Navarathri Way Back

I just saw Ramu's reminiscences about Dussera in the old days and it kindled my own memories. I am talking about the 1950s when Appa had retired and we were in Karpagambal Nagar. We had the big Nash car (six cylinders) and I used to drive it with the ladies and children to visit people for Golu. In some houses I would also go in but the problem was Iwould have to sing. In all houses I will get the Sundal and some sweet packets. Once, along with me was Babyraja (Rukku's son) and I was in a mood to sing and went on singing the Javali 'Parulanna Maata' in Kapi Ragam and Babyraja would not let me stop singing it.

The golu in all our uncles houses were quite big and Thambi, Jayaram and I had to go to each house in advance and put up serial lighting. flashing bulbs etc. There was always a sand affair on the floor in front of the golu, either a mountain with celluloid animals and a forrest or a village scene etc. We spent a lot of time in putting up the golu and elders too took a lot of interest. The enthusiasm everybody felt in those days was great and we miss it now.

Once in our Office Annual Magazine I wrote an article (a short story) called 'Navarathri'. That was the time when computers were just being introduced in our Company and my short story was about the traffic jams dueto people driving in all directions to visit people and so how Shaw Wallace (my Company) introduces a system where people register and then give their dates and how Shaw Wallace will tell all the registrants the date they should have the DAY and the car routings so that the traffic jams are reduced and the police are very appreciative of the idea. In the short story I had a dig at our Chairman and said how he asks for a ten year plan and cash-flowchart beforeapproving theproject.

In those days, singing at the Golu was a must and if a person could sing well he/she had to sing at every house. The other side of the coin is that we had to listen to a lot of mediocre singing.

Life was very relaxed then, compared to what it is now.

-Ramakrishnan.