15 April; my day started by seeing the Vishu kani at home in Palakkad. I was so excited to wear the Kerala saree for Vishu. Mangalam periamma, amma and me, started off to Thiruvara at 4 PM. Half of the Thiruvara clan had already gathered and started with the preparations for the big day. When I was a kid, we used to gather together in our ancestral house in Nemmara for carnivals and car festivals. After many years, this was so exciting for me to be around with so many people, staying in a big house where you have to run around from one end to other to do things, and literally shout to talk to people in the same room.
The first thing anybody will notice in the Thiruvara family is that there is lot of love and bonding. You’ll not realize who belongs to the same blood and who doesn’t. Be it daughter, daughter-in-law, be it son or son-in-law; everyone gets the same share of love from all. Sounds more like films isn’t. But that’s the tradition followed intact in the family for so many years without any melodrama. I just expect we take forward the same tradition as well.
It was sunset time. The elders in the family sat in the front hall which we all call ‘koodam’ and started chanting the Vishnu Sahasrahamam. All of us joined in a while. Ramu mama took a lead and started a bhajan session. We did have accompaniments with harmonium, many jalras and ganjeeras. All the periammas, mamis, akkas, mannis, children joined and we had a good rendition of namasankeerthanam. I played the harmonium little, though I know only the ABCD of it. Our family right… bas bindaas I was to myself trying my hands on it. Later I switched to ganjeera. I felt I was better with that. Rasha peraiappa even did some moves for pandunraga vittala song. Sharanya and me sang songs separately too, to add some more energy to the already enthralling bhajan sandhya. Though simple and for a short time, it did get me a lot of peace. I realized that a small time with the whole family doing a simple bhajan session can also be so exciting like watching the IPL match with friends. Somebody then said… ok ellaram uthappam prasadam eduthungo…
We finished dinner. In a while I saw the front hall with all beds done and in some minutes we all slept off wherever we found places. We had a big day ahead too… I was sitting for sumangali prarthana… And before that we all had a big challenge to face… whose turn it is to use the bathroom. Leaving the challenges to the next day, I dozed off.
I woke up to sounds of anklets and bangles. Rithika was searching for her specs. Oops, not only Rithika; almost everyone in the room were searching for her specs. Finally someone found it. And thus everyone was successfully woken up. After bath, ritualistically all of us went to temple and had darshan of Lord Shiva. I got ready for Pondugal idal in amma’s 9 yards saree. I sat for the pooja along with Ranjini, Krupa akka, Rithika as kanya ponnu and five other elders. The pooja was grand and we had the feast. We were forcefully treated with vetthalai paakku. Thus ended the sumangali prarthana. Akila manni and Mahesh anna joined us in a while. Sangeetha and family, Parvathi chithi and chithappa joined the celebration by afternoon. Venu mama started preparing boondhis for making laddoos. It was a wonder to see someone making that in a king size pan, in the outside. Then he put them into sugar syrup. Evening, after prayers, all the ladies sat for making flower garlands. I understood the way it’s done, but had to struggle to do it myself. I could make a small maala only. Happy I tried. We next saw the making of jaangiris. Really, an art it is. We went for a walk to kundugaadu, had lemon soda and returned. We returned to see all the ladies decorating their hands with the traditional marudhaani. Krupa akka had grinded the marudhaani leaves in the mixi. I always used to find the traditional marudani rounds on hands so un-cool. But, don’t know what, may be the effect of village breeze or the smell of pure marudhani or just the feeling of belonging to the place more made me have the marudhani rounds on my own hand too. We had to force Sriju also to have it on his hand, being the poonal boy... He might have thought, ‘what marudhani has got to do with poonal’. We had an anthakshari session with all the elders in a team and all the youngsters in the other team. Ramu mama and Ramani mama surprised the crowd with famous old malayam numbers. We had a rule that we start singing with the first letter of the last word with which the singing team ended. Was a little confusing. For example, if the song ended with the word 'priyam'; the next team should sing with the letter 'pa' and not 'ma'. Raju periappa was all the while confused with the letter we were starting. It was fun and filled with laughter. After some time, we ventured into the task of packing murukku and laddu in boxes. How did the boondhis change into laddoos?? I missed seeing that. We divided the process into four divisions; opening boxes and covers, putting muruuku laddu in boxes, closing and quality control; just to check if the boxes were closed and finally packaging solely handled by Kannan periappa. We chat for a while outside and then as a routine had kozhakkattai for dinner and slept off almost tired.
It was naandhi the next day. Suresh anna, manni Sowmya and Sneha had arrived late night. We didn’t have much role in it. Just had to dress up and do some little help. We were all dressed up in sarees even before the sun had risen up. And we even gave our prostrations to the Thiruvaraiappan. The vadyars came and the pooja started with Jairam mama, Lakshmi mami and Sriju doing the prayers and pooja. Lunch started and we all helped in passing the dishes to those who served food to the vadyars. I changed back to chudidar in a while. I was just having lunch, Raghu and appa arrived. After having lunch, all rested for a while. The evening again started with the ladies making flower garlands. Some of the people left to see the Naaga sahayam velai. We had molaga bajji. I gave a demo of quilling earrings and all loved them. We did some chit chat and then all had sevai chatni for dinner and slept off as usual.
Poonal morning and all were up by 4 and dressed up by 5. We all had an early breakfast. Poonal started by 8.30 AM. Srinath joined us in a while. Lot of relatives, friends and guests around... Chatting and laughing and cheering the function. The function took place in a grand traditional manner with Sriju enjoying all the attention. We served juice in between. Sudha akka played a very pivotal role in making the juice tasty :). Nakshatra was the highlight. Namu and Sangeetha dressed her up in a cute miniature saree. She looked so pretty and she felt all grown up suddenly. Clicks clicks everywhere… Mangalam periamma, Parvathi chithi and others were handling the murukku laddu distribution. Lunch started and we had 9 pandhis. There were all the traditional poonal delicacies to relish on…Payasam, pachadi, boondhi, chips, rice, aviyal, olan, kalan, poriyal, oorga, appalam, sambhar, rasam and curd. Headed by Sudha akka, many family members took part in the serving of lunch. Team work was a success. But all were tired. Changed to comfortable clothes and had lunch. Hats off to all the elders who accelerated the function and made it grand.
We rested for a while. In the evening, me Raghu, appa and amma took an auto and left to Annapoorneshwari temple, our kaavu in pazhayanur. On the way, I enjoyed watching the greenery of Kerala. Clean calm waters between Nature’s best greenery. The smell of Kerala is just nowhere else, it’s so pure and natural. I remember I wanted to get married to a Keralite just for the sake of belonging to Kerala. :) On the way we saw a carnival of dancers, elephants and chandi melam. We had good darshan in the temple and returned home for dinner. Had dinner and slept tired after a big day.
Next day, we all got up a little late. By late, I mean 6 AM. Lakshmi mami had kept Narayaneeyam. As a routine, we had bath, went to temple and then the elders started chanting the Vishnu sahasranamam. Lakshmi mami dressed up Krishna and Rukmini so beautifully. The statues and other photos of Guruvayurappn were arranged outside by the side of the well and carpets were laid to sit. Group of ladies arrived wearing the similar red coloured sarees. They started chanting the Narayaneeyam. In between, there were songs. I took part in the Krishna avataram portion, where me and Krupa akka lifted Krishna and put Him in the cradle. I got a chance to play the ganjeera again for the songs. Then during Rukmini kalyanam, we all walked around the temple lifting the idols and singing His praises. After the kalyanam, we had lunch and then Narayaneeyam continued. Some of us played dumb charades with kids. Had good fun... I did some serving of paanagam and juice in between. Me and Ranjini arranged vetthalai paakku for the ladies. The function got over by 4 PM. All of us seeked blessings of the Lord. Prasadam was distributed and then the ladies left. We had somehow managed convince Ganeshan to buy a white bread loaf, not to eat, but to show a demo of bread craft. I did a demonstration of the bread craft earrings. Oops, I let out my secret recipe of making it… he he he… and I enjoyed seeing how amused Rithika, Rohit, Srijith and Anirudh were to see the edible bread turning into non edible ear rings.
Celebration had come to end. I had developed a feeling that this hectic schedule and fun is going to be never ending. Suddenly everything was ending. It was time to part. Slowly, one by one started off from Thiruvara to their cities. . One by one room was turning silent and empty. Oh, how can I forget… I got a chance to pick up water from well… I literally scared Shankar shouting “I’ll do it” when I saw him pulling water from well. I know, this sounds no amusement to any. But I was feeling like I was trying rocket science. :) It was our turn to bid adieu. It was a lovely time with the almost entire Thiruvara madom clan. I felt very happy and content from inside having spent a satisfying holiday with the entire family. We said bye to all and left to Palakkad. And here I am in Hyderabad, still relishing all the moments spent there. I miss the long rooms and verandas, the queues outside the bathrooms, the smell of fresh chandanam, the sound of temples, the king size vessels, the busy mornings and peaceful evenings, the big pooja place and of course the well...
Small, simple and sweet… Poonal was just a reason for me to have learnt many things… Be it the togetherness in the family… the integral culture… the values followed…the inspiration elders provide to the youngsters… love shared by kids… the connection developed between all… or just the Kerala food…. I learnt a lot and enjoyed a lot… And not forgetting the actual hero of the function, Srijith “Congratulations on the occasion” and thanks for providing us with this opportunity to meet all, know more of each other and celebrate together…
Looking forward for more celebrations at Thiruvara…
Shwetha
