting for'. 

"My friend at the next table," continued yet another, "got a full blown puri, while I got a flat, grounded one.  I couldn't decline it for fear of losing even that one," 

An unruffled gentleman took over, "you see it was Rava dosa last night. That too involved a little wait. but how lovely they were," he concluded giving it a touch of, 'All is well that ends well'.

On way back I met my co-resident friend and alerted him, "Today it is puri. They are good, but may involve a little waiting". 

"Doesn't matter mama, he said. "My two daughters in USA are in the mailing list for the daily menu. The moment they see puri and other fried items, the first thing they do is to ring me up and confirm that I had only Idli and none of the oily stuff. So it doesn't matter much to me."

Regardless of his firmness, I shall confirm from him tomorrow if he did really skip puris while he watched others in the table relish them, or let go his restrictions for a toss. 

(If you have any comments, please write them in the Post a Comment column of the Blog.  It then stays with the blog. Thanks.)