Nostalgic Memory Of Another Day

Nostalgic memories of another day:
It was 1960’s when my father decided to take us for a south Indian tour, and those times the tickets were given in a such a manner, u can alight anywhere and after u have visited, get into any passenger train and go ahead with your journey.

The plantains were very cheap one paise each and for all of us dad got some 100 and paid one rupee, so it took care of the in between binges. We had been to all famous temples, including the nandanar darisanam one in thiruvarur I think I am not sure, then Brighadeeswaran alayam in tanjore very famous for its structures as none of the shade on any side fell on the ground. From there we visited the famous meenakshiamman in madurai, dad explained the statues of shiva and parvathi dancing and how shiva cheated her by lifting his leg so high, and she fell shy and stopped dancing, then another exciting stop was pazhani, and so many times I must had run up and down, something not thinkable now, feeling damn bad that my parents were taking a longer time.

Then came my mother’s place tirunelveli, and the jhatka that dad ordered could only fit all the four kids and dad, so mom offered to walk, she was in high spirit, and sprinted behind the jhatka, dad was teasing her, look at her like a young girl and all her teeth is shown, because she is so happy, and so on, once we reached her perimma’s place she told that the patti was her perimma, who had tonched her head and no blouse, with a beige colored saree with a tiny red border, though this was common to us as some patti or athai widows dressed this way had often visited us.

It was after noon and all were hurried to sit down that is squat down for meals, now this is something I have not seen at my place, there were two large earthen ware katchitti they say made of stone, and one had some ennai chadam mixed with oil and salt slighty tangy in taste and the other was thayir sadam curd rice, she had small cups filled with vathakuzhambu, mavadu cut into tiny bits and kodali, which is green chillies ground with salt.

She started with a story, now this was also new to us kids from Bangalore, so all hurried and stretched out our hands taking the ennai sadam with a little vathakozhamby, there were also gluttonic kids who were indulged but were also reprimanded to wait for their turn and some of us took a little longer, but the story kept us all engrossed, the story goes this there were a couple who had no children so had to travel to so many temples praying that they would keep his name once the child arrives, with narayana, govinda, shankara,subramanya…..on and on then one day the lady got pregnant and all the pregnancy and its pamperment went along in the story by the time we had finished with the curd rice, the child was born a christened with all the name in a line.
Patti had a way of remembering so many names, but the most unusual feature is the togetherness, of cousins who we had not known, blended along with us, we looked like foreigners there, but those children took us along playing along the vakyal a stream behind the house very clear water of tambaravarni. When we visited my other relatives of my mother it was so new, we also went to thambaravarani, where food was packed and we had to eat on the stone near the river, so apprehensive but mom just cajoled. See I have cleaned it well with the water and we had variety rice, like the coconut rice, tamarind rice, and some avial along, mom explained how on 18 perukku that is the 18^th day of aadi the dam is opened and there would be full water with plenty of froth, and how they celebrate with these mixed rice and bring it over to the river bathe and then have it here…in this trip I could never forget the eating together, even after my marriage I used to carry the food cooked and ask mom to serve all of us, mine and my brother’s family with one of my unmarried last sister, It was really great, to remember those days and share it with u all here….regards

Dear Sunkan
Reading your reminiscences was like a visit to Malgudi! I know how you admire RK Narayan! He has certainly left an effect on you.
You have now tempted me to take my own trip down memory lane and the members will have to suffer my reminiscences!
Sri

Dear Sundari(Sunkan),

Very well written piece. You have keyed in with your heart and not fingers. It is not the nostalgic memory of just another day, it is the memory of a whole sepia tinted bygone era and persons. Being a Nellai bahu,I have heard many stories of pathinettam perukku on the banks of Tamiravarani. With all the lamps, the koodai sadams, the Kalladaikurichi vathal,vadams, and pal pongal ---

Who can ever forget curd rice with vathalkozhambu ladled out on an outstreched lil palm? Such memories sustain us in this harsh world.

regards
Vidya

dear sri,
i am honoured when u remark and comment on my writings, after all u and mr varalotti were the inspirators, and backed me to write....thanku i am always indebted to u ..regards sunkan

dear vidya,

my firebrand friend, thanku for commenting, been aching for this, a writer has to be tipped, tapped and inspired,encouraged and i find all that in u,
thanku love sunkan

Dear Sundari,

Just reading your piece, my mouth started to water. I too have partaken the kalchatti sadams and it used to be so yummy. Too bad, these days, we really never have the opportunity to enjoys such delights anymore.
Thanks for sharing your memories, it did rekindle mine too..
Please do write your varied experiences, i enjoy reading them.

Vandhana

Dear Sundari,

Again a good piece....i too remembr having a trip to all of south india, to all the famous temples when i was very young...you really rekindled all those memories of my childhood days.....
And how can we ever froget the cousins or the granmas who would tirelessly feed so many hungry mouths.!
i wonder sometimes where are those days gone.....nowadays the granmas have no time themselves, they are so active and busy..na ?!

Hi!

Your nostalgic memories of the yester years made an interesting read. Reading about your memories took me down memory too.

Oh! those were the days........carefree, lots of pampering from grand parents, playing with cousins & having fun unlimited!!

That was a great piece! Great going!!

Cheers!
Ragini.

Originally Posted by vandhana

Dear Sundari,

Just reading your piece, my mouth started to water. I too have partaken the kalchatti sadams and it used to be so yummy. Too bad, these days, we really never have the opportunity to enjoys such delights anymore.
Thanks for sharing your memories, it did rekindle mine too..
Please do write your varied experiences, i enjoy reading them.

Vandhana

dear vandhana,
i am happy u liked this piece for all we food lovers, defenitely those pamperment days are something to be stored in our mind, i dont know whether i would be such a great grandma with so many stories stuck up my sleeves....but yes i would be a naughty one....sundari kannan

Originally Posted by sudhavnarasimhan

Dear Sundari,

Again a good piece....i too remembr having a trip to all of south india, to all the famous temples when i was very young...you really rekindled all those memories of my childhood days.....
And how can we ever froget the cousins or the granmas who would tirelessly feed so many hungry mouths.!
i wonder sometimes where are those days gone.....nowadays the granmas have no time themselves, they are so active and busy..na ?!

dear sudha,
those were the days of taking the trouble to go meet distant relatives, and they also on their part, cherished our company made us feel at home, sometimes envy, athithi devo bhava is very much in india but not in homes now, but in banners of tourism, wish this tv could be thrown out, to bring back the bondage, the serials are killing the relationship, sk