Memoirs.....Musings of a sales guy at heart.....

Village life....contd....

Part 4.

There are few things which I felt were left out in my earlier posts on my village life....

There is our village deity Vathulai Amman temple (at the entrance of our village) and also across the river, Draupadi Amman temple...

Our villagers, every year, between April-June, this is across TN though, celebrate the summer festival, mostly the Ellai Amman (Devi). Every house contributes to the kitty and its done on a grand scale. The temple would be totally decked up and there would be Abhishekam and Aradhana every day and on the day of culmination, the Amman beautifully dressed (alankaram), kept on a chariot and taken around the village stopping almost outside everyone's home. This starts around 8ish and the chariot would return to the temple only in the morning. The village committee would bring some star performer of traditional 'karakattam', a kind of folk dance, and this troupe would obviously have some nice looking girls too. The music is very peppy and the lyrics are very topical and flavoured with a good amount of vulgarity too....as most of the local folks would be under the influence of illicit alcohol (it was prohibition time and hence), it would be total fun. My paternal uncle who used to work with NLC would come down for this festival every year and enjoy himself totally with the local brew. We would stop the buses, get in and collect money for the festival. This is quite a happening thing those days and the driver/conductor and passengers wont say a thing. 

Another festival is the Draupadi Amman festival where it would be dance dramas staged by artists from nearby places. The show would start around 9 in the evening and close at 5 in the morning. Mostly the plays would be of Mahabharat and Ramayan. The characters of male and female characters would be donned by men with good voice along with accompaniments on Harmonium and Tabla/dholak/mridangam with an assistant to sing along. The play would be full of songs and lesser of dialogs. We go there with food packed for the night and also with a mat on hand. These plays are made for village audience with lots of slapstick humor to keep the crowd cheering through out. The Mahabharata play would go for few days so as Ramayana. 

On the last day of the festival the men would perform 'fire walking' as a kind of surrender to the Goddess. I have done this once.

During the summer time, we would also sleep on the river bed as there would be no water. It used to be a different experience as when you get up in the morning the whole bed sheet/mat would be moisturized which means there is some hidden water under the sand(!).

Need to also mention about our village Nadaswaram (equivalent to Shenoy but tougher instrument) vidwan family who were very close to me and learnt from them a bit of thavil. Once when the guy who normally plays Tavil fell sick, they took me with them to as substitute and somehow I managed but for the next two days I suffered some major cramps on my shoulder joints. 

The village vendors were so simple. In our village one of the big families were Ramu Konar's-contemporary of my grand father and his sons managed the agriculture lands of the brahmins in the village on lease (its called 'kuthagai' in Tamil). Ayodhi one amongst them, used to run a grocery stores and Narayanan was the government employee-the postmaster. Ayodhi still runs a small grocery stores in our village. The Tea shops in the village were very popular and always with a minimum of 5 to 10 villagers anytime of the day hanging out there....that's their time pass...we also had a Malayali running a Tea shop in our village...his snacks were out of the world...This guy, Nair, also administers some kind of herbal medicines for snake and scorpion bites. I was bitten once by a scorpion while trying to steal some coins from my grandma's cash box (the scorpion was around that box probably guarding it from people like me!), and he treated me for it successfully. Another tea shop owned by a guy called Chinna Thambi...this guy was known for his quirky and quick wits...once an outsider who came to visit our temple, went to his shop and asked him what's available and this Chinnathambi guy, spontaneously quipped...'We have idli, chutney, sambhar and Thayanayagi's Sandu (sandu is piss...Thaiyalnayagi is his wife)...the consumer ran off from the shop. Another shop was run by a guy called Karuapplakattai...god knows why he got the name. Any shop you go, the idli and dosa were just divine...and not at all expensive and tea...they used to make the tea using the boiler and filters made of cloth. 

In our home, we have encountered poisonous snakes and scorpions. I just can't forget this incident..once I was about to enter the kitchen to get a glass of water and my grandma was busy cooking and as I was about to enter, I heard a 'hissssss' noise...startled I looked around and believe me, there was a snake settled well in my tiffin box (which I used to carry to my school) with its head fully open and tongue coming out making the 'hissssss'.  I ran inside the kitchen, got hold of my grandma, quietly came out of the kitchen, ran out again of the house and got the snake catcher...that guy, went thru the back door with a huge stick and a sharpnel tied in one end, and in one shot, got the snake in its neck....oooopppp sssss....we donated the tiffin box to him...

In most of the village homes, there would be a swing at the center of the living room and we had a beautiful one too. My grandma, after lunch would lie down and rest...she never used pillows but a wooden piece to rest her head. 

The village Ganapathi temple was built by our forefathers and the 'Utsava moorthy' was made by them...Ganapathi in standing position...once some robbery took place in this temple and when they were about to escape with the Moorthy, villagers caught them and the next day, they told my dad to keep the Moorthy in our home only and from that day onwards, he is with us...Our family is blessed by him. The temple is still there and it is on the bank of a beautiful pond.

I mentioned about my maternal side uncle and aunt (mother's sister) and I have to mention here my paternal side uncles too. My dad was the 1st in the family, and after him, was Jagatham, Nagu and Cheenu...All of us used to call them by their names only...never called them chithappa (uncle)....dont know how it happened. Jagadam used to work with NLC and even for a two day holidays he used to visit our village to spend time with us. He normally reach around midnight and in the morning he would be in the midst of us cuddling..he used to smoke beedi and that smell would wake us up...and we would not leave him at all...such a fun loving person. An incident has to be narrated here...My grandma left for her heavenly abode and her last journey to the crematorium started from our home. She died at the age of around 80 and the whole village was there...the 5th house from ours where another elderly but rich lady used to live...Kannamma mami...she came down to the street and started yelling 'Ayyo--you are leaving me and going!' She was all in tears but my uncle Jagadam immediately quipped 'why dont you also join her if you are going to miss her so much' and we all burst into laughter...forgetting it was our grandmas funeral...such a quick witted person. His son lives in Chennai.

Another person is Nagarajan aka Nagu....another great chithappa for us. He was employed in Tata Nagar and was single. He used to visit us once a year and spend few days and go back. He was the one who took care of my grandma sending her money every month. He used to send her INR 50 and probably it was enough for her. When I went to my village to pursue my school, he increased it to 80 and later when all the three of us settled there, he increased it to 100. The Money Order used to come around 5th of the month without fail. The moment it comes my grandma would just sign the acknowledgement and give us all INR 1 as pocket money and the rest would be handed over to my dad. He is 90 now and lives with my brother. Many of my Chennai friends know him well. Another fun loving person. 

Cheenu is the youngest of the brothers and was working in Simpson in Chennai....Cheenus daughters are all well settled and live in Chennai.

All the brothers did their schooling in our village and Ayyampet...

My father's side is full of fun irrespective of their financial status.

And they mix easily with the younger generations so well....

One more incident which is worth sharing here. After my college stint in Trichy, I came down to my village and my sisters also joined. Some fight happened between me and the rest (Grandma was always on my side) and in a fit of anger, I left home with a small bag and hardly any money, in the night, without telling anyone. I went straight to Kalyan who was studying in the Madras Film Institute, Tharamani. It was early morning and he received me with open arms. I stayed in his room which was already over crowded. He was pursuing acting course there. I realised later that Kalyan was struggling to make the ends meet. So I started looking for a job and one day, walked in at the Taj Coromandel, Chennai...it was brand new then. And got a job in housekeeping. Didnt know what it was. The interviewer asked me, before offering me the job, whether am okay to do cleaning of the floors et al. As I desperately wanted a job, I said yes, without realising what was in store for me. I was given the job to clean one entire function hall all by myself. As I was not used to that, it became a very painful affair. They provided good food in the night and I decided to sleep in the dorm as it was very late to go to Kalyans hostel. Next day morning when I got up, realised someone had stolen my footwear....I left the job immediately...got another job at Woodlands Adyar, as supervisor. This restaurant was premium one compared to others and a well laid out place. My job was to attend to the tables and speak to the customers for feedbacks...it was going well. The food was great and money was not much but manageable. But I left it as the manager of the place created some problem for me....so job less again. Once I had not a penny with me and asked Kalyan to provide some to me and as usual he was running on negatives....and he was leaving for Dalmia...so he gave me a letter to be given to his friend in Mannady and told me his friend would give me some money to manage till he comes back. So I took the bus to Mannady and goes to this friends place...a long walk...but his house was locked...I had hardly some 25 or 50 paise with me...so got in to a bus and was dropped near Gandhi Statue on Marina. I walked from there to Taramani and by the time I reached, I was completely famished....no paisa and was hungry...behind the hostel, we used to frequent on tea shop and I rushed there..went to the owner, and requested him to provide me some biscuits and tea and banana and money would be paid once Kalyan is back...that guy, didnt even hesitate for a minute...he provided whatever I asked for..(probably hunger was written all over my body)....We have such helping angels across...

So nothing was happening in Chennai and Kalyan's financial mess continued...so I decided to go to Tata Nagar to be with my Chithappa and look for a job there...So one day, with the same bag which I carried from my village, boarded Tata Nagar express at Madras Central and occupied a seat in the unreserved compartment. The train was empty...i dozed off...sometime in the night, i think it was Vizag, passengers swarmed the compartment...Till the train reached Tata Nagar, it was unmanageable...i remember drinking the tea en route, served in mud pots...an experience. I proceeded straight to my uncles office in Telco and when my uncle saw me it was shock of his life....But I enjoyed the month long stay there and my uncle informed my dad about my arrival but he was not keen on me settling down there...so after some time, he packed me off....and the day I returned to my village, I still remember, my house was filled with smoke emanating from the havan which was being done to perform the 'srardham' of my grandfather. My grandma, the moment she saw me, started crying....She was the one who missed me the most...it took some time for my sisters and dad to be okay with me....but guys it was my fault and rush of blood...but my stupidity gave sleepless nights to my sisters, my dad, my brother and grandma, till they got the letter from my uncle....I profusely apologised to them...

My village life...from birth to LKG...back only during holidays...from 8th to 11th in school...later back from Trichy....my grandma's death put an end to our village life and we migrated to Srirangam....

I make it a point to visit our village once a year minimum. When I stand in front of the barren land where once our home was, I get these flashbacks...the best of times and the toughest of them....

But we all love our village. 

My father especially used to love his trips. Fortunately before his death, we could make a trip to our village and he was overjoyed....

Till next,

Stay safe and enjoy this beautiful life....

Yours lovingly