Angelic Mother Teresa

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(26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997) krithikka. Well, today was yet another day with packed reading. This evening, ma'm taught us AnandaBhairavi and I was enraptured. I was struck to Bilahari first and then Mohanam, now every thing seems more beautiful than the other. I was just wrapping up to go to sleep, when our ex-neighbour dropped in with her two cute adorable cancerian kids. Sneha was such a wobbly tiny baby with a wide pulsating scalp and now she has grown up so much in matter of months. Kids! Joyce akka taught me how to make puffed phulkas. She is an amazing cook.

Talks somehow turned to Sai baba’s death and suddenly akka started telling about Mother Teresa. She was in her second year nursing college it seems, when Mother Teresa died. She described Mother’s feet, which was just like a hard worked labourer’s feet full of cracks and hardened. We had so many lessons in our KV text books about Mother’s service. My rosy picture of Kolkatta was marred forever after reading The City of Joy. At times I wonder, it took her to bring in humanitarianism without blowing trumpets, how could fellow Indian citizens just stand it all the while.

Howrah bridge is always so crowded. In that crowd, when akka was in 8^th standard, she saw Mother along with other sisters wipe the oozing phlegm and saliva of a mentally retarded beggar with her palms and carry him physically. Akka said, she is a nurse paid to take care of patients, yet she feels disgusted with nausea when sees the pus or loose motion. Yet mother did it with such loving care. Akka says, this image still haunts her. Reminded me of St. Francis Assissi swallowing pus so that he could serve showing only love on his face.

Akka further described how mother brought up so many abandoned kids. When the girls grew up, she would arrange their marriage and contribute all household items. Mother took under her care, unwed mothers and took care of the babies without resulting in abortions.

In 1979, for the first time in Nobel Prize history, the 5 course meal banquet in Grand Hotel was cancelled, because Mother refused to attend. She instead hosted a Christmas dinner for 2k poor people in Kolkatta. In the first-two years after joining IT industry, i used to love the office treats where some scapegoat team-member would spend exorbitantly for the entire team. After a while, I realized, what a colossal waste of money this was. I could find only one person who celebrated his b'day in an old age home and made the inmates happy with good food and company.

Akka stayed in Shishu bhavan it seems and many times she had seen mother wearing tattered clothes with many patches. In mother’s room only a mat and a pot for water used to be there. Mother died peacefully, after chest pain and she was questioning - how did Baba amass his wealth and live in such splendour? 1997, Princess Diana died; within a week Mother left.

I countered akka, quoting my doctor friends story, where many poor patients had received world class free cardiac treatment in Baba’s hospital. Finally, had to accept Mother’s benevolence and simplicity compared to the world wide access she had. An epitome of supreme loving service. Makes me wonder at the life am leading.

Am intrigued with this regression analysis link

Soul-melting Divine Pillayarpatti

(source:http://pillayarpattitrust.com/)

My brother studied in ACCET Karaikudi and he used to say that this was the only temple, that let every devotee have a peaceful darshan and it indeed turned out to be so true. These days, many big temples have harassing poojaris, even thirupathi poojaris hardly give you more than 5 seconds of darshan unless you are some VVIP or politician. (constraints are understandable, yet... the blissful solace is snatched in a hurried environment) One of my friends used to say that there were special poojas that were booked in advance for 50+ years in Thirupathi.

The trip

Our qualis came sharp at 4:45 am, but we started from home only at 6:13 a.m. Our bhai driver lamented that he been sleepless for 3 continuous nights and my cognizant late night cab crash due to sleeplessness of the driver flashed in my mind. Thank god, bhai had several tricks like non-stop talking - the same nonsense to keep himself awake. (The second day, he stated the same thing more than five times over and over again – like AB’s cockroach episode in Hum) It just reminded me of Aravind Adiga’s White Tiger. When one peruses a newspaper, there is always a selective reading that takes place. The drivers invariably end up reading all gory carnal stuff, which they happily spew on everyone around. I was wondering, do I have to listen to all these while going on a pilgrimage. Anyway that’s fine, he needs his outlet.

But one lesson I learnt was about the highways. Those days, the kings built rows of huge shady trees on both the sides of the roads, but these days NHAI, builds highways and overbridges (which makes me wonder when it would collapse) and plants fragile flowers that have to constantly inhale the vehicle fumes and still bloom. It is always such a comfort travelling under refreshing tree shades especially in South India. How many of us own AC vehicles to beat the heat? And we are harping about climate change. I wish NHAI also planted trees on both the sides of the roads.

Pristine pure Karpaga Vinayagar

We washed our hands and feet by the tap near the kulam which had my favourite white-yellow flowers of perfection.

Fish in the water

Vedic hymns were being recited at the entrance, some poojas were going on.

By the western gopuram

I had done a quick search for the temple lore, but nothing came close to the actual imagery. Karpaga Vinayakar was exquisitely carved out of the mountain. The arrangement of lamps and flowers was so captivating. We were amongst the first to witness the 9 am abhishekam. The poojaris bid us to sit so that we could watch. This time, I did not mind about the curd, milk and other items being poured down. Somehow this time, god knows why, tears swelled up my eyes, though I had no reason for any sadness (could be the after effects of listening to newspaper stories) – there was something in the temple air, that just melted you. Vinayakar and the ambience was so blissful, that you almost have an out of the body experience sitting there.

By the north facing entrance

Northern Gopuram

We were told, walk as if you are doing a pradakshina, take bath as if you are doing an abhishekam, talk as if you are conversing with god, think about God every moment. So I was wondering, is this how we are supposed to bath? There was one scene in the movie ‘Agni Varsha’ where Raveena bathes with milk. I read somewhere that bathing in cow’s milk absolves one of all sins. And then images flash of women and children who die of starvation without a morsel of food. Sisters who starve for months without food.

After abhishekam, the poojaris quickly did the alankarams with such efficiency. The end result was simply dazzling, heavenly. Seeing a well nourished, prosperous, beautiful image always has some sort of soothing effect on the mind.

My learnings about Vinayakar

Thanks to this trip, I happened to read about Vinayak’s 8 incarnations and his various vehicles in addition to mouse, what the mooshika signified through the Mudgala and Ganesha Puranas. Vinayak is supposed to symbolize Om. All singers start with the geetham – Lambodhara lakumikara. Lam is supposed to be associated with the basic chakra – Mooladhara. But in the moola manthra of Mahaganapathy, Gam is also indicated in addition to the other 4 bheejas – indicating its association with the Manipura chakra if I consider Gam to be from the swara ‘Ga’. Whatever explanation or interpretation one gives to the mouse, the pot belly, the chopped tusk, it all points the same thing, tame the ahamkara, to overcome all internal 6 enemies and external obstacles through clear thinking, self realization etc.

Our teachers taught us that thopukaranam (similar to repeated uthkatasana pulling your ear lobes with crossed arms with the thumbs in the front) is very useful to stimulate learning in classrooms.

In one of my courses 'Self Transformation using Indian Approaches' my book review was on Vivekachudamani. I have been obsessed by Adi Shankaracharya ever since then. Here is a link that i was looking for: Ganesha Pancharathna

Tomatoes - A two minutes dash

Folks had gone out for shopping yet again. I thought I would survive on grapes. But even after munching grapes for 20 minutes, my tummy continued grumbling and I was too lazy to cook something elaborate.

Only beetroots, avarakai, brinjals, potatoes were there. So i lit the stove, chopped 2 tomatoes white the tava got heated and made 2 thick yet crisp tomato dosas in 2 minutes and lo my lunch was ready. To accompany it was idli podi (kadala paruppu, ulundu, sesame seeds and asafoetida) in ghee and a thick cup of yoghurt.


Thanks to curd, it is very filling and takes hardly any time to cook.

My friends eat raw tomatoes slices their sandwiches or with lunch everyday in hostel. Tomatoes eaten raw make the skin glow. It is useful for vata and kapha people. It is a blood purifier and cures various ailments like stomach ache, piles, jaundice. It controls excessive fat. The scarlet colour of tomatoes in the peel with a tinge of carmine red and dark orange inside is always stimulating.

For the function this saturday, my first choice of goddess Saraswathi's combos of ivory white with maroon border was dismissed - being very traditional. So I switched on to the only available sari - a crimson red with golden border. Alas the blouse is in between scarlet and carmine red. Will have to live with it, unless my folks get me a perfect matching blouse this day.

A Simple Lunch for Rama Navami

I was happily lazing around, till this morning, when I realized that the main cook (mom) had to go out and the assistant cook (sis) had to stay out of kitchen. So I had to do a fine juggling between protecting my manicured nails and cooking – chopping vegetables and cleaning with water.

My cooking is usually dependent on the available vegetable at home. When am in a mood to experiment, I do a search based on the vegetable and typically at least 25+ recipes from various cuisines come up for each vegetable. Then based on the prime eater’s choice the recipe is fixed.

This morning, mom had prepared moong dal sambar, coconut chutney and karuvepuillai (curry leaves) chutney for idlis and happily went out for arranging rooms for guests. Fencing is going on. So for the 2 fencers, we periodically gave chilled whisked butter milk (with a dash of fried powdered curry leaves, cumin seeds and a bit of asafoetida), chilled panagam and bottles of water.

Our Simple Lunch

For lunch the vegetables available were Ridge gourd, Brinjals and Paruppu Keerai. My brother declared that he would boycott lunch if I added peerkangai in anything. Non veg eaters seldom appreciate the less popular vegetables. So it was a very simple varathu araicha kathrika sambar, tomato rasam, poricha keerai kootu with moong dal, curd, arisi vathal (vathal was made by our carpenter’s niece). Since it was Rama navami I also prepared Panakam (just like our usual sukku malli kapi – instead of sukku, it is fresh ginger, no malli but with a dash of pepper , flavoured with divine cardamoms).



Today most of the things – Brinjals (aggravates pitta), keerai and vathal happened to be vata aggravating. It is very difficult to cook considering each of our body constitution and its suitable vegetable and pulses. I have vata-pitta, my sis has purely kapha, my brother has vata-kapha. I prefer ghee in all my dishes while my siblings keep away from ghee. So I ensure, collectively the dishes have ingredients that pacify our respective body doshas.

Panakam (ginger – aggravates pitta, stimulates kapha, pepper – aggravates pitta, good for vata and pitta, jaggery – increases pitta, decreases kapha, Cardamom balances vata and kapha)


Paruppu Keerai



http://www.tarladalal.com/glossary-Bathua-%28Cheel-Bhaji%29-1815i
http://www.kamalascorner.com/2008/03/agathi-keerai-pasalai-keerai-spinach.html

1. Bathua finds a use in the treatment of some skin conditions, and the oil made from these leaves is used to treat hook worms.
2. It is rich in vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, trace minerals, iron and fibre.

This was another mini virundhu, I had prepared long before. It had avarakkai sambar, kothuvaranga paruppu usili (my favourite), chow chow kootu, murukku, motichoor laddoo, mysorepa and nellika oorukai with poovam pazham. Usual rasam, curd followed later.


Yet another mini virundhu: In it is Bharwan bindi, murunga keerai poriyal, potato poriyal, radish sambar, badam payasam.

For Ammayi - Semiya Payasam, Pumpkin Halwa, Carrot Poriyal, Pumpkin Poriyal, Manathakkali Kootu, Karunai Kilangu Roast, Maanga Inji Thokku, Sweet Bonda, Manathakali Keerai Pakoda, Vazhaikai Bajji, Avarakai Sambar

 

Moong Dal Payasam, Avarakai Sambar, Beetroot Poriyal, Drumstick Leaves Poriyal, Curd, Poovam Pazham

Akaravadisal, Neiparuppu sadham, Murungai Keerai, Carrot Poriyal, Thakkali Chutney, Vathal, Curd

 Am slowly building a doc over the years that has a CCP (cut copy paste) of various RCI to international cuisines - recipes, based on seasonal or difficult vegetables that I had not tried at home. (7 recipes with gongura, 6 with bitter gourd, 16 with cabbage, 12 with ridge gourd, 10 with capsicum and so on)

Be a Baby

From François Fénelon (6 August 1651 – 7 January 1715) "Knowledge Can Stand in the Way of Wisdom" (introduced to me from Kristin's Blog)

Soyez enfant

L'enfant n'a rien à lui

Il traite un diamant comme une pomme

Soyez enfant.

Rien de propre.

Oubliez-vous.

Cédez à tout.

Que les moindres choses soient plus grandes que vous.

Be A Baby

A baby owns nothing.

It treats a diamond and an apple alike.

Be a baby.

Have nothing of your own.

Forget yourself.

Give way on all occasions.

Let the smallest person be greater than you.

(cf. BG vi.8) see vedabase for word by word meaning:

jñāna-vijñāna-tṛptātmā kūṭa-stho vijitendriyah
yukta ity ucyate yogī sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanah

(.... a clod, a stone and a piece of Gold are the same....)

Emerson's Brahma

Ralph Waldo Emerson (25 May 1803- 27 Apr 1882, could be Poosam) was strongly influenced by the Vedas, and much of his writing has strong shades of advaita. From wiki: One of the clearest examples of this can be found in his essay "The Over-soul":

We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE. And this deep power in which we exist and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, is not only self-sufficing and perfect in every hour, but the act of seeing and the thing seen, the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, are one. We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining parts, is the soul.

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Emerson’s poem Brahma poignantly captures a part of the essence of Gita:

If the red slayer think he slays,

Or if the slain think he is slain,

They know not well the subtle ways

I keep, and pass, and turn again.

Far or forgot to me is near;

Shadow and sunlight are the same;

The vanish'd gods to me appear;

And one to me are shame and fame.

They reckon ill who leave me out;

When me they fly, I am the wings;

I am the doubter and the doubt,

And I the hymn the Brahmin sings.

The strong gods pine for my abode,

And pine in vain the sacred Seven;

But thou, meek lover of the good!

Find me, and turn thy back on heaven.

Kanchivarams and Silk Sarees

Discovered that Chinese empress Lei Zu was supposed to have invented the silk fabric. I wonder what our Indian kings and queens wore before that. (Wiki says silk got established in India only by AD 300). There is one Ravi Varma – ‘Draupadi dreading to meet Kichaka’ with her alluring mild carmine pink sari, that is always fresh in my mind even decades after having seen it. What did Panchaali actually wear in her times? Did the goddesses not mind the killing of trillions of silkworms for covering their bodies?

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What would happen if the lady mulberry silkworms and moth caterpillars’, loved to wear dresses created out of the threads or whatever made from skins of human beings (equivalent of their pupae) thrown in boiling hot water? I can’t imagine such a fate for any jeevan. Anyway silks are supposed to be sacred just like deer skin and tiger skin, honey (vamanam by honeybees), cow's milk (uchishtam). Kaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad states that just as one driving a chariot looks at the wheel of the chariot, so he looks upon day and night; so upon good deeds and evil deeds and upon of pairs of opposites.

Learnt that, there are at least 13 Indian ways of draping a sari, depending on where you are from. (Without including Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi or other Asian countries style) There are at least 38 types of silk saris which I could discern. In Trichy Thailas Silks, where we went for my sister’s marriage shopping, we only had Kanchivarams (samudrika, kodi design, butta, work-embroidery), Pochampally (classical mostly with square patterns), Arani (simple plain around 2k) and Thirubhuvanam (around 12k). And our in-laws feel any sari beneath 15k to be beneath their dignity.

The previous day, I called all cousins, sils, aunts to make a list of who wanted which colour silk sari. We bought 14 kanchivarams (9 samudrika, 1 khodi design, 2 butta, 3 work embroidery) and 24 Aparna silks for gifting relatives and friends. Aparna silks cost around 500, do not require meticulous chemical dry cleaning and look exactly like kanchivarams. However if I were to close my eyes and feel the texture, Kanchivarams are poles apart from economical Aparnas. Rather than silk, I prefer the flowing sensuous feel of plain Mysore silks, synthetic satin, butter silk, soft Japanese crape or muslin on my skin rather than these heavy gold bordered Kanchivaram or Benaras. They say, in those days, the diaphanous silk sarees were so fine that they could be passed through a ring.

I was so exhausted after shopping that I could not move out for 2 days to distribute invitation cards to my mentors or even post invites for my friends. Wish I had a robot or wish my brother was here so that this job of inviting people could be outsourced. And this is only for my friends list. I can’t imagine compiling a list and going physically to everyone’s home for the whole brood of extended family, relatives and friends. What a public fanfare for a strictly private affair? Too much of big fat Indian wedding! How did Valluvar wed Vasuki? What exemplary life they led. Simplicity where have you gone into hiding?