Very reluctantly, I obliged to My Dad's suggestion to go down to Madurai for the Weekend that just passed. It might have well been an order had I turned down my Dad's suggestion :-)
The reason behind my nonchalance was that I ve never enjoyed those one or two trips I ve made to south Tamil nadu as a kid..Those trips had created such an impact that it was the first time in 13 years that I was going south of Trichy...
I cited reasons like heat, cleanliness etc to avoid the trip..But My Dad was not gonna budge and he kept insisting that I make the trip... I wish I could give him that more authentic and valid reason behind My reluctance :-)
The trip did happen and I took a A/c Volvo bus from Bangalore.. Li'll did I realise then that A/c was not gonna be on inside the bus...It took me very few minutes to get bugged with the comfort in the bus...Add to that, the old tam songs that were playing in the video were loud enough to drive me crazy...Wondering if there would be any serious objection from any of the fellow passengers, I went ahead and asked the cleaner to reduce the volume and thankfully no one objected..May be, it was bothering every one else too :-)..May be, I could have asked them to switch it off..
Adding fuel to the fire of frustration was the speed at which the bus was driven by the driver who looked to be a sexagenarian.... To me, it seemed, his legs were more often on the brake than on the accelerator :-(....It was 4.45 am in the early hours of saturday that the Bus had stopped at some place..I just opened my eyes and thought of getting down from the bus to get a feel of fresh air..I searched frantically for my sandals that I had left beneath my seat..Found one, but the other was missing...Much to my disgust, I found that the other one was under the foot of the guy sitting next to me...obviously, that guy had mistaken My sandals to be his in sleep...Just as I got down from the bus, I enquired with a person standing there as to how much time would it take to reach Madurai, oblivious of where the bus was currently...His answer stopped my breath for a while...He said 3-4 hours....It was then I realised that the six hours journey made till then had taken the Bus to Salem, which is supposedly a 3 hour drive from Bangalore....I am gonna feel scared everytime I see a old/tonsured guy at the driver's seat in the bus journeys I make in the future :-(......A farmer might comment "My bullock cart would run faster than this Bus"....
It was 8.45 am and there was still no sign of approaching any city/town....Just the Advertisement boards read Madurai...Atleast those boards brought back life to a shattered soul that I was :-)...9 o clock and I was there at the Madurain Bust stand..My Maternal grandpa eagerly waiting to receive or rather pick me up from there...At 71, My grandpa has more energy and patience than what I possess..He infact works at this age cozz he intends to be self sustaining, thereby also engaging in some work...He clocks 12 hours at office...More than What I do at this age...People of yesteryears are Men to be saluted...
Reached My Uncle s place and I was happy to note that it was a nice li'll residential area unlike the roads that took me there :-)..It was my first visit to this maternal uncle s place in 13 yrs and it took a house warming ceremony on a weekend to take me ther again :-)...The ceremony was to happen the next day and I was eager to catch up with lost sleep...
But, that was not to be...The rest of the folks including my Parents( who had come down frm cbe) were all geared up for a trip to the temple town of Srivilliputhur...The place that gave the world a great female saint called "Andal" who eventually married the lord himself !! This is my grandpa s native place apart from being a predominant vaishnav shrine....It took a while for the tired legs to actually stand up, carry the body along and head towards the bathroom for a shower.....I dressed up in a dhothi for the trip...I have enjoyed wearin dhothis on auspicious occasions and on trips to temples. I was helped by one of my Uncles in casting the caste mark on my forehead...
All set and we stepped out to take the tempo traveller waiting just outside the house...1.5 hours passed and We were there at Srivilliputhur....Much to my delight the temple was less crowded and my hope of having a good darshan got some life to it...As soon as we got down we were told by somebody there that we needed to visit the "Ranganatha" deity there at the earliest so that we get a darshan before the "sannidhi" (Lord's sanctum) is closed...This was the deity that Andal had adored during her times and was completely devoted to...Lord came down to marry her and in memory of that, the main deity in the temple has Andal and the lord in "Thiru kalyana" kolam (Together as a couple).....
The darshan at Ranganatha temple was one of the best I had and given my affinity towards Ranganatha, I was bound to enjoy the darshan....got to have the closest possible look at the God hoping for his blessings and a list of wishes to be fulfilled....Just as we turned our backs to the deity and walked towards the exit point of the sanctum, I noticed my dad completely absorbed in a conversation with the purohit at the sanctum....My Dad was waving hands frantically at me asking me to come over to the sanctum again...Wondering what could be the reason, I strolled towards the sanctum...It was then I found out that the purohit there is a person my dad knew so well and one whom he was meeting after more than a decade...The customary enquiries about each other's welfare went for a while before my dad introduced me to him as his son who used to work with Infy and is currently working with Juniper....Even before My dad could complete his sentence, the learned Purohit jumped the gun by sayin "Good good good"...I am quite sure he didnt hear my dad say Juniper.....huh...If this be the way that My dad 's gonna introduce me to his friends, then 10 years down the lane, he may have to carry a notepad to recite the companies I would have worked in a sequential order :-)...Infy's popularity is still a big problem to me :-)
Monday, August 28, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
May Ganesha bless our Routers !!!
Friday dressing is usually trendy, casual and colourful..But today was not to be a day of casual dressing..A mail asking all juniperites to come in traditional attire was received yesterday.Just that, it was not well received by my brain..It somehow got off my head..
Just as I entered the office, I spotted someone in a kurta and at that very instant the mail flashed in my mind. I might not have felt bad about not having worn it, had it not been for a Hawaian Shirt I was wearing. On a day when a lot of other people were gonna be in Kurthas, I wore what should probably be the most casual attire for guys :-(
Slowly, as I walked towards my cube, much to my relief I found a lot of guys in jeans-Tshirt combo.
The reason behind asking Employees to come in ethnic dresses was that Ganesh Pooja was being celebrated in advance here...
How does a headline like this sound :
"JUNIPER ADVANCES GANESH CHATHURTHI"
Anyway, this was not any Nasdaq crash or a bullish run for Juniper to make news..So, the headline does not serve any purpose but for adding spice to this blog
12 o clock was the time that the pooja was gonna kick off and a reminder mail was there in our inboxes to make sure that We all get blessed by the lord..
It was 12 and there was Prasad who was nudging me from behind saying "chal chal chal, pooja ka time ho gaya"...A few minutes passed and I was there in the cafeteria where the pooja was taking place.. Lot of People in traditional attire...Could spot more sarees than Kurthas...Guys probably are more hesistant towards wearing ethnic dresses. I was looking out for Prasad and there he was in one corner..His remark that I wear a short kurtha on almost every other day and not this day, made me feel ignominious of having such a volatile memory :-(
Saree gave a very pleasing and gentle look to the ladies and I was impressed with the dressing sense of almost all the ladies in attendance, with one of the Hr's dressing standing out among all..To me, she was the best dressed of all .... Pooja started and the customary "Ganpathi bappa moriya" was shouted a couple of times and there I was standing in a queue to have a closer look at the Ganesha idol and offer my Prayers to the lord...On my way back, I was treated to a few delicacies in the name of prasad....Even before I could swallow the first bite, Prasad had almost finished a major portion of the sweet that was given to me, which I had asked him to hold for a few seconds until I put on my shoes again...Few seconds were probably not enough for him to consume the sweet completely :-)....Calling him "Kameene", I just started walking towards the door as I spotted this female who was looking drop dead gorgeous in her costume..Not that she didnt look good on other days :-)....Aneway, all that I could do was to get admired, astonished and go spell bound or even drool over her...After all, this is the case when I bump into any good looking girl :-)
Back at the desk, I found a mail from one of the HR's that was supposed to test our Spiritual quotient...It was Ganesha trivia and the person who gives maximum number of correct answers was to be given a prize..
Mythological quiz was always something I considered myself to be good at..Just that it was pertaining to Lord Ganesha...I would have probably preferred anything on Lord Vishnu...Am surprised why there was not any such quiz leading to Krishna Janmashtami :-)..."That s gross prejudice" I told myself :-)
Pinning hopes on my Mythological intellect, I attempted the quiz and with a few discussions with fellow team members and a lot of googling, I was ready with the answers in 10 mins time...The results are awaited :-)...Lemme see if Ganesha's blessing is with me or someone else :-)
Just as I entered the office, I spotted someone in a kurta and at that very instant the mail flashed in my mind. I might not have felt bad about not having worn it, had it not been for a Hawaian Shirt I was wearing. On a day when a lot of other people were gonna be in Kurthas, I wore what should probably be the most casual attire for guys :-(
Slowly, as I walked towards my cube, much to my relief I found a lot of guys in jeans-Tshirt combo.
The reason behind asking Employees to come in ethnic dresses was that Ganesh Pooja was being celebrated in advance here...
How does a headline like this sound :
"JUNIPER ADVANCES GANESH CHATHURTHI"
Anyway, this was not any Nasdaq crash or a bullish run for Juniper to make news..So, the headline does not serve any purpose but for adding spice to this blog
12 o clock was the time that the pooja was gonna kick off and a reminder mail was there in our inboxes to make sure that We all get blessed by the lord..
It was 12 and there was Prasad who was nudging me from behind saying "chal chal chal, pooja ka time ho gaya"...A few minutes passed and I was there in the cafeteria where the pooja was taking place.. Lot of People in traditional attire...Could spot more sarees than Kurthas...Guys probably are more hesistant towards wearing ethnic dresses. I was looking out for Prasad and there he was in one corner..His remark that I wear a short kurtha on almost every other day and not this day, made me feel ignominious of having such a volatile memory :-(
Saree gave a very pleasing and gentle look to the ladies and I was impressed with the dressing sense of almost all the ladies in attendance, with one of the Hr's dressing standing out among all..To me, she was the best dressed of all .... Pooja started and the customary "Ganpathi bappa moriya" was shouted a couple of times and there I was standing in a queue to have a closer look at the Ganesha idol and offer my Prayers to the lord...On my way back, I was treated to a few delicacies in the name of prasad....Even before I could swallow the first bite, Prasad had almost finished a major portion of the sweet that was given to me, which I had asked him to hold for a few seconds until I put on my shoes again...Few seconds were probably not enough for him to consume the sweet completely :-)....Calling him "Kameene", I just started walking towards the door as I spotted this female who was looking drop dead gorgeous in her costume..Not that she didnt look good on other days :-)....Aneway, all that I could do was to get admired, astonished and go spell bound or even drool over her...After all, this is the case when I bump into any good looking girl :-)
Back at the desk, I found a mail from one of the HR's that was supposed to test our Spiritual quotient...It was Ganesha trivia and the person who gives maximum number of correct answers was to be given a prize..
Mythological quiz was always something I considered myself to be good at..Just that it was pertaining to Lord Ganesha...I would have probably preferred anything on Lord Vishnu...Am surprised why there was not any such quiz leading to Krishna Janmashtami :-)..."That s gross prejudice" I told myself :-)
Pinning hopes on my Mythological intellect, I attempted the quiz and with a few discussions with fellow team members and a lot of googling, I was ready with the answers in 10 mins time...The results are awaited :-)...Lemme see if Ganesha's blessing is with me or someone else :-)
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Nuptial knot - A filial obligation ??
Back from a long weekend and as I hit the sack in an attempt to sleep, I knew I had enough to blog based on what I came across over these past four days.
My Uncle and his family had come on a trip to Blr and Mys and I was pleased a punch to accompany them to various places..It was a fun filled trip in Mys after which we reached Blr...Mys trip blogging laterz...
It's such a strange thing that in Hindu families, to have contacts with someone beyond the immediate paternal and maternal relations seems almost impossible...
For someone who has seen second cousins and distant relatives only in Marriages and other functions, this was a rather new experience. My uncle insisted on meeting a few of his cousins here in Bangalore and what followed was quite dramatic...
Due to lack of acquaintance, I was initially very much reluctant to go to their houses, but finally decided to accompany them...Thought I ll make them feel happy that Jana's son dropped in to visit them and thereby also make my dad proud :-).. That brings me to this very interesting topic on how I get introduced to long lost relatives at marriages...The introduction has always been with My Mom or dad as reference...Charu's son/ Janardanan's son...For some reason, I hav always been introducing myself as Charu s son on most occassions, not coz I hate my dad, but Coz there s a stronger affinity with Mom...
The first thoughts to flash in my mind on talking to those second cousins and my Dad's cousins were definitely related to how iyengarish were these iyengar folks of mine. I could definitely see a big difference in their approach to life from how it is in my immediate family and relatives. I could spot broad mindedness in terms of tolerance to love marriages in almost everyone..My sis funnily remarked them to have a small national integration built in their families. All that seems ridiculous and uniyengarish to my uncle, aunt and my sis. I am not sure why I am not able to see them as anything bad..
My views over these past few years have gone through a lot of transitions(may be for the good) and I reckon I am far more broad minded than what I was a few years back...
My family as a whole takes so much pride in claiming that Children and grandchildren of my late grand father shall never attempt to do anything that would be against the wishes of the family and in anyway be detrimental to the good reputation that the family enjoys in the society..All that is fine.But, is marrying someone of my choice such a big crime ? Would I lose the liberty of claiming to hail from this family just on account of marrying some one of my choice ?? How can someone who s loved the family as much as I have, be outcast if I were to marry a Woman I may love ?
These are intriguing questions that have haunted me for years and despite some open discussions with the family, I never ever managed to find a solution to this problem. That I came across a phenomenal difference in the approach of my second cousins has probably rekindled this entire debate within myself to a degree that I decided to vent my queries in the form of a blog.
I am as devoted to the lord as much as any other Iyengar, even if not as religious as a few.
I am as much an iyengar as anyone else, even if not as conservative as a few.
I am as much a vegetarian and teetotaller as any other pristine iyengar, even if I consume cakes.
I have a cross thread unlike most of my second cousins who had long back lost their faith in being what they are..
Society is such a strange word these days..Families are more obsessed about pleasing the society than getting their children married. As much as they hate the society they live in, they also pay more attention to it than what is required. Everytime, I bring up this discussion with My Mom seeking a rationale behind their stand, they dont say anything but this "The society is gonna hold the family with huge disregard if someone from the family were to anything that s unethical by caste and religion".
They make what is probably a society for the third person.. This is the truth. But, They only seem to think of a society that constitutes other people. They often forget that they are an integral part of it and have as much liberty and freedom to define their own boundaries. Some one who sets up to do something uncommon may as well be looked upon by the society as unethical, but the bottomline is that the very person will be seen by the future as someone who set a precedence. A precedence that may be looked upon as a classical example of social liberation.
Conservative living is like a capsule that we only bother to consume, not bothering to know what are the ingredients. The only difference is that while a capsule more often than not has a positive effect on the body, this capsule called conservativeness is a slow poison and a self inflicted incurable disease...
This apart, there s something that s always common in almost every family reunion. A discussion on the nuptial guys and gals in the family as little bit of match making goes on..It was no different past weekend when My second cousin was interested in knowing from my Aunty if I would be ready for marriage and was bent upon getting me into a nuptial knot with his maternal uncle's daughter. He was supporting his stand suggesting that well settled guys are getting married early these days and it would not be a bad time for me to get married...It s not the first time that this girl s name has been taken by my distant relatives as a prospective alliance for me. This time though, My Aunt seemed to show some interest in it and was asking if they would wait for a few more years.. It baffled me and through me off guard.. It s not even taking hours to decide upon marriages these days..I was clear on my stand of having no idea of even thinking about a marriage in the near future. Uff, I have already grown sick of the whole concept of horoscopes, match making etc etc and the days ahead are probably gonne be tougher as I grow old :-)
My Uncle and his family had come on a trip to Blr and Mys and I was pleased a punch to accompany them to various places..It was a fun filled trip in Mys after which we reached Blr...Mys trip blogging laterz...
It's such a strange thing that in Hindu families, to have contacts with someone beyond the immediate paternal and maternal relations seems almost impossible...
For someone who has seen second cousins and distant relatives only in Marriages and other functions, this was a rather new experience. My uncle insisted on meeting a few of his cousins here in Bangalore and what followed was quite dramatic...
Due to lack of acquaintance, I was initially very much reluctant to go to their houses, but finally decided to accompany them...Thought I ll make them feel happy that Jana's son dropped in to visit them and thereby also make my dad proud :-).. That brings me to this very interesting topic on how I get introduced to long lost relatives at marriages...The introduction has always been with My Mom or dad as reference...Charu's son/ Janardanan's son...For some reason, I hav always been introducing myself as Charu s son on most occassions, not coz I hate my dad, but Coz there s a stronger affinity with Mom...
The first thoughts to flash in my mind on talking to those second cousins and my Dad's cousins were definitely related to how iyengarish were these iyengar folks of mine. I could definitely see a big difference in their approach to life from how it is in my immediate family and relatives. I could spot broad mindedness in terms of tolerance to love marriages in almost everyone..My sis funnily remarked them to have a small national integration built in their families. All that seems ridiculous and uniyengarish to my uncle, aunt and my sis. I am not sure why I am not able to see them as anything bad..
My views over these past few years have gone through a lot of transitions(may be for the good) and I reckon I am far more broad minded than what I was a few years back...
My family as a whole takes so much pride in claiming that Children and grandchildren of my late grand father shall never attempt to do anything that would be against the wishes of the family and in anyway be detrimental to the good reputation that the family enjoys in the society..All that is fine.But, is marrying someone of my choice such a big crime ? Would I lose the liberty of claiming to hail from this family just on account of marrying some one of my choice ?? How can someone who s loved the family as much as I have, be outcast if I were to marry a Woman I may love ?
These are intriguing questions that have haunted me for years and despite some open discussions with the family, I never ever managed to find a solution to this problem. That I came across a phenomenal difference in the approach of my second cousins has probably rekindled this entire debate within myself to a degree that I decided to vent my queries in the form of a blog.
I am as devoted to the lord as much as any other Iyengar, even if not as religious as a few.
I am as much an iyengar as anyone else, even if not as conservative as a few.
I am as much a vegetarian and teetotaller as any other pristine iyengar, even if I consume cakes.
I have a cross thread unlike most of my second cousins who had long back lost their faith in being what they are..
Society is such a strange word these days..Families are more obsessed about pleasing the society than getting their children married. As much as they hate the society they live in, they also pay more attention to it than what is required. Everytime, I bring up this discussion with My Mom seeking a rationale behind their stand, they dont say anything but this "The society is gonna hold the family with huge disregard if someone from the family were to anything that s unethical by caste and religion".
They make what is probably a society for the third person.. This is the truth. But, They only seem to think of a society that constitutes other people. They often forget that they are an integral part of it and have as much liberty and freedom to define their own boundaries. Some one who sets up to do something uncommon may as well be looked upon by the society as unethical, but the bottomline is that the very person will be seen by the future as someone who set a precedence. A precedence that may be looked upon as a classical example of social liberation.
Conservative living is like a capsule that we only bother to consume, not bothering to know what are the ingredients. The only difference is that while a capsule more often than not has a positive effect on the body, this capsule called conservativeness is a slow poison and a self inflicted incurable disease...
This apart, there s something that s always common in almost every family reunion. A discussion on the nuptial guys and gals in the family as little bit of match making goes on..It was no different past weekend when My second cousin was interested in knowing from my Aunty if I would be ready for marriage and was bent upon getting me into a nuptial knot with his maternal uncle's daughter. He was supporting his stand suggesting that well settled guys are getting married early these days and it would not be a bad time for me to get married...It s not the first time that this girl s name has been taken by my distant relatives as a prospective alliance for me. This time though, My Aunt seemed to show some interest in it and was asking if they would wait for a few more years.. It baffled me and through me off guard.. It s not even taking hours to decide upon marriages these days..I was clear on my stand of having no idea of even thinking about a marriage in the near future. Uff, I have already grown sick of the whole concept of horoscopes, match making etc etc and the days ahead are probably gonne be tougher as I grow old :-)
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