Vellore & Yelagiri Part 1

Vellore, Here I come !

Yelagiri, You MUST Go !!

Last Sunday at 3 PM, I stood in front of CMCH, Vellore with a little bit of awe and a lot of confusion building in me .

  

I was born in CMC (Christian Medical College) Hospital some 64 years back.

And many times my mom used to say , “You know Krishnaa… Nurse Nandita told me that you were the most beautiful bonny baby she has ever seen!”

And every time, with that same spiel, she would con me into gulping down the last remaining portions of the Thaiyur Sadam (Curd-rice) .

For some nostalgic reason I had always wanted to go back and visit Vellore & CMCH.

Over the last 12 years we must have done the Bangalore – Chennai- Bangalore road trip more than 15 times.

And each time as we shuttle past Vellore on our way to Chennai,  I would look up at the RatnagiriHill  Temple that is clearly visible from the highway and say  - I must visit Vellore some day!

And each time on our way back to Bangalore we pass Vellore and then would come to a signboard Pointing the way to Yelagiri Hills. And Jayanthi would ask me -  When will you take me on a holiday to Yelagiri ??

  

We finally managed a 4 day road trip spending 2 nights in Vellore and another 2 in Yelagiri.

And I have ticked off Vellore from my bucket list and so did Jayanthi for Yelagiri from her list!

Back to front gate of CMCH Vellore! Now what do I do ??

Feeling a sense of Déjà vu, I look up at the freshly painted Bluish Grey and White main building with a prominent red cross on its top and  hesitate .

Do I just walk into the maternity ward? And proclaim loudly “ I was born here!!”

Or do I go to the nurse’s station and ask for the doc and the nurse and the attendants who were on duty on the night of 1 June / early morning of  2^nd  July 1955 ??

By the way, I am very scared of entering a hospital, one of the 3 places where I would never like to go voluntarily.

NEVER, EVER -  unless there is a dire necessity!!

And I would most sincerely hope and pray that none of you have to. Unless your child or grandchild is a Doc or a Lawyer or a Police officer !

The three places filed with misery – Hospitals (except the maternity wards) , Court houses and the Police Stations (except for passport address verification).

Finally I gather up enough courage and resolve and walk into the main building.  A small space that retains the original structure, a small room on the left  is the reception to direct folks to the various departments. And right in front I walk into a small but spacious chapel.  Its is open to well maintained gardens on two sides, a raised platform in front, a  podium and 2 mikes.   A single aisle and rows of   pews on both sides. Calm, serene and a cool breeze sets up a wonderful peaceful atmosphere.  

I sit down, close my eyes and pray for the quick recovery and good health of every one admitted here. Then I slowly walk around the entire hospital complex.

CMC has grown huge with a number of massive buildings on all the sides . Fortunately it was Sunday. So the crowd was less and  the human plight and the misery was lesser too.  However the small anxious crowd in front of the casualty ward , a couple of gurneys lined up at the entrance, the two ambulances and a police jeep  made my stomach churn.

A 9 storied A-ward stands imposing on the right , a huge 6 storied OT block at the back, the maternity ward, the cancer ward and the OPD and causality section – all built and expanded on a large scale. I shudder slightly at the typical smell of strong disinfectant and the damp hospital atmosphere and quickly rush back to my car.

Mission accomplished ! Thank You CMCH.

We drove up to my Thatha’s house.  Salawanpet, Msilamani Street, that area of Velore which is frozen in time. Narrow roads, sweltering heat and dust. The temple complex in front of our house looked the same albeit a little better maintained with freshly erected signage.  The veraghu thotti (Firewood stockpile yard) was gone, and a new building stood in its place. The huge stretch of Thennam Thottam (Palm Grove) is transformed into an apartment complex.

Erattai Maadi Iyer veedu (double storied Iyer’s house) that is what they called our house, stood majestically even in its dilapidated condition. Thatha had sold it some 50 years back . And the owner did not see any necessity to get the house painted  even once let alone remodel it. Except he spoilt the majestic frontage on the right by building two rooms which he rented out to a browsing center and a shop. And the neat staircase on that side was replaced by one on the left.

Felt very sad. But was  consoled by the fact that the house still existed, instead of getting razed to the ground and some unfamiliar structure erected in its place.

 A thought occurred to me. Maybe I should buy back this house and restore it to its original magnificence. And then what ?

Maybe hope that one of my grand daughters get an MBBS admission in CMC and then join CMC and settle down in this house .

A long shot, but worth looking forward to ..

We visited the famous SriPuram golden temple ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Temple,_Sripuram

I was totally awed by this structure. This temple is gilded with 1,500 kg of pure gold, double the 750 kg gilding of the dome of the Golden Temple at Amritsar!

There is a separate shrine housing an idol of Goddess Lakshmi made out of 76 kgs. of pure Gold. And you can perform abhishekam yourself!

And this place must truly be the abode of the goddess of wealth, Goddess Lakshmi.  The 100 acres of beautifully designed garden and well manicured lawns with beautifully carved statues and fountains are breathtaking!

Without any prior plan, we suddenly decided to drive  into the famous Vellore fort and visit the old Jalakanteshwara Temple built during the mid 16^th century (100 years before the Taj Mahal). 

Jalakandeswarar = "Lord Siva residing in the water"

It was once called ‘swami illadha kovil” and it remained un-operational for more than 400 years . Following the desecration of the temple during Muslim invasion and rule, worship in the temple was stopped and the main deity was moved away. The temple was re-consecrated in 1981 and the first kumbabishekam after re-consecration was held in 1982.

The huge Gopuran stands majestic and imposing against the blue sky!

The stone etched mandapam wonderfully restored to its original elegance,  which is now used as a marriage hall !

The stone carving and the intricately carved pillars are a beauty to watch

And the ubiquitous Poo kaari right opposite the temple !!

Vellore, we went all around this small town, soaked in the atmosphere, checked out the latest tamil movies running in PVR.

Not much surprised to notice the large number of hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacy  and medical shops. And ofcourse an equal number of snall boarding lodges, restaurants  and hotels!

And finally, we drove up Ratnagiri hill to get a good darshan of lord Murugan and a spectacular arial view of Vellore as well!.

And the Velllore skyline from our Hotel window.

And with a deep sense of satisfaction we started for Yelagiri.

And Yelagiri, you MUST go !!

Krish..

In a lighter vein, JK?

On a lighter note, May I, Ms Jayanthi Krishnan ?

 

I return from my early morning walk, open our front door to step in.

A commanding voice rings out from some corner of our home where She is dusting..

‘Wipe your shoes properly on the door mat outside!

Stack your shoes in the shoe cabinet,  neatly!!

Peel off your sox and drop them inside the washer!!!’

And I give a silent salute, whisper ‘Yes Ma'am’ and perform all these tasks diligently before I unhook my headphones and switch off my iPod!

Yes, I kow-tow to this supreme being every day and much before I prostrate myself in front of the panel of gods and goddess and offer my morning prayers.

And my short prayer to the Gods happen after a short ritual.

She places a small velli kinnum (silver bowl) of freshly boiled and sweetened milk.

Then She keeps a copper tumbler half-filled with freshly drawn water from our Aquagaurd inside the puja room.

And then I enter the small puja room, perform a quick aarati.

And I thank the Gods & Goddesses for all the good thing they have doen for me , my family, my friends and relatives,  and every one in general (saha kutumbh).

And request him to preserve the status quo.

And this strict regimen we follow every day.

And Yes, our house is run by no one less than  a 5-Star General!!

And many times I wonder if the  CO  (Commanding Officer) & Subedar Major of our NCC camps were this demanding and so particular.

I remember those times (hours) spent in polishing my brass buckles, shining my shoes  to a glassy finish and ironing my clothes to get that knife-edge crease!!  And folding my sheets and blanket and placing them neatly under my pillow and my duffel bag tightly tied and kept on the side.

And cleaning my .22 and later my .303 rifles and lugging them for the inspection & parade.

Inspection happens at home too.  

On days when I dust our bed cover, fluff the pillows and  make our bed, She would keenly scrutinize, align the pillow edges and smooth out the small wrinkles at the corner before giving me a satisfied sign off!

Jayanthi and I come from two different backgrounds (and that is a sober understatement).

I was brought up in a small smelly (every  place,  during those days, smelled of fresh and dried cow dung, horse droppings & wet mud) town in Uttar Pradesh (now UttaraKhand) town.

Dehra Dun or the Doon Valley is situated @  the  foothills of the Himalayas.

And I grew up in that rustic, unsophisticated environment , a raw small town kid who was spoilt for a fight and who could stream out a mouthful of choicest Hindi and Punjabi Gaalis within seconds!

(Punjabi Gaali = a dirty phrase punctuated with one relative and one body part)

And Jayanthi was raised up in a traditional orthodox & conservative Iyengar family from the the well known area, T Nagar in  Chennai.

Her parents ran a boarding school & a coaching center. Her grand father was a member of the Theosophical Society of India, and her dad was an active Lions Club member.

And they lived in the heart of T Nagar, near the famous Pondi Baazar and close to the cultural hub of Vani Mahal  (where they were life members)

And fate bought us together on that memorable Good Friday of 1982!!

Three months later, we got married !

And Jayanthi, aged  19 years & 6 months, moved into our home as a newly wed mattu-ponnu (daughter-in-law)

And, from a sprawling mansion-like house in T Nagar surrounded by huge palm trees and mango trees and tamarind trees, she came into  a two bedroom flat on the second floor of an six  storied building  in Bandra East , Mumbai. Must have been difficult.

It was claustrophobic for me too when we had to move from our modest house in Dehra Dun (with a lawn in the front and a kitchen garden at the back) into this flat.

And to top it all, at that time we had my mom & dad, my dad’s mom, my mom’s dad & mom and my youngest college going sister all in this flat!!!

And very soon my dad and mom left for Bahrain, leaving me & Jayanthi (mostly her as I traveled very often) to take care of the rest of the family.

Since then, but for a few years, we always had some elders staying with us.  My Grand dad and Grand mom for a long time, then her aging dad and mom next  to us and then my dad who moved in with us after my mom died.  And my dad at 90 years stays here with us here mostly.

So she has seen, experienced, endured and managed bravely every possible challenge an elder person can throw at you - be it making food to appease their cravings,  observing the traditional rituals on religious and festival occasion (which invariably involves elaborate cooking and serving many people), taking them to the temples, to visit relatives  and hospitals frequently.

And they can be extremely demanding and She had to  stoically bear up with their tantrums and frequent bursts of anger,  administer medication, clean up the mess they make most times, and much more. And frequently train and manage the frequently changing full time nurses who are so unpredictable.

All said and done..

We have successfully completed 37 years together. (I am also counting in 50% of the time I used to spend travelling during the first 10 years of our marriage, another 25+% over the next 15 years, and an average of 3 days  a week that I spent in Gurgaon for the another  8 years)

And I would not hesitate to claim that we have shared our responsibiolities and burden equally.

Like the house we built in nearby Vinayaka Nagar ..

She approved the blureprint, supervised the construction on a daily basis, stood in the Q for BSSB water  & BESCOM connections and finally fought for the Katha and managed to get it!

And I, very efficiently and periodically, without questioning, signed all the payment cheques right from the initial advance amount up to the final settlement!

Like when we bought this SP apartment.

She came periodically, surveyed the progress and signed the cheques.

And I diligently ensured that she had enough balance in her account!

Like raising our daughter Anusha

She sat with and helped Anusha with her homework most evenings,  complete her weekend assignments and cur pictures from mags, made charts and cardboard models for her summer project work.  

And I taught her  to climb the big slide from the sloping side, ride a  bicycle  and blow a wolf whistle! (wolf-whistle = the technique of placing you right thumb and index finger under your tongue and blow out  a very  loud, sharp and piercing tone). And I even taught her how to modulate it as well.

Like raising our son, Sirish

She would go thru his school dairy every day and help him complete his assignment. When he missed a day, she would call up his classmate’s parents and get an update.

And I diligently typed out his leave letter and signed them . And also his quarterly report card !

And I even bought him Lego. Mechano and Jigsaw sets to sharpen his mind!!

Like shopping @ DMart

She would mentally make up  a list of all things to buy and walk thru the  aisles and pick  up things she wanted. And after checking the expiry date she would then hand them over to me.

And I  followed her closely behind, pushing the huge overloaded cart.

And you know how challenging that could be, especially when you get one of those carts with misaligned wheels that get stuck every now and then. And you have to push them at a specific angle if you want them to go straight!

And I also swiped my card and entered the pin @ the checkout counter!!

And over time, I am glad to say,  we  became specialists at our chosen areas and wonderfully complemented each other..

Even in areas of decision making which could be a highly contentious matter in many house holds.

Not in ours and we rarely have any clash of egos.

I totally support women empowerment…

Hence Jayanthi  takes all the decisions related to our household and connected with our family.

Whether it is  buying this flat or trading-in our car for a new one. Or how much Diwali Bonus to give this year and what should we eat tonight.

And I focus on the broader challenges like Nuclear arms race, Global Warming , World Hunger. And the future  impact of  Artificial Intelligence and Bio-Engineering !

And I also seriously consider all decisions related to the future of Mankind!!

Krish..

Lalitha Sahasranamam & Navaratri !!!

Many of us would be aware of Visnhu Sahasranamam  which is the chanting of the one thousand (sahasra) names of Lord Vishnu. It is said that Bheeshma while lying on his death bed taught Vishnu Sahasranamam to Yudhishtra.

Though it is called Sahasra Nama (1000 names) in fact it contains only 901 distinct sounding names. Eight hundred and fifteen names are repeated once, Seventy-five of these names are repeated twice, nine of these names thrice and two of these names four times. The acharyas have attempted to give different meanings to the same word in different places successfully. (Ref: Hindupedia).

Lalitha Sahasranamam ? How many of you know??

Lalita Sahasranamam contains the thousand names of the Hindu mother  Goddess Lalita Devi, considered to be a manifestation of the Divine Mother (Shakti) or Goddess Durga (Parvati, Mahakali). The names are organized as hymns (stotras). It is the only sahasranama that does not repeat a single name.

Lalita sahasranama is said to have been composed by eight vaag devis (vaag devatas) upon the command of Lalita. 

These vaag devis are Vasini, Kameshvari, Aruna, Vimala, Jayani, Modini, Sarveshvari, Kaulini. The sahasranama says that "One can worship Lalitha only if she wishes us to do so".

@ Sobha Palladian…..

The tradition of chanting Lalitha Sahasranamam every Friday evening was set in motion by Ahila & Venki as soon as some of us early settlers moved into Sobha Palladian. And within a few months families volunteered and took turns to host this chanting in their house . And this practice has been continuing uninterrupted for more than two years.

Once the group got proficient in reciting one set of sholakas, they would start learning a new set and thus a lot more sets of shlokas got added to the main chanting practice

Last year, this group decided to have the chanting session each day of the Navaratri season – during the 10 days of Dusssehra festival. And each day was hosted in one household.

And the ladies decided to wear a different colored saree each day.

Thus adding some zing &  a good dose of glamour to their godliness!!

This year , the number of families have increased and hence the group decided to have two chanting on some days , so that every house got the chance to host.

And they chanted a variety of songs & verses including Lalitha Sahasranamam, Mahishasura Mardhini, Lakshmi Ashtothram, Saraswati Ashtothram, Sri Suktam & Medha Suktam and a Thirupugazh for Aarthi (nadha vindu kaladi namo namah..)

And here is a chronology of the 10 day event.

Day 1, Sunday 29 Sept’19.

Color theme :  Bright Orange signifying the break of dawn/start of a new era!!

@ Ahila & Venki’s

Prasadam :  Shakarai Pongal & Payaru Sundal
and

@ Seshambal aunty, Prabha & Hrishi’s

Prasadam :  Kesari & Pattani Sundal.

Trivia :  A Navaratri story as told by my Patti .. 

Our country, Bharatavarsh was rich and prosperous. Everyone was happy and making merry and wallowing in their wealth. And they totally neglected acquiring knowledge and investing in reading the vedas and improving their mental faculties.

Goddess Lakshmi became very angry. In order to teach them a lesson, she took the form of a giant white horse and started rampaging the fields every evening.

The elders and rishis recognized this challenge and advised the people to appease the goddess and invest in reading &  learning.

So every evening the people made Sundal (made from boiled grams/pulses) and offered to this white horse. For nine days continuously they made sundal from nine different pulses (nava daniyam) and offered to Goddess Saraswati. On the ninth day they made the horses’ favorite Kothhu Kadalai (Black gram) sundal and celebrated that day as Saraswati Puja, The day of learning.

In south the next day, Viajaya Dashami, also marks the initiation of young kids to school & learning.  And in Vellore I have also joined a bunch of kids led by  Nadaswaram and Taval musicians and gone on a parade to the nearby school where our teacher took my hand and guided me to write  (A) and  !!  and I wrote on a slate with a balabam kuchhi. (a wooden-framed black shale tile and a sharpened piece of thin hard calcified pencil)

Those were the days !!!

Day 2, Monday 30 Sept’19.

Color theme :  White.  It represents purity, cleanliness, peace and knowledge. The goddess of knowledge, Saraswati is always shown as wearing a white dress, sitting on a white lotus..

@ Saroja aunty, Nirmala & Raghu’s.

Prasadam : Sakkarai Pongal & Karamani Sundal!!!

Nostalgia : In Dehra Dun, every year, religiously, my dad would take all of us to Ram-Lila maidaan, which was near the famous Paltan Bazaar & Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower). A huge dusty ground where huge effigies of Raavan, Kumbhakaran & Meghnath were erected. Stuffed with firecrackers and decked in brightly colored  glittering paper, Raavan, in he center , sported a huge mustache that went all the way on both sides to both the ends of his 10 heads!

And as the evening & the crowd grew, the place became dustier and filled with smoke. Wonderful smelling aroma from the frying Bhuttas. (corn on cob) Smoke from the shakkar gandhis (sweet potato) sizzling and roasting on hot coals and the ubiquitous thick smoke billowing from the hot earthen pots placed on top of that huge mound of Moong Falis (un-shelled peanuts). And along with that were the standard big glass jars containing Revadis & Gazaks made from freshly  harvested til (sesame seed)!!

And we would watch all the the effigies burn one by one as the loudspeaker blared with Jai Shri Ram and other chants. Dehra Dun, that time was predominantly a Jan Sangh stronghold. So you can imagine the fervor with which all such events were managed.

Jan Sangh was the predecessor to Janata Dal and BJP.

And we would return home after buying the mandatory set of teer-kamaan (bow & arrow), a Hanuman mask and bright colored bangles & scarfs for my sisters.

Those were the days !!!

Day 3, Tuesday 1 Oct’19.

Color Theme: Red. Signifying energy, wealth and celebrations. Goddess Durga & Lakshmi are depicted wearing red.

@ Baby aunty & Bhuvana’s

Prasadam : Mysore Pak, Karuppu karamani thitheeppu sundal (sweet black beans) and paan-beeda

@ Jayanthi & Krish’s

Prasadam : Karamani (lobia/black eyed beans) Sundal.

Trivia : The Navratri Golu depicts scenes from ancient times - celebrated Indian stories that have been passed on from generation to generation like the Ramayana, Puranas, and the Dashavataram. This is the time of the year that you revisit those precious lessons from timeless, age-old stories. The steps may also be interpreted as the evolution ladder that we are all traversing in the journey of life.

Checkout the wonderful Golu Display @ Sukanya & Mohana’s.

Day 4, Wednesday 2 Oct’19.

Color Theme : Royal Blue, the third primary color. It spiritually signifies the Healing Power of God. It is the most sublime color which represents, bionically, the Word of God. .. ( Ref. Google)

@ Lalitha aunty, Jayashree & Nataraj’s.

Prasadam : Aval Kesari (poha keasti) & Karamani Sundal.

Trivia :  Navratri is a celebration of Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. A victory of good over evil. To end the atrocities of the demon, the Gods created Durga. Mahishasura wanted to marry her as he was fascinated by her beauty. Durga agreed on the condition that he defeats her in battle first. The battle went on for nine days and nine nights. On the tenth day, Durga emerged victorious as she killed the evil, buffalo-headed demon.

Listen to this wonderful recital of Mahishasura Mardhini that was recorded live by Nataraj!!

Day 5,  Thursday 3 Oct’19

Color Theme : Yellow.. Has stood for wisdom and intellect throughout the ages. It aids logic, memory, concentration, will - power and communication. Yellow is full of creative and intellectual energy. (ref Google)

@ Sukanya & Ashwin’s.

Prasadam : Kesari & Konda-kadalai Sundal (Kabuli chana)

Trivia :  Worshiping the nine planets: To propitiate the nine planets for a life of happiness and plenty, in some parts of Western India, ladies plant nine different kinds of food grain seeds in small pots during the nine days of Navaratri. The young saplings are then offered to the Goddess.

Day 6, Friday 4 Oct’19.

Color Theme : Green.  The color of life. Of rebirth and renewal!

@ Padma & Venkateshwaran’s

Prasadam :  Payaru Sundal  & Aravana  payasam (made of red rice, jaggery, ghee, cashew, coconut pieces, cardamom & dry ginger)

Aravana payasam was delicious and out of this world !

@ Sridevi & Ramesh’s

Prasadam : Semia Payasam & Konda Kadalai Sundal

Trivia :  The Saundarya Lahari (Sanskrit: सौन्दर्यलहरी) meaning "The waves of Beauty" is a famous literary work in Sanskrit believed to be written by sage Pushpadanta and Adi Shankara. ... Its hundred and three shlokas (verses) eulogize the beauty, grace and munificence of Goddess Parvati / Dakshayani, consort of Shiva. (ref: Wiki)

Day 7, Saturday 5 Oct’19.

Color Theme: Grey . Calmness & detachment. It is the color of balance and neutrality. 

@ Sangeeta & Mahadevan’s

Prasadam : Coconut-Besan burfi and coconut rice.

Trivia :  Here is another not well know story on Golu and Dussehra. Could be a modern ‘creative spin’ on the whats App. But nevertheless, interesting.

Goddess Durga is the 'Shakti' created by God Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh in order to curb the powers and kill the demon king Mahishasur, who had grown extremely powerful after getting a boon from Lord Shiva.

And the Goddess needed tremdndous power to fight the fierce and prolonged battle. So all the Gods and Goddess transferred their powers to Durga and they all stood still as statues all thru the nine days & nights of the battle. 

Hence the prominence of Gods & Goddess in Golu !!

Kind of neat explanation , is’nt it ??

It is also believed that Goddess Durga visits her mother with her children Ganesh and Kartik on the day of Durga Puja and returns to God Shiv on Dussehra.

Day 8, Sunday 6 Oct’19

Color Theme : Purple.  The color of royalty. The color purple stands for independence and liberation of one's mind and feelings.

@ Lalitha aunty, Jayashree & Srini’s

Prasadam : Ashtami Prasada Thali offered as Samardhanai.

(poori,halwa, til-coconut-peanut-jaggery laddu,rajgeera sweet, sweet potato-potato subji,fruit,coconut & a lifafa!!)

Jayashree and Srini had just returned from Char Dham viz., Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. And as per South Indian tradition the  devotees would perform a ‘Smaardhanai’ after  completing such an arduous journey. (Over a period of 15 days trekking over 3,00,000 steps, over 160 KM.)

Samaradhanai is a general prayer to all forms of the Almighty, offerings and feasting with the congregation. Samaradhana means thanksgiving to the deity and is celebrated with prayers and feasting with all friends and families in togetherness. (Ref. Google)

Day 9, Monday 7 Oct’19.  Ayudha Puja, Saraswati Puja !!

Color Theme : Peacock Green (Bluish Green or Greenish Bllue). Signifies Vision & spirituality. The Peacock is associated with Goddess Lakshmi who represents patience, kindness and luck.

@ Sudha & Kumar’s

Prasadam : Semia Payasam, Burfi & Pachha Pattani Sundal (Green Peas Sundal)

Trivia :  Ayudha (implements & tools) Puja - Worshipping computers & cutlasses: On the ninth day of Navratri in Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, implements used to earn a livelihood are worshiped. In some places even weapons are worshiped. For most of us it was Computers, CDs and software, books and musical imnstruments.. Of course, vehicles, machinery, rifles, machetes and cutlasses are also worshipped. And you can see Buses and Autos and Trucks beautifully decked with flowers, banana fronds tied to the grills and splashed with sandal paste and kum-kum!!

My car too sported a pair of banana fronds, triple stripes of vibhuti and a few splashes of Sandal paste!!

Checkout this beautiful live recording of Lalitha Sahasranamam

Day 10, Tuesday 8 Oct’19.Vijayadashami !!
Color Theme : Pink : Represents universal love for everyone. Pink represents friendship, harmony, affection and inner peace!

@ Mohana’s

Prasadam : Fruits Custard & Rajma Sundal

Trivia :  Lord Rama was a worshiper of Devi Bhagwati, the supreme power. He worshiped her for nine consecutive nights to emerge victorious over Ravana in the Dharm Yuddh. On the ninth day, Lord Rama proved his devotion to the devi and it was on the tenth day he emerged victorious after killing Dashanan (Ravana). Since then different incarnations of Devi Bhagwati are worshiped and it is on the tenth day Vijaya Dashmi is celebrated.

The end of Navratri, or the tenth day, marks Dusshera. 

And the ten hectic days came to an end @SP.

A Big Thank You to all the hosts and the enthusiastic participants.

And especially to all the senior ladies who attended regularly without a single break.

And to Seshambal aunty for teaching the first 50 shlokas Soundarya Lahiri so patiently and with so much dedication.

And most importantly  to the many new-comers and other invitees and guests for participating so eagerly and wearing the theme colors!!

Krish & Jayanthi.