Meandering thoughts - Sita Sreeraman

When I first came to London, I wondered what the Christmas fuss was all about. Beginning October and November, the stores all got decked up in Christmas finery and look grand, colourful and inviting. The High Street (main street in each area) and other important streets like Oxford Street, Regents Street, Bond Street etc get decked up in colourful lights and look festive. And Christmas carols fill the air - Jingle Bells and others. There is a change in mood, people are thinking of gifts to buy, family get togethers, family dinners and churches. And homes and shops sport Christmas trees- the evergreen pine with a tangy turpentine smell and a conical shape, colourfully lit with lovely baubles and decorations. The local flower stores all begin to stock Christmas trees, sometimes the Farmer’s Market does some and in the weeks leading to Christmas, you sometimes find trees for Sale on the Pavements near the Underground tube stations. Last year plastic black Christmas trees were the fad, thi

As I start writing this blog, I think of the various small things that are particular to the upbringing in Iyer families. The first thought that comes to my mind is that I am part of a sect that has practised non-violence and vegetarianism for centuries, that believes in Advaitha and chants the‘Gayathri Mantra’. And that I am part of this wonderful unbroken tradition of 7000 to 8000 years. As Iyers, our life is based on the teachings of Adi Sankara, the doctrines in Bhagavad Geetha, Vedas and Upanishads. We pay obeisance to our gurus Adi Sankara and the Sankaracharyas of Sringeri and Kanchi and other great people like Ramana Maharishi, Sai Baba. We usually have a photo of the gurus in our house and visit them when we can. We believe in rebirth and karma yoga and bhakti margam. Being an Iyer, using the credentials of Gothram,Vedam, sub-sect(Vadhyama, Vadama etc) and my grand parents names gets me connected almost instantaneously with another Iyer anywhere in the world. If I were a man,