Kerala (India) is truly God’s Own Country. There is greenery all around and the beauty of nature never fails to enthrall me. Any person who has visited Kerala and its striking tourist spots would have definitely fallen in love with the place and wished for another opportunity to come again to soak in its expansive splendor. Whether it is the tea gardens in Munnar or the waterfalls, the rivers or the temples, everything is beautiful. There are special Ayurveda massages and treatments available at most resorts all around Kerala. Their approach is holistic and will leave you rejuvenated. The food is delicious and fish lovers can feast on a variety of fish preparations. There are houseboats on rent where you can relax and stay for a while. All facilities are available inside the boat including food and beverages. The temples are beautiful and evoke a feeling of devotion in us.
The climate is humid in most areas throughout the year. There are some areas in Wayanad though where it gets very cold in the winter months. You will encounter heavy rains between June to October. It is finally the greenery that remains embedded in your mind when you leave. Every morning when you open your eyes all you see are green trees and plants. A visit to Kerala will leave you complacent and relaxed. There could be no better way to soothe your nerves. “Nature in abundance” is how I would describe Kerala.

Photo: Rajesh Parambil

There was a time when the cock crowed aloud at Udaya, evidently happy that Malayalam Cinema was free from the clutches of the all-powerful Madras studios.

It was Kunchacko who started Udaya Studios at Alappuzha and dared to free Malayalam Cinema from the clutches of the Madras studios. Yes, Malayalam Cinema had drifted gradually from Modern Studios Salem and Pakshiraja Coimbatore to the studio floors in and around Kodambakkam in Madras (now Chennai) and the Marwari financiers in Madras too had a decisive and rather vicious role to play in the making of Malayalam Cinema. But then, Kunchacko took a big step and Malayalam cinema soon went ‘native’ as movies began to be filmed here, in Alappuzha.

Photo: Rajesh Parambil

Udaya Studios, which had as its logo a cock crowing atop a revolving globe, ushered in a new era in Malayalam Cinema. Merryland at Thiruvananthapuram followed suit and then Malayalam film-wallahs started shuttling mostly between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthauram.

The main gate of the Udaya Studio, situated beside the NH 47 near Alappuzha had the globe and the cock atop and once drew the attention of every passer-by.

But then, in the course of time, Malayalam cinema and cinema itself came out of the studios and things changed for Udaya and Merryland. Time ticked on, Kunchacko passed away. His mantle was taken over by his son, Boban Kunchacko.

However, Udaya, which produced many a blockbuster, went out of movie production. The bright lights dimmed and the once busy studio floors became dilapidated. The famous cock too vanished, one fine day.

Today, there is a buzz in the industry that the studio may be revived by Kunchacko Boban, Boban Kunchacko’s son and a successful actor. He, it seems, has plans to produce films under the Udaya banner, which he is proud to say, is his legacy.

So will the Udaya cock crow again? Only time can tell.

With all the new found interest in the story of the Pazhassi Raja on account of the movie, here is an account of a little known chapter in Travancore history which has possible connections to the Raja.

In 1812, a full seven years after the Pazhassi Raja’s death in the jungles of Wayanad, a conspiracy was uncovered in Quilon to overthrow the British subsidiary forces in Travancore and to confer the sovereignty of Travancore to the Pazhassi Raja’s nephew ([1], [2]). Here’s an account of the events [1]:

“On the night of the 24th May 1812 the existence of a conspiracy at Quilon having for its object the destruction of the European officers and men of the subsidiary force in Travancore was brought to the knowledge of Lieutenant and Adjutant Cox 2nd battalion 14th regiment by Jemadar Iyaloo of the same battalion to whom it had been revealed by a private of his company”

“On the morning of the 25th Colonel Hall and the officers in command of battalions met at the Residency and it was there arranged that a general parade of the troops should be ordered for that afternoon and that the principal conspirators should then be seized while the Resident Lieutenant Colonel John Munro took steps for the apprehension of such inhabitants of the town and vicinity as were believed to be implicated.

These measures were successfully carried out. Jemadar Shaik Hoossain of the 14th together with 2 havildars and 22 men of that battalion were called out of the ranks and placed in confinement the troops behaving with perfect steadiness.

Womanah Tumby ex-Dewan of Travancore, an individual claiming to be the nephew and representative of the late Pychy Rajah and several religious mendicants were seized at the same time by the Resident’s people as being the chief instigators.”

“The result of the enquiries made by the Resident which occupied some time led him to the conclusion that Womanah Tumby, the pseudo-Pychy Rajah, and Jemadar Shaik Hoossain of the 14th, had been the originators of the conspiracy.

The design was to confer the sovereignty of Travancore upon the Pychy Rajah. The Jemadar was promised the office of Dewan, but this in all probability, was really intended for Womanah Tumby. The pay of all sepoys as might join in the plot was to be raised to Rs 10 per mensem.

The chief body of conspirators consisted of discharged sepoys fakeers and disaffected natives of the province. The European officers were to have been attacked while at dinner, and the barracks set on fire at the same time in order to distract attention, after which the public treasury was to have been given up to plunder.”

Did one of the nephews of the late king actually go to Travancore to start a revolt? Or could it have been one of the distant relatives of the Pazhassi Kovilakam (the kings of Mavellikkara had close relationships to the royal houses of north Malabar)? Or did the British accounts get it completely wrong, with the memories of the “Pyche Rajah” still so strong that a local revolt was ascribed to him? 

Notably, an Indian account of the same incident (P. Shungoonny Menon’s A History of Travancore from the Earliest Times) makes no mention of any Pazhassi prince [3]: 

“During the interval, the ex-Dewan Ummany Thamby incurred lasting disgrace by plotting certain measures against the life of the Colonel. The treachery having been discovered, Ummany Thamby was banished the country and was taken to Chingleput and detained there as a State prisoner.”

What happened to the rebels next was not surprising [1].

“Jemadar Shaik Hoossain and Private Salabut Khan of the 14th were tried in a summary manner by a board of officers, of which Major Fraser 2nd battalion 9th was President. Both were convicted, and sentenced to be blown from a gun, which sentence was carried into execution on the evening of the 28th May at a general parade of the whole force.

Two havildars, one naigue, and twenty six privates of 14th, of whom 19 were Mahomedans, and 10 Hindoos, tried by ordinary court martial, and sentenced to death. Of these two privates were pardoned, the rest were either shot or hanged, the sentences being carried into execution at Quilon, Cannanore, Seringapatam, Trichinopoly, Vellore and St Thomas Mount respectively.”

“Womanah Tumby and the Pychy Rajah were tried by the Court of the Travancore Government. The former was sentenced to death but this sentence was commuted to banishment and he was removed to Nellore. The Pychy Rajah was banished to Chingleput, but he was released from confinement in 1815.”

And as for the loyalists,

“On the 16th February, 1813, Jemadar lyaloo of the 14th was promoted to be Subadar and presented with a palankeen and an allowance for bearers. He also received a gold medal and a donation of 1,000 rupees. On his decease, his nearest heir was to be allowed a pension of 35 rupees per mensem.

Vencatram, the sepoy who had informed the Jemadar of the plot was pensioned on the pay of a Jemadar a received a donation of 600 rupees.

Private Hoossain Khan who had given information to Captain Ives of the same battalion on the 24th May but in rather an incoherent manner was pensioned on the pay of a Havildar”

Notes:

1. Ummany Thamby alias Marthandan Eravy had become the Dewan of Travancore in 18th March 1809, after the revolt by Velu Thamby Dalawa.

2. The names of the soldiers involved in the failed rebellion do not sound like those of Malayali Mappilas.

Ref:

[1] W. J. Wilson, History of the Madras Army, Vol. 3, 1883.

[2] Sylvanus Urban, The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle, Vol. LXXXII, 1812.

[3] P. Shungoonny Menon, A History of Travancore From The Earliest Times, 1878.

[4] Picture from www.sonofthesouth.net

Photographed by patrick george aka jerry

thats how a cup of tea should look like…..could have tasted better though

– License

View from a moving train in Kerala

How many of you have ever given a thought about those millions of poverty ridden people who do have nothing to lose but still weave golden dreams. Well, if you are quizzing what their golden dreams are, then its just to live another day with adequate food and shelter.

Living with such a dream is a family who came to Kerala two years back with a hope to sustain their livelihood. There assets were few pairs of clothes, an old suitcase which never shuts and a harmonium. This family is lead by Devendra (42), Kamala (32) and daughter Sapna (13).

Though they don’t hail from Kerala nor do they have any ties with ‘God’s Own Country’ still they say, they like this place which embraced them with open arms. Now the big question comes; did they get that channel or path to sustain their life here! Music paved their way earning them their bread, but they don’t do any street shows nor they go door to door.

On the contrary this family performs in trains plying in Kerala. Their day starts early and winds up late. You can spot them in Passenger trains, Express and even Super fast trains, selling their skills for mere coins. They do have to face many abuses of those Railway Officals (T.T) who make things worse for them.

On being asked how much do they earn a day, “some time two hundred to three hundred a day while at times have to contain with fifty to hundred bucks” said Devendra. He also added that he has to bear the dis-interest of many of the passengers who do shrugs off them. But he also thanked many of those passenger who do behave nicely and even applaud their skill.

Singing on those hit Bollywood numbers and other languages in order to some how get enough money to earn their food remains the only goal for the family. No time to think for any other thing, the 13 year old girl wish to study and go to school one day.

There are many such hopeful families who comes to this state in a hope to make a living for them and their family. It may be the labourer working in any of the construction sites near to your place or any street vendor selling toys. In the rat race, many of us don’t even realise or notice such faces do exist around us.

Aren’t we all slowly becoming victims of our self-centred existence?

Ég fékk skilaboð á facebook um að það væri íslensk kona sem væri að reka gistiheimili á Indlandi. Nánar tiltekið í Fort Kochi. Við vorum þar fyrir nokkrum vikum og það var frábær staður, en því miður vissum við ekki af þessu fyrr en við vorum farin þaðan.

Konan heitir Þóra Guðmundsdóttir og heimasíðan hennar er mjög dramatísk með introi og öllu. Ég ætla samt að hjálpa ykkur og gefa ykkur beinan link á heimasíðuna hennar, án introsins: http://www.secretgarden.in/welcome.html

Spurning hvort maður hafi einhverntíma tækifæri á að fara þangað. Það væri gaman að hitta Íslending hérna. Þessi staður lítur allavega vel út.

hinduism is one of the oldest traditions of the world dating back to the indus valley civilisation.one of the major characteristics of this religion is the fact that it is not a religion but a way of life.that means anyone who follow the ‘indian’ way of life can be considered a hindu.this interpretation of hinduism gives scope for millions of different beliefs and traditions,so a malayali like me or a punjabi or a gujrati are hindu though our beliefs and most importantly gods vary.even the epics we hear may vary from one another this is the beauty of being hindu.

but after independence and especially from the 80s due to the vigorous efforts of some vested interests particularly from the north the religion or the hindu beliefs have begun to get homogenised.we in kerala started to get more into the rama and krishna cult and started abandoning the traditional gods and godesses.more importantly the ancestral worship which was an important aspect of our tradition is slowly dying out. the ‘adianthiram’  which used to be a yearly affair is now  observed once in two or some cases in three years.’adiyanthiram’ is a ceremony that is conducted in these parts to honour the dead , the day is marked by special pooja conducted by a priest who is nonbrahmin not to any idols but to a ‘peedam’ or a small wooden stool and a plantain leaf.this ritual is supposed to feed the ancestors who are represented by the stool for one year.the ritual also involves sacrifices (cock) and offering of toddy or alcohol to appease the ancestors. this tradition is slowly dying out mainly due to the aforesaid homogenization of hinduism,where the northern beliefs are forced on us and we  are made to abandon our tradition.

another of such case is the ‘naga pooja ‘and’ puluvan pattu’ ,where the snakes are worshiped.kerala have a long history of snake worship and every home used to have sacred grooves called’ pambin kavu ‘or snake temple. the naga poojas seldom happen these days and the sacred grooves are destroyed.the art form of puluvan pattu associated with this is also dying out.

the problem of homogenizing hinduism is felt in every community which have traditions different fro the north indian ones.i have read about’ balinese hinduism’ and its dilemma whether to adopt this new brand of hinduism or stick to their traditional ones. the propagators of this phenomenon must understand that diversity is the character of hinduism that differentiate it from other religions and this diversity is the only reason why it have stood the test of time.

Update as of 24 Nov 2009

The cauldron is not a commonly used kitchen utensil in India. Most of us have heard this from foreigners who described them in books and comics whilst a witch’s broth was under preparation or a wizard was making his magical potion, or even comically when a baby accidentally fell into a cauldron and gained magical strength. However, not many would know that a cauldron or at least a look-alike was used often in Kerala kitchens to make some of their choicest puddings,  prathaman and payasam and some were so large they were never taken off the wood stoked stoves, and had to be cleaned there after dousing the fire. Most of these large, wide-mouthed pots also had curved edges and “ears” to handle them. The circular handles were part of the rim and could either be flexible and dangle at the edge or remain firm. The heavier the gauge of the metal used, the better they were for cooking and to ensure food-gradability, they were often made of alloys. Towards the end of the last century, they quietly disappeared from Kerala kitchens, as women and men folk alike migrated outwards making it impractical to use large cauldrons for cooking, so they were reserved for the annual visits to the “country” when family and friends would gather to savour the creamy coconut puddings. But with the proliferation of the tourism industry and the tendency to go back to the roots, many of these cauldrons are finding a new pride of place in unusual forms – at reception counters of hotels welcoming guests with flowers or widely used at the spas filled with scented water and pretty tropical blooms, and even some smart homes where they are the centre of attraction with floating flowers and candles. So like they say, some old traditions don’t die or fade away, they simply reinvent themselves.

The D Street Boyz have installed some nice artwork at their office; last year it was the bronze bull and this year it is the bronze cauldron. I still don’t know if it is a marketing gimmick for some spa or resort hotel in God’s Own Country, but the idea was neat to decorate and attract attention. However, the D Boyz, with their penchant to get carried away quite easily, stopped at the entrance of D Street and admired the contours of the cauldron – they saw the left “ear” handle – then the body of the cauldron, and finally the right “ear” handle. The SENSEX graph was etched accordingly – take a look…

The day that saw dips as low as 130 points and also saw positive SENSEX twice for a few minutes, ended in keeping with the “hanging ear handle” – 49 points down at 17131.

Incidentally, a Malayali friend enlightened me further – that there were indeed 2 types of cauldrons used back home – the one commonly referred to as the Uruli was the one with the “ear handles”, while the one without was the charakk.

Cheers…..

I must have been 9 years old. My cousin in Kerala ran from his house down to the street to play with a bunch of kids. It could have been cricket or something else just as fun, but my memory fails me.

Later on, as I prepared to head back to the states, I told him next time I had to play, too. “You’ll be too old by then,” he said. I scoffed and vowed to do it anyway. But the opportunity didn’t present itself on subsequent trips.

Last week, on Saturday, to be exact, Sajan stood on some property in Eddakara his father is planning to build a home on. A kid jumped the fence, excited to see a foreigner. He happened to know English and started asking questions.

“Do you speak Malayalam? Do you want to play badminton? We can play here in the street, now.”

Other kids started crowding around Sajan, and they communicated in a mishmash of broken English and Malayalam.

Alas, alack. in a few hours we were bound for the states. No time to play.

A dream deferred.

Where were these kids all week when we were hanging out on their street? Perhaps busy with school. Who knows.

But during the week, we did run into some kids outside their school house. I don’t think they get to see non-residents that often because they were really excited to see us. They whispered and giggled to each other, then practiced their English on us.

“How are you?”

(Giggle.)

“What’s your name?”

We told them to sing a song for us on video. They were so shy. We gave them candy and wondered if their mothers had ever told them not to accept candy from strangers.

Psst...hey kid...you want some candy?

]]> http://sheenatabraham.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/return-from-tropical-paradise/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:55:53 +0000 sheenatabraham http://sheenatabraham.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/return-from-tropical-paradise/

It’s 3 a.m.

The earth has moved such that the soil under my feet is American and no longer Indian. I had fooled myself into thinking sleeping on American time again after two weeks would be no sweat. What a joke.

In the meantime, please enjoy this map of our path across Kerala, India to see family, goats, cows, chickens, and tropical paradise. The map may be an utterly boring overview of a completely fascinating trip. Consider it part one in a series of more to come.

Our journeys across Kerala

Long drives in Kerala are not like long drives across Texas. Roads are bumpy and small, so it takes longer to arrive anywhere. Cars don’t have A/C, so you keep the windows down, and the dust and outdoors make their way into your face. After a while, the journeying can really get to you if you are not used to it. But when you are ready to relax, sit and recuperate, you get to breathe the freshest air and take in the view.

Nothing can take away the beauty of the landscape and a million other things to enjoy.

Thekaddy Munnar Kochi Kerala India

Lens: – Nikon 18~55mm
Camera: – Nikon D200

Private buses stay still as part of a token strike Photo: Rajesh Parambil

Today, school children (at least those who depend on Kerala’s private bus service to reach school and back home) will be  late. So will quite a few office workers. So what’s new, one might ask, tongue-in-cheek.

To be frank, there is, and (it seems to me) will be, nothing new. The private bus owners have declared a ‘token’ strike, putting thousands of commuters to distress.

As the buses stay off the roads, people are resorting to forced ‘Long Marches,’ irrespective of their political affiliations (red or otherwise!). Meanwhile, another segment of the ‘Working class’ the autorickshaw drivers are making hay.

A 10-minute ride from North Overbridge to Ernakulam South makes me poorer by Rs. 30. Quizzed about the fairness (or lack of it) of it all, my middle-aged driver is all support for the striking busmen.

And he has his reasons: the ’rich’ students who have money to splurge on everything except bus tickets, an unsympathetic transport minister who sees no reason to hike the fares to match the recent fuel hike; so on and so forth.

The man is so passionate about the whole issue that I restrain myself (with great difficulty) from asking him a moot question: Dear sir, what about us public, who are at the mercy of you and your ilk?

Meanwhile, he departs, with the cheering information that should the talks with authorities fail today, we can all expect an ‘indefinite’ strike by the busmen.

And going by his enthusiasm, I am left with a nagging doubt: will the autorickshaw drivers join the busmen, just for the fun of it all?

கண்ணா பிண்ணா வென்று மின்னஞ்சல் அனுப்பும் அன்பர்கள் கவனிக்க வேண்டும்.

Besides monitoring and interception, the amended Act also deals with the appointment of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (ICERT), which deals with computer security and situations arising from cyber attacks. http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article39398.ece

The Cyber police have arrested two persons for allegedly making changes to a mail that portrayed a palatial mansion with a caption stating that it belonged to CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article53105.ece

Working in travel is a job with many benefits. Our job here at InsideJapan Tours basically boils down to providing amazing experiences for people and making people happy, which is why I wanted to work in travel in the first place. However, every now and again I have the opportunity myself to travel to new and inspiring destinations that I may never have considered otherwise.

Last night I returned from the AiTO oversees conference held this year in Kochi in the state of Kerela, Southern India. I had was a somewhat reluctant participant in this event and was not exactly shy in expressing my reservations about flying half way round the world for a three day event which I felt might as well have been held in Brighton or Bristol. However, my sadness at having to depart on Sunday morning (admittedly not helped by being 1:30am!) confirmed to me that when all was said and done I was decidedly wrong!

The AiTO conference is a chance for the members of the association, along with business partners, other guests and journalists to get together and talk about travel. It is a forum for ideas and debate; to talk about problems and successes; a chance to get away from the everyday demands of running a tour operator business and think about things in a different light. And of course, a chance to see some amazing sights, eat wonderful food and participate in a few alcoholic beverages of an evening, the bar often being where the most useful discussions of the day are had.

Chinese Fishing Nets, Kochi

The theme for this year was “Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it in again?” – perhaps in more straightforward language, stop, think, form a plan and then put it into action. Our guest speakers included the excellent Jason Katz from Kings Park Capital discussing developing and selling a travel business, Jo Vidler from Secret Productions Limited who put on the fabulous off the wall Secret Garden Party every summer, Stephanie Draper from Forum for the Future who are looking at what the world of travel may look like in 2023 and the closing speaker, Colin Gibson from the England and Wales Cricket Board. We discussed at length how the travel industry can be more responsible and what this means for each member business, an issue which is at the heart of AiTO as an organisation.

A rhythmic welcome to first night dinner

However, perhaps the true highlight of the trip was an AiTO select 23 (we had many eager volunteers) taking on an Indian Travel Professional team at 20-20 cricket. AiTO have a long and distinguished history of sporting failure and this occasion was to prove no different. The second ball of the match smashed for four by the Indian openers was a good indicator of what was to come (we were amazed the ball survived its various encounters with cars, trucks, hotel back yards the friendly grazing goats). It was a long hard toil in the heat for the AiTO lads (and girl, Liz Squire from design agency Wilddog Design joining the boys for this clash of sporting giants). Needless to say, the total of 226 proved beyond our capability despite having the chairman of the ECB on side!!

If we could harnessed the cricketing prowess of the goats I am sure the result would have been very different

So that was that. Three fabulous days in a beautiful destination in a wonderful country. Thanks to Amrit and TransIndus for the seemly organisation and first class ground staff and of course to AiTO chairman Derek Moore for his hard work in getting the conference to India.

AiTO is a fabulous organisation of incredible travel companies and InsideJapan Tours are very proud to be a member. I am looking forward to 2011 already.

My finest Maharaja gear for the final night's dinner

ഒരു വീട് സ്വപ്‌നം കാണാത്തവരായി ആരുണ്ട്. സ്വന്തമായി ഒരു പാര്‍പ്പിടം യാഥാര്‍ഥ്യമാക്കാന്‍ കൊതിക്കുന്നവര്‍ക്കായി ഇത് മലയാളത്തില്‍ ഒരു വെബ് പോര്‍ട്ടല്‍…. സ്വപ്‌നക്കൂട് ഡോട്ട് കോം.
വീട് നിര്‍മാണവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ടതെല്ലാം ഇനി ഒരു ക്ലിക്ക് അകലെ.
സിനിമാതാരങ്ങളുടെയും രാഷ്ട്രീയക്കാരുടെയും കായികതാരങ്ങളുടെയുമൊക്കെ വീട് പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന സെലിബ്രിറ്റി ഹോം, ആര്‍ക്കിടെക്ടുകള്‍ രൂപകല്പന ചെയ്ത മനോഹരവീടുകള്‍ പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന ഡ്രീം ഹോം, ഹെറിറ്റേജ് ഹോം, ഇന്റീരിയര്‍ – എക്‌സ്റ്റീരിയര്‍ ട്രെന്‍ഡുകള്‍…അങ്ങനെ ഒട്ടേറെ വിഭവങ്ങള്‍.
പിന്നെ വസ്തു രജിസ്‌ട്രേഷന്‍, ആധാരം എന്നിവയെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള സംശയങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ജില്ലാ രജിസ്ട്രാര്‍ ആയിരുന്നു ശ്രീ.കെ.എം.ബേബിയുടെ പംക്തി – വസ്തുരേഖ.
വാസ്തുശാസ്ത്ര സംബന്ധമായ സംശയങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് കാണിപ്പയ്യൂര്‍ ഹരീതന്‍ നമ്പൂതിരിയുടെ മറുപടി. റിയല്‍ എസ്റ്റേറ്റ് രംഗത്തെ ഏറ്റവും പുതിയ വിശേഷങ്ങളും സ്വപ്‌നക്കൂട് ഡോട്ട് കോമിലൂടെ വായനക്കാരുടെ മുന്നിലെത്തിക്കുന്നു.
പ്രോപ്പര്‍ട്ടി ലിസ്റ്റിങ്ങുമുണ്ട്. വ്യക്തികള്‍ക്ക് സൗജന്യമായി ലിസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാം.
ഇന്ന് തന്നെ സന്ദര്‍ശിക്കുക www.swapnakoodu.com

This weekend, instead of combing our usual haunts, we visited the India International Trade Fair currently underway in New Delhi. In our infinite wisdom, we decided to take the Metro rail instead of driving down to Pragati Maidan (Advancement Arena!!). But Saturday was a bad day for Delhi Metro. Trains were running late. The one we took from Dwarka Sector 9 was jam packed by the time we reached Dwarka Mor. “Minding the Gap” was impossible as we stood on each other’s toes, breathed into one another’s ears and cursed. Train attendants rushed from door to door pushing people in and closing the automatic doors. Pictures of my previous near death experiences in local trains of Mumbai flashed across my mind. By comparison, this was mere massage of tired limbs. This attempt of Delhi Metro to bring Indians together irrespective of cast, creed, gender and nationality was laudable. I had no business deploring it. Excruciating circumstances precipitate philosophic resignation. This was enlightenment! Braced against the crushing weight and odour of humanity, I wondered if it was all an illusion, a spell of “samsara”. But the hair getting into my eyes and the elbows ramming my ribs were too concrete to be a mirage. Relief came when many passengers got off at Karol Bagh. We were already late by an hour and half. As a parting shot, the disembodied voice of Metro hoped “we had an enjoyable journey” and looked forward to “seeing us soon”. This bit of sardonic wit was not lost on the passengers.

We had already purchased trade fair tickets at the Metro Station, and passed though security check quickly. Ravenous, we headed straight for the food court. “Bharath Ka Khana” welcomed us with open arms. The food court was littered with people occupying every available inch and digging blissfully into idlis, vadas, puttu, mutton chaps and many interesting yet unidentifiable forms of grub.

Watching mad maws on overdrive only amplified our appetite. The cataclysmic force of craving scattered us in different directions. I landed up at the Nagaland counter and ordered rice with pork and bamboo shoots (Rs.100.00 only). Meanwhile others explored Odisha (Orissa), Bihar, Bengal and Tamil Nadu counters. When we gathered for barter I had a plate of rice with 3 handsome chunks of pork in a near bland gravy and a paste of fish and chilies. Others had come up with Vada/ Ghughuni (Urad Dal vada and Chole)from Orissa, Litti – Chokha (Atta balls stuffed with Sattu [barley] and garlicky potato) from Bihar, Idli – Chutney from Tamil Nadu and fried fish (fillet of unknown fish coated with flour and deep fried) from Bengal. These were rapidly decimated and replaced with Vada-Pav (Maharashtra street food specialty). To drown it all we had tea (Rs. 5.00) from the Tea Board counter. Being used to milky tea, I didn’t like it much, though it was probably more authentic.

More philosophy! To live we all need food. For some, food symbolizes luxury and has ceased to be a necessity. Coffee table magazines and news paper supplements catering to the hyper-gastronomic anxieties of such elite flourish in metro cities like Delhi. Even though I do not belong to that elect category, the gourmet fare that they nibble at has frequently attracted the desperate foodie in me. For others, food is incidental. I do not belong to this category either. Food, to me, goes beyond the survival value and enters the realm of sensory delight, good conversation and companionship. Good food begs good company. A solitary eater, according to me, is a miserable creature. I couldn’t resist that digression. Sorry!

Satiated, we took bearings and headed for the international pavilion. Crowded! There were exhibits from Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and surprisingly Papua New Guinea. Credit cards were not accepted. We ended up buying an onyx candle stand from Karachi, Pakistan and a papyrus scroll of Isis from Egypt. The guy manning the Egyptian counter was peremptory, intent only on money and hissed Anubis, Isis, Osiris, “Balance” replying to customer queries. Entertaining…

The most interesting counter of the Trade Fair belonged to NMBA, National Mission on Bamboo Applications. Apart from promoting bamboo as food, they have innovated various light weight and durable bamboo based wood substitutes and composites, construction and structural applications. A two storey house with steel frame and walls, roof, ceiling, columns, railing, doors and windows made entirely of treated bamboo was displayed at the exhibit. The treated bamboo was termite resistant and fire proof. Installation time was a mere 48 hours and it cost only Rs.13 lakhs. There were bamboo frame exercise bicycles coupled with a dynamo which generated and stored electricity sufficient to light an entire room. Specialty mud kilns for producing high grade carbon from bamboo for use in Tandoors and activated carbon for water treatment facilities were also on display. NBMA also promotes gasification of bamboo which can be an environment friendly source of renewable heat energy and electricity.

There were pavilions from all states of India. We could only visit those of Jharkhand and Kerala besides Techmart India where industrial machinery were on display. The Trade Fair was a wonderful fusion of business and pleasure. It provided a forum for small scale industries from all states to interact with other industries and the larger public.

 My only regret was not being able to visit pavilions of North Eastern States. I was also not able to sample Haleem chicken and other specialty cuisine from Pakistan. All in all, it was an informative, fun and relaxing jaunt.

Eftir að hafa farið í frekar þéttsetna skoðunarferð í nokkra daga og endað svo á skítugu hótelherbergi í Alleppey, þá var sweet að mæta á ströndina í Varkala í þvílíka túristaparadís.

Varkala er allt öðruvísi en aðrir staðir sem við höfum komið til á Indlandi. Svona týpískur sumarfrís-staður, sandur, sól og hvítt fólk í meirihluta…eitthvað sem við höfum ekki séð áður. Það voru nokkrar “vestrænar” fjölskyldur sem er líka mjög óalgeng sjón í þessu stóra landi. Þarna var fólk greynilega komið til þess að slaka á, fara í sólbað og spila skák.

Við gistum á litlu gistiheimili sem ber heitið Baby House sem rekið er af hinum hressa Sham. Hann skírði staðinn Baby House vegna þess að mamma hans hafði gefið honum jörðina og hún hét þessu skemmtilega nafni, Baby. Helga fór á viku yoga námskeið sem haldið var upp á þaki á gistiheimilinu. Það voru því miður engar myndi teknar af herlegheitunum.

Vinir okkar, Tom og Rachel (hver man ekki eftir þeim ), komu til Varkala stuttu seinna og við vorum nágrannar á gistiheimilinu.

Öldurnar við ströndina í Varkala eru víst sterkar og maður fann það um leið og maður steig í þær (nb. að sá sem skrifar hefur eingöngu farið á alvöru strönd 2-3 áður á ævinni og aldrei dýpra en að hnjám)  – Maður fór aðeins út í sjóinn og alltaf þegar maður hélt að allt væri í góðu, þá kom risa stór alda og grípur mann, fleygir manni upp í loftið og dregur mann svo eftir botninum – mjög hressandi

Þegar ég var kominn með leið á því að labba út í sjó, standa eins og kjáni, bíða eftir öldu og láta hana dúndra mér í botninn, þá kenndi hinn veraldrarvani Tom Noel mér Bodysurfing og svo seinna þegar sjórinn var mildari, Bodyboarding.

Body Surfing gengur út á að fara út í sjó í brjóstkassadýpt og bíða eftir stórri öldu – svo þegar hún kemur þá byrjar maður að synda skriðsund á fullu í átt að ströndinni – svo kippir aldan manni með þegar hún er að hvolfast yfir og þá er eins og maður fljúgi eða svífi ofan á öldunni, hátt fyrir ofan fólkið í kring um sig á smá ferð.

Þegar ég var nokkurnveginn búinn að ná Bodysurfing á hreint, þá stakk Tom upp á að við fengjum okkur Bodyboards á leigu, því að sjórinn væri hugsanlega ekki lífshættulegur þann dag. Bodyboarding gengur út á nákvæmlega það sama og Bodysurfing, nema að maður leggst á svona lítið ca 1m langt bretti og beitir svo svipaðri tækni við að bursla áfram þegar aldan kemur – En Hólí sjitt!! Það er alveg rosalegt dæmi. Það er erfiðra að hitta á öldurnar, en þegar maður nær þeim, þá dúndrast maður áfram á ógnarhraða og hendist áfram kannski 50m í hverri öldu. Flýtur áfram eins og fleytt kerling. Geðveikt. Verð að prófa þetta í nauthólsvík.

Maturinn í Varkala er ágætur. Það er mikið af sjávarréttum og maður getur oftast valið sér ferskan fisk, krabba, humar, rækjur eða smokkfisk fyrir utan veitingastaðina og þeir elda síðan það sem maður velur. Þar sem þetta er líka túristaparadís þá er auðvitað auðvelt að fá Espresso, hægt er að surfa á netinu á sumum kaffihúsana osfrv.

Bíður þolinmóð eftir lestinni

Bíður þolinmóður eftir lestinni í aðeins meira töff pósu en Helga

Varkala ströndin er gull falleg. Hún er þekkt fyrir það að þetta er eina klettabeltið í Kerala sem snýr út að arabíska hafinu.

Það hafði hrunið undan gangstéttinni 2 mánuðum áður í mikilli rigningu.

Yndislega hreina og sæta gistiheimilið okkar: Baby House.

Helga sópar og passar að herbergið haldist hreint.

Helga hlær af því að það er svo gaman að skoða bloggið okkar

Svona var eiginlega hver einasti morgun, borða morgunmat með Tom og Rachel

Hvítt te – besta te sem maður fær

Eðlan borðaði með okkur morgunmat – hún hafði samt ekki mikla list, vildi aðallega skoða blaðið.

Plataður út í lífshættulegt áhugamál: Bodyboarding

Sjórinn leit stilltur út þennan dag

Róa róa róa… aldan alveg að grípa

Og svo á þvílíkri siglingu í átt að ströndinni

Þetta eru kellingarnar sem sjá um að halda við ströndinni – tína upp rusl og raka sandinn.

Stórmeistararnir einbeita sér – Þjónarnir eru oft mjög spenntir fyrir því að fá að spila við mann skák. Í Varkala keppti Addi við tæplega 10 þjóna og vann alla nema einn. Þetta er sterkasti skákspilarinn, Zures (eða Sures), þeir tóku 3 leiki og Addi vann 2/3 – mikill sigur fyrir Ísland.

Þetta Monopoly fór í þvílíkt drama á tímabili þegar reglurnar urðu óskýrar, en endaði samt ágætlega

Helga og Rachel völdu sér þennan disk af tíkrisrækjum…nammnamm!

Kokkurinn í eldhúsinu, eitthvað að undirbúa. Spjótin fara ofaní gat á tandoori ofninum. Gatið er samsagt undir “vok-pönnunni”.

Við örkum af stað í smá búðarráb – markmiðið er að finna buxur, sólarvörn, klósettpappír og sitthvað fleira.

Það eru endalaust af svona búðum víðsvegar um Indland. Allar eins en engin eins.

Addi endaði á að láta Mr. Taylor sníða á sig tvær stuttar buxur, handvaldi efni í þær.

Indversku karlmennirnir hittast stundum á ströndinni, spjalla saman og góna á búbbur. Mjög pirrandi en Þykir samt mjög eðlilegt.

Amma store

Gullmoli úr matseðli – sá sem nær að þýða þetta fær verðlaun

Við lentum í smá rigningarsudda – ekkert alvarlegt, en alveg grenjandi

Eitt kvöldið fórum við á ótrúlega tónleika – hljómsveit frá Alleppey sem var að spila á veitingastaðnum Rose Garden. Þeim gekk mjög erfiðlega að stilla gítarinn eins og heyrist á þessu videoi og náðu ekki að fullkomna það því að í miðjum tónleikum ruddist löggulið á fullu inn á staðinn og handtók alla starfsmenn staðarins fyrir að selja áfengi án leyfis. Eftir stóðu allir matargestirnir og hljómsveitin og fylgdust með lögreglunni fara í gegnum alla pappíra og allt á staðnum. Þegar við fórum frá Varkala var managerinn á staðnum víst ennþá í fangelsi…

Busy at the Computer desk

Knowledge has no age barriers. This amazing story of a 109 year old woman, Rosakutty from Kochi,  once again reiterates this fact.  Well engrossed in her day to day activities in her simple abode at the picturesque island of Kothad, she was contented and happy but was always open to new possibilities. Rosakutty was not more than a loving grand mother for over  20 grandchildren and 40 great grand children and the matriarch of her large family  till three years ago.

The life and priorities of Rosakutty  changed in the  year 2006 when the Government of Kerala’s Akshaya e-literacy programme hit her village also. She  didn’t think twice before joining the computer training course and became the oldest computer literate in the country by  successfully completing this computer  training course. Rosakutty drew the media glare in both national and international circuits that made her a celebrity figure.

Till the age of 107, Rosakutty was healthy enough to take care of her  routine matters but she was confined to bed for the past two years due to age related illnesses.  Though she  breathed her last, her dedication, determination and the urge to learn will  be remembered for ever.

No matter where we were born, geographically speaking, be it anywhere in this world, the only determining factor of what we are, is our genes. Apart from those genes, we comprise of millions of customs and rituals which were being followed, down the years by our ancestors and passed on to the descendants, and on each transfer somewhat of it was losing. Yes, through each generation aren’t we losing out on those practices exceptional and some not, by reasoning or science, laziness or lack of enthusiasm, lack of peripheral physical or mental? Today how many of us feel it is an imperative to keep the customs and traditions of our family alive? How many of us still have the sense of belonging, the kinship.

In this modern cosmopolitan mechanism, we tend to overlook or even forget those customs, those which were once an integral part of us and fail to pass it on completely since our children are in contemporary settings with largely heterogeneous society, where the mixed religion/caste/race background marriages is becoming more and more common. Parents in such cases prefer not to impose and overburden their children with all the customs from both sides.

I was only born in Kerala but I spent all my life in Delhi, till four years back when I moved to Germany. I must have visited my birthplace around 15 or 16 times in all, being kids we had no choice then, short of being dragged or handcuffed, me and my brother acquiesced each time. It took really long until we grew up to understand what it meant to have bathed in the nearby stream, spread out on paarapuratthu (rocks) waited for our goats to finish grazing, watched my grandmother fetch water from the well, running towards the backyard where the aroma of chicken being prepared filling the entire village, the walks and the thrill to reach the local movie theatre (of course thatched roof) through the paadams (paddy fields), savouring of pazham pori (banana fritters), dosa with chamandhi (chutney), kaapi (coffee) in local chaya-kada (teashop), finding film posters of Mohanlal, Mammutty, the superheroes everywhere, the hours and hours of bus-rides from paternal to maternal homes, the pamperings from relatives, hogging onto chakka, maanga, roasted cashews etc, lighting up the villakku at the dusk and waking up when radio played unfailingly Vande Mataram every morning at 6 am.

My parents followed all the Hindu traditions, customs and festivals, how deeply religiously cannot be measured, but they did so eventhough they lived in Delhi (thanks to temples and large population of Keralites) since they were in their twenties or even before, and we as children have almost entirely absorbed and imbibed all that we saw and heard. Onam, Vishu, Mahashivaratri amongst festivals, Chorunnu, Vidhyarambham, Iruvathattu (naming of baby on 28th day) amongst ceremonies are the prominent ones. I now feel it’s my moral duty to pass all these on to my children, who speak German as first language, English as second, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil yet to follow (not burdening extra languages at this juncture when my daughter has just turned 3). Should I say even the languages/mother tongue is also losing out (I am not perfect in Malayalam, my husband is not good in Tamil ). The tradition of buying malayalam calendar is definitely over as eventhough I could read somewhat but certainly never could understand the translation of months, zodiacs etc. I am glad as of now and so far so, I have been able to celebrate all the abovesaid festivals and ceremonies along with my children despite the non-availability of all the puja items out here. And I am sure when grow up, they too will realize the beauty, purity and significance of these rituals, their genes and instincts won’t fail them either.

First time I watched Chendavaadyam in a temple, I stood their unmoved obeying the deafening beats of the drums till the end, why and how was I relating to it is inexplicable. Howsoever modern or displaced your identity might have become, your five senses will never desert you. Smell will tingle your neurons, language will resound to reach your heart, the taste buds will perceive it, and sight will finally testify and shout out loud that you belong here.

The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation Hotels and Resorts (KTDC) will ensure the participation of domestic and international tourists in Grand Kerala Shopping Festival-Season 3.

The KTDC has taken steps to provide all materials of the GKSF at hotels, resorts and other units of the corporation spread across the State. Tourists who check in at KTDC properties in December and January (the peak tourist months in Kerala) will be motivated to visit the establishments that are partners of the GKSF. The GKSF authorities have asked the establishments who have become partners of the 45-day festival to distribute the coupons to the shoppers only from December 1. The GKSF authorities have also urged the festival partners to give wide publicity to the prizes and organise inauguration celebrations at the local level on December 1. Mahindra and Mahindra have joined hands with the GKSF by becoming gift sponsor of the shopping festival.

Sabarimala Shrine

Like every year the doors of the famous temple Sabarimala were once again open for two months for the pilgrims. Being a devotee of Lord Ayyappa I was also one among those millions of  pilgrims waiting to get a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa. The temple gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January. Mandalapooja(Nov.17th)and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th) the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple remains closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).

Throughout the  route to pamba we spotted hundreds of pilgrims marching ahead to their  destination ‘Sabarimala‘. After reaching ‘Pamba’ (  the third longest river in the South Indian state of Kerala and considered as the Dakshin Ganga due to its association with the pilgrim centre – Sabarimala) I was much pleased, the way the authorities have cleared up the banks and made ample space for the pilgrims to take the holy dip in Pamba.

After taking the holy dip in ‘Pamba,’ we marched towards the Pamba Ganapathy temple, we started our journey bare footed with Irumudi Kettu (Irumudi is the only travelling kit which a pilgrim carries on his head during the pilgrimage) on our heads toward the hilltop Sabrimala shrine. Metal detector and scanning machines were installed to keep a vigil. Thousands of devotees were marching up chanting ‘Swamiye Ayyappa’ ‘Ayyappa Swamiye’. Even the arrangements seemed quite perfect this year with many commendable works by the dewasom.

Glimpse of the development this year :

• Construction of new Cardiology Centre.
• Broadening of pathways
• Concreting the pathways
• Building up new barricades on the way
• More resting shelters on the way to the shrine.
• Medicated water stalls for devotees

Many temporary restaurants and tea stalls were there on both sides of the pathway. We all were moving on chanting the name of Lord Ayyappa, and suddenly the climate changed,and it was rain all over. Soon we moved on to those resting sheds constructed this year, again we started our journey towards the shrine after the rain.

Walking for an hour more we finally reached the ‘Nadapanthal’ where devotees were queued  waiting for making it to the 18 holy steps. All along the journey I found more devotees  from Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka rather than Kerala and few foreign nationals were also there stating how popular Sabarimala is. As one steps on those holy eighteen steps, a full throated cry goes up from the devotees, “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa!” It is the realisation of a mission. Policemen were deployed all around. After few struggle we managed to those 18 steps (Pathinettu padi) made up of pure gold, where policemen were standing on both side of those 18 holy steps pulling up devotees quickly.

Actual Timings during the Mandala Pooja – Makaravilakku Season

Opens at 0400 hrs  0400  hrs
Nirmalya Darshanam 0405 hrs  0405 hrs
Neyyabhishekam 0430 – 1130 hrs  0425 -1130 hrs
Ganapathi Homam 0435 hrs  0430 hrs
Usha Pooja 0730 hrs  0730 hrs
Ucha (Noon) Pooja 1230 hrs  1300 hrs
Closes at 1300 hrs  1330 hrs
Opens at 1600 hrs  1600 hrs
Deeparadhana 1830 hrs  1830 hrs
Pushpabhishekham 1900 hrs  1900 hrs
Athaza Pooja 2230 hrs  2230 hrs
Harivarasanam and Closing at 2250 to 2300  2250 to 2300 hrs

My eyes were taken by surprise to see such a massive turn out of devotees, the Lord Ayyappan temple (Sreekovil) was glittering with gold all over it, from roof top to pillars and doors all made of pure gold. In the sannidhanam there is a  shrine of Lord Ganapati which is also recently platted with gold facing to the south-west of the main temple, known as Kannimula Ganapati. The special offering to this deity is Ganapati homam.

After worshiping the two deities, we moved to our camp. Though it was 10 pm but the buzz and enthusiasm of the pilgrims made me to realise that its nothing other than Gods blessing which keeps those pilgrims active even after walking for hours bare footed.

Next was to buy the prasadam, the queue for arvana was really long with devotees waiting to make it to the counter. I felt the lazy approach in the arrangements made by the police, as many devotees jumped the queue to buy the prasadam. After an hour we got the arvana payasam (prasadam of Lord Ayyappa).

Next morning we woke up early to take the holy dip in the ‘Bhasma Kulam’(About a 100 metres away is the shrine of Malikappurathamma. where hundreds of devotees takes holy bath in memory of the tapaswini Sabari who entered a fire to end her mortal life. It is after her that the peak is named Sabarimala). After taking the holy dip we started our journey back to pamba, while descending on the route we saw tall trees standing dead straight appearing like skyscraper. We spotted many ‘Doli’(Palanquin) carrying old aged and disabled devotees. I appreciate the efforts by those palanquin carriers who carry pilgrims on those hilly terrains.

Way to Shrine

Being the first day of Mandalamasam there was huge rush of devotees. After reaching pamba, again we took a holy dip refreshing ourselves from the fatigue of descending down the hill. With the first dip in water something brushed my feet, it was a mundu – Many devotees abandon their mundu after taking the holy dip on their way back.

In order to avoid any traffic congestion heavy vehicles were not allowed to be parked in the parking lot near pamba. So we opted for a public transport towards Nilackal (An important Temple enroute to Sabarimala and located between Plappally and Pampa) an intermediate halting area with ample parking facilities distributed separatley as per states, like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh. This year lot more parking area was allotted, from there I boarded my bus and started my return journey with the hope to come back again next year, with more fervor and devotion. “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa”.

ന്യൂസിലാന്‍ഡിലേക്ക് വരുമ്പോള്‍ എന്നെ അലട്ടിയത് ഇവിടത്തെ മലയാളികളെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള ഭയമായിരുന്നു, ഫ്രാന്‍സില്‍ ഇല്ലാതിരുന്ന -മലയാളികള്‍ എന്ന- പുതിയൊരു വെല്ലുവിളി ഇവിടെ നേരിടാന്‍ പോകുകയാണ്. എന്‍റെ മുന്‍പില്‍ രണ്ടേ രണ്ടു ഓപ്ഷന്‍ മാത്രം, ഒന്നുകില്‍ കാനഡ അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ ന്യൂസിലാന്ഡ്, രണ്ടും മലയാളികളാല്‍ സമൃദ്ധം, തമ്മില്‍ ഭേദം തൊമ്മന്‍ എന്ന നിലക്കാണ് കിവിനാടു തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തത്. അതെ കേരളമാകുന്ന വറ ചട്ടിയില്‍ നിന്നും എരിതീയിലേക്കുള്ള ഒരു മാറ്റം. ആ എരിതീയില്‍ എണ്ണയോഴിക്കുന്ന നിലക്കായിരുന്നു എന്‍റെ ആശാന്റെ ഒരു ഇമെയില്‍ വന്നത്. ആള്‍ ജര്‍മ്മനിയിലാണ്, എന്നെ എയര്‍പോര്‍ട്ടില്‍ സ്വീകരിക്കാന്‍ എന്‍റെ നാട്ടില്‍ നിന്നുമുള്ള ആശാന്റെ ഒരു ശിങ്കിടിയെ അയക്കാമെന്നും! അന്നുമുതല്‍ ദുസ്വപ്നം കണ്ടിരുന്നത്‌ എന്നെ കൂട്ടാന്‍ വരുന്ന മലയാളിയുടെ ഭീകര രൂപമായിരുന്നു.

എല്ലാ സ്വപ്നങ്ങളും യാഥാര്‍ത്ഥ്യം ആകണമെന്നില്ലല്ലോ, എന്‍റെ പ്രതീക്ഷക്കൊത്ത ഒരു മലയാളിയെയും ഇന്നേ വരെ കണ്ടിട്ടില്ല. കഴിയുന്ന ഉപകാരമാല്ലാതെ പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ച ഒരു ഉപദ്രവവും എനിക്ക് ഇതുവരെ കിട്ടിയിട്ടില്ല. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് എന്നെ കൂട്ടാന്‍ വന്ന ആ ഭീകരനില്‍ നിന്നും. എന്തായിരുന്നു എന്‍റെ പ്രതീക്ഷകള്‍ എന്ന് വച്ചാല്‍, പട്ടി തൊഴുത്തില്‍ കിടന്ന പോലെ, തിന്നുകയുമില്ല തീട്ടിച്ചുകയുമില്ല എന്ന മനോഭാവം! – കിവി ഫ്രൂട്ട് തിന്നു തിന്നു ഇവിടത്തെ മലയാളികളുടെ ചക്കവിളഞ്ഞില് ‍(ചക്കയുടെ പശ) പോലോത്ത ആ സ്വഭാവം മൊത്തം മാറിയിരിക്കുന്നു.

നന്നായി ഒരു ഓണത്തല്ല് കൂടാന്‍ പോലും ഇവിടത്തെ മലയാളികള്‍ക്ക് അറിയില്ല, നാട്ടിലാണേല്‍ ഒന്നുമില്ലേല്‍ പുതുതായി വല്ല കാരണവും അതിനായി നമ്മള്‍ ഗവേഷണം നടത്തി ഉണ്ടാക്കിയിരിക്കുമല്ലോ. നാട്ടിലെ ഒരു ഓണം കഴിഞ്ഞുള്ള ഒത്തു കൂടല്‍ ഓര്‍മ്മ വരുന്നു. ഒരു തല്ലിനുള്ള വകുപ്പ് ഒത്തു വരില്ല എന്ന് കണ്ടപ്പോള്‍ ഒരാള്‍ ഒരു കാരണം കണ്ടെത്തി – അമ്മാവന് കൊടുത്ത നേന്ത്രപ്പഴം അല്പം വളഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നു, പോരെ പൂരം യാരെടാ വലിയമ്മാവന് വളഞ്ഞ പഴം കൊടുത്തത് എന്നും പറഞ്ഞു തല്ലു തുടങ്ങി, ഇത് നാട്ടിലെ കഥ. ഇവന്മാര്‍ക്ക് എന്ത് ഓണതല്ല്? വെറുതെ മൂക്കറ്റം ഭക്ഷണം കഴിച്ചു വയറില്‍ സ്ഥലം ബാക്കിയുണ്ടേല്‍ അവിടെ മദ്യം വച്ച് ഫില്‍ ആക്കി അത് ദഹിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ അല്പം ഡാന്‍സും കളിച്ചു വാളും പരിചയും വച്ച് കീഴടങ്ങി നാലുകാലില്‍ വീട്ടിലേക്കു പോകും അത്ര മാത്രം. ആ തിരിച്ചു പോക്കില്‍ ഡ്രൈവിംഗ് സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ഡ്യൂട്ടിയാണ് അല്ലേല്‍ ‘മോട്ടോര്‍വേ’ക്ക് വീതി പോര എന്ന തോന്നലാവും.

ഇന്നലെ അല്പം മലയാളി ഭീകരരുമായി ഒരു ഡിന്നര്‍ കഴിച്ചു, ഫുഡ്‌നെ പറ്റി തല്‍ക്കാലം ഞാന്‍ ഒന്നും പറയുന്നില്ല, കാരണം, ഒരു ഭീകരന്‍ എന്‍റെ മുന്നില്‍ ചാടിക്കയറി എന്‍റെ ഷെയര്‍ കൂടി പേ-ചെയ്തു കളഞ്ഞു. എന്ത് ചെയ്യാന്‍ . ബസില്‍ കയറിയാല്‍ നമ്മുടെ കാശ് വേറൊരാള്‍ കൊടുക്കും പോലെ എനിക്ക് ദഹിക്കാത്ത കാര്യമാണ് വേറെ ആളുടെ ചിലവിലുള്ള ഫുഡും (ഇതും ഒരു ആഘോഷതിനിടക്ക് കിട്ടുന്ന ഫ്രീ ഫുഡും രണ്ടാണല്ലോ). എന്‍റെ ഉപ്പ പറയുന്ന ഒരു കാര്യമുണ്ട് — അയല്‍പക്കത്തെ ഒരു ഊണ്‍ അത്യാവശ്യ ഘട്ടത്തിലേക്ക് മാറ്റി വെക്കണം, ഒരിക്കലും കഴിക്കരുത്. അത്തരം ഒരു ഊണ്‍ ആണ് ഞാന്‍ ഒരു മണിക്കൂര്‍ കൊണ്ട് കഴിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. എങ്കിലും പതിനായിരക്കണക്കിനു മൈല്‍സ് ഇപ്പുറം സ്വന്തം അനുജനെ പോലെ നമ്മെ ഒരാള്‍ കണ്ടു എന്നതില്‍ സന്തോഷത്തിനുള്ള വകയുണ്ട് അത് വിലമതിക്കാനാവാത്ത ഒരു അനുഭവമാണ്. ഇനി ഇത്തരം കാര്യുങ്ങള്‍ ആവര്‍ത്തിക്കില്ലെന്ന് പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.

ശാപ്പടിന്റെ ബില്ലില്‍ എന്തൊക്കെയോ പിശക് – മലയാളികള്‍ ഹിന്ദിയില്‍ കുറെ ഹേ..ഹൂം ..ഹം എന്നൊക്കെ ഗൂര്‍ക്ക സ്റ്റൈലില്‍ പറഞ്ഞു നോക്കി – നോ രക്ഷ. പക്ഷെ ദില്ലിക്കാരിയായ സുധാമ്മ നാല് ഹിന്ദി വച്ച് കാച്ചിയപ്പോള്‍ എല്ലാം ശുഭം. അതെ ഇവിടുത്തെ മലയാളികള്‍ തീരെ അധപതിചിരിക്കുന്നു. വന്നു വന്നു സാദാരണ ഹിന്ദിക്കാര്‍ക്കടക്കം മലയാളികളെ പറ്റിക്കാം എന്ന സ്ഥിതി ആയി. അതാണ്‌ ഞാന്‍ ആദ്യമേ പറഞ്ഞത് ഇവിടത്തെ മലയാളികള്‍ക്ക് തട്ടിപ്പ്, വെട്ടിപ്പ്, പാര തുടങ്ങി കേരളീയ കലകളൊന്നും അറിയില്ലെന്ന്. അതൊക്കെ ഇവിടെ ഉത്ഘാടനം ചെയ്യാന്‍ മലയാളിയായ മന്ത്രിമാര്‍. അവര്‍ക്ക് ടൈം ഇല്ലെങ്കില്‍ കുറഞ്ഞത്‌ ഒരു MLA എങ്കിലും വന്നിരുന്നെങ്കില്‍ എന്ന് ഒരു വേള ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു പോകുന്നു.

ഭക്ഷണം കഴിഞ്ഞു തിരിച്ചു വരുമ്പോള്‍ തോമാച്ചന്റെ പുതിയ വീട് ഒന്ന് കണ്ടു കളയാമെന്നു കരുതി എലാരും അവിടെ പോയി നല്ല ഒരു കാപ്പിയും ഗുലാബ് ജമൂനും ഒക്കെ അടിച്ചു. ഒപ്പം വീട് അടിപൊളിയാണ്, നല്ല സെലെക്ഷന്‍ ആണ് എന്നൊക്കെ പറഞ്ഞു തോമാച്ചനെ സുഗിപ്പിച്ചു (സത്യത്തില്‍ ഈ വീട് നല്ല വീട് തന്നെയാ, എനിക്ക് നന്നായി ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു, തോമാച്ചന്റെയും സുധാമ്മയുറെയും നല്ല മനസ്സിന് ദൈവം കൊടുത്ത ഗിഫ്റ്റ്). പക്ഷെ മോശം വീടായാലും ആരും മോശമെന്ന് പറയില്ലല്ലോ.

ആ അത് പറഞ്ഞപ്പോഴാ ഒരു കാര്യം ഓര്‍മ്മ വന്നത്, കണ്ടതിനെയെല്ലാം കുറ്റം പറയുന്ന ഒരാള്‍ എന്‍റെ നാട്ടില്‍ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ഏത് പുതിയ വീട്ടില്‍ പോയാലും അതിന്റെ വല്ല കുറ്റവും കണ്ടു പിടിക്കും…ഒരു ദിവസം നാട്ടിലെ വളരെ വലിയതും ഒരു കുറ്റവും കാണാന്‍ പറ്റാത്തതുമായ ഒരു വീട്ടില്‍ ആള്‍ സന്ദര്‍ശിച്ചു. അയാള്‍ എന്ത് പറയുന്നു എന്നറിയാന്‍ ഞാന്‍ ചെവി വട്ടം പിടിച്ചു അയാളെ ഒപ്പം കൂടി – ഇറങ്ങുമ്പോള്‍ അയാള്‍ പറയുകയാ.. വീടൊക്കെ കൊള്ളാം പക്ഷെ ഇതിനു ഒരു കുഴപ്പമുണ്ട്, പൊളിക്കുന്ന കാലത്ത് ഒരു പാടു കാശ് ചിലവാക്കേണ്ടി വരിഉല്ലെ ഇത് മൊത്തം പോളിചെടുക്കാന്‍ ?