The evening of sixty-three…

It is not easy for a wave to negotiate its way through a vibrant ocean.

As the Bandh eased out into the evening, I went to Ramana Kendra in Alamelumangapuram. Today is Sani-Pradosham (Saturday and a Pradosham), doubly holy….The special worship at Ramana Kendra had just finished…I bathed in the compassionate glance of Sri Ramana, took some Prasaadam and stepped out.

It is the Aruvathu-Moovar day. The day the sixty three Naayanmaar icons from Kapaleeshwarar temple go out on a procession….Part of the Panguni festival….And I had not bargained for the ocean that I walked into.

It was a dam-burst of people!

God only knows how many thousand people thronged Mylapore today. There were people all over, and it was sheer magic to be able to move at all – and move one did. Just couldn’t believe that it was the evening of a Bandh day. As I reached the corner of the Kapali temple tank, I became one with the sea….Cops were stationed in strategic structures – helping the crowds move around. ‘Missing person’ announcements were being aired over the loudspeakers….The Kapalishwara temple gopurams, shimmering with electric lights, rose majestically into the evening sky. And up above the world so high, a near full moon beamed on the crowds below….The procession of icons was perhaps over….But you wouldn’t know it, looking at the crowds that overflowed the streets…..

How does one even start to describe the ambience…Men, women and children – creating criss-crossing currents of mass movements….A combination of surrender and survival-instinct enabled one to get into the right current so that one moved in the direction one wanted to…Beyond a certain point, I gave up. The sea of people seemed impossible to weave through. I had walked the length of the road in front of temple….There was just no way I would be able to enter the temple….

I surfed a few waves, and joined a returning current, deciding to go to Ramakrishna Mission’s ‘Universal temple’, if I could…Armed with a little free will, submitting to fate, I walked….What a walk! Hawkers all along the way…Selling all kinds of festival goodies….The whiff of fresh chips being fried in oil…All manners of eats – Puffed rice, dates, coconuts, sweets….Platform shops selling simple toys of all kinds – little fire-engines, animals, hand-held shimmering fans….’kwality walls’ ice creams….and amidst all this, people were distributing biscuits, pongal, tamarind rice etc to one and all….Water stalls…..And thousands of people….No way for even a bicycle to be driven….In all this hustle-bustle, one felt no apprehension. The crowd had its own intelligence. Like an ocean with a mind….One and all deftly avoided stepping on and crushing the alms-seeking, cod-piece clad person lying right in the middle of the road, chanting “Govindo! Govindo!”…Families somehow trying to stay together as they walk, holding on to each other’s shoulders, dresses….

I managed to reach Ramakrishna Mission…People were sitting all over the place in the front courtyard….Families just sitting….eating….chatting….I could imagine Thakur (Sri Ramakrishna) beaming with delight seeing the pilgrims….and surely the sight of the Aruvatti-Moovar icon procession would have sent him into deep Samadhi….

Leaving my chappals in the footwear stand, I walked up the steps….The evening Arati of Sri Ramakrishna was on….

Thakur was dressed in pink. Like the gowns of a convocation ceremony….A brahmachari was waving the lights, the whisk etc, as the Arati song filled the hall…”Aarati tumhaar…jaya jaya aarati tumhaar….siva siva Aarati tumhaar…..”….The Bengali song composed by Swami Vivekananda, sung by Sanyaasis and Brahmacharis of the Mission – full throated sonorous voices….The worshipping Brahmachari, holding a pink full-blown lotus, touching different parts of Thakur, and finally, placing it delicately, in the interlocked hands that Thakur holds on his lap, as he sits in Padmasan….Brahmacharis with tufts, sanyaasis in ochre…and Thakur! What holiness!

It was past 7pm…

Stepping out, one looked up at the moon lighting up the night sky. Feeling ever so blessed, one took a deep breath, became a wave and walked back into the ocean….

Passing on…

Sri Subbudu….

Respected, feared, Music and Dance critic….Todays Hindu has an obit notice….He has passed away….

I have seen him on occasion….My folks were associated with Delhi Shanmukananda Sangeeta Sabha, and I have had the joy of attending many music concerts, many, many moons ago….Have heard Balamurali Krishna when he was making his first forays into public…..and I remember this….Subbudu’s criticisms would be awaited….and read….I was too young to read art pieces, but I am told that he packed deadly humour….and usually a sting as well….(which, I read somewhere, he attributed to his Scorpio - vricchika raaashi)…..It should be said that he brought the art of “critic” to a new level….Oh, it must have been hard for the artistes who had to suffer his barbs….but then life on the stage always has a price….

May he live in peace in heaven….and write some sharp pieces on Narada, Tumburu, Urvashi and others, ask searching questions about celestial appreciation of dance and music….

For if someone can take on God, Subbudu can….

From a closed place…

On this day of Bandh in Tamil Nadu, when not a fly moves in deference to the rulers, and the unruly, I log on to the school egroup hoping to find an oasis….but seems that the bandh declared by TN Govt extends to DTEA school egroup as well…..not a single mail…..

i remember the time our school changed from MEA (Madrasi Education Assoc) to DTEA (Delhi Tamil Educ Assoc) ….it was the time the state govt changed the name of Madras to Tamil Nadu…..and then, a year or so later, Tiru mu karunanidi came to delhi, and to some branches of DTEA school as well…I was a part of the school band giving a welcome guard of honor….since DTEA LR band was the only one among DTEA branches, our band went to other branches as well….

Got to hear MK speak….and what a good speaker! Our school had the unfortunate tag of being money minded (MEA….was referred to by some uncharitable folks as ‘Money Eating Association’)….and what was the reputation due to? Due to our ‘chillarai’ brains! Just imagine, paying 38 paise fees per month, and ‘donation’ of Rs 7 or so per family per month - and we complained that the school was money minded….naturally the school was short of funds, as always….and they had requested TN Govt for help….

and MK said in his speech - “My name is Karunanidhi…i.e. Karunai and Nidhi…(Compassion and Wealth)….The word Karunai is longer than Nidhi….My sympathy is more abundant…My ability to give is less….” - or something to that effect…all said in chaste Tamizh, in his characteristic trade-mark voice….he connected well with the huge gathering…

People in power always leave some impression on young minds - thanks to the pomp, regalia, and general ‘power based’ charisma that they have…So, memories of a CM, is natural….’

But then there were others, much simpler folks, who came to our school on occasion, who also come to mind….and to me, they are interesting….

For eg: there was one turbaned, cycle driving, social worker….his cycle would have a small board, proclaiming some rules of ethics that he followed…..he came and spoke to us about ‘character building’……By normal standards, he was an absolute misfit…..Toiling physically, in the hot Delhi Sun, going from school to school, connecting with kids to tell them about the virtues of sincerity, hard work, honesty and ethics…..

There was Rukimini mami, who taught us Nenjak Kanakallu negizn turuka (Kandar anubhuti of Arunagirinatha)…the whole assembly used to sing this…..

That song rings on….

Saturday 24 March

Chennai….Saturday morning….daughter had gone for her exams….car to be sent at noon to pick her up…had a few hours….decided to go to Kapali temple, and maybe Giri trading and pick up a few books….

Reached Kapali temple by little before 10 am….place was looking more festive than usual….lots of people as well….walked in to the temple….past the Vinayaka shrine, Annamalai shrine, Murugan shrine…..saw a host of Utsava Moorthies nicely decorated and waiting for the day out….had darshan of Karpagambal and Kapaleeshwarar….spent some quality time before Dakshinamoorthy in the Kapaleeshwarar sannidhi….caught up on some  japa….came out….and saw the procession start…..The processional idol (utsavar) of Kapaleeshwarar was on the move…carried by a dozen or so hardy folks….Nadaswaram music, drums….walkend with the  procession to the main gopuram….realized that it was the first day of Panguni Festival….all the Gods would go on a processio around the Mada Veedi - the roads around the temple and the water tank….First was a ther (ratham) carrying Ganesha….Next Kapaleeshwarar….then a chariot with Karpagambal….then one with Murugan and consorts….Taka-deeka-taka-jum went the drums…..Hundreds of people thronged…..nadaswaram music….people from all walks of life - standing in adoration….college girls taking photographs of the Utsavar with their cell phone cameras…Kudumi adorned Vaidikas…mothers balancing their babies aloft….fantastic……i was quite carried away by the mood of the occasion and was singing some Tevaram that I know in part - my voice drowned by the general din….fantastic atmosphere….

as i danced like a bubble in that froth, one young girl suddenly walked up to me and said “Sir…your are from TCS, Cath Road office?”…I quickly stopped bubbling, felt a bit embarassed as I came down to the ground….”Yes…” said I “and you?”….”Me too…she said…I am from Finance department….My name is Vaishnavi” she said….as is my daughters first name….I wished her well and good day….and as she disappeared back into the mileu, I went back to bubbling…..

Haro Hara!