Yellaaam Lalitha Mayam

Lalitha lalitha, mamiyar shankari was at her again, get me the thiri for the lamp – it is lying there, lalitha was at her wits end worrying which to tackle. Why do such pooja’s, when they are so helpless and aged?
Slowly Sethu walked in to see if any burner was free to get half a cup of coffee, but when he saw his wife all filled with steam he made his way to get out but then lalitha caught on to him,
Have you noticed, there is no end to lalitha this lalitha that will I finish the neyivedyam or be with her.

Sethu gave her the usual smile and queried her instead - how fortunate you are do you know?

What is there to be fortunate about? I am running like a rabbit at an age when I could do with some assistance, and u talk of fortune,

Sethu continued, whenever there is puja my mother says lalitha sahasranamam and in between lalitha namayanam, when each time she adds you it becomes double sahsranamam, as lalitha is in so many places that the puja gets extended,

Suddenly.. another shout from her mamiyar

lalitha first try and finish the vada other wise the dough will loose its consistency and will become soggy taking in more oil than necessary.
Yes ma but the gas is house full I have one kari and one chakkarai pongal going on,

Oh ! kari will not loose any thing but vadai dough will, lalitha why don’t you do things with out arguing?

Lalitha was becoming helpless with so many commands and also the neyivedyam should be ready before 10 in the morning and it was already 9.15.

How will she meet the target, her daughter lavanya was also very busy with the alangaram with her husband Sethu hanging the thoranam, and ravi her son was as usual still sleeping though none of the errands given by her mother in law can be done by them, as they are not madi..

Another shout- lalitha is the sundal ready??

Sethu makes the second round inside, to find if he can have the coffee, but the glare from lalitha makes him vanish from there again, he goes after lavanya, hey beta try and get me some coffee, my head is splitting, hearing this his mother shankari said, lavanya why don’t you give me half a cup of coffee, my head is reeling and am unable to concentrate on the puja.

Lavanya had to oblige poor thing forgetting so many things and again re doing it is becoming her second nature now, what with her menopause setting in she seems to be forgetting even the normal place of sugar box and oil, she keeps looking at them without actually concentrating on it..

It was getting to be 9.45 and all the neyivedyam finished only then she remembered she has forgotten the kozhakattai to be steamed, oh no! this puja they can do without, parandaama don’t you have any pity on me, please get me out of this ordeal soon…
But parandaama is a nataka how can he relieve the actor so soon, the scene is yet to finish,

Lalitha have you finished the kozhakattai, she hurried inside to see if they are over, and shankari was getting to finish the puja, and Sethu with half a cup of coffee made by lavanya was singing ‘yellam lalitha mayam” now and lalitha ran to take the karpuram and sighed god what an ordeal for this puja, with charadi tying around the hand and the aarthi the puja comes to an end, and what an ordeal with time, rahu kalam and so many other aspects to be finished.

Ravi was down, started about coffee, Sethu quitened him, as a mahabharatha going on don’t even dream for a cuppa now, but Ravi was not ready for this, he just walked in and saw at least one of the burner was empty made his own coffee, when lalitha screamed at him not to go near the gas, but all to deaf ears, amma neither you have time for me, at least let me help myself, the normal routine gets upset with all these elaboration, did amman ask u to slog, now lalitha lost all her cool, just told him in sign language out with your coffee..
Just then thangam, walked in her neighbor, with thamboolam for lalitha and in return lalitha also got her a glass of payasam first, and then asked her to sing some song for ambal.

Thangam started with sri chakra raja simhaneswari sri lalithambikaiye. Immediately sethu split with laughter in the next room, here one more lalitha namyama…ravi joined him in the repartee and lavanya was mad about the entire scene, here her mother was tiring to meet the target, anyway nothing can change,
so the tasting of neyivedyam started with ravi running in for the vada, and shankari screaming to have bath before touching anything, the usual banters, but lavanya got her mother some coffee to drink as she looked too drained out. Lalitha thought nice to have girls around they do care after all….
Hope this had not been the scene in your house today…sunkan

hi sunkan,

This is one of the regular that used to happen in my house when my mil was alive. now it is controlled version. BTW i just came and sat at the pc after finishing my pooja and lo i see something that used to happen at home all the time. but the truth inspite of all this i do miss mil.

Originally Posted by shanvy

hi sunkan,

This is one of the regular that used to happen in my house when my mil was alive. now it is controlled version. BTW i just came and sat at the pc after finishing my pooja and lo i see something that used to happen at home all the time. but the truth inspite of all this i do miss mil.

shanthi,
i never got to do this varalakshmi puja because i married into palghat iyers, but the scene is something i imagined going on in every house hold where the monther in law is also unable to do and the daughter in law is also well into the stage for someone to help, so it was fiction fiction all the way, happy u liked it....sunkan

Yesterday (Friday) was Varalakshmi Nonbu I found out in India Grocery store here where my friend was buying flowers, betal leafs, bananas. Your narration of the scene in the house on that day is very hilarious and typical. It brought memories of similar scenes in our house in Mumbai. We used to have the amman in the front living room which is spacious so that ladies can come, sit on Jamukkalams and sing songs on Devi. Now, the problem used to come for shifting the TV from the living room into any other rooms. My daughter's room was nearer. But my son would not allow. Also, the kids used to have school or college on that day. So, they have to have coffee and breakfast. As you have vividly brought out the scenes in the kitchen with ladies screaming of madi and don't enter shouts, with all the mayhem I like the day when we get to eat delicious kozhukattais, we listen to some nice singing by neighbourhood ladies and finally getting to taste sundals.
Thanks for giving such a nice narration. Ellam inba mayam, ellam lalitha mayam.

Hi Sunkan,
Your post made me nostalgic... This year, my Maamiyaar did the pujai all be herself... Normally two of the maattupongals are there , this time I returned early and mangala also had a puja in her porandaam....
We felt bad.... as it is also her birthday on Varalakshmi Puja day!

I just did the normal puja and watched Bourne Ultimatum...

Thanku TDU,
i am elated getting a feed back from u, nice to know it has been typical, any way i never got to do varalakshmi vridam though i keep helping all that is my sis in law and my friends when my husband was around.
i remember an incident when my mama had come, he used to work in the air force and wanted to accompany us to the varalakshmi in the evening. so the mami's and all were seated, as we entered, they made way for mama the only man there, and mama sat down, along came the host requesting us to sing, though mama is an exponent in carnatic music, that day he was full of mischief, so started singing vasantham bhavani varugudu paar, it is arabi i think the raga, and so wide his mouth and voice like a gun shot all ladies slowly left the room. on my way back when i asked him why he did that, he says "I was scared as i am the only man there and some lady might wink at me"..come on that is the lamest excuse, but he is still a bachelor in his 80's...sunkan

Dear Sunkan

That was a timely posting ! I am sure many of the ladies here have enjoyed reading it just like me. The situation at home may not be similar, but you can bet your bottom dollar that each and every housewife performing the Nombu could identify with Lalitha as she gets all hassled with the puja preparations and making neivedyam all in good time :) A very good imagination and made me smile.

L, Kamla

Originally Posted by twinsmom

Hi Sunkan,
Your post made me nostalgic... This year, my Maamiyaar did the pujai all be herself... Normally two of the maattupongals are there , this time I returned early and mangala also had a puja in her porandaam....
We felt bad.... as it is also her birthday on Varalakshmi Puja day!

I just did the normal puja and watched Bourne Ultimatum...

hey viju,
its ok da, atleast once in a while break thevai, only then your presence is more cherished by people who miss you...love sunkan

Originally Posted by Kamla

Dear Sunkan

That was a timely posting ! I am sure many of the ladies here have enjoyed reading it just like me. The situation at home may not be similar, but you can bet your bottom dollar that each and every housewife performing the Nombu could identify with Lalitha as she gets all hassled with the puja preparations and making neivedyam all in good time :) A very good imagination and made me smile.

L, Kamla

dear kamala,
this is the scene for other pujas too, but my younger days running for so many things in and out of kitchen from the puja vidanam to the sambhrani brought back all into this article, and the rest is what i see else where, our madi samacharam goes to a height on fridays, my mamiyar was very particular that i have a head bath in cold water in the middle of december because she felt i would have had a great time with my hubby, so no cooking without having a head bath, being a banglorean we are not used to have head bath every day in december, ultimately my face got swollen with sinusitis, and i brought about a protocol i told her the day i enjoy i will have bath, but who is going to let the cat out, so never bothered to have head bath, that way she kept staring at me and i just did not focus walked away doing my daily chores...sunkan

Dear Sunkan,
memories of yesteryears, vvery nice. At least Lalitha had her hubby and daughter to help her. I used to decprate the mandapam in the wee hours of the morning by myself, not hubby or fil would help in any work. I used to feel so tense to finish puja and finish the cooking and feed these people the usual time even on the vritam day.
Once, the bank holiday was for 2 days just before the vritam day and so I could not bring the silver vessels and Amman mugham from the locker earlier. On the vritam day, I finished half the chores, went to the locker and came back and again took bath and did puja. Slowly the puja became a irritating chore, rather than a spiritual experience.
Now I do the puja in the way that I could manage. I do not stick to the age old madi samacharam. I take a bath, do the ususal cooking side by side and get my son to the school. Then I come back and wear a new dress and do the puja. I make neiyedyam of payasam and chundal, no kozhukattai or vadai. I do the puja peacefully with lots of flowers and concentrated mind.
I am sure that Devi will not be angry with me, after all a committed mind (shreddha) is needed to do the puja than the variety of neivedyams.