Pune.
Regional New Year.
Gudi Padwa for Maharashtrians.
Ugadi for Telugus and Kannadigas.

Durmukha Samvathsara/Varudam - Chaitra on 8th April, 2016 itself though Sun is still in Meena Rasi at 24 odd degs in star Revathi-3.  New Moon on 7th April, 2016 which is self-explainatory.

For Tamilians it still continues to be Manmatha Samvathsara/Varudam and Tamil New Year is on 14th April, 2016 with Sun entering Mesha Rasi marking Chithirai maasam for Tamilians.

This is a special day for me.  Gudi Padva is new to me and i am in Pune with my son.
We had taken up a flat here and have so far managed with bare necessities as i din't want to go in for new items.  As it is i have so many things at Chennai flat that i was planning to give away many of them to whoever could use.  In 3 tranches i had given away storage boxes, vessels, curtains, etc to bachelors who came from Kolkata or Kumbakonam.  They would gladly take and use them.

Today Flipkart delivered a Prestige Tulip Mixer-Blender and i was happy as a child.  It's the one thing i missed dearly for my cooking needs.  That was my son's gift for me.  Nothing makes me happier than cooking fresh and hot meals for the family.  Food was and is my passion till date.

He got a VR goggles from Google!  Yet to experiment with it.
Son has taught me so many things right from using my smart phone for everything.
It's been a roller coaster ride making me feel like a happy and carefree child again.

Mahalakshmi
Pune

     

When work get monotonous, i switch my mind off with a 10 minute break listening to some soothing music.  I have a wide choice to listen from: Begum Akhtak;s gazals and thumris, Ghulam Ali's, Jagjit Singh's, Some very young and talented singers in singing competitions like SaReGaMa like the excellent Amanat Ali from Pakistan, Azmat from Jaipur, Kamal Khan, Ranjeet Rajwada from Rajasthan, for his soulful rendering of gazals,  

I have grown on a staple diet of listening to old Hindi film songs especially Lata Mangeshkar's, a few select of Asha Bhonsle's, Rafi's, Mukesh, Manna De, Mahendra Kapoor, Hemant Kumar, and my most favourte composers Madan Mohan, Roshan, Khayyam, SD and RD Burman, Naushad, Ravi, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Shankar Jaikishen, and so many of them.

There are a lots of Tamil and Telugu film songs i listen to.  Jikki, P.Leela, Suseela's, Chitra, Sujata and Swarnalatha's are among my favorite singers. Among male singers, TMS, Seerkazhi, PB Srinivas, SPB-the legend are my favorites.

Today during the usual tea break i wanted to listen to Begum Akhtar's thumri, "Hamri attariya pey, aajaa sanwariyan, dekha dekhi...  There were many singers singing this ghazal.  Two films had used this thumri to good effect.  But i get distracted by the dancers and listen less to the lyrics and singer's rendition.  There was no doubt in mind that Begum Akhtar stole my heart hands down!  Even though it was not a live recording where they can show her singing on the stage.  What a romantic, melancholy this song conveys.

I remember my father so much whenever i listen to music.  From him i learnt to appreciate music.  His favorite matches so much with mine because both have common favorite songs.  Some of them are:
Bahaaron mera jivan bhi from Akhri Khat, Lata-Khayyam.  Set in raag pahadi.
Humse aaya na gaya tum se bhulaya na gaya - Dekh Kabira Roya, Talat Mehmood-Madan Mohan - Raag Ahir Bhairav.
Chupalo yun dil mein pyar mera.. Lata-Hemant- music by Roshan, film-Mamta, Raag Yaman.
Dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye - Asha Bhonsle, Khayyam. Umrao Jaan.
Raina Beeti jaaye... Lata, RD Burman, Amar Prem
O Sajna barkha bahar ayi - Lata by Salil Chowdhry, film Parakh.
So many.  Can't list out the 1000s!

Time to resume work.
Chao until next!

Mahalakshmi

 

Someone suggested this as the 'Topic of the day' - " Whats is definition of "Good husband" Specially now in global environment ". smile emoticon expecting response from lovely ladies of some group on FaceBook.

There's no 'good' husband or wife. Desh-Kaal-Patra keeps changing according to culture-times-individual. 

Marriage is a beautiful dream until one gets married. 

It is like buying a mango thinking it will be sweet. Only after its bought, cut and eaten can we tell whether it's sweet. Or buying a coconut. Only after it's broken will it reveal whether it's kernal is tender or tough, has water or not, is edible or rotten. These do not come with a label of guarantee. We take it and make it suitable by adjusting a little here, a little there. These are modern times too when one can return it back instead of cursing fate and suffering it as one's destiny until it's The End for one. 

A couple who understand, accept that both will evolve and change over a period of time due to circumstances, preferences, interests and compulsions. Both have to allow the other space to pursue interests and not be judgemental all the time. 

With age, both should take up hobbies like an art, reading the scriptures, travelling if one is able to, volunteering work somewhere, so that both don't remain in each other's company all the time to start the game of nit-picking. Above all, that trust and faith in each other as well as upholding it at all times. 

These lines are written 'After' going through decades of marriage! 'Before' marriage it's different set of parameters altogether!  Should be handsome, tall, very understanding, be like a friend, treat his lady with respect, last but not least should earn well or be endowed with enough property to spend for at least till great grandson generation! 

Alas only after marriage, does one know the 'why me?' of it all. 

As the marriage progresses, if the husband falls sick, wife will think a husband should not be sick, if he is not earning well enough, a wife will think a husband should earn well to support her and the kids, what one does not have one yearns for. 
Wish is one thing, what life deals is another thing. 
This gnyanam comes after many decades if at all we are willing to learn life's lessons without prejudice.

Girl Child

Baby Afreen was born three months back to mom Reshma Bano at Bangalore.  Baby Afreen died last month after a cardiac arrest.  

What makes this news any different from the numerous babies dying at hospitals across India or anywhere for that matter?

Baby Afreen was mindlessly attacked by her father for being born a girl and not a boy.  One tiny life snuffed out for no mistake of hers nor her mother's.

We were 4 daughters born to our parents.  All of us girls survived and all of us were educated till 25/26 years, way back when girls were married off at 19.  Thanks to our parents for not doing away with our lives when we were still tender babies, when we could not defend ourselves in any way, just because we were all born girls.

Thanks mom.  Thanks dad in heaven.

Mahalakshmi    

Dear Srik, Sorry I am replying late to your query about my past life follow up with Dr.Vedamalika. I just could not make it due to my mom's bad health, visitors and on-going work, hence the long silence. Prem is a Hindi word for affection and many of them are derived from Sanskrit. It could have existed even in the ancient past is my feeling. Even yesterday's episode on Mrs.Williams felt so close to truth that you almost believe that there is something called past life. You must give it a try for what it is worth. All the best and do share your experience too. Mahalakshmi

Making of Vadu Manga pickle

Yesterday we bought a kilogram of tiny mangoes which are called vadu manga in Tamil.

They are tiny baby raw mangoes. They fall off the trees on their own without getting a chance to grow big. The fall could be due to strong winds, weak flowers which manage to morph into mangoes but have no sustaining power to grow big, birds' interferance, human intervention, etc.

Whatever the cause for their fall, these mangoes are of no use as they taste sour. But Indian grandmas of the past never let go the opportunity to make something of it! So these were patiently picked, sand and dust washed off them, wiped dry, coated with castor oil, pickled with rock salt until they turned tender in about a week. Finally the free following brine (salt water) was reused to soak up some dry red chillies, mustard seeds of which a fine paste was made and returned back to the glass jar of the salted mangoes. The mangoes are left to soak in the spice newly introduced. The taste is very unique, spicy and tangy. Goes very well with curd rice or dosa.

First picture shows the mangoes being salted. Next they are filled in glass jars and capped tight.

It will take 4 to 5 days to get softer after which the spicy paste will be introduced to give it the bite.

Raw mangoes, raw tamarind, ripe red big chillies, gooseberries and many more are pickled. They are nature's way of heralding the onset of summer in the tropics.

Mahalakshmi.

Deep Slumber

Had been to yet another house where my relative's mother-in-law had passed away. These past few months have seen me attending many death ceremonies.

She had been ailing since a very long time now. Had multiple fractures and corrective surgeries. Yet this person whom we fondly called 'Kaamu Maami' loved and lived life to the hilt.

Her diamond ear studs and nose rings would glitter whenever she turned her head this way and that which was quite often as she loved talking to people.

Two sons and a daughter doted on her and fulfilled every wish she could make known. She was strong willed. Never hesitated to ask for things from husband when he was alive and later her children. Loved kanchipuram silk sarees and leaves behind quite a collection and ditto with matching gold jewellery. She would search for an excuse to buy a silk saree or a piece of jewellery. She would then be raring to attend social functions and meet people, exchange notes, enjoy the food, etc.

She lived life to the fullest. Her sons and daughter attended on her in turns when she took very ill a decade back till her end came today. She took all the help that came her way, she never felt she was a burden for her children. Her eldest son who was visiting his son preponed and arrived 24 hours before the event. Both spent time talking and she had told him she could pass away peacefully now since he has come back to Chennai. She was hanging on to dear life waiting to see her eldest son.

Since she loved good food, I am planning to take a couple of dishes for the family within the next 10 days as is the tradition among us Tambrams (Tamil Brahmins). May her soul rest in deep slumber.

Mahalakshmi.