Got back from Ben and Pushpa's wedding last night, with a thousand plus unforgettable memories ! Met a good number of people, including the usual suspects Aarthi and Rajiv, Ranjana and Amrith, Kitcha Anna, and also Durga Akka, Raghu Anna, Neela Akka, Mauli Athimber, Aditi and Arjun, and of course Geetha Manni, Raja Anna, Meera, Pushpa and Ben. The wedding was also "skyped" in part to India, with Perippa, Ambi Anna, Malini Manni, Amma and Srikanth, among others, watching the proceedings live. Ben and Pushpa are such a wonderful couple together, and we all wish them the very best. Don't forget your promise to come visit us soon !
Landed in Baltimore on the day of Ben and Pushpa's nischyataartham, which also coincided with varalakShmi vrata. Vidya did the puja with Kamakshi back home in my absence. varalakShmi vrata is traditionally observed on the Friday before paurNami in the month of shrAvaNa (श्रावण पौर्णमी पूर्वस्थ शुक्रवारे चारुमती प्रभृतिभिः पूजिताकारे). Almost everyone who spent some time with Manimma knew that this was her favorite பண்டிகை. She took keen interest in decorating vara(mahA)lakShmi and inviting friends and relatives on the day each year. Here are a few photos of the occasion from our trip to India last year (2009).
 |
| வரலக்ஷ்மி அம்பாள் in Besant Nagar (decorated with Paddu Athai's help) |
 |
| Manimma and Perippa along with Lalitha Mami (Vidya and Kamakshi's hand in the background) |
So imagine my surprise when I received on that particular day from Neela Akka (while we were all at Raja Anna and Geetha Manni's place before the nischyataartham) a photo of வரலக்ஷ்மி அம்பாள் decorated by Manimma, with glowing tributes to her, prepared and sent to us by Paddu Athai. Thank you so much Athai !!! When I met Rajiv and Aarthi in the hotel room, and also talked to Vidya that day, I told them how blessed we are to have received this not-so-subtle blessing from Manimma on this auspicious day.
 |
| varalakSmi vrata, Besant Nagar, circa ? [(L to R) Aditi, Varalakshmi, Arjun and Anita :-] |
 |
| Paddu Athai's tribute to Manimma, August 12, 2010. |
என்றும் உங்கள் நினைவாகவே இருக்கும் குடும்பத்தினர்.
We're just back from our honeymoon, and I had the chance to see the blog - what a wonderful way to tribute and remember Manimma as we continue to go forward as a family, with her in our thoughts. I feel very lucky and blessed that Manimma's favorite nombu was the same day as the nischyadhartham. And Ben and I have not forgotten our plan to come to San Diego, in fact we were talking about it on our honeymoon. I'll keep you updated about possible weekends!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMost people seem to think of Manimma and nourishment almost always together. I got a taste of this even though I came in last into the family. I remember when I would leave for work early in Chennai and since there were no restaurants near where I worked, she used to make sure Rajeswari came in and prepared my lunch first thing. One morning Rajeswari was late and I decided I was not taking lunch that day. I got ready and came to the kitchen only to find Manimma barely able to stand, barely able to move her hands, preparing my lunch. I was moved, shocked. And I dont think I thanked her enough on days like that.
ReplyDeleteRajiv always remembers food when remembering festivals growing up! And I recall food being the only way we celebrated of festivals!! Besides making a discipline-related unmentionable resolution in honor of Manimma's life, we also decided, in honor of childhood that she so cherished (I mean Kalyani would bring Sidharth just so Manimma could see him frequently enough), to observe atleast the bakshanam part of pandigais - we want to keep it up for Kamakshi and Tara and Madhurya and Sidharth and others. Although we are not celebrating this year, we did what Manimma would have been proud of and what we should have started doing 4 years ago: we made the uppu and vella cheedais! If she had tasted them, she would have smiled and said it was good. She would not have had the heart to tell me how to fix its flaws until after at least 2 days!!
Pushpa, you kind of promised to think about visiting the bay area too.