Festivals

I don’t know the reason but we shifted from that house to another. And here I finished my 4th grade and that was the last class available in that school. So, that means I need to go to another school from next year onwards. I finished my 4th grade with first class but the last word from my teacher wasn’t ‘best wishes’ but she told my mom that there is no place left in my body to be beaten by her. She was a ‘terror’ – Radhamani teacher.

Once she had asked the class what we want to become when we grow up. Many students said ‘police’ , ‘driver’ , ‘conductor’ (a person who issues tickets in transport bus) etc and I don’t remember what I said. Or may be she did not ask me.....

My dad did not show any interest in admitting me to any school and finally mom took me to a nearby school which had very bad reputation. Some of our relatives and mom’s one of the colleagues (who was close to our family) advised her that she is spoiling my future since I was good at studies.

Govt.Model High School

Thus before attending even once day, I joined another school. This was a government school, known mainly for student protests and strikes!. But it also had a reputation.

I did not have any friends in my neighborhood. This was mainly because I had five cousins with me (out of 27) and four of them used to play with me and my sis. The eldest was a kind of rowdy that time and used to beat his younger siblings. So, I wasn’t that friendly with him during my childhood.

Diwali was one of our favorite festivals, apart from the most popular Onam (during August-September). It was during Diwali we burst fire crackers and most of the time I used to get some burn (by experimenting new things) which I hid from my dad.

Onam days were grand. 10 days of holiday. Four days of feast (Sadhya) with different sweets. Usually some of our relative might invite us to have feast with them during the third or fourth day. Thus it will be different set of dishes. Though the curries would be same by name, taste will be different. The feast would consist of minimum of three pickles (ginger, lemon and mango), one mixed vegetable curry called ‘Aviyal’, one or two fried vegetables called ‘thoran’ (like cabbage, beans, bitter gourd etc), then this pachadi, kichadi, banana chips(vattal), banana chip coated with jaggery (uppery), then papad (another thin and round fried item) and many more, all these are side dishes and there will be some main curry which we pour and mix with rice. They are parippu, sambar, rasam, pulissery, mor (spiced buttermilk).

The major item is the sweet served at the end (but one). One day it would be Vermicelli (called semya, a kind of pasta stuff) payasam. Then kadala payasm, palada payasam, pradhaman, jackfruit payasam, etc. Onam feast is a traditional vegetarian feast, all over our state, Kerala

Onam is play time too. We get new cloths, new ball to play, we fly kites…..Dad’s eldest brother used to sponsor the swing, always. My dad used to make kites. And most of the time he accompanied us with glue and paper just in case to repair the kites. Those days were real fun. What is the idea behind Onam? It’s allover there in the net. One way, its a harvest festival.

Floral decoration (Attha Poo or Pookkalam) is another thing that happens during Onam, done in the morning.




We do this for 10 days (all over the state, it starts and ends on the same day). We need to pluck the flower/buds in the evening itself else others will 'steal' it. Elders used to present others a small 'yellow' cloth. And for me, it was my dad who used to give.

Lots of many other activities happen during onam in our state, other than this; especially in the rural areas. Like, boat race (Vallam Kali), Thiruvathira kali ( a traditional dance form of kerala ) etc.

Thiruvathira Kali

Vallam Kali (Boat Game/race)

For us, the city people, there was this 'procession' where many agencies participate (major government departments, schools, florists etc) on 4th onam day. People take place on both sides of the road and watch. This travels about 5 kilometers.

Another major festival we eagerly used to wait is the Vishu, during April..

Kanikonna Tree During April


Two things are part of this festival. One the ‘Vishu Kani’. Here, we keep lots of fruits and vegetables (mango, usually as a bunch is a must then cucumber, jack fruit etc etc) , flowers (Yellow one calle Kani Konna is a must), ornaments (which symbolically represents the prosperity) etc and there will be pictures/idols of God Vishnu (in the form of Guruvayurappan or Krishna) at the centre. We will lit a lamp in the morning. This is usually done by elder women member of the family. What we have to do is see this first thing in the morning. When we wake up, we need to cover our eyes and come to the place where (usually the pooja room) this Kani is placed. Kids are usually wakened up by moms and they will cover the kids eyes with their palms.

Vishu Kani

But for us, the interesting part is the second aspect of it. The ‘Vishu Kaineettam’ That is, elders (or to be precise the family head) have to give some money (usually coins) to the younger members of the family. Thus I used to get some money from my dad, mom, some uncles, aunties etc. This is not a silly thing and sometimes, we get a decent saving. But I used to spent the money by buying ice cream, toys, comic etc.

Karthika was another festival we used to celebrate. During this day, we lit small oil lamps and keep it on our compound wall, entrance of our house etc.

A typical Karthika lamp

During Christmas, I used to buy Christmas greeting cards. Either I gave it to one or two cousins or I kept it with me!

I think that was the time Autorickshaws started plying on the road.

'Auto'

I told my parents I want to travel in that. But it took long time and finally, one day I traveled in it and felt like I am a prince. Those days, the bus fare started at 10 paise (and today, 10 paise coin itself is not there due to inflation – 100 paise = 1 Rupee). Those days, even one paisa had a value. We could buy two peanut candy with one paisa.

My family never had any pleasure trips or picnics. I did not have good relations with any of my relatives except those 4 cousins, during my childhood. When I grew up, one or two got added up, that’s all. Otherwise, I grew up in a kind of lonely environment and may be coz of that, I like my company. I was comfortable in the solitude in multitude coz, inside my mind, it was multitude in solitude.