Native Place

The common question asked after people are introduced to each other is, "What is your native place?" This means from which place/village do you come from (read ancestral village).

"Native place" in India is an equivalent of "The weather is good..." in UK. It is like breaking ice.

It gladdens many hearts when they hear their home towns or villages mentioned by total strangers at chance meetings. There is a special bonding and bonhomie after that as if they belong to the same family! Even if they don't belong to the same village, it is alright as the conversation centres for a few more minutes about what the place is famous for, like the Kumbakonam Degree Kaapi, Madurai Malli, Idli and the Irruttu Kadai Halwa, Tirunelveli Halwa, Palakkad Samayal, etc.

Among Tambrams (Tamilian Brahmins) some of the popular places mentioned are
Tanjavur, especially the Ganapathi Agraharam (this temple is desolate except for pious NRIs who manage to juggle time to visit it and carry back the tough modakam/kuzhakatai which has a long shelf life. In fact there are many NRIs who support the temple financially, through their generous donations), Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli - Kalladakurichi, Ambasamudram, North Arcot, Coimbatore, Palakkad, etc., etc.

People have moved far away in pursuit of careers.
In cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, native places make for faster bonding and creating an easier working atmosphere.

Visiting native villages is a big event for many of us if we were born and brought up there.
For those of us whose parents or grand parents themselves have shifted base, could just mean an overnight visit to the family diety (Kula Daivam) where traditional family rituals are performed.

After nearly two and half years, we plan to visit Madurai this week, to seek the blessings of Meenakshi Amman and Sundareshwarar and offer dark pink rose garlands which has been an age old family tradition on my in-laws side.
May The Divine Pair bless us all.

Mahalakshmi