Vishu (വിഷു) "Keralites New Year"

Its exactly a week before, All keralite across the globe happen to celebrate "Vishu" the good part is that it do not restrict any caste or religion from celebrating...

This is the second this in my life that i was not with my family to celebrate it... which is used to enjoy to celebrate... i bet all would love to with their family and loved once to celebrate on all festive occasions...

Just to give a small explanation... about the festive "Vishu"... its celebrated across Kerala, buy the north part of Kerala also do mark it as the new year also along with the harvest festival which i guess is shared with many other part in India say like "Baisakhi -- Punjab" "Bihu -- Assam" "VIshu -- Tamil Nadu" and so on...

Usual the celebration start a night before, when the elderly lady of the house "in my case my nani" would decorate the pooja roam, with neatly arrange all the idols with large number or brass lamp, with earthen vessel filled with "Rice" "Grain" "Pulses" plate will have any denomination currency & gold, plates filled with fruits and with some vegetables. And about the flower "semma konna" it’s a yellow flower which only glooms once a year during this 2 week time, and “Rangoli” made diluted rice batter.

And the usually the muharaat is at 4 -6 am when nani will wake us up but will make sure that we are not opening our eyes she would assist us walk to the pooja room and make us open our eyes looking at the great view, the whole room would be lit in oil candle (brass lamp as mentioned earlier) then we would be given some sweets, followed with "kai neetam" where in elders will gift money to all small and younger people, and which follows with "Vishu padakam" in short burning fire crackers.
And later in the afternoon we would have a gala lunch "Vishu Sadhaya"... just to mention half a dozen curries to names some (sambhar, aviyal"a mixed veg curry made with coconut milk", coot-curry" main ingredient is raw banana & elephant foot (suran)" pacchadi(lauki with coconut milk)" with a couple of chutney, acchar, and will follow with couple of payasam one is of rice.

Do after all this I guess its really fair enough to say that i am missing all this.

This is how usually the Pooja room would look

This is how a typical lunch "Vishu Sadhya" which we do have on for vishu celebration.

Coloring and Drawing... (childhood leisure)

Please do not stare at me by just reading out the subject line.... or rather do not assuming that i wanted a catchy subject line to start of with another story...

Okay Answer this one... When was the last time you have actually painted using those crayons or when was the last time you have drawn images using the dotted lines…

Ahhh!!! i should say that we are missing the greatest fun which we used you have during our early childhood days... when we all used to get indulged in doing all this activities....
I would say that i was a bit more luck for past some time as i had my drawing and coloring partner (Rishi -- he is 4 years old) when we all friends used to meet over the weekend... Rishi used to carry his big coloring box (I envy him during my childhood i used to have only 12 crayon and most of them would be in their final stage of life :) ) and this dude has a big box which would carry say more then 50 crayon color & color pencils....

So my drawing partner used to keep me busy in all his activities like while painting i had to paint a ear and then he would paint and i would have to agree in the last that "Rishi you were really great in coloring" he just had to listen that... and this smart chap would say "Anish no problem i will help you... :)...

But trust me I really used to enjoying those painting and drawing sessions...i guess i should get each one of you a set of coloring box and bunch of crayons... which would help you paint more images which you would have wanted to draw then!!!!

So when i am back do expect on odd weekend i am with by coloring book and paint :)

Cheers,
Anish

p.s. no need to picture your self as the kid from Taree Zamin par :)

Its Time to say GoodBye....

phew.... Its been a long time (rather 28 days) since i have written anything.... for a moment i was thinking am i short of writing something, but nothing like that..

Okay last week one Family from our group decided to wrap up and settle back to India, this move back did not came as a surprise but we were informed couple of months back over our usual weekly get together.... At that time no one were quite shocked but... as the day were coming near a different vibes started gripping with various thought "Things are not going to be same.." the weekly party would not have charm going ahead.... the laugh would not be any louder :)

Ramesh and Pallavi were the integral part of our groups... they were in all group hang out at what ever time it may be .. along with their kids (the youngest has just completed 5 month )

OKay just to make thing short and to the point... all the time we guys we were together we had a ball.. and as some wise human said all good will come to and end.. so that we can start afresh in a bigger bang... so having the faith... looking forward to have more fun time...

so me taking time to say good bye, which means a new beginning...