PERUVANAM TEMPLE

 According to legend, Puru Maharshi did meditation at the hill, where the temple of Shiva now stands. It was a dense forest in those days; hence its name Puruvanam, which became peruvanam. The rishi brought the image of Shiva, the Lingam, a half cylinder, to be installed on top of the hill. Afterwards, the upper half of the hill, leaving the small area where the Lingam was placed, was razed down to its present size, making a vast plane, with the central high ground standing tall (MADATHILAPPAN) which is protected by massive walls on all sides, with twin temples of Eratteppan and Madathilappan, the latter standing tall, with a number of granite steps leading to the sanctum, from where, you get a sky view of the surrounding landscape. I am never tired of watching it, from childhood days, as my mother’s home was near the southern Gopuram (gate).

There were several venerable, old trees in the compound, including peepal tree and one perillamaram (meaning- tree without name, as it was a stranger there), all looking very old and about to die. New trees have replaced them.

 The big koothampalam, where chakyar koothu was a regular ritual in those days, is rare in the other temples.

The koothu is a sort of mono act and Ramayanam is the theme. The Chakyar will make fun of any body among the audience, however high his status!

Once, the chakyar came very near to the man, a VIP who had just entered the hall, stood there  for a few seconds, and commented: a real monkey, only the tail is missing!

 One is supposed to suffer and grin, never retort.

Every year, for one month or so, there is thevaruseva, when there will be feasting, both times in the day, only for Brahmins. The dining hall is very long, some four feet in height, cut into three segments to allow devotees to pass through. As children we had difficulty in jumping up on to the dining place.

Throughout the year, there is simple food served to brahmins which we avoided as something below our status. Tamil Brahmins made use of this facility. My maternal grandfather’s brother lived at the western gopuram, eating the free food.

The circular sanctum of Eratteppan ( there is one big lingam and one small lingam by its side, hence this name) is very spacious, with a circular covered veranda, allowing the poojary to go from Shiva in the west to Parvathy in the back of the sanctum. In Keralam, Shiva is alone; in rare cases, where she is allowed inside, she is at the back of the temple.

The eastern entrance, where the gopuram was destroyed by the soldiers of Tippu Sultan, leads to the broad sloping arena, where seven elephants can stand side by side, during pooram festival. Farther down is the spacious temple pond. All the villagers take bath in this waterhole, with steps to climb down and a pucca shed on one side, where the poojary takes bath before entering the temple.The pond will not dry up even in summer, in rainy season it will be full.

Mekavil Bhagavathy is near the western gopuram. Oorakath Ammathiruvady, Thiruvullakavu Sasthavu, and several other temples are in the vicinity.

The location of the temple is twelve KM from Trichur, on the road to Triprayar temple of Lord Ram.

DEMOLITION OF BABRI MASJID, 6-12-1992

BABRI MASJID

Babar was the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. He built a mosque at Ayodhya, where Hindus claim, stood a temple of Ram.

In 1962, there was a movement, spearheaded by Hindu fanatics, to demolish the mosque and build the original temple there. On 6-12-1992, the structure, which was a historic monument, was destroyed, followed be terrorist attacks by Muslims in Bombay.

Now the enquiry commission has come to the conclusion that, it was a conspiracy by leaders of the Hindutwa movement, and not a spontaneous mass movement that resulted in the demolition of Babri Masjid.

Earlier, there used to be Hindu-Muslim riots, in parts of India, but terrorism was practically unknown. All this changed after 6-12-1992. Davood Ibrahim, living in Pakistan, conspired terror strikes against India. Hindu terrorists too became a reality. Black money and illegal arms trade played their own role in this game.

Now, things are out of control.

In today’s paper, details have come, of how the Government of Uttar Pradesh posted police officers, Magistrate etc. sympathetic to their cause, so that none tried to preserve the historic monument when some people climbed up on top of the roof and started pulling it down, in the presence of TV camera !

This is India, our precious democracy.

WHY DO WE READ NEWSPAPERS ?

NEWS
My cousin Harindranathan never reads newspapers.
He never sees TV, nor hear radio.

The purpose of terrorists is to spread panic. If no one will hear about their exploits, they will lose interest in terror.
When we go to live in forest cottages, provided by Tourism department, we too forget this familiar world of politics and intrigues, scams and terror, flash news, breaking news and endless advertisements, all meant to keep our blood pressure at the required level, to induce all kinds of ailments; as otherwise, Capitalism cannot survive.
If I am the DITATOR OF ALL THE WORLD, total news black out will be enforced, just to enjoy a glorious sun set!

MY LIFE, MILLENIUM BABY – ANANYA

CS PURAM- GEETA
Our neighbour was a driver in KSRTC, living in rented house.
His daughter Geeta was a dark, tall, slim girl, working in a shop at Palakad town. She has a younger brother, still in school when, we were there.
An offer came for her hand. The boy is handsome. His parents are well to do, both getting pension, in addition to their savings, a house in Thiruvanthapuram etc. They have only this son whom they want to entrust to a reliable loving girl.
At that point we had to go to Delhi. On our return, we brought Ammu, Sudha’s daughter Meghna, who was only two years old, as there was nobody to look after her, when the parents went to work.
 There was no such decision. We were inside the railway compartment. Damodaran and Sudha were on the platform. When my wife stretched her hands and called Ammu, she jumped into her hands; the train moved. So that was how she came in  our custody. As some wit put it, we bring babies into this world, jus to play with them!
I used to take her wherever I went, in the village. She never showed any sign of remembering her parents; but, when Damodaran and Sudha got into the autorickshaw on their return, after a brief vacation with us in the village, she went away with them, without once turning bach to look at us! My wife was on the point of tears.
One day Geeta came from Thiruvananthapuram. She looked serious. Her man was a spoilt child. After break fast, he goes away with his friends to roam about in the city. At noon, he comes back, takes rest and again, in the evening another outing, returning home after dinner in the restaurants.
Three times, she has to wash his cloths. Always, he goes in clean ironed cloths. Geeta is his washer woman.
An itching caused a nuisance to me. Nothing was visible. Thuppan told me it is caused by small mice. After observing my abdomen he confirmed it.
I went to a doctor, who gave me a medicine to be applied all over my body, for seveal days. No relief came except when it is applied.
Then I poured kerosine oil all over my body. My body became clean. I became fair, but the mice thrived.
Murugan told it comes from the river water. Several persons are victims, not myself alone. It was little consolation.
In March 2000, we came to see Leena’s baby and could not go back to CS Puram, as there was nobody to help her. My mice disappeared, without any reason. I was very much releaved.
The baby born on the auspicious day, when Ammathiruvady is brought to our ancestral home, on Makam of the month of Meenam,every year, was named Ananya.
Premchand, Leena’s father-in-law was also there. They stayed at their son Shishir’s house at Lajpatnagar, quite near to our place, and he woud come to see Ananya daily.
He was younger to me, very jolly, but suffering from diabetes and heart  trouble. Doctors at  AIIMS had recommended biopsy. I think a ring was inserted already.
At his instance I too joined the Yoga course, for ten days, provided by  the AIIMS, free of cost.
Of course, the classes were good, but of no use, unless we continue the practice during our life time. This is not practicable. A proper study to determine the efficacy of the system, I believe, has not been conducted. The pulse rate comes down. That is because we remain in a detached atmosphere, free from normal tensions. The same experience can be had, when we pray at a temple or  church etc.
In the library attached to the Yoga cell, I came across a remarkable book titled POWER HEALING by Dr. Leo Galland. He is a normal allopathic doctor, who examines those cases, where doctors are unable to find out the root cause and fail. He has recorded a number of  strange cases. In one case, doctors treated a patient for heart attack who died after repeated attacks. His investigation revealed that, the patient died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The deceased was working in an old cellar, peeling off plaster, under which the poisonous gas had accumulated, over a long time, in some pockets. THE POISON CAUSED THE SYMPTOMS OF HEART ATTACK.
Another case was a young girl whose skin was extremely dry. She was a schizophrenic patient. Seeig her skin, the doctor told her to take cod liver oil, which contans omega 3 fatty acids. AFTER SOME SIX MONTHS, SHE RETURNED TO GIVE HIM THANKS. She was cured of her mental condition. Now this oil is given routinely to all mental patients in England, I read in the news paper.

OBAMA IN CHINA

These days, all are talking critical of Obama.
Forget he is the President of the USA.
He is a professor, visiting a land, home to the oldest civilisation in the world. The ingenuity of the Chinese is phenominal. They rejected the doctrinaire approach of the communist party leaders in Moscow, who concentrated on the working class movement in the coastal cities, which was crushed by Chiang Kaishek; instead, Mao realised that the PEASANTRY IN THE INTERIOR OF CHINA WAS CAPABLE OF BRINGING IN, A NEW SOCIETY THERE. He was a genius.
After the revolution, China became powerful, combining man power and technology. Today, it is the most powerful country in the world. The US IS ONLY A PAPER TIGER, as Mao was fond of saying, too old to run like the Chinese and burdened with the unenviable responsibility of reviving Capitalism, a dead horse!
Obama realised all this. If there is one nation, capable of saving the US, it is China.
We in India must realise this. It is no use feeling let down by history.
Women and children are always exploited by the mafia, in India.
Without the collusion of the police and the government officials, it is impossible for them to conduct their business.
Corruption is endemic in our system. All people concerned with the illegal activities, get regular pay packets, free from income tax. What else do they want?
(Sitting here in my room I can get pass port, visa, license for my gun, illegally brought from blacksmiths in UP, Engineering degree, if I spend enough money. I can get a girl of any age.)
China is progressing and we are stagnating.

The sun is rising in the East!

MY BLOG

When my niece in the US designed a blog for me, I never imagined that any body will read what I have written. There are millions of bloggers. Celebrity blogs are sure to be viewed, but an unknown person like me, will not attract attention.

My essay on Malayalam Panchang changed the perspective.

It is always receiving attention. I was surprised.

Now, I know that there is a certain relationship developing between us. I miss you when I am not able to reach you, as when I go on tour or due to some technical snag, as happened yesterday.

I love my viewers!

 

A WONDER, CALLED THE COCONUT TREE

It gives a gallon of toddy every day, the local ale of Keralites, one third of whom live by extracting it  from this too familiar tree. They give it to the cooperative, that owns a network of distributories. Being the cheapest drink, all workers go direct to the “shop”, after a day of hard work, where, sometimes they spend the whole day’s earnings.

Toddy is collected by cutting the flower bunch, which the botanists call the inflorescence, and collecting the juice coming from the cut, rich in starch and vitamins,  sweet when fresh. Our tapper at home is a family friend. He gives Rs. 50 per tree per month. All this, I learned when Ravi my Bihari son-in-law whanted a “bottle” from him.

If the flowers are allowed to grow, the inflorescencs is cut and used as a boucquet, considered auspicious and a must in marriage ceremonies, when receiving the deity of god, coming home on the back of an elephant, or simly as decoration, during festivals in temples.

The hard cover of the inflorescence, with a net like inside membrane, was used to make a torch, even in my childhood!

Have you seen a whole coconut? It has a fibrous cover, to protect the nut inside, because the whole thing falls down from a height of even fifty feet. It is very, very difficult to peel it (I should enjoy a European doing it even with the sharpest knife!). In Vetekkaran pooja, 12000 nuts have to be broken in front of the deity.  A sharp thick iron bar is planted in the soil, with the sharp end pointing upwards. The fibrous nut is brought down forcefully to hit the instrumet, when a dent is made in the outer cover, without damaging the nut inside. Now they have designed an instrument which is an innovation of this method and can be wielded even by girls.

Ropes are made from the fibrous cover which we call chakiri. it is the traditional occupation of women in the coastal districts of Keralam, from Alapusha to Kollam.The fibrbre comes loose, after soaking chakiri for months in the backwaters. The Coir Board is selling an incredible variety of coir products, including door mats. Global recession has hit this cottage industry too.

Inside the fibre is the hard shell called chiratta. It is a valuable fuel, traditionally used in the heavy ironing box. It is also used as a ladle, by fixing a handle to the shell. Artists use it to carve figures of people, animals etc.

When the nut is tender, the sweet water inside the shell, is a nutritious beverage, now available in most towns. It contains pure glucose which can be given intraveinous, I read somewhere. The soft white kernel is light food.

The ripe kernal is the source of oil, commercially used for making soaps and detergents. A Keralite will not enjoy his food, if it is not laced with coconut oil. Papadam fried in other oils is unpalatable.

The leaves of the tree, resembling in shape, the wings of a peacock, are used for making nets or mats, by weaving the individual blades together. These are used for thatching the roof or making a screen for the open bath sheds, where women take bath.

The tree trunk can be sawn into beams for making furniture, roof of houses etc.

This is my own observation. People leave the root clump, after cutting off the trunk, because it is very heavy and impossible to cut into pieces. Its inside can be scooped out, by a suitable tool, leaving the outside shell which can be used as a big bharani, as we call it, for storing mango pickles etc.

Now you tell me, is there any other tree that gives all parts of its body for human beings?

MY LIFE – CS PURAM- 8

Rugminy used to come to our home very often.

She was some twenty years old, but looked like a fifteen year old,, small and slender, dark and vivacious. She woud collect hibiscus flowers, considered auspicious for Ganeshji, and make garlands which will be used to adorn the deity. She was always eager to help my wife.

Lakshmi and Saraswati were two low caste maids whom we used to hire for some extra work. They all felt sorry, when we finally said good bye.

When some one dies, it is the collective responsibilty of the villagers to do the cremation ceremony, as the three temples can be opened only after the funeral is over. The old warriar, who used to curse the “blind earthen gods” died and was cremated when we were there.

Thuppan’s son Unni was married when we were there. They hired a special maid to help during the marriage feasting. She was clean and looking like a madam. She would give ordrers to Thuppan and his wife and they had to obey. She used to behave like a member of the family. Her salary was also high, yet she was in great demand, because she would shoulder the whole responsibility for conducting the affairs, properly and smoothly. 

When our stay in ,Delhi became indefinite, Poduvaya Chitrabhanu was allowed to stay there, as he was building a house at Edathara, a mile away from our village. During this oeriod, he died of heart attck and then stroke.

GOOD MORNING

I wish you all a good morning.

I could not contact  you yesterday because of a technical snag.

Now too I don’t have access to my computer, containing my articles.

I hope to reach you by evening.

WORDS ARE LIKE ARROWS – ONCE RELEASED, THEY CANNOT BE TAKEN BACK

In a fit of rage, we say something, which may have fatal consequences.

It actually happened. A mother, with half a dozen  children, all crying for this and that, told one girl to hang herslf. She went to the bath room, tied a sari round her neck, and hung herself from the beam! What a shock to the parents and all those who heard it with disbelief.

When you fee bad, close your eyes and chant NARAYANA in your mind.

When you abuse, you are wounding the mind. It is worse than beating.