Meandering thoughts - Sita Sreeraman

Navaratri . the nine nights of worship culminating in Vijaya Dashami. Navaratri is celebrated across India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Gujarat to Bengal in various different ways. Rama Krishna Paramahamsa, is one of the first names that comes to mind as a Devi devotee - Kali Bhakta,  and of couse we have Kalidasa of the yore, who was blessed by the Goddess. Bengal and Kashmir have been the home of Sree Vidya and Devi Tantra(Kaula and Shakta),  along with Bengal.  Coming South, of the musical trinity,  Muthusawmi Deekshitar and Shyama Shastry were Devi devotees and have many compositions on the Goddess. (Thayagaraja's Ishta Daiva being Lord Rama). Shyama Shastri devoted his many Kritis to the the Goddess. Kamakshi and used the mudra Shyama Krishna(think Shyamala). An anecdote devoted to Deekshitar says as he neared his end, he called one of his disciples and asked him to sing the composition "Meenakshi Memudaham", as the disciple sang Meenalochani Pashamochani, he as...

I was reading the Sai Tapovanam today when one sentence caught my attention and stayed - Some people cannot understand the love of one mother, how can they understand the love of a thousand mothers?  This sentence has been in my thoughts. And I kept wondering what it means - mother's love. I spoke with my mother and the conversation stayed with me. I realised a mother is the only person who asks the question - How are you, are you happy? Santoshama iru, Santhosham ka undu - this benediction comes from her heart, genuinely asking for our happiness and well being. Before she talks about herself, it is always about her children, are they ok, are they happy? Always the children first. When we ask her, how are you - we do hear her problems, but somehow she brushes them away as insignificant and is all ears for our words and our well being.  There is never  - you didn't do this for me, you behaved badly, you are this , that, you didn't buy this for me or that, you did'nt supp...

While in Chennai, I had the opportunity to visit Tantuja and Mrignayanee in Luz Corner, Maylapore, my visit coming after a good 17 years, the last time I visited these were in 2005. Gurjari (Gujarat Govt. run) and Mrignayanee (Madhya Pradesh Govt. run) in Brigade Road, Bangalore were one of my favourite places to shop for dress materials, pre-2005. The showrooms are not fancy or well decked. But they are functional and full of beautiful print, hand-crafted, handloom, authentic fabrics and hand made artefacts. These are Government run and provide employment to cottage industries and support artists at the ground level. The sarees, dress materials etc are natural fibres, last well and are super comfortable to wear and what I called breathing fabrics. Pocket and environment friendly at the same time. Tantuja is the Govt. Of Bengal showroom and it showcases beautifully crafted sarees from all of West Bengal. If you love Bengal cotton sarees, this is the place to visit. https://tantuja.in...

 On one hand, I witnessed selfless compassion in action for students at the Ramakrishna Student's Residential School in Mylapore. A couple of days later, I saw the same extended by volunteers to sea turtles on the beaches of Chennai. Kalpana took me on a themed turtle walk led by Yuvan Aves, a teacher and expert in Marine Biology. We met at Besant Nagar beach on a Saturday afternoon. The sea breeze and waves washed away the afternoon heat and thoughts, making it a wonderful walk along the beach through the fishermen's village. We strolled in a leisurely fashion by their catamarans, looking for clues and treasures of the ocean - with child like joy when we found a special shell or foot prints, markings. We reached the turtle hatchery and waited with barely contained excitement to see the turtle hatchlings as they were dug up from their nests and gently released to crawl to the sea. It was emotional to see the tiny turtle hatchlings touch sea and swim in.  "Kadalora Kavithai...

The Ramakrishna Mission Student's Home in Mylapore, Chennai, adjacent to the Vivekananda College was established about a hundred years ago to provide education to boys who are eager for education but cannot afford it.  The school has a history of serving the community selflessly for more than a century, becoming a friend in need, providing quality education and vocational training to the poor and destitute. The institution affiliated with the Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math is a proud landmark of Mylapore. The monks of Sri Ramakrishna Math offer selfless services. My brother Jayaraman, one of the many volunteers of the Mission, took me around the Student Home premises on my recent trip to Madras. He first took me to the prayer hall housing huge photos of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sharada Devi and an idol of Goddess Saraswati - more than 100 years old, a serene hall ideal for contemplation and meditation and quietening the thoughts. He then took me to the room where Swami Bramhan...

There is a Mahaswamy Padhuka Mandapam near CIT colony, Mylapore in Chennai, located at: Old #124, New #6, P.S.Sivaswamy Salai, Chennai.  A new temple for Maha Swamy or Periyava, Sri Chandra Sekara Saraswati, the 68th pontiff of the Kanchi Kamkoti Mutt is being planned in Mylapore. For more info, please visit:  https://www.mylaimahaperiyavatemple.com/

Gam Ganapathaye Namaha,  Sree Saraswathyay Namaha Today is Karadaya Nombu, a day celebrated in remembrance of Savitri Satyavan, a highly devoted wife. The story goes about how Savitri followed her dead husband, and Lord Yama seeing her devotion and steadfastness granted her three boons. She used the boons wisely asking for children and grand-children and Lord Yama was outwitted and he granted her husband's life back. The day is celebrated by women in South India(similar to Karva Chauth in the North of India), by observing a fast and praying for the wellness and long life of their husbands.  A steamed sweet called Nombu is made out of rice powder, jaggery and karamani(white coloured peas). The nombu is done at the time when Tamil month ‘Masi’ ends and the next month ‘Panguni’ starts, this in between few minutes are considered highly auspicious ( the Meena Sankranthi) and the women offer the Nombu with butter and offer it to the Goddess praying: "Urugatha Vennayum Oraduyum Vaith...