Aadiperukku or Padinettam Perukku is observed only in the Kaveri delta. The festival name translates as Adi (month) swell or 18th day swell because the waters of the Kaveri river invariably rise dramatically, often to the 18th step on the 18th day of the month of Adi, corresponding with the second or third of August every year.
Adi is the month for planting seeds and vegetation. Since monsoon is at its peak, there is enough water for crops. To the predominantly agrarian communities who live in this rice cultivation tract along the Kaveri river basin districts of Tanjavur and Tiruchirapalli, the increased water levels directly correlate with economic prosperity. This occasion is marked by offerings of chitrannam or rice cooked in different flavours,colours and ingre-dients to honour the river goddess and nature for life giving water.
The increased abundance of water makes this an auspicious day; Adi Perukku is celebrated as fertility and reproduction predominantly by women in Tamil Nadu. Families often bathe in the river, wetting the head (snanam), wear new clothes and perform a consecration (abhishekam) for Kaveri amman. They give visitors auspicious turmeric, kumkum, betel leaves and nuts (vetrilai pakku), fruits and flowers. Some use the day as an excuse to buy jewellery. After the women have performed the puja, families eat at home and rest. The men and children participate in the social picnic at the end of the day. In medieval times, Chola kings and royal households patronised this ritual.
Adi Pathinettu holds special significance for families with newlyweds. A bride is brought to her parent�s home by July 15 where she stays for the month of Adi. On Adi Pathinettu, the son-in-law is invited over, given new clothes, ornaments and sweets and the couple is reunited.
Courtesy: indiaprofile.com
My take is : I don't live in the delta region. Im not agrarian. The newly weds are far far away and far apart too. And have no thoughts about either Kaveri amman or harvests.
Shouldnt I be celebrating some mountain festival instead?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Dasavatharam
The beginning is magnificent. The message is clear. Is it wise to trust in a God who may not always answer immediately?
The end with its special effects is a spectacle.
But inbetween, one can't quite follow the twists and turns and chases. And frankly, one doesn't care. The movie reminded me of a hundred others but mainly of Kamal's comedies with non stop quips and the story just hairpin bending all along. But he is no Crazy Mohan and the dialogue doesn't really catch.
Yes, he did talk about the Butterfly effect and I was very glad that Indrani had introduced us to this.
The main hero and heroine are boring people. Urvasi did the naive, innocent and focused TamBram maiden much better. When you see Kamal's other avatars , you just think why? Why this self-indulgence? The environmentalist spouting Tirunleveli Tamil with rolling eyes is impressive. The Punjabi cute, and Jayaprada as his wife, even cuter. Mallika Sherawat is interesting .
On the whole, tedious and not worth bullying a reluctant husband into accompanying one.
An added insight on Kamal and the movie by a fellow blogger
The end with its special effects is a spectacle.
But inbetween, one can't quite follow the twists and turns and chases. And frankly, one doesn't care. The movie reminded me of a hundred others but mainly of Kamal's comedies with non stop quips and the story just hairpin bending all along. But he is no Crazy Mohan and the dialogue doesn't really catch.
Yes, he did talk about the Butterfly effect and I was very glad that Indrani had introduced us to this.
The main hero and heroine are boring people. Urvasi did the naive, innocent and focused TamBram maiden much better. When you see Kamal's other avatars , you just think why? Why this self-indulgence? The environmentalist spouting Tirunleveli Tamil with rolling eyes is impressive. The Punjabi cute, and Jayaprada as his wife, even cuter. Mallika Sherawat is interesting .
On the whole, tedious and not worth bullying a reluctant husband into accompanying one.
An added insight on Kamal and the movie by a fellow blogger
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Parenting
They had rods pierced through their tongues, ropes under the skin of their backs and other places. I didn't look too hard. It sends goose pimples up anyone watching.
And my cousin brother promptly told his young daughters- don't look. His wife said, of course not, let them see and accept. The kids said - we have seen such things on TV.
We try so hard to keep evil away from our children. We buy amulets and charms, go to God men to get specially blessings for our children; do our pujas and mantras taking care not to let inauspicious people like divorcees and widows participate.
We avoid discussions on drugs money and sex. Hoping that they wont think about any of them.
We generally try to be wise as we can; avoiding all the pitfalls we felt with our parents.
But still, we have to accept what they make of themselves finally.
" Which father, which teacher has been able to protect him (his son) from living his life for himself, from burdening himself with guilt, from drinking the bitter drink for himself, from finding the path for himself? Would you think that anybody might be spared from taking this path? that perhaps your little son would be spared, because you love him, because you would like to keep him from suffering and pain and disappointment?But even if you would die 10 times for him, you would not be able to take the slightest part of his destiny upon himself. "
Herman Hesse in Siddhartha.
This is a book that you can appreciate and like only at a certain stage in life. I have read it before and it didn't appeal. Suddenly now, it makes sense.
And my cousin brother promptly told his young daughters- don't look. His wife said, of course not, let them see and accept. The kids said - we have seen such things on TV.
We try so hard to keep evil away from our children. We buy amulets and charms, go to God men to get specially blessings for our children; do our pujas and mantras taking care not to let inauspicious people like divorcees and widows participate.
We avoid discussions on drugs money and sex. Hoping that they wont think about any of them.
We generally try to be wise as we can; avoiding all the pitfalls we felt with our parents.
But still, we have to accept what they make of themselves finally.
" Which father, which teacher has been able to protect him (his son) from living his life for himself, from burdening himself with guilt, from drinking the bitter drink for himself, from finding the path for himself? Would you think that anybody might be spared from taking this path? that perhaps your little son would be spared, because you love him, because you would like to keep him from suffering and pain and disappointment?But even if you would die 10 times for him, you would not be able to take the slightest part of his destiny upon himself. "
Herman Hesse in Siddhartha.
This is a book that you can appreciate and like only at a certain stage in life. I have read it before and it didn't appeal. Suddenly now, it makes sense.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
giving
-The giver seems to like the receiver more rather than the other way around.
I know the giver always remembers longer. But this is a new thought.
Do we feel better, happier when we give so we have happier feelings towards someone who makes us feel thus?
Ask and you shall receive? It does irritate but people get what they want.
An annual fellowship given quietly.No function, fanfare, publicity, or even monitoring.Vijay Tendulkar reckoned that it is the recipients' - not the giver's - responsibility to make the best use of it.
Gowri Ramnarayan in Frontline
I know the giver always remembers longer. But this is a new thought.
Do we feel better, happier when we give so we have happier feelings towards someone who makes us feel thus?
Ask and you shall receive? It does irritate but people get what they want.
An annual fellowship given quietly.No function, fanfare, publicity, or even monitoring.Vijay Tendulkar reckoned that it is the recipients' - not the giver's - responsibility to make the best use of it.
Gowri Ramnarayan in Frontline
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Taare Zameen Par
-M's daughter is in National Law School, a place she worked hard to achieve.Couple of years into school, she's not sure this is what she wants. M wonders if all this hard work and career orientation is all there is in life?
-S's son works in a trading organisation ; a job that pays dividends. Now he feels life can't be about just money and he's itching to discover out the rest.
-G's son refuses to take the PG degree she thinks is necessary - he wants to quit his job and see the world.
- R opted out of placements in IIM to try and pursue a low paying job in journalism. (His large educational loan is growing and he plans to get an additional loan to study journalism.
These are all kids I know personally and have their parents worried about what is going on in their kid's heads.
Our gen had it simple. We were middle class, happy to get a seat somewhere in some good college ,study hard, happy to get that job and work hard to keep family and soul together. Few of us had alternate thoughts.
But now our kids are born into a greater degree of affluence. None of these kids have to provide for their parents so one pushing force has been removed.
Parents too recognize the right to pursue a dream. To choose their own path. Which doesnt have to be well trodden.
Yet, yday when Kalpana, a child sponsored by FF (Kalpana is on the home page).
came to ask Science or Maths for her Plus Two course; I instinctively say- go for Math you could become an Engg and get a fat salary. Although she has opted for Pure Science because that is the only course available to her in Tamil medium.
She is scared to study in English although she will be forced to do it when she goes to college. Her idea is to become a teacher. For a cowherd's daughter, that is a big dream. I tell her that I will help out with her lessons in the evenings. Will she switch , Im not sure.
Is my advice right? Im not sure.
-S's son works in a trading organisation ; a job that pays dividends. Now he feels life can't be about just money and he's itching to discover out the rest.
-G's son refuses to take the PG degree she thinks is necessary - he wants to quit his job and see the world.
- R opted out of placements in IIM to try and pursue a low paying job in journalism. (His large educational loan is growing and he plans to get an additional loan to study journalism.
These are all kids I know personally and have their parents worried about what is going on in their kid's heads.
Our gen had it simple. We were middle class, happy to get a seat somewhere in some good college ,study hard, happy to get that job and work hard to keep family and soul together. Few of us had alternate thoughts.
But now our kids are born into a greater degree of affluence. None of these kids have to provide for their parents so one pushing force has been removed.
Parents too recognize the right to pursue a dream. To choose their own path. Which doesnt have to be well trodden.
Yet, yday when Kalpana, a child sponsored by FF (Kalpana is on the home page).
came to ask Science or Maths for her Plus Two course; I instinctively say- go for Math you could become an Engg and get a fat salary. Although she has opted for Pure Science because that is the only course available to her in Tamil medium.
She is scared to study in English although she will be forced to do it when she goes to college. Her idea is to become a teacher. For a cowherd's daughter, that is a big dream. I tell her that I will help out with her lessons in the evenings. Will she switch , Im not sure.
Is my advice right? Im not sure.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
you are exactly where you are meant to be
Saint Theresa is
known as the Saint of the Little Ways, meaning
she believed in doing the little things in life
well and with great love.
Saint Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities
that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be confident knowing you are a child of
God. Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance,
praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
Just Bloggin
After travel that involved train, auto plane bus and car Im glad to get home. And keep talking.In English.
Lakshmi, Im home to stay I Hope.
Far off Bhubaneswar was hit by rains that stopped all train traffic. If anyone has seen 'Anbe Sivam', it was all very reminiscent. Except that it stopped raining in Bhubaneswar a day later. Which left all parents unaware that trains were no longer running in that part of the country.
I was reluctant and rather guilt stricken about getting a plane out. I thought I should take the more adventurous slow bus-train route out. But tired after the events of the past month and wanting home and comfort. Sind said 'Ma, you have nothing to prove'. just take the plane'.
Am Im glad I did. It was a wonderful experience even with all the hours of hanging around in airports. Frequent fliers may be blase but to me, to see the land from above and just the flaps on the wing lift and retract and all the cloud formations was wonderful.
And Hyderabad airport is really something- right out of the movies.
Lakshmi, Im home to stay I Hope.
Far off Bhubaneswar was hit by rains that stopped all train traffic. If anyone has seen 'Anbe Sivam', it was all very reminiscent. Except that it stopped raining in Bhubaneswar a day later. Which left all parents unaware that trains were no longer running in that part of the country.
I was reluctant and rather guilt stricken about getting a plane out. I thought I should take the more adventurous slow bus-train route out. But tired after the events of the past month and wanting home and comfort. Sind said 'Ma, you have nothing to prove'. just take the plane'.
Am Im glad I did. It was a wonderful experience even with all the hours of hanging around in airports. Frequent fliers may be blase but to me, to see the land from above and just the flaps on the wing lift and retract and all the cloud formations was wonderful.
And Hyderabad airport is really something- right out of the movies.
Wedding
Post wedding, it was like I'd been trampled by a herd of elephants. You can read family instead of elephants. Family who came and stayed, took over events and formalities, did whatever they liked instead of what I liked and totally had a marvellous time.
All 25 of them who came and stayed in my Father's house instead of moving to the hotel rooms booked for them said they'd never felt so involved in a wedding before. And never enjoyed themselves so much.
My sis summed it up by saying' we all enjoyed ourselves. Its your problem if you didnt'.
Obviously I didnt. I felt like my hair was standing up on end most times. Obviously it wasnt. Most people said the food was excellent (v.impt),the decor was good ( impt) and the events well organised !!!
Backstage it hardly felt like that. I guess lots of hackles and egos get raised during a wedding and one has to just forget it all later.
Lots of rituals. Women really get the limelight and power in these times and that maybe is why everything lingers on.
Bride and Groom were so happy and beaming throughout that a few people did remark that their happiness was contagious.
Makes everything worthwhile.
All 25 of them who came and stayed in my Father's house instead of moving to the hotel rooms booked for them said they'd never felt so involved in a wedding before. And never enjoyed themselves so much.
My sis summed it up by saying' we all enjoyed ourselves. Its your problem if you didnt'.
Obviously I didnt. I felt like my hair was standing up on end most times. Obviously it wasnt. Most people said the food was excellent (v.impt),the decor was good ( impt) and the events well organised !!!
Backstage it hardly felt like that. I guess lots of hackles and egos get raised during a wedding and one has to just forget it all later.
Lots of rituals. Women really get the limelight and power in these times and that maybe is why everything lingers on.
Bride and Groom were so happy and beaming throughout that a few people did remark that their happiness was contagious.
Makes everything worthwhile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)