At every stage in life
You are there
To do or not to do
From the color of the dress
To the lifestyle you choose
Decisions to make or break
From Seconds to life throughout
Sometimes in impulse
Sometime well thought over
Course of direction unknown
Until you reach the destiny
This life with no replays
For With life is what you pay
Friday 15 June, 2007
A Marriage Made in the Known Heaven
It was supposed to be a getaway from the regular hectic week of work and the chaos of city life. Well, I got much more than what I asked for and an unforgettable lesson most of us fail to learn in our growth, in our search for higher dreams, when we let go of our roots.
In a matter of five minutes, my friend and I changed our decision, about the bus trip that was to take us to his village in God’s Own Country. Well, we did make our trip, roping in another of our friends, and just for the fun of it, driving down instead of taking the bus. We wanted to make our own rules. The writing on my friend’s T-shirt said it all - ‘Rules don’t apply to me’.
We took off and covered our first phase of twenty kilometers in 3 hours. Neither were we driving a bullock cart, nor were we enjoying the beauty of the Garden City in the night’s rain. We were simply stuck in the ever-growing traffic. Seems like the entire city was out in the open to get drenched in the summer shower. I remember the same city, which was my summer destination for the last 12 years. Those days when you could lazily walk in the middle of the road without being worried of being honked at by a zooming vehicle. Now you need to be careful to walk even on the pavement, for that has become the road for the new kids on the wheels to bypass the traffic. That’s what has become of this once beautiful city, loosing its charm day by day. It was nearing midnight when we could finally hit the Hosur road on way to our destination.
The reason we were making the trip was the occasion of ‘a marriage in the family’, as my friend called it. This marriage was a unique one, never heard of before. It was to be among two beauties - a Banyan tree and a Neem tree. Shocked? So was I. My first reaction when I heard this was, “WHAT the heck?” Well, as it turned out, it proved to be one of the best days that I had ever had - so far at least.
And so, on to the trip. With my friend at the wheel and music from the Maestro’s best, I am not sure when I dozed off. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t sure if I really did open them, for what I saw was mesmerizing. A proof of why this piece of land is called ‘God’s Own Country’. On one side, the early morning clouds kissing the Western Ghats with their carpet of paddy fields, and on the other side, the sun just awakening with plain green land stretching off to an unseen distance, all the while, zipping along on the new L&T highway, a proof of the growing economy.
I was still coming to my senses, a sea change from last night’s metropolitan city, to the morning village tucked away from the hustle and bustle of even the insects. Silence was defined here, I would say, with what I saw and what I felt. The destination was Chembai, the home of the renowned Carnatic musician, where a close-knit family of 57, constituted this Agraharam. My friend proudly called this place ‘Known heaven on earth’, and so it truly was, for those two days were simply a slice of heaven.
Whoever said that water has become a scarcity? I had four baths that day, all at Nature’s feet, from the running streams, to the temple pond, to the god’s own river Bharathapuzha. Eating just for the fun of it, from the numerous eateries, I discovered my hitherto unknown appetite. I still savour those meals and the McDs and the KFCs pale in comparison to the wholesome and flavourful fare that these simple eateries offered. They could beat those fast food chains hands down, for the price, quantity and hygiene, and above all in letting you eat in peace/ relish your meal, without eyes watching you and waiting for you to get up. Well the whole day just went by in eating, bathing and just lazing around in the afternoon sun.
As the day of the marriage dawned, I was up with my camera to capture the moments. I did click a few pictures, but more importantly, there were lessons that were captured in my heart that day: To value your eco system, to value your environment, to value your tradition. Well it came from the mouth of the eldest in the entire clan of 57 families, fondly called the karanavar, (the eldest and respectful) 85 and running quite strong. Hmmm, literally he could, for that’s how healthy he was even at that age. His appetite would throw any of those health conscious souls at the newly sprouting fitness centers to shame. As I had mentioned, the occasion was anointing the Banyan tree- the groom as a Brahmin and getting him married to the Neem tree- the bride. Weird? Well it did sound so at first, but not after some insight.
Initially I just took up the event as some age-old tradition of blind orthodox belief, when, the karanavar sitting next to me popped a question to me, “What do you think about this whole thing?”
I thought for a while and gave a guarded reply, so as not to hurt his sentiments, “It’s a different and unique one.” He just smiled and looked as though weighing my reply. “ It is in a sense, yes, but carries much more relevance to this world that we live in today. A tribute to the environment to say we care, we respect and above all, that it is part of our family.”
This kind of made me think. How many of us today really care for the environment that we live in? How many of us take the time out to just look out at the trees that help us live? Here was the entire village celebrating the wedding of two trees. We take time to say thank you to those that help us, but what about these gentle giants who have been feeding us and providing us with the air that we breathe for centuries?
Well, the whole ceremony in his words was a tribute to say that we care, a way of saying thank you. These age old traditions and customs which today’s generation tend to think as old worn out thoughts and beliefs I carry much more significance in this world today.
In a matter of five minutes, my friend and I changed our decision, about the bus trip that was to take us to his village in God’s Own Country. Well, we did make our trip, roping in another of our friends, and just for the fun of it, driving down instead of taking the bus. We wanted to make our own rules. The writing on my friend’s T-shirt said it all - ‘Rules don’t apply to me’.
We took off and covered our first phase of twenty kilometers in 3 hours. Neither were we driving a bullock cart, nor were we enjoying the beauty of the Garden City in the night’s rain. We were simply stuck in the ever-growing traffic. Seems like the entire city was out in the open to get drenched in the summer shower. I remember the same city, which was my summer destination for the last 12 years. Those days when you could lazily walk in the middle of the road without being worried of being honked at by a zooming vehicle. Now you need to be careful to walk even on the pavement, for that has become the road for the new kids on the wheels to bypass the traffic. That’s what has become of this once beautiful city, loosing its charm day by day. It was nearing midnight when we could finally hit the Hosur road on way to our destination.
The reason we were making the trip was the occasion of ‘a marriage in the family’, as my friend called it. This marriage was a unique one, never heard of before. It was to be among two beauties - a Banyan tree and a Neem tree. Shocked? So was I. My first reaction when I heard this was, “WHAT the heck?” Well, as it turned out, it proved to be one of the best days that I had ever had - so far at least.
And so, on to the trip. With my friend at the wheel and music from the Maestro’s best, I am not sure when I dozed off. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t sure if I really did open them, for what I saw was mesmerizing. A proof of why this piece of land is called ‘God’s Own Country’. On one side, the early morning clouds kissing the Western Ghats with their carpet of paddy fields, and on the other side, the sun just awakening with plain green land stretching off to an unseen distance, all the while, zipping along on the new L&T highway, a proof of the growing economy.
I was still coming to my senses, a sea change from last night’s metropolitan city, to the morning village tucked away from the hustle and bustle of even the insects. Silence was defined here, I would say, with what I saw and what I felt. The destination was Chembai, the home of the renowned Carnatic musician, where a close-knit family of 57, constituted this Agraharam. My friend proudly called this place ‘Known heaven on earth’, and so it truly was, for those two days were simply a slice of heaven.
Whoever said that water has become a scarcity? I had four baths that day, all at Nature’s feet, from the running streams, to the temple pond, to the god’s own river Bharathapuzha. Eating just for the fun of it, from the numerous eateries, I discovered my hitherto unknown appetite. I still savour those meals and the McDs and the KFCs pale in comparison to the wholesome and flavourful fare that these simple eateries offered. They could beat those fast food chains hands down, for the price, quantity and hygiene, and above all in letting you eat in peace/ relish your meal, without eyes watching you and waiting for you to get up. Well the whole day just went by in eating, bathing and just lazing around in the afternoon sun.
As the day of the marriage dawned, I was up with my camera to capture the moments. I did click a few pictures, but more importantly, there were lessons that were captured in my heart that day: To value your eco system, to value your environment, to value your tradition. Well it came from the mouth of the eldest in the entire clan of 57 families, fondly called the karanavar, (the eldest and respectful) 85 and running quite strong. Hmmm, literally he could, for that’s how healthy he was even at that age. His appetite would throw any of those health conscious souls at the newly sprouting fitness centers to shame. As I had mentioned, the occasion was anointing the Banyan tree- the groom as a Brahmin and getting him married to the Neem tree- the bride. Weird? Well it did sound so at first, but not after some insight.
Initially I just took up the event as some age-old tradition of blind orthodox belief, when, the karanavar sitting next to me popped a question to me, “What do you think about this whole thing?”
I thought for a while and gave a guarded reply, so as not to hurt his sentiments, “It’s a different and unique one.” He just smiled and looked as though weighing my reply. “ It is in a sense, yes, but carries much more relevance to this world that we live in today. A tribute to the environment to say we care, we respect and above all, that it is part of our family.”
This kind of made me think. How many of us today really care for the environment that we live in? How many of us take the time out to just look out at the trees that help us live? Here was the entire village celebrating the wedding of two trees. We take time to say thank you to those that help us, but what about these gentle giants who have been feeding us and providing us with the air that we breathe for centuries?
Well, the whole ceremony in his words was a tribute to say that we care, a way of saying thank you. These age old traditions and customs which today’s generation tend to think as old worn out thoughts and beliefs I carry much more significance in this world today.
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