Pushing Things Aside

Everytime you try to push something under the carpet; a part of you wants to argue, one part awaits healthy debate, a part wishes to be convinced rationally, a part worries of the words lost, a part cries over the stakes neglected and a part pushes the mute button suddenly!

When such an act becomes routine, the sum total of all these urging parts in you wilts away!

While on the outside it appears to be stirring up a storm out of the simple act of adjustment; it is truly not that easy and goes a long way into losing hope, bottling up emotions that might resurface in many other ways and finally giving up! Is it not better to fight it out rather than ignore the elephant in the room everytime??!!

Smile on the Run

We have been running with time to keep up with the work schedules, vacation, festivals, family celebrations and pujas!! Today afternoon, unable to run the race, we have even resorted to hiding the clock out of sight!!😜

As we arrive at yet another grihapravesam and wait outside the flat for the muhurtam, amidst all this chaos, Kaka and Prithvi don't forget to have fun!! Kids put back the long-forgotten smile on our faces once again!!

Dussehra Leftovers

The recipe for heavenly food seems to be including the leftovers of Dussehra festivities. The grated coconut kernels, lentils from the daily offerings to the Goddess and soaked tamarind evolve into coconut curry to be eaten with pacchi pulusu and sour curd from the Aavada (Dahi vada) as side dishes. As the dry curry moistened by the tangy liquid touches the palate to be finally soothed by curd, it feels to be the moment when you have discovered the optimal solution to reach the zenith.

This classical combo is the family favourite and handed over through generations by my maternal grandparents. Feeding these today to my children, and narrating them all the related stories brought back the memories of my childhood when my grandmother and uncles used to cherish these dishes!! The way my ammamma used to sit on a really tiny wooden stool to enjoy these during her lunch on the day after Vijayadasami is still fresh in my mind!!

Kameswaripuja

Who doesn't want to escape to the mountains.... with trails watered by random falls and with a view presenting the lush shades of green left by the monsoon and clouds playing touch-and-go with the cityscapes as one ascends through the altitude built over the chain of hillocks!! Annamayya kritis or Vishnusahasram or Suprabhatam in the eternal voice of the legendary singer, MS Subbulakshmi or Gadyam chanted rhythmically by Pandits reverberate to welcome the visitors at the peak!! Irrespective of the caste, education, upbringing, profession or lineage; everyone is prepared to shed their baggage (including digital distractions) and wait for long hours to catch a glimpse of the Lord. The only topics discussed are room allocations, darshan timings, prasadam. The only calculations done are about the number of laddoos to be taken back home for the kith and kin!! The only challenge taken is to crack through the vada with no unbroken tooth!! The only thought everyone has is to survive through the rushes and imprint an unforgettable image of the Lord in their minds!!

The endless race for the unknown of every person with a fast-paced life and lifestyle is simplified overnight to focus on the ultimate during the brief stay!! Tirumala Balaji is not just the richest and the most-popular deity, he is the gamer who not only shows the path of redemption to the devotees by bringing down all their pride to prostration with pure devotion, but also lures them with the glitter and glory and encourages them to work harder to earn the next visit to his empire built on 7 scenic hills!! Here we are..... the connoisseurs of the experience!!