Autograph

Poorathinidekku Sambhara kachavadam

2007-08-14T06:01:00.001-07:00

Though you might take it rhyming with the popular 'Onathinidakku puttukachavadam it is not quiet the same and infact not at all ...Firstly, this is not a profit making venture. This was one task or in another word a service to the people tired hanging out in the hot summer sun on the occassion of what is called the festival of festival - Thrissur Pooram. The whole materials are funded on the memory of a priest who had started this long back. This somehow got stuck due to financial problem and was revived by the priest's family.

Sambharam, for those who are hearing it for the first time is yet another version of buttermilk mixed with grinded ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and salt giving a tangy and refreshing taste and consumed mainly during hot summer to fight dehydration. The cheaply available materials and richness in phytonutrients has added to the popularity of this drink.

Me and my brother would start off early on the day of Pooram to the Pandi samooha madham where we helped Ramettan in setting up a small shade and few benches to make it a Sambharam kiosk. Inside the madham the mix has already come and so has the curd. The Curd will be mixed with water to dilute it is poured into the big vessel . Now the mix tied in a clean white cloth is dipped in this butter milk vessel and 2 of us will stirr it using a huge 'spoon' which reembles the row of a boat more than a spoon. Half an hour later Hariettan came and tasted the sambharam taking on his palm, he licks his hand twice means a perfect sambharam!

There is an event in Pooram called 'Madhathil veravu'(Comming to Madham) Thiruvambady Bagavathy will be brought on the gaurd of a set of 5 tuskers from Thiruvambady temple to Thekke madham. Priest at Thekke madham will perform the pooja for Krishna and this is followed by the famous Panchavadhyam mela. People starts comming in once the Tuskers start from the Thiruvambady. 'Chetto sambharam!' , folks will be running towards the samooha madham for sambharam and needless to say about the crowd at the peak of the Madhathil veravu.

One person will be just looking into refilling the jugs. At a time there will be more number of people than the cups we have and the speed of serving will be some 2 glass/sec!...The fastest of the lot is the veteran himself, Ramettan. He will pour the sambharam with both hands and never seem to get tired.

At the end of the day(noon infact) we just gather around inside the samhooham hall sipping the remaining sambharam. Though tired, a little happiness to share for the day. The smile on the face of the people remains in the mind for sometime giving an extra energy.

Last time I went for this was almost 4 years back. Memories of those days are flowing in like a cool sambharam on a summer day. Work life has already overtook everything. Wake up, man. There is a lot to do!!!!!!

~ let not thee winged days be passed away in vain

ഒരു മലയാള ബ്ലൊഗിന്റെ ജനനം.....

2007-08-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

മാമലകള്‍ക്കുമപ്പുറത്ത് മരതക പട്ടെടുത മലയാളം എന്നൊരു നാടു ഉണ്ട് ...
.....

ഇന്നലെ പെയ്ത മഴയണൊ എന്നരിയില്ല ..... രത്രി ഇനി മൂട്ടകള്‍‍ എന്നെ അത്രക്കങു കടിചു കണുമൊ? ... എയെ ...
പിന്ന ഇപ്പൊള്‍ പെട്ടന്നു മലയളത്തില്‍ ഒരു ബ്ലൊഗ് എഴുതാന് എന്തണ്‍ ഒരു തൊനല് ....‍
എന്നല്‍ കെട്ടൊളു ....അങനെ എങനെയൊ തൊനി അത്ര തന്നെ ......

ഇപ്പൊള്‍ അലൊചിക്കുംബൊള്‍ ചെയ്തു പൊയ കൊടി കൊടി അബധങളില്‍ ...ഒരെണ്ണം ഞാന്‍ മലയളതിനു പകരം സംസ്ക്രിതം എടൂത്തതണ്‍ എന്നു ബൊധ്യയി ....ഹൊ ഇപ്പൊലെങിലും അതു ബൊധ്യയല്ലൊ

എന്തു പറഞാലും നീ എന്റ്റെതല്ലെ വവെ....ചെ!!

എന്തു പറഞലും എന്റെതേന്നു പറയന്‍ .... എന്റെ ചെതൊ വികാരങളും ....കൂറചളുകളും ....പിന്നെ കുറെ സാഹിത്യ പരിവെഷങളും...എഴുതി കൂട്ടാന്‍ വെറെ എതു ബാഷയാണു എനിക്കുള്ളതു....

എന്റെ മത്രം മലയാളം.....................

പിന്നെ ഞന്‍ ഒരു കിഡ്ഡു തന്നെ...

Kumaranellur enna gramam

2007-07-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is my grandfather's house, it is situated somewhere in the boundary of the Malapuram, Palakkad and Thrissur districts though it is basically in Palakkad. Muthachan whom I call ammachan had spent his youth in and around this place. A small hamlet flanked with coconut trees, lush paddy fields and the Nila. I give this small village a special place in my heart, this place is always the same the same road a bit more dusty, the same tall coconut trees a bit more taller, the same bitter moovandan mangoe tree a bit more bend for us to climb over and the same old Gayathris and Nandinis mooing for more hay and grass.

"Edappal...Edappal..Edappal", bus conductor was calling and we rambled upon that bus which will take me to the Edappal town centre which is the nearest town to Kumarannellur. "Ask anyone for Ammuttyamma's house everyone knows that house", Ammachan had told us. The climate is always temperate here mainly because they lie on the other side of the western ghats in the shadow of rain. The traditional crops around this village are aricnut(adakka), plantain, coconut, cashewnut, mango, jack fruit and, when it rains, rice.The aricnut trees are so long, thin and flexible and it is amazing to see the guys who climb the tree jump from one treet to another.

Though the rain is a bit hesitant to comedown there is plenty of groundwater which saves the Onam! There is always jackfruit around Ammuttyamma's house and there is no shortage of chips, molagushyam, chakkavaratty and if nothing the ripe jackfruit itself. Contrary to the popular treat, here sambar comes only after the mambazhakootan, ishttu and molagushyam. These dishes were born and made only by and for a malayalee unlike the sambar which was brought from across the borders

the paddy fields are cricket ground when there isnt any farming going on. With a bat cut out from the cocunut tree branch and tennis ball bought from angadi . The leg soles get tough playing in the dry hard fields. The night is spent on the verandah of the house counting the stars on a clear cloudless sky. I have no words to explan the peace of mind I get when I get to this small, yet a great village

Irupathirendam ward House no 52, ente oru veedu

2007-07-17T05:51:00.000-07:00

A weak wood fence and a small wrought iron gate that cranked as I slowly opened it to compound..It is twilight, achamma is there lighting the oil lamp in thulasi plant alcove...when I walk towards the door, the hanging branches of swarnamalli tugs onto my shirt as usual...

In the heart of thrissur town stood the house which was built by a priest of Guruvayur temple and later bought and renovated by KWN Marar(great grand father). A two storey house made of solid sedementary rock quite abundantly and now rarely found and cut from the earth painted pale yellow with lime, black lead for floor and wood for the cieling. A medium size ummaram with some the broken glass panes and bulb less chandaliers hint of the great cricket matches played on this ground. In the pensive mood the easychair and open window brings in peace and cool breeze of the east.

Amma and Velyamma was sitting on the veranda gossipping and at the same time discussing the status of our studies."Appu, sambarinu 4 muringakka venam a marathinte molinnu nee onnu pottichu tha(we want drumsticks for sambar, climb that tree and get me 4-5)" came the call before I keep a step inside.

The drawing room is where the TV is, the cool black lead oxide floor and old regulator less Ralli fan humming over the top . One attractive thing in this room was an old brass plated wooden trunk in achachan's words oru pandara vazhimudakki which is home for house lizards. Once in a month achamma keeps the brass polished, it makes her nostalgic and we do help her in the cleaning.
(To be continued)

Eenampechikku Marappatti koote...

2006-07-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

"Eda...what is that small door for? no one goes in and comes through that door, why is that build for then?", asked Ammu. With the mayavi and kuttoosan folklore in the heart, anything mysterious obviously created ripples. This small door cannot be classified as a door, it is about 1 feet long and 45 centimetres wide. This closed door lead to the attic and being very high for anyone to climb in without a long ladder, this door always tickled the restless minds.

It would be around 10.00 in the night, I suddenly woke up in the night following some strange noise coming from the attic. It was much like some heavy creatures are in a duel, the claws scratched on the roof. and after 10 mins of chaos it was silent back again, the lights were put on and whatever was that got scared off. They are the nocturnal, they do not like light and loves the darkness.....

A very interesting creature, a very mischievous little rodent that lives either on trees or somewhere on the roof top. It wouldn't be wrong if I say that this fellow is my housemate now as he stays upstairs up the roof though. Old fashioned houses, if anyone could recollect is build with wooden tresses and girders and over that a triangular roof is build by locking the timbers together. With the brick tiles spread over these, it give ample space for one person to sleep in this build which is actually used as a granary when there used to be farms and cattle. These fellas occasionally nabs squirrels and sparrows and bring them home.

"When the sleep finally catches up they start their nocturnal activities!, Some how we have to get rid of these things", declared achachan. The requirement docs were soon despatched and there enters the Manikyan and his rodent trap.

Manikyan's father was a farmer when there used to be farmlands. Manikyan also does some thakida tharikidas like emergency works at house, climbing coconut trees etc. and one such activity includes catching treedogs and other farm rodents. He was called by Achachan and didn't have to brief much on the issue as he is very much familiar with the house and treedogs. Next day he comes with a big rodent trap which looks just like a mouse box trap but a bigger one and bait is a pigeon is kept in the separate inner chamber. The idea gained applause and was ready to be deployed, but then the small door is too small for this box to go in!. Achan, veyachan and Manikyan somehow managed to push the trap into the attic.

"He He He ....Just wait and watch, this guy will never again make a problem", Manikyan said. So we waited and watched. 2 days went by...4 days...a week....Nothing happened. "Da Manikya...the treedogs are still roaming around the attic and still your trap couldn't catch it?!!", Achachan told Manikyan. Manikyan was asked to take back the trap as the pigeon inside was causing more sound pollution than the treedogs and moreover the rent for the trap came to some Rs 50(A lotta money at that time). So everyone is back to the work or school or kitchen and no one ever uttered anything about treedogs or catching a treedog.

Two days later our good old dog Ugly was appearing unusually excited over something. We followed him to find the same old treedog lying motionless beneath the coconut tree...maybe it was trying to jump on to the tree, but couldn't get hold of it and fell.....

(Eenampechikku marappatti koottu.....pangolin's best friend is treedog!)

As sweet as poison

2006-06-02T04:10:00.000-07:00

Time: 20:38.
It was lying around the corner of the big door towards manjamuri (godown kinda). At last it was tracked down, a deadly viper...full grown and looked like it already had its meal and was resting for the day. Achan, Velyachan, achachan everybody came armed with long poles and heavy drumtick branch and they pulled her down from there. It definitely had its meal, it tried to run away but before that the first blow knocked the senses out. Achachan's first blow caught its head, velyachan carefully took the snake outside the house and with achan they finished the snake off. Achan took the snake and put that in a big polythese cover, "It is a treat for the hospital".

Time: 20:00
"Kutti..get a candle from the puja room, the current will go now", amma asked. It was a pleasant weekend and she was making the chapathi for dinner, chapathi for dinner is a treat for us folks bieng a change from the routine rice and koottan and upperi . All the candles were already lit and as a synonym to punctuality the power went off. I took the candle to the kitchen where amma and velyamma are rolling the dough sitting on the floor. "Don't touch that...keep it there and go", amma said when I tried flicking off a small ball of dough. It was dark obviuosly, and I was moveing from kitchen to pooja room, I shivered for a moment....just before I left the kitchen a cold flesh ran over my leg, I could feel the weight and the length of that creature. It went off quickly, I don't know but one thing was sure it was a long snake, it is in kitchen and it is dark in there....
"Amme...snake, I just saw a snake a long one, it went over my legs. I didn't see but it went over my legs", I screamed. "What?!!...Parvathy..Rema..stop the chapathi come to the drawing room. It is very dark and warm in the kitchen" achamma said, she was the first person to react to it. Amma and velyamma thought that it might be some cloth or something like that, which scared me. Still they came to the drawing room...and we all waited till 20.30 until the light came back...

Time: 21:22
Now all are convinced that it was a snake, it was a long and heavy snake and it was a poisonous snake. "Son...are you sure that it just went over your leg? Did it bite you, did you feel any pain?", Amma was literally crying. 2Nothing happened, it went over my leg thats all", I replied. Achamma was tensed up " Take him to the hospital at any cost". So we all went to the hospital, and had a good fun by terrorising the nurses showing off the dead snake in the polythene cover. Though there was no danger, I was not allowed to sleep that night(when asleep the poison spreads in fast!).
After I came home Ammu told me," If snake bites you and you don't die, then you will eventually become transformed into a snake one day....". Nothing has happenend so far to me but, snakes have given me a lot of sleepless nights....I think...I am afraid of snakes!

Rain chaser

2006-05-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

Slowly the sky darkened, from somewhere in the north I could hear the rumble...the trees swayed in frenzy, total madness has stuck the nature. It was 5.30 in the evening... Achamma as usual was lighting the lamp to keep under the Thulasi plant in the courtyard, a light that will ward off evil that wander in the darkness, "It is rain that is comming...get inside, the first rain brings down all the dirt and poison in the sky". She kept the lamp under a lamp shade and went back. I still waited outside.
"Ammu..Appu..take all the clothes from the backyard, it is going to rain" velyamma was calling. We took them from the backyard and laid it down on the brick floor, this will absorb the moisture from the cloths. Gazing through the window I could see the end of the horizon, dark and swelling with the weight of rain waiting to be crashed on to the earth...
The wind brought the cool droplets supposed for a different soil into my courtyard. The soil responded to it like crazy, now restless getting the message of its beloved. That made me crazier. "Da Sandeepe...are you coming for a rain chase?", I asked by bro."Etta..I will defeat you and the rain, don't worry", he joked. And we raced out of the house to the mouth of the pocket road. The rule was clear, when the rain hits Lakshmi teacher's house... we run.
We had an extra advantage over Varuna(rain god), we are running down a slope!. We could here the sound of the rain clearly and in a second it was over Lakshmi teacher's house. "Etta...there I go!", we ran and the rain unperturbed continue its conquest and was catching up faster. I knew we weren't any near but just for the sheer thrill of being chased by something mammoth something so harmless..something that is bringing a change in everything.
The cold big droplets began taking over, soon we were drenched in the rain inducing more vibrancy into the spirit. The shower continued heavily for more time, "ha ha ha eda...Velyamma will be waiting for us with the cane", I said. "No etta..she likes hangers", he replied. We walked the whole way up in the rain discussing who will get the beatings first and what lie should we say.
Achamma saw us trying to sneak through the front door."No no...come through the backside door. What is this? where were you?" she asked. "oh...yes..err..we saw some stray cattle going towards Mukundavelyachan's farm, we just went there to check that. But by then it rained", came from me. "Hmmm ... go and dry your hair and rub the Rasanadi powder on the scalp or you will get bad cold". "Yes achamme we will." replied Sandeep when we ran for the backside door.

Let the fear, inhibitions, anger, frustrations, hate wash away in the big rain of love and friendship ~ Anonymous

Mango showers

2006-05-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

"hai...you should have seen the courtyards of our house at Ponnani, it used be sprewn with mangoes....in the night rain you can hear them falling...Moovandan, Priyor, chandrakkaran...hai", ammamma used to tease. It is the regular mango season and the regular summer vacation comming to an end. The change in the season can't be more evident as this...no one can anticipate when the summer showers break the dust...but every year it breaks the dust and no weather forcast would have an idea, How?!.
"Appu...come out, I am in a good mood for mangoes to rest", called up Anand..He is my friend and classmate. And I jumped out through the backdoor crossing the old cow shed, now housing the junks. Mukundavelyachan's plot is only a few yards ahead, that has a couple of good tall mango trees. The sliced raw rock which are brought for construction purposes would be the best ones....you could easily find some FFP failed ones in the way.
The gate to the plot are always locked, he had a good plantain grove and don't want any stray cow or goat to nibble them. We jumped the wall and was there in the foot of the wish tree. wish tree because it doesn't yeald what we wish, because it is already hanging over there...And there we started the war with the nature. Stones flew from everyside and mangoes fell everywhere....13 mangoes... that was all we clipped out from that tree, by that time my velyamma came running, "Who told you to pluck mangoes from this tree, and that too 13!! don't you know that these mangoes are sold. Now they will come and find there are no mangoes!...13 mangoes?!!" ..o-oh, 13 mangoes? never knew that the aim went beyond the mangoes...it was for the sheer thrill of winning a target...of getting what was aimed for ...and we sat under the tree. It was time for contemplating the achievement...with little salt, chilli powder and 13 raw mangoes.
Sometimes later in the life there would defenitely something that would owe to the once upon a time craze for winning.....
There is a lot the shower can bring....hope, dream, spirit, inspiration,.....mangoes too....

Kuttappan Scissorhands

2006-05-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

I was notorious of two things when I was 5...chest conjesion and my Tom Cruise hair style.
"Don't cut your hair!.........and keep coughing all the day! ... but don't scream in the night, there are people sleeping", amma used to scold. But what to do scissors and comb combination scares me.
Achan takes me for a walk somedays...One day, "Aa Hari, how are you?....this is my son appu", I smiled at him and he returned with weapons...Scissors and comb! He must be new in the city....'cos he don't know me. " Give them a hell before you go" screamed my alter ego. Thus ended the walk and was back home not a hair less!
My father and grandfather had tried all the tactics 18 ending up in vain. Once all were there at home and was fun and frolic everywhere and there enters the villian in disguise...That was too much, I haven't ceded defeat in any battlefields and now they dare invade me on my homeground!....The story ends before it could start...He flees
Summer went in its way...and along came the monsoon, the cool drizzles, slush roads, buzz of the insects, punctual power cuts...I was given a new present, a bright dil-chahta-hai blue raincoat. Be it sunny, be it it rainy I wouldn't mind walking in this attire. And on one bright sunny day, my grandfather offered me a walk and I was excited 'cos I can walk with Raincoat over.
"Appu, we are going to meet a friend of mine, his name is Kuttappan...he has got a long moustache", Muthachan said. It was around the Guruvayoor road direction in West fort junction, with some Ravlagon candies(pity that the company has closed down) in my raincoat pocket I entered his small shop. The radio was playing the regular goodie tracks of '80 s, which he made louder now that I have entered. I gave one Ravlagon to Kuttappan,"alle...I will keep it, though I can't eat this", he said. He took me off from my feet and place me on the well cushioned rotating chair.
"Play merry go round for sometime" he said and rotated the chair...We continued this till I went dizzy. I had another Ravalgon Green(my fav)...and I was sat facing the blank wall and my muthachan was sitting watching the whole fun. And Kuttappan will play his own kind of music, the very familiar tic tic tic....the snapping scissors! but by the time I fully realised he had already finished one side and asked me whether I want to see myself on the mirror. "That is ok....muthacha....I won't come with you again!".He was gliding with his comb and scissors, making sure that it did not touch my scalp or tangle with my hair. Everything finished off in 1 hour! and finally I wept...Muthachan paid Kuttappan and before leaving he again said, " I will keep this mittai with me, bring me another one when you come next time".
Everyone were eagerly waiting for me and finally muthachan made that happen...."I will cut my hair regularly...but only Kuttappan will cut my hair", I said plainly. Everyone was happy that I have cut my hair, I was happy that this made me feel a lot free.
I never went anywhere but Kuttappan...the same old radio, the same chair, the same scissor and the same old man. Kuttappan Scissorhands.

Table of the Kings

2006-05-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

A plain summer, humid day...Grandmother came to me,"Appu you can use this table to study, if you really want to break something I can give you some old sticks", I was standing over the old great looking study table searching for Balarama over the top of the cupboard which came with this table. She was really concerned about the majestic tables as much as the heavy wooden trunk on the courtyard.
"I am not breaking it, I regularly do this...so far nothing has happened", I protested. She did not say anything and I jumped off the table and went behind her. She took out some old Albums from the Almirah...They are alwways good, it makes you nostalgic...She pointed out to me and old man wearing a turban, heavy long cloak with beautiful lining and a whole jewellery shop around the neck. "He is my grandfather, Samudiri Aniyan Raja". It is always nice to hear about Kings and kingdom, Samudiri and Samudiri kovilakam..."The table on which you were standing belonged to him, that would make 150 years of endurance"
"Grandmother...retaining the lost glory of the great kings and reviving the old tradition of studying on such tables is now my responsibility, for what else do you think I have come as the great grandson of the King?, Please grand me the honour of safeguarding this treasure for the future to see" did I announce..."That is a honour indeed!...Sarojineee, are you done with the drawing room?....ho where has she gone now?!"
And that table cum cupboard was mine.... Till my engineering graduation this table and cupboard housed my books, pens, and all the things that I ad least used and mostly preserved.
And I haven't missed any chance to boast of this great treasure that I possess...'The table of the Kings'!

Born on 02nd of November

2005-12-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

After a thorough Unit test and system testing, God decided to make me LIVE. And it happened …. On 02nd November 1982, at around 10 ~ 11(I don’t remember, I was sleeping) I was introduced to the world, all thanks to the nurse at Saroja, it was a zero-defect delivery. What I still can’t get is who made the Requirement document for this?!!.

Precisely 5348 years ago, there lived a king for the tribe of Gwaengalus, near the banks of Nile in Somalia, name Mobongo. He was a very noble fellow; he didn’t do any work…so nothing went haywire, thus he was a noble leader. The land was flourishing with no hunger and poverty touching 7 miles vicinity to the kingdom.

World knows him as a fierce warrior, able leader and hero. Carvings in the caves says.." The nighmare of the Phaorahs, heart as tender as a tender cocunut, closed fists as strong as it will take two sumo wrestlers 3 days to open it up...The fierce fighter of Somalia, lived in this city.". In the black book of Egyptians it was mentioned "Once he drove off Ramses I from his empire all alone", and a lot more...

He wanted to rule the Egypt, every day when he sleeps he prays to the God...to make the swords sharper than Roman, arrows powerful than English, Horses faster than Arabian and soldiers as intelligent as him(!). And he had a different set of dreams when he goes to sleep at night(!!)...don't say this to anyone, he wanted to marry Cleodavara, the Queen of Djibouti.

He earned fame, reputation, stardom and enough tomatoes and eggs to feed his kingdom through his invention of kwedeio jwaqo *, a unique development of a conversation technique where by one can be entertained and be made ass without any effort. For the same reason no nieghbouring kingdom dared to attack him or arrest him. Once Ramses I came to attack his empire, after capturing him from his kitchen, Ramses I decided to play with him and told him to ask any question, if he answer then he will leave this place.

Mobongo - "When the famous film actor MG Soman died, all the elees(rats) of his house, out of the sorrow of his demise, decided to create a land out on this eart on his sweet memory, which is that place?"

Ramses I wacked, cracked, scratched his brain till it started smoking....and admitted defeat

Mobongo - "Answer is Somalia, Soman-elee-ya..Stupid fellow! get out house!"

Hearing the answer, unable to bear, he ran away to Nile to commit suicide(Thankfully due to illegal Sand traders there was no water in Nile). He became famous with that...

All thanks to the concept of Karma, this fellow never had to reap anything as he never sowed anything. And after his death, poor soul started roaming through the sky looking for a body to enter. And he waited for a long 5255 years till that fateful day came scratching for him…...

Come on! What did you think, I allowed him to enter this body? Waste fellow, I kicked him out from this vicinity.

* - An art of saying something beyond the sight of intellects, this is still carried forward through generations. Oxford english Disctionary call it Pathetic Jokes or PJ