My family hails from Virudhunagar.
District headquarters, famous for Burma kadai protta (Tamil version of Kerala parota and completely different from the Punjabi paratha), VVV college for women where the only man allowed in is an aged watchman(feminist version of Sabari Mala...Take that),Bhai kadai mutton makes the juiciest mutton chops, Sugary palmyra juice called paini served in palm leaves cup(prepubescent stage of toddy), Kodiakapalam (tamarind looking sweet fruits on thorny bushes meant for goats but we have acquired a unique liking to it much like the west's avocado obsession), baby cucumbers so tender like a new born's fingers. Many items like Rangoon beans, palm jaggery we Virudhunagar expats stock up for a year. Our obsession with these things gets a little awkward to explain to non V people especially airport CISF security. They ran my bag at each check point through EDS( explosive detection systems). Little country bombs embedded in single pod garlic and jaggery moulds maybe.
OK now the good things stop here.
The place is terribly hot, water is hard to taste and get, relatives aka old aunts are so caustic that litmus paper will change colour just by their whispers. Clothes,jewelry,skin colour(btw most of us are in fifty shades of coffee,cappuccino to espresso but we have innovative terms to describe it like the eskimos have for shades of white) are topics of ever entertaining unending conversations. Somehow everyone knows everyone , better still we are also related....(one big vasudeva kutumbam), so everyone knows everything about everybody...you get the drift...
Right from the times of my paternal grandparents, most of my family has made career and a living outside V but we get back to our roots once a year for the annual Mariamman Pongal. Apparently my Grandma told all her newly wed daughters in law to make it to this festival every year. Her way of keeping cord ties with her sons, I guess. Amma hailing from the same place reinforced our love for this Goddess and her annual extravaganza.
Now Mariamman unlike most Aryan Gods is worshipped on the lines of pre-vedic form of Hinduism aka Dravidian folk religion. Mariamman is considered mother Goddess, much like the Greek Mother Goddess Gaia. We believe She has given birth to all and She is typically associated with Shakthism. She is fierce and powerful and yet forgiving and all encompassing of her children.So there are many forms of showing our love and devotion for her.
Water Deluge of Goddess Mariamman, Black and White dot smeared body adorned with neem leaves camaflouge dressing, Kairu Kuthu, Agni Chatti(clay bowl of fire) carrying by devotees plain palm, Mulaipari (Sprouting or Germination of Nine Grains or Navadhanyam), making Pongal, Nei Villaku (kneaded flour shaped as lamps lighted with Ghee) , prostrated body circumambulation of the temple.......all to the sounds of beating drums and devotees fervent chants of Aaho Aiya Ho........some of them in a trance , dancing wildly
The atmosphere is electric...infused with faith...
We believe Mariamman will shower us with her blessings and all our wishes will come true.
Moving from in general Mariamman to my own Mariamman story...My parents were this very happy couple with 2 children,a boy and a girl,complete family,good job for Dad, beautiful Amma and their bucket list almost ticked off were living happily till one Mariamman Pongal. A devotee carrying Agni Chatti in her trance mumbled something to Amma .... I will fill your lap with a lot of wealth and happiness but you will not have that to continue your lineage..But you will never regret that because there will so much good to have... like the Oracles of Delphi, some mumbo Jumbo and was quickly forgotten....and Voila ....I arrived 10 months later, a girl....completely unplanned and unexpected....after a quick recall my parents thought I was this special child directly sent from Mariamman's lap to Amma's. I grew up with this story and I was given credit for most of my parents good fortunes.Mariamman also watched over me and I became the first Doctor in immediate family.
When it was time to announce my college romance and decision to marry outside the V diaspora, (again a first in immediate family) Mariamman came to my rescue .This time in the form a lady carrying Panakaram(sweetened tamarind drink) for the Goddess. Another prophecy in the trance to Amma.....She will look out for herself, You dont have to worry.....A week later when I broke the news expecting the worst , Amma surprised me with her interpretation of this Oracle and was the first one to be convinced inspite of all the "what will people say"
This , along with all the goodies V has to offer, I have not missed Mariamman's Pongal(if I could help it)
Fast forward to 2019 , Mariamman Pongal this year....I couldnot help it... I was going to miss this one......And everyone back home said things like Mariamman will understand..... child is caught in the cycle of work and family...mother after all
But my wish to be there was so strong...Mother aligned the cosmos ....flights were booked ....I reached just in time....... my ritual Mother Child greeting, love and worship flowed.....
I wanted to make Pongal for Mariamman but then again it was not going to happen.....logistics and odds were stacked against my time constraints. I was disheartened.... next year definitely , my heart consoled. Another cosmic realignment....I happened to be in my Aunts place whose neighbour was making the Pongal for Mariamman.They asked all the women present to put in the fistful of rice in the boiling pot.Bingo...even this wish got fullfilled.
Family times,Sibling love, catching up on V gossip,Nephews playful teasing, meeting aunts even if to get cauterised(blood is thicker than water,apparently), reunioun with paini, kodikapalam, mutton all were the happy pleotropic effects of Mariamman Ponga
Mariamman Pongal is me, I am the celebration, the Child, the Devotee.....this festival defines me
District headquarters, famous for Burma kadai protta (Tamil version of Kerala parota and completely different from the Punjabi paratha), VVV college for women where the only man allowed in is an aged watchman(feminist version of Sabari Mala...Take that),Bhai kadai mutton makes the juiciest mutton chops, Sugary palmyra juice called paini served in palm leaves cup(prepubescent stage of toddy), Kodiakapalam (tamarind looking sweet fruits on thorny bushes meant for goats but we have acquired a unique liking to it much like the west's avocado obsession), baby cucumbers so tender like a new born's fingers. Many items like Rangoon beans, palm jaggery we Virudhunagar expats stock up for a year. Our obsession with these things gets a little awkward to explain to non V people especially airport CISF security. They ran my bag at each check point through EDS( explosive detection systems). Little country bombs embedded in single pod garlic and jaggery moulds maybe.
OK now the good things stop here.
The place is terribly hot, water is hard to taste and get, relatives aka old aunts are so caustic that litmus paper will change colour just by their whispers. Clothes,jewelry,skin colour(btw most of us are in fifty shades of coffee,cappuccino to espresso but we have innovative terms to describe it like the eskimos have for shades of white) are topics of ever entertaining unending conversations. Somehow everyone knows everyone , better still we are also related....(one big vasudeva kutumbam), so everyone knows everything about everybody...you get the drift...
Right from the times of my paternal grandparents, most of my family has made career and a living outside V but we get back to our roots once a year for the annual Mariamman Pongal. Apparently my Grandma told all her newly wed daughters in law to make it to this festival every year. Her way of keeping cord ties with her sons, I guess. Amma hailing from the same place reinforced our love for this Goddess and her annual extravaganza.
Now Mariamman unlike most Aryan Gods is worshipped on the lines of pre-vedic form of Hinduism aka Dravidian folk religion. Mariamman is considered mother Goddess, much like the Greek Mother Goddess Gaia. We believe She has given birth to all and She is typically associated with Shakthism. She is fierce and powerful and yet forgiving and all encompassing of her children.So there are many forms of showing our love and devotion for her.
Water Deluge of Goddess Mariamman, Black and White dot smeared body adorned with neem leaves camaflouge dressing, Kairu Kuthu, Agni Chatti(clay bowl of fire) carrying by devotees plain palm, Mulaipari (Sprouting or Germination of Nine Grains or Navadhanyam), making Pongal, Nei Villaku (kneaded flour shaped as lamps lighted with Ghee) , prostrated body circumambulation of the temple.......all to the sounds of beating drums and devotees fervent chants of Aaho Aiya Ho........some of them in a trance , dancing wildly
The atmosphere is electric...infused with faith...
We believe Mariamman will shower us with her blessings and all our wishes will come true.
Moving from in general Mariamman to my own Mariamman story...My parents were this very happy couple with 2 children,a boy and a girl,complete family,good job for Dad, beautiful Amma and their bucket list almost ticked off were living happily till one Mariamman Pongal. A devotee carrying Agni Chatti in her trance mumbled something to Amma .... I will fill your lap with a lot of wealth and happiness but you will not have that to continue your lineage..But you will never regret that because there will so much good to have... like the Oracles of Delphi, some mumbo Jumbo and was quickly forgotten....and Voila ....I arrived 10 months later, a girl....completely unplanned and unexpected....after a quick recall my parents thought I was this special child directly sent from Mariamman's lap to Amma's. I grew up with this story and I was given credit for most of my parents good fortunes.Mariamman also watched over me and I became the first Doctor in immediate family.
When it was time to announce my college romance and decision to marry outside the V diaspora, (again a first in immediate family) Mariamman came to my rescue .This time in the form a lady carrying Panakaram(sweetened tamarind drink) for the Goddess. Another prophecy in the trance to Amma.....She will look out for herself, You dont have to worry.....A week later when I broke the news expecting the worst , Amma surprised me with her interpretation of this Oracle and was the first one to be convinced inspite of all the "what will people say"
This , along with all the goodies V has to offer, I have not missed Mariamman's Pongal(if I could help it)
Fast forward to 2019 , Mariamman Pongal this year....I couldnot help it... I was going to miss this one......And everyone back home said things like Mariamman will understand..... child is caught in the cycle of work and family...mother after all
But my wish to be there was so strong...Mother aligned the cosmos ....flights were booked ....I reached just in time....... my ritual Mother Child greeting, love and worship flowed.....
I wanted to make Pongal for Mariamman but then again it was not going to happen.....logistics and odds were stacked against my time constraints. I was disheartened.... next year definitely , my heart consoled. Another cosmic realignment....I happened to be in my Aunts place whose neighbour was making the Pongal for Mariamman.They asked all the women present to put in the fistful of rice in the boiling pot.Bingo...even this wish got fullfilled.
Family times,Sibling love, catching up on V gossip,Nephews playful teasing, meeting aunts even if to get cauterised(blood is thicker than water,apparently), reunioun with paini, kodikapalam, mutton all were the happy pleotropic effects of Mariamman Ponga
Mariamman Pongal is me, I am the celebration, the Child, the Devotee.....this festival defines me
Loved this....write more...
ReplyDeleteGreat read, I can see where Aditya gets his literary skills
ReplyDeleteA great blog Dr Getting back to ROOTS once in a year and connecting the DOTS back brings immense JOY to us and everyone _ Keep writing more
ReplyDelete