HAPPY DUSSEHRA TO ALL

Happy Dussehra to all. Today is Saraswathi Pooja. Let us all pray the Almighty that all children should do very well in their schools & colleges, with good health and let us seek the blessings of Kunjappa and Janga manni on this occasion.

Navarathri at K.Nagar used to be enjoyable when we were kids there. I think it was between 1952 and 1957.

1. Periappa used to call us ( me, Lux, Lalitha, Rama, Ashok ) to his Boag Road house, before Navarathri . Along with Bapu and Lalli, we used to fill small paper covers with chocklates and keep ready for distribution, eating many without Periappa`s knowledge !
( Can today`s periappas can call nephews like this!!).

( Those days, periappa used to come to K.Nagar on every Sunday at 4 PM with Bapu, Lalli, Bharath,Uma. He will take me, Lux,Lalitha,Rama and Ashok and go to Marina beach. He used to sit on a folding chair near the water and supervise our playing, getting us all eatables in between. He used to drop us back at 6.30 PM.This took place for many many years.)

2. Papa, Rukku , Lux and Lalitha used to visit houses daily in the evenings, in the colony and nearby areas. Me, and Ashok used to wait eagerly for the different " sundals" they bring.

3. There was no "golu" in our house but there used to be some old dolls in a wooden box in the loft. Later, when Kappu akka came to K.Nagar, she used to keep "golu".

4. Among the houses we used to go with Papa, Rukku,Lux , are Sri.CAS, Hema - Vijaya akka`s cousin, Sri.C,A.Ramakrishnan at Adyar, Devarajan Chitkala, where very big golus used to be there. Ramakrishnan used to take us in NASH car.

5. Pooja on all nine days at K.Nagar used to be very elaberate and for the daily " deepa aradhanai" there used to be atleast 15 to 20 people of the family.

THIS YEAR`S POOJA, is coming to an end with simple pooja daily with me and Sarada only, Sarada visiting the other four flats in our building and both of us recalling our young navarathri days!!

Ramu