My useless yet meaningful Pasam trip to Kodaikanal

Man Without Feet - There once was a man who complained of having no shoes – until he met another man with no feet.

My friend and I don’t need words to speak with each other – we simply trust each other and can continue our conversation as if we had just spoken seconds earlier even after years of silence. (If you are curious, he married the same girl written by agasthiyar naadi jyoshiyam 7th kandam, he shares my brother’s dob and his nakshathra is my favourite, aspirational revathi). So his sms about Kodaikanal Pasam Hospital triggered my unresearched trip there right after my discharge on March 15th, to find a free way to remove my surgical scars.

It was written in my horoscope 2 decades before i met with any of my accidents, that lagna lord mars in scorpio (incidentally lord of 6th as well) would result in body scars. I had thought that my 9 surgeries and the resultant scars were the worst thing to happen to a girl before my Kodai Paasam trip.

My mother and I had to fight hard to keep the caring smile on our faces with compassion in our hearts and stop our tears from spilling out, as we saw the close to hundred, various - usually 3rd degree burn victims, (earless Goan girl, etc) – prioritized for free scar removal from amongst mostly young girls out of the 900 patients who had registered for the annual free plastic surgery by German doctors in Paasam hospital.

Catch Me if You Can

So next year at least, I will register in time and see if at least my lower lips can get efficient and humane treatment in Paasam. Consultations had closed just the day before and patient prioritization had been done and surgeries had started by the time we reached there. So our only option was to catch the German doctors as they emerged in between surgeries, explain our case and see, if we coax them to operate on us as well. There were many worse cases than mine. I was thankful to god, for sparing my face from glass pieces in my vehicle accidents. It was an exact reflection of the thought that portrays the meaning, that when I complained to god that I didn’t have good shoes to wear, God showed me people who had no feet.

Beautiful Kodai

Chithappa’s spiritual contacts worked here as well. My host (descendant of Pudukottai royal family) had a spacious villa, right in the neighbourhood of Dhayanidhimaran. He picked us up, bought us lunch and snacks, provided Green tea in his home, took us for a lake view ride in his car, time was up, else we could have gone for a boat ride, let me trot wildly on a docile whitish mare to my heart’s content and helped me find a Christian samaritan who could command the attention of anyone for actually getting the doctors to even speak to me in the first place. I figured out that my case comes under cosmetic surgery and not plastic surgery, which is not done in Pasam incidentally. He showed us the Shruthi place where Sai Baba stays, when he comes there every year.

We returned home the same day, thankful to God. Our host came home today all the way from Kodaikanal to return the discharge summaries and snap on horse that I had forgotten at his residence. Strange boding. :-)

Music Teacher’s Gift

My ma’m has this habit of giving something or the other to us for every occasion. Last time for Vijayadashami, I got a plate. This time for the Thyagarajar Aradhana that I missed, this is what she gave me this evening. A pink serving tray with a golden rim. My childhood’s favourite colour. Those were the days, I viewed the world through baby pink glasses, every dress that dad bought me, right down to slippers were all baby pink. Later my dress shades changed to earthish biegish shades. Am no longer wondering, why girls are obsessed with pink. :-)

With my cleansing Karpuravallis and mini oranges for Tuesday



My experiments with music

I had always wanted to learn carnatic music after struggling with the pronunciation and song form of LalithaSahasranama in 2006 when I bought my yellow sapphire (Kanaka Pushparagam) and had to do its associated sanctification pooja. Somehow only last year, I got a chance to enroll for formal carnatic music classes. So I researched net and I was surprised to see that the 7 swaras and chakras had the link. So I used to close my eyes for the sarali, mel sthayi, janda, dhatu etc and visualize the corresponding chakra region. Somehow, to synchronize thalam, chakra visualization and to sing was tasking. To top it all, talams for geethams, swarajathis and varnams etc varied making it difficult for me to practice swaras and the corresponding pallavi charanams keeping in mind the chakras region. All this because I have not still memorized most of the songs. Finally I let go, forgetting the chakras, forgetting the talams, just swaying and moving my hands and finger tips, just following and flowing with the nerve sensations in my body as I sang.

Thalams and Mudhras

I had put a list of 6 vedic areas for my study plan and mudhras was one of them. The most efficient form of exercise without any strain. No gymming, no swimming, no straining yoga asanas and pranayams. Suits the lazy me. Karagre vasathe gives layers and layers of meanings each time it comes in mind. Now all I have to do is 8 minutes surya mudhra per day in summers for my weight, various other mudhras for digestion, relaxation, concentration and other health aspects all lying down on bed or sitting in one place after setting the timer. Amazing. Tested, Surya Mudhra works for sure. :-) Hats off to the teachers who figured this out in the first place. 72000 naadis?

Dasa mudhra samaradhya - She who is worshipped by ten postures
Karanguli nakhothpanna narayana dasakrithi - She who created the ten avatharas of Narayana from the tip of her nails (when Bandasura sent the Sarvasura asthra (arrow), she destroyed it by creating the ten avatharas of Vishnu)
Nakadhi dhithi samchanna namajjana thamoguna - She who removes the darkness in the minds of her devotees by the sparkle of nails

For more details:
http://complete-education.blogspot.com/2008/12/prithvi-shaamak-or-surya-mudra.html
http://www.healthandsoul.com/hasta-mudra-beneficial-for-age-groups-part-1.html
http://thetaoofgoodhealth.com/6-awesome-health-benefits-of-bananas-9/

OMANDUR TEMPLE

Kural-236 "Thontir pugazhodu thontuga…"
Meaning : If you are born (in this world), be born with qualities conductive to fame. From those who are destitute of them it will be better not to be born.
This was the kural meaning written on the government bus which my mom and I boarded.

Amazing Vanni tree that supported me gave me shade from the hot sand and sun.



Why this temple?

My soothsayer asked us to go this temple so my mom dragged me to this temple. This temple is indeed miraculous. Even few minutes of meditation here, gives abundant blessings, that I was forced to do shanthi thavam just after 5 minutes, for peace, to stop my headache. I could not do it the way Vethathri Maharishi had asked us to, focusing on spinal cord. Thankfully, I remembered yesterday’s Ambal shop's mantra just in time to get rid of headache. I wanted some space ‘Far from The Madding Crowd’ and was sitting after taking the temple snaps near the madapalli. Water spilling out from the pipe at distance came near my feet where I was sitting and I playfully splashed in the water, taking care not to wet my sari. It was fun.

There are such evolved souls in this temple who can withstand all the arul (blessings) but at this stage, I cannot. I actually saw the very old poojari (> 60 years) roll on the blazing hot scorching noon ground with lightening speed, jump, bend and spring like doll thrice or more times, saliva came out, people were scared he would hit the hard granite stones nearby. He quickly went to the heavy vel (spear), uprooted it from the ground and went around the Masi Periyanna Swamy temple and finally put it back in its place after circumambulating it once.

Temple History



Annai Kaamakshi, Ekambareshwarar in Jyothi forms

This is my attempt at literal translation of the tamizh booklet by Thiru E.Ganeshan as my mom read the poem form of history which is recited beating Udukku (small hand drum). Know the temple history of Big Temple in 12th century with pride. Think with mind (manas) Annai Kamakshi and divine (arul) Masi Periyanna.

There was a child named Karalan, who herded cattle at the base of Kollimalai. Masi and Arabali were two Malayali friends. The malayalis conducted a big pooja, where outsiders were not allowed. With the help of friends, our son Karalan, went inside temple to see the pooja. In the malayali crowd, he hid in the attic to see it. He incurred sin, since he saw it hiding.

There is one outsider amongst us, bring him, revealed the blessed voice. He listened to us being one amongst us in spite of being an anniyan (outsider). The next day the poojari ordered Karalan to be beheaded. Karalan was scared to death and prayed to God. Kamakshi came in Karalan’s dream, only for one second you would be with cows, she said. Whereever the herd of cows stops, we will be there and you can construct a beautiful temple, she said.

Balagan (the kid) woke up and looked at his cows. At dawn he herded his cows. He stayed at night in Vaithychetty palayam. The next day, he stayed in VeeraMacchanPatti. The third day, MuthiyamPalayam. 4th day he followed his cows.

At a place, where Vanni tree and Kunni tree were present, the cows started moving in circles. There was a loud sound like O due to tree branches shaking and Ma sound of cows. Cows bent on their knees and mooed in joy. Karalan raised his hands above and prayed to God. O and Ma joined in this place, sinless Maasi Periyannan’s soil. Hence the name Ommandur.

Trivia

Sweet Pongal is given as prasad. Pooja is done with mud and jyothi only on Mondays and Fridays. All deities are in the form on jyothis, and no statues are there, making it even more divine and sublime. Special poojas are done on Chithirai 1st, Thai 1st, Jan 1st. Aadi 18th and 28th. Maasi month (march) mahashivarathiri day – festival is celebrated with gusto. This temple reiterates the importance of kula devatha prayers, before starting anything. Practical modern day blessed poojaris. There is no archana sheet and no compulsion that arathi will be done only if you put money (like in Kukke Subrahmanya). On Mondays and Fridays, the present poojari (grandson) finishes his pooja to deities and answers all devotees questions freely and practically the whole day. Invigourating temple.

Parts of temple that caught my attention

There are 12 pillars by the south and north side. 2 center pillars.



Devi Mahima



Ekabareswarar, MaasiPeriyanna, Shakthi



Omrishi – reminded me of the short story – The man without the face



Baba Ramdev connection

I was amused to see this poster reporting that Baba Ramdev was coming nearby on 26th.


Finally could not help remembering the soul melting swarajathi, Kamakshi ni padayugame sthiramani ne nammi by Syama Sastri in Yadukulakambhoji. I am still struggling with mishra chaapu talam though. :-)

Thakkali Bhai

He has supplied us vegetables for more than 3 decades. There is no such strategic CRM with jargons, frameworks and all that here. Just plain simple trust and honesty. We were just finishing off our dinner when he came home lifting a huge heavy bag of vegetables. He told us that he saw mom lifting the bag with difficulty and hence he came home.

He started reeling off his stories for 30 minutes, didn’t accept dinner and had just one banana. One Tulasi thailam went to soothsayer and one went to him for his toe wound. Now the other two are missing. It came and now it is all gone in just one day. When he got wounded, one airport police guy gave him bandages, HAPP guy got him medicines, one malayali lady quickly washed her hands and tied the bandage to arrest the blood flow.

I can sense the marked difference in his attitude though his appearance was still the same. People change so much in a few decades and become so philosophical. One of his daughter had developed breast lump it seems which she did not tell before her marriage. He spent 5k for that surgery and paid Rs.50/- interest per day for that loan. He was relating about his daughters lives. How even in this old age, he had to work till the last day for a living, since they could not stay in of his daughter’s home for more than 2 days. He related with joy how angelic his grand daughters were unlike him, taking after their mothers. He recollected the affection those tiny tots showered on him, mentioning with pride each words of love. He promised to buy me more fresh and natural vanilla from market on Monday. Eggless cakes as well. I told him, it does not matter. Still he persisted, describing the cake with gusto.

I was still dressed in my shorts after permaculture and dinner preparation. He saw my oedema, enquired about my job and said, look after it, since during pregnancy, legs get swollen even more naturally. Need to research on oedema now. If it comes for just 100 kms bus travel, it is bad. Would Charukesi (beautiful hair??) raga help in this?

It was written that i would have Thulukiyar friends. But two (Rose and Thakkali bhai) dropping home in one day was amusing.


Thakkali Bhai’s History

He is a pathani. As a kid he worked near Pudukottai assisting in selling vegetables. Once the shop owner in his anger over some issue, threw the measuring stone on bhai. Our bleeding bhai got a ride in a passing lorry and alighted in a place where his future father-in-law took over his life.

Inititally, bhai sold only tomatoes (thakkali), onion and potatoes, carrying them to his customers quarters in his cycle. Once he realized that vendors were buying vegetables in market for Rs 6/- and selling it for Rs.14/- in OFT, he started selling other vegetables also, sitting in one place instead of cooing in streets pedaling his cycle.

Bhai's Customer Relationship Management Strategy

He does not do Rs.10/- business. 99% of his dealings are in Rs.100s. For making his well deserved profits, he sells all vegetables at a uniform rate. Hence, once the factory gets over, there is a huge queue in his shop and the waiting time is at least 30-40 minutes, while other vegetable vendors get only the impatient customers. He has a sweet way of speaking with everyone. Knows everyone by name, where they live, their kids, their jobs, their personal problems, speaks their languages.

He adds extra vegetables, or adds few fruits if the total cost of the vegetables and fresh fruits bought is less than Rs.100/- to make up. He gives kind of smashed tomatoes or otherwise slightly damaged vegetables, coriander curry leaves for free over and above the vegetables cost. Thus avoiding his wastage and improving customer satisfaction (giving more than expected). It is a win-win situation for both the customers and bhai. While other customers are selling green leafy vegetable for Rs 8/- bhai sells it for Rs. 2/-, stating that was the cost in market and that everyone should benefit by eating healthily. If some customer starts complaining about price or the way bhai weighs, bhai swiftly throws extra vegetables and the weighing scale balance which goes down with his swift force remains down and the customer is also satisfied. Bhai seldom gets angry, always sweetly reasoning out his prices, stating how much profit he makes for each vegetable he sells.

Quick Fix

We four had polished off half the water melon and I had parceled the remaining half for them. Curd for making lassi was over. Only a little milk was left along with vanilla payasam I had made earlier in fridge. So when my niece came home unexpectedly, I was in a fix. I could not ask my guests to return the half water melon to serve my niece. Luckily, some bit of water melon was still left sticking to the rind. I mixed vanilla payasam, milk in the lassi mixie and wow vanilla milkshake was ready in a jiffy to refresh my niece.

Only 3 grapes were still fresh left out of the 1 kg my BIL had got us. That along with a mini spoonful of Palani panchamrutham.



I liked the name Laura after the character in Eric Sehgal's Doctors. I named myself Laura Stevenson during my first stop gap call center job in 2003. My niece’s name is Preethi. I like the name Preethi. And now even more after realizing the truth in being born to pursue fame as in Thirukural.

I made cauliflower kuruma and chappathis with a liberal dose of ghee for dinner. And later we had sweet vanilla milk before hitting bed.

Shanivaar - Rest and Service

Permaculture Update

I was so glad to see the ponnakanni keerai and pasala keerai sporting new budding leaves this morning. Smart plants. :-) Even cows walking all over them, didn't deter them from fighting back. I watered them in sheer glee. Had a hearty breakfast of ghee dosas, moong dal sambar and coconut chutney flavoured with fresh curry leaves from backyard.

Today’s Lessons

Today Swamy came home again. I offered him sweet lassi and chopped watermelons. When you know only a little you go yap yap, else you just keep your trap shut in sheer silent ecstasy. When you realize this simple truth – as in Gita, you can’t help rejoicing again and again in pristine joy. Am still the blind girl exploring by feeling, bits and pieces of this big elephant universe. And hence this blogging.



Today’s Lessons:

Few boys were eating cucumber slices after applying red chilli powder and salt to it. An old man close to 80 years old asked them – why are you eating cucumber? The guys replied for cooling the body, for quenching thirst. The old man then retorted – why are you then adding chilli powder and salt to the cucumber slices. If you apply salt and chilli to your eyes, how does it feel? The sliced cucumber pieces feel the same pain, but they bear it in silence to quench your thirst.


After this gyan, I was so scared of cooking with fire – cutting vegetables. Oh man, I recollected the Zen thought that you can’t pluck a flower without disturbing a star above. Whatever, the sea is unaware of its own waves. Sarvam God or good force arpanamastu.

These people might not have the physical traits of a true guru. But these are practical people with vaaksiddhi. They stood by me and took care of me, even when all my friends and my whole family forsake me during my toughest period.

For years, they feed anyone rich or poor beggar, any creature whoever comes to their home with all they have for any number of days, their guests choose to stay. Christians, muslims, hindu devotees come there and get healed. Mini church and mosque is set up there. He prays in a temple under construction, which was a famous temple hundreds of centuries earlier. That soil SithuOonaVayal (Gyaan Vayal) has such healing powers. Incidentally, the new IIM Trichy is going to be set up around its periphery.

Jasmine – Madurai Kattu – Finger Scratching Back

I was just returning from Dabbias tailor shop that I saw this guy tying jasmines the way I had seen only in Madurai. I stood there rooted and enchanted, slowly learning from him. Finally I asked his permission to take a snap. He quickly got up, arranged the stand for the snap. I left to go after taking the snap, but the granny in the nearby flowers stand asked me to buy it. I told her how much can I buy, and then quickly realizing my mistake, I bought it. The guy asked only Rs.10/- for this. It would have cost others Rs. 15/-. I paid the remaining Rs.5/- with my heartfelt thankful smile.

My New Teacher



My Fruits



I cut half the flower strand for myself and offered the remaining half to god. Guess, rather than letting these flowers dry in samy shelf, this day, I would wrap them for Selvi in JMJ Convent. She is a born fighter. Once I read in Readers’s Digest about a girl whose legs were struck by lightning in a rocky forest. She dragged herself using only her hands for miles to reach for help. Even Selvi does the same thing from the day she was born. Her physical legs are as thick as drumsticks. She drags herself to Indian toilets using her hands, she spins baskets when her hands are not infected. She fights back everyday. Am glad, even when her family forsake her, God arranged a caring convent to adopt her.

My lessons – Jai Guru Datta

29. Do Not Feel That *You* Are Helping Others
“The feeling, 'I am helping others and going to help others' is wrong. It is mixed with Ahamkara (the feeling of I.) The feeling to possess must be, 'the Lord who is the entire universe of which I am only a minute particle.' It is like the finger being only a part of the body and it cannot be the body. The Lord, wishing to conduct acts of welfare, uses the medium He chooses best. It is like using the finger to scratch an itchy spot on the back. 'He' decides to choose the individual. The individual will know about the will of the Lord through his Guru and then only the feeling sprouts inside the heart of the individual to assist others. Again, it is like the finger and the back. It is not the power in the finger to get the finger to scratch the back, the finger can never do the function of the body totally."


Rose and blessings - Later this day

I was collecting tamarind that had fallen on ground dressed in my shorts in the backyard after having lunch. Nothing worked as I had planned. I didn’t cross the front door today. In a way it was good, my left leg oedema was still persisting after yesterday’s Omandur trip. I wanted to give the jasmine strand to JMJ convent Selvi. But it is fine, it went to N. Her name means wild rose, her daughter’s name means God’s Blessings. She is living separate after delivery, always carrying her daughter A on her hips. She shares her b’day with Britney Spears. I took them to the jhoola and swayed with A on my lap. It was fun. Need to fix the ropes firmly on the mango tree branch though. It is so slippery. Am praying her Singapore husband should call her back soon. Hoping jasmine’s aphrodisiac properties should bring back the lost love between the couple.

A was up on the tea-poy emptying everything, serving with ladle nonexistent food on my mom’s plate. Throwing away cheese balls, emptying idli podi, playing with cell-phone with hand washing water bowl nearby. In order to distract her from throwing away the medals and small decoration items in disarray, and creating further melee in the quarters, I switched on the TV, watching her actions as I changed the channels in parallel. She stopped still, stopped her destruction, came near TV and started waving her hands only for Sun music songs. Glad, music works, gladder still it was a soothing music being played in the channel right when it was needed.