Happy Vishu
Wish you all (obviously, who read my blog and may be also to those who dont read bcoz they dont know the url) a Very Happy and Prosperous VISHU (Tamil New Year)
Usually (Traditionally), Vishu is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, by waking up early in the morning (4.00 am, the time when people like me in IIT go to sleep after a nightout), walking from the bedroom to the puja room with eyes closed (i was always assisted by my mom in that), sitting in front of Vishu Kani (Now describing the Vishu Kani itself will be another blog, so i am not doing it here. In short, Vishu Kani symbolises prosperity and happiness.), seeing each and every items kept in the Kani (idol of the Lord, Kani Konna (a beautiful yellow flower), gold and silver coins, Pattu (silk cloth), mirror (seeing ur self in it), etc to name a few), praying to the Lord for a wonderful new year ahead with all the happiness and prosperity (as u see in the Vishu Kani), bursting crackers, get an oil massage, get ready and go to the nearest temple, get Vishu Kai-neettam from the elders (for kids in a joint family, it is a very good time) and then enjoy the day with a feast for lunch.
But I rarely had a Vishu of that kind, except when I was in Kerala. Truly speaking, I remember only two occasions, during my B Tech, when I had experienced each and every step mentioned above. Last year, I got up at 6.30 am, didnt see any Vishu Kani, went to temple and got Kai-neettam from the temple pujari and also from one of my relatives. This year, with Anoop here with me, I was sure that it would not be the same. As I had expected, we decided to get up at 4.00. And suprisingly, I got up before getting a call from him (even though I slept at 1.00 am). Though there was no Vishu Kani arranged in my room, yet I managed to get up with eyes closed and worship the Lord for the year ahead. By around 4.45 am, I was ready to go to the Ayyappa Temple (in R.K. Puram, which is close to IIT). We (myself and Anoop) were in time at the temple, to get a darshan before the crowd starts pouring in. Today, being a holiday for Good Friday, there was a huge rush at the temple than yester years.
Suddenly, I remembered the Guruvayoorappan Temple (in Mayur Vihar, New Delhi) around 18kms from IIT. We had never visited that temple in our past 3 yrs stay in Delhi. Which other day would be better to visit a temple than the auspicious occasion of Vishu! We made a few enquiries about the timings of the temple and the means of transport to reach there. After having breakfast (idlis and vadas) from the canteen near the Ayyappa temple, we set forth to our next destination Mayur Vihar. The journey took us an hour, not because of the traffic, but because of non-availability of enough commutters (the private buses are a hell to travel on holidays and early mornings). The sight at the temple was even more astonishing. The queue to the entrance to the temple was right there at the bus stop (about 100m from the temple). After standing for about an hour in the queue, we finally managed to get inside the temple and get a very satisfactory darshan of the deity. Well, I was impressed by the crowd management and the arrangements at the temple. They provided drinking water for those in the queue under the sun. There were enough number of volunteers to divert the crowd at all intersections within the temple complex.
In between these events, we made a phone call to our guide Prof. Visweswaran, to wish Happy Vishu. Before calling, I had suggested that we should ask for a lunch at his place (as usual we were eager to get a chance of having south indian lunch). But in the end thought that it would be rude to ask for a lunch, and that too on a Vishu day, and we ended the call by mentioning our plans to the Mayur Vihar temple. When we were in the queue at the temple, Anoop received a call from GSV asking whether we would like to join him for lunch at his home. It was like Nammal manasil kandaal, Sir maanathil kaanum. Wreeju was also planning to come to IIT to have lunch with us (me and Anoop), so he was also invited by GSV.
We bought the 'Paal Payasam', as prasadam, from the temple and reached GSV's house at lunch time. We had a very nice 9-course meal (as counted byW), did some leg pulling of W (half bong, half mallu), and came back to the lab to normal routine.
That was this year's special, Vishu, special temple visit, and a special lunch.
Usually (Traditionally), Vishu is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, by waking up early in the morning (4.00 am, the time when people like me in IIT go to sleep after a nightout), walking from the bedroom to the puja room with eyes closed (i was always assisted by my mom in that), sitting in front of Vishu Kani (Now describing the Vishu Kani itself will be another blog, so i am not doing it here. In short, Vishu Kani symbolises prosperity and happiness.), seeing each and every items kept in the Kani (idol of the Lord, Kani Konna (a beautiful yellow flower), gold and silver coins, Pattu (silk cloth), mirror (seeing ur self in it), etc to name a few), praying to the Lord for a wonderful new year ahead with all the happiness and prosperity (as u see in the Vishu Kani), bursting crackers, get an oil massage, get ready and go to the nearest temple, get Vishu Kai-neettam from the elders (for kids in a joint family, it is a very good time) and then enjoy the day with a feast for lunch.
But I rarely had a Vishu of that kind, except when I was in Kerala. Truly speaking, I remember only two occasions, during my B Tech, when I had experienced each and every step mentioned above. Last year, I got up at 6.30 am, didnt see any Vishu Kani, went to temple and got Kai-neettam from the temple pujari and also from one of my relatives. This year, with Anoop here with me, I was sure that it would not be the same. As I had expected, we decided to get up at 4.00. And suprisingly, I got up before getting a call from him (even though I slept at 1.00 am). Though there was no Vishu Kani arranged in my room, yet I managed to get up with eyes closed and worship the Lord for the year ahead. By around 4.45 am, I was ready to go to the Ayyappa Temple (in R.K. Puram, which is close to IIT). We (myself and Anoop) were in time at the temple, to get a darshan before the crowd starts pouring in. Today, being a holiday for Good Friday, there was a huge rush at the temple than yester years.
Suddenly, I remembered the Guruvayoorappan Temple (in Mayur Vihar, New Delhi) around 18kms from IIT. We had never visited that temple in our past 3 yrs stay in Delhi. Which other day would be better to visit a temple than the auspicious occasion of Vishu! We made a few enquiries about the timings of the temple and the means of transport to reach there. After having breakfast (idlis and vadas) from the canteen near the Ayyappa temple, we set forth to our next destination Mayur Vihar. The journey took us an hour, not because of the traffic, but because of non-availability of enough commutters (the private buses are a hell to travel on holidays and early mornings). The sight at the temple was even more astonishing. The queue to the entrance to the temple was right there at the bus stop (about 100m from the temple). After standing for about an hour in the queue, we finally managed to get inside the temple and get a very satisfactory darshan of the deity. Well, I was impressed by the crowd management and the arrangements at the temple. They provided drinking water for those in the queue under the sun. There were enough number of volunteers to divert the crowd at all intersections within the temple complex.
In between these events, we made a phone call to our guide Prof. Visweswaran, to wish Happy Vishu. Before calling, I had suggested that we should ask for a lunch at his place (as usual we were eager to get a chance of having south indian lunch). But in the end thought that it would be rude to ask for a lunch, and that too on a Vishu day, and we ended the call by mentioning our plans to the Mayur Vihar temple. When we were in the queue at the temple, Anoop received a call from GSV asking whether we would like to join him for lunch at his home. It was like Nammal manasil kandaal, Sir maanathil kaanum. Wreeju was also planning to come to IIT to have lunch with us (me and Anoop), so he was also invited by GSV.
We bought the 'Paal Payasam', as prasadam, from the temple and reached GSV's house at lunch time. We had a very nice 9-course meal (as counted byW), did some leg pulling of W (half bong, half mallu), and came back to the lab to normal routine.
That was this year's special, Vishu, special temple visit, and a special lunch.
Comments
And nice that you dint spoil the day of your Prof, by calling on him for lunch :D