My Native place..

Some of these pictures were taken at my mom’s native place, Nochimalai. This place is where my grandfather’s farm land is located and its a dwelling place for close to 100 people. I am sure everyone in this village would be related to me somehow or the other, and I don’t have a plan of tracking them up or down the complex multi-noded family relationship tree. Its been many years since I visited Nochimalai and not much has changed with the exception of real estate value. A few of them recognized me (starting with “kuppamma”) through my facial features and asked me about my mom and uncles, to which I simply answered – ‘everyone is doing fine’. Kuppamma was walking her cattle through a small patch of grass and and she seemed so well connected to nature and mother earth in everyday life and she wouldn’t need any aroma therapy Bath or Body Apothecary, like most of us do.

Sheep, which ran away from the new comer

I met these kids near a ancient concrete water tank

So much emotions - i have no words to describe

This is the farm “well” where I learn’t swimming when I was 8 years old. I love this place….:-) I wanted to give the water a big hug. Being a piscean – I feel at home near water and I feel at heaven when am in water.

NO Life guard on Duty

I was a little scared..:-)

My encounter with Lord Ganesh…Taken inside Tiruvannamalai temple

 

The True Yogi!

I always believed a true yogi is the one who “never consciously did anything to make an impact or carve out a niche for himself in the annals of history“. My experiences in the search for true yogi in my “self” and in others were quite disappointing. Today I found some one surrounded by authentic greatness and accessibility. He always lets everybody have a chance and never disappoints anyone. He didn’t have the time ‘yet’ to gain an intellect that creates problems or takes one through a miserable journey trying to solve them. The one key difference between him and the great maharishi’s is the physical/mental stillness. I see him and all my questions fly away!

I have had minimal experience as a yoga teacher, however it was always difficult to teach asanas to new people, especially the ones with lack of awareness about their body. I had the privilege of teaching this “true yogi” how to prepare for a head stand. He did it with such ease, and evoked a world of un-expected splendor before my eyes and walked away to perform other activities.

A sense of playfulness and happiness surrounded me and I wanted to be a child again.

The True yogi – My 2 year old Cousin

 

Caught in Transition/EDI syndrome

After spending my prime 20’s in America, lately I have been challenged by my “self”
and others that question my “agreed upon” value system. The question is, when did I
agree? to what? My parents, friends and relatives always consider living within
societal norms. Let me just handle one aspect of the norm – the concept of
“everyone does it (EDI), why not you?”

A sense of panic is always surrounding me because I am 30 and not married, most of my
friends have kids (by marriage ) but not me and most of all they don’t question
the base concept of EDI. The EDI syndrome also exists in other countries,
but its not on the far end of the spectrum.

How is all this connected to my trip? Yesterday we went to “Thiruvidanthai”
- One of the 108 important places of vaishnavites, this small hamlet houses the
temple of Nithyakalyana perumal. The third incarnation of Mahavishnu
is in the form of a boar called “Varaha” where he married 360 girls – one a day.
So I walked around the temple with a garland and I hope that I get married soon. So
did a 30 odd people who walked around with me. I tried to see if some girl
who walked around the temple had their eyes open for current opportunities
but they all had their chin tucked, another agreed upon norm.
I wish I can turn my history books and identify the real reason behind this
incarnation. So much had been written, none convincing my “self”.

Caught between high parental expectations in terms of
marriage achievement(:-) a milestone), and pressures exerted to conform to the
existing societal norms, my individuality seems to be at loss. The EDI syndrome is
my true enemy. There is “unity in diversity” in India, but with a whole new added
dimension to it. Though I am agitated and throw “tumblers and tantrums” at people
with EDI syndrome, thanks to the true India value system of “yoga and meditation”,
the “self” is the only place I find true happiness and everything else is a distraction.

Mom’s reaction to my “tumblers and tantrums”

 

India Trip

Its been fours years since I visited the metropolitan capital of Tamilnadu. The ancient temple architecture, classical music are definitely a part of itinerary, however today’s blog is about some unexpected features. Its was Friday morning 5 AM and most of the family went to bed. A few cocktails helped me sleep through the 19hr flight and I had to go through a minor phase of insomnia. For many of us a morning walk would be one of those things which requires luck and time. I slipped out the door without disturbing rest of the family and walked around the corner to meet my first acquaintance, Mr. Karuppan, the medium size street dog who watched the front of our community. His watch is worse than the US embassy in Chennai, only a few renowned people with references can get past him. To me, Karuppan belonged to the community of social workers with the motto of “Selfless Service to humanity”.

No Regular dwelling place

With the exception of milk suppliers, chauffer’s, crow’s and some of karuppan’s friends, Chennai was still sleeping. A mist of smoke was visible and it’s the first sign of increasing air pollution in Chennai – well..so does any other city. My next destination was my major childhood attraction the local corner “tea kadai” (in Tamil means “shop”). It’s a “hot and happening” place with a handful of people sitting in front of the shop and smoking. I sipped my favorite “Bru cappee” (Bru coffee) for a meager 4 Rs.

Surya Namaskaram

I cannot help but notice the heap of trash with quite an interesting mix of things – cigarette packets, orange peel, package materials and in the middle a budding fresh green leaf. The first metaphoric sign that chennai is budding inspite of all the smoky circles and corruption. Across the street on the wall were posters from an adult movie and locally dubbed Chinese action movie.

I walked back home with mixed emotions – “one doesn’t connect with his roots entirely by doing the richest of activities the traditions brings, but by experiencing these small little things that were a part of ones childhood”.

More in the next couple of days ….am going to quench my thirst with some tender coconuts. One of those very many instances where the shop comes to you….CRM (Customer relationship management)at its best.

Mom buying “elani” (Tender coconut) for me.