The Journey

I dont know why I have not been dedicating time to write some new thoughts. Have been thinking about writing this topic for more than a week, but would write it today. Amma, this one is for you.

Recently my mother had gone on a pilgrimage trip to Haridwar,Badri and few more places. And one fine morning after she returned she was all enthusiastic and charged up to tell her daughter her experiences. After I finished listening to her this was my first thought ma I need to let the world around know about this. I swear it was very lively and an extremely thought provoking, enjoyable and beautiful depiction of her thoughts.

She told me every little detail from what she ate in her train journey to her acquaintances. It made me walk through her journey mentally while physically I was still here.

Her Train Journey:

She traveled with a group of five other women. All the five others where member of an Ashram(I am not here to preach a religion or mission...so no debates or thoughts about that). They had a train journey of about two days from Chennai-Delhi.They had packed loads of food for the train. Amma made some snacks too. I am going to name the five people A B C D and E. All of them are also colleagues at work place. A had a nice family and almost zero problems. B had no children and was supported by her brother's daughters and son -in -laws but was extremely happy and content. C came from a very small background and was extremely good helper. D and E were mother and daughter, the daughter a sutle character while the mother one of the furious. A combination of six women, I know it sounds extremely difficult to manage, but I bet one of the most memorable trip for all.


I'll come to few more details but for now lets get to some action.

The Ganges:

I'l try my best to paint the picture my mother had passed me on, the lovely Ganges Aratis and chantings in the evening, the sunset and the reflection, the crowd confused yet content(sounds weird?!?1 but I can still imagine). On the banks of Ganges, I know it would be an wonderful experience to find a spot very silent yet very lively. But they did find one just at the banks of Ganges. Though the group was together, they all had the freedom of going where they wanted and finally meeting in the Ashram where they stayed by 8 in the night.My mother's usually routine, go to a Chai Wallah Dukan(a teashop). Get some tea and biscuits and distribute it to the little ones and workers who were extremely poor. This became her everyday routine. And the day before she was starting back to Chennai, she had told the lady who owned the teashop about the fact that she was leaving the next day, and the lady was extremely unhappy that she lost a nice customer. But the most interesting part of her conversation to me about this was that, the cinematography I would call. Her Explanation, "River Ganges flowing at one side and the tea shop facing it while people trying to queue themselves up while ma gets tea and biscuits to give them all. And without commotion people get it and leave. An unsaid orderliness that stunned amma. And the lovely people whose heart blessed her made her feel good:) Thats a wonderful experience.

The Bath:
Ganges brings me memories of the fast flowing river. And an initial hesitation to get down. And once you are in it there is no looking back at the steps until you get tired of the river(which takes a long time). One of the best cures for a lot of problems both physical and mental. And one of the best places according to me to look at things and try solving the puzzle of life while get confused even more. Amma like all her counterparts enjoyed the holy dip, but I guess her counterparts enjoyed it even better than her.

Trip to BadriNath:

I have been among the lucky lot to visit this place. An extremely extravagant view and a completely mesmerizing place. The six women started their journey on to Badri after debating about going to Kedarnath or Badrinath and finally lucky or unlucky roads to Kedar were closed for a week and they dropped.

They booked a car and started out. A journey that was long and lovely. River Ganges following them where ever they went, it should actually be like this they followed river Ganges wherever they went. Lovely sight of the mighty mountains and they kept crossing one mountain to another but never really leaving Ganga behind. I know it would have been an wonderful journey with few scary movements here and there. After they reached Badri, now all that they wanted was to keep visiting the temple as often as they can. It is a beautiful small temple and you really dont know how people live there. It is extremely beautiful and completrely seasonal.Now when I write about this, I remember our first trip to Badri where I went Appa,Amma , Perima nd my cousin. Kids walked miles on the hill tops to go to there school. It looked so beautiful to watch them walk with so much ease on the hill top. There was a fresh beauty in the faces of these kids. And how would I forget about the fresh air that you feel smell and enjoy. Aroma in these regions is one of the best smells in this world. Now back to where I left. In this visit my mother narrated a beautiful incident. They were returning from Badri and where extremely hungry and couldn't find a place to eat. Thats when they saw a small group of Sikhs and a Bhojan Dam(place to eat). They asked if they could get something for the driver at least to eat. But those people had offered all of them fresh food. And because of their pure heart the food tasted heavenly. After they were done with food my mother and her friends offered some gift(in the form of money) to them. These people completely rejected the offer and had told them all that , with prayers give this in any of your temples. My mother and her friends were moved, offered good food and also had the heart to treat everyone's views and worship equally. One of the rarest to find these days are people who are selfless and when we see such people we surely feel that the word 'I' is such a deceptive. I think this incident was the Gemstone in their whole trip to Badri. An incident that I somehow truly feel Heavenly.

The Ashram:

Here I am at the end explaining about the beautiful Ashram wherre they all stayed. The Ashram had a beautiful garden where they grew there own vegetables and the person who was doing the gardens was a 70-80 year old man. Should say he worked all the day and never rested and that showed in his beautiful garden. Then there were a group of people who chanted Vedas and Hymns everday at different intervals. Of all what my mother felt disturbing was a group of youngsters who did nothing but just cameto eat at the right time. They never helped cleaning and just kept chatting at all times. Ashram had its own reasons to allow these people, but it didnt convey good vibes to any of the visitors.My mother and her friends had also made delicious south Indian food for the a day or two(I dont remember really well) for the people who came for food to the Ashram during the festivity.

There is lot more that I might not really be able to paint a picture to all. Yet its a wonderful experience to listen and put them down in words.

:)

Golden Memories:)Sequel 2

Doesnt it look surprising the sequel comes the right next day;)I couldnt hold on to the memories that kept building on....

What do I remember...this time its the trend of celebrating friendhsip day...the number of bands thathang around our hands...the awesome smelling samosas that they used to sell outside our school campus...all I see now are super markets and big shops that have replaced... sad:(...I miss those hot samosas that they sell...that small wooden table on which they place the big stove and there is the boiling oil and with what perfection they used to make that samosas fresh fresh..their hand was far better than any machine...but life has to keep changing and people have to invent new things..but those samosas still make my stomach hungry any moment....

we keep growing dont we....and remember the days when we saw telephones at our home...GOSH!!the ringing sound used to make me feel like a receptionist...there was some fascination for answering the phone before anyone else at home picked it up....now it makes me laugh out loud...

And how can some body forget the marina beache, if chennai was there hometown...I still cherish those days when the big gang of all our cousins would go to beach stay there till late night eat those pink candies?!(panchu mittai),those mango slices with red chilli powder,the wonderful ice creams or the corn served hot hot...OMG how would I forget the mulagai bhajji!!!!
wondering if my daughter would ever get a chance to enjoy these little things in life?!?!?


with that note...will hope to continue writing....a soon to come part three...!!!!
Happy Memories!!:)

Golden Memories:)

Two things before I write this blog:

Number 1: I am the most irregular blogger. But what is making me write today is a randomly read blog written by some gal. A summary of the thoughts conveyeed in her blog...I just love writing my heart out..be it any emotion.
I was someone like this before. Blogging could give me the happpiness I sought for.

Number 2: Hey Neeraja this post is inspired by your comment on my status few days back. Thank you for making me write. This post is also inspired by a line that I read as a comment somewhere in youtube.

After this long reasons and inspirations behind this blog..here I am writing about it...about what???its the 1990s-early 2000s.Wow doesnt it return back golden memories if that was when you had spent your childhood .

There are so many things that strike my brains. The awesome heat waves of Summer at Chennai(most people who are non chennaites would be complaining about this)but I just loved it, how we would just want to get a five rupee ice creams to quench our thirst.How we would wait for that sundays just to watch Rangoli,evening movie...Oh the Doordarshan days...Now we have so many channels but I hardly watch the TV...but back then it was just the doordarshan simple and straight but used to love it. I and my brother used to wait to watch a imtihaan,chitrahaar,super hit muqabala,all the best,dekh bhai dekh,rangoli....Gosh!!!TV was such a amazing thing and Doordarshan was a real good entertainment. What I completely loved was the fact that we didnt get addicted to the tv but did look forward watching for short intervals. And that waiting to watch just certain programs was so beautiful.Remembering those lovely days!!!!
PS:Bhaiya I remember Pholoonka taroon ka sabhka kehna hai:) doesnt rangoli play it every now and then.


Next those rainy days when half of chennai will be floating in water. Yet I would fight with my mom that I had school, just to walk in the waters and get drenched in the rain and come back home after hearing that there was no school. And the best thing was my mom would make me eat the lunch box as a punishment:(

Truly those were days when we used to enjoy friendship like crazy. I remember the Musthafa songs that we sang in the bus journeys or just hanging out with friends complaining about our parents ha..ha ha...isnt that we did all day but never got bored or just hated a teacher because she didnt like you talking in the class.

And how much I would go crazy collecting those barbie dolls and just imagine building a palatial house when I grow up and have loads of barbies in it....Life was truly simple yet beautiful, Life was Ambitious yet not jealous..at every pace of life we see and love so much that I used to wonder isnt it truly lovable.

There is so much more...hopefully will write a Part two onn it:)....

Being A daughter and Having a Daughter

Happy New year All.Been long since i blogged, but I know blogging makes me real happy.
Been long since I updated a sequel to my first post. Here it is, New year and New findings.
I have always wanted a girl right from the day I knew I was pregnant, but to my surprise my mind changed in the last few months.
I am not going to bluff that I was okie with anything. Preferences are human instincts you just cant avoid it. My mind kept racing between a girl and a boy. Though I knew its going to be a girl I still kept thinking it could be anything and finally it was girl. She is adorable, as any mother would describe her daughter. At times I doubt on my love that I give her. I dont know if any one had this feeling, someday you have to bid a bye so probably dont get attached too much. I know the first answer to this question would be why worry about someday. And the wound will heal on its own. But this feeling of separation gets stronger into your head when its a girl. Neverthless no one would want to see her adorable princess pack off. Time will answer.

Sometimes I just see myself in her. I dont know everyone has a different perspective on how she looks, how she does things and they compare to the person they think fits the bill right. But I dont know wh I see a lot of myself in her. Probably girls are more like dad, I might be an example too. But off late I have a feeling I have inherited lots of my mother's traits . How can someone not recognize that we have very similar voice. Whenever I see her do something I just feel, 'Oh My Gosh!wouldnt I have done the same thing when I was young.She is sooo much me' . Probably her dad also has the same feeling. But I think what connects me more is that little extra zing that she brings along being a girl.
Every child is different by and of their own ways. And every mother is different by herself. No two mothers can be the same probably they can be similar. Sometimes that makes me feel more of a mother. More than the responsibility, its the feeling that you know it that makes you do things for. I have never had this feeling that I know something in this world , but somehow when I see it is for my daughter I just can't see the world I feel I can give her right things until she gets her wings to fly. I know this might be brutal statement, though I love learning everyones experience in bringing up their kids. I think experience is unique and it is your own. Tomorrow when my little sunshine brings up her kid I would probably sit up and watch how different she is from me. And how beautiful that differences could be. So this is for my mother and all the mothers out their who might have a daughter or a son, I just LOVE the way each one loves and teaches their kid. Because it is completely your own diary you should create and sketch it with your dreams otherwise it will never carry your signature.