Punjabi Dulhan Vs Madrasi mapillai

Our family was taken by a pleasant surprise when my younger mama's son had stolen the heart of Punjabi girl and the marriage was fixed subsequently.  The engagement had happened in Chennai between the 2 families in Hotel Savera , Chennai . Few families from both side attended and the function went on grandly. The marriage date fixed 6 months later  in March 7,8 at Jaipur.

Our family members started planning for the trip to Jaipur by flight and we all attended my younger mama's son's marriage in Jaipur that  Wednesday & Thursday .

It was totally a new and different experience for us for being part of a Punjabi wedding . It took place in an exotic private resort called Jaibagh palace resort . For every occasion like Mehendi , Sangeet nite cum dinner party  &  marriage ceremony hall decoration,  reception stage,  front decorations were all exclusive and so grand.  Lots of music with fast beats , dances, different  food varieties , beautiful girls  and boys,  western influence marked the uniqueness of celebration . Especially the Baraat function where the bridegroom sat in the decorated elephant and the horse with the people dancing around to the tunes of drums was classic. We all really enjoyed every bit of the moment.

The Baraat in elephant & horse ,Mehendi function & dances all reminded me of the Hindi movie scenes like Hum aapke hain kaun, Dilwale dulhania le jayenge etc . Some sample photos are displayed here.The marriage  happened as per both south and North Indian style. The Mangalasutra tying ceremeony was also conducted after the bride & bridegroom moved around the fire rituals.



We also went around Jaipur city Amber fort, Hawa mahal ,Jal mahal,  City palace, Seesh mahal etc and got amazed by the intricate art works on any thing we see in every nook and corner of the city right from jewellery to carpets to dresses,  Sarees,  painting works to shoes,  paintings on walls,  mirror works etc.. 

Baraat in horse

The people as such are seen as thin physique, very simple.Their food mostly constitute of rotis and sabjis. But they all seem to possess an excellant skill in handworks.We can see them doing some way of the other some art wotk sitting road sides from paintings , pots, chappals, handicrafts etc.The bedsheets, sarees, dress materials , gift items, handbags, wall hangings , portraits, pens, bangles , jewelleries all carry an exquisite design works. The marble works in the palace also depict the excellent handwork of the craftsman.

Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge

Baraat in elephant

The camels are seen in plenty .And even the elephants are seen to be spotted here and there. The art works also portrays the camels and elehants widely.

With a contented feeling of witnessing a marriage of such a grandeur and the heart feeling still awe , we set off our journey back wishing the young lovely couple a happy marriage life and carrying loads of sweet memoirs about the marriage celebration.

Jaibagh palace resort marriage venue

Mapillai's mom & dada

Sangeet or Musical /Dance evening 

Left is boy's family & right is girl's family

Front reception decoartion

Marriage hall decoration

Rama Vs Krishna !!

Jai Gurudev !!

What's the difference between Rama and Krishna ?

One can say , both are just different forms of the same God . But , if we dwelve deep into their lives and their mission thereon , more truths would start revealing in front of us !!

Rama taught the disciplines of Life !!

Krishna marks Total and unconditional Love !!

 

 Rama's life says , " How God performs His duties ? " by taking a human form !!
Whereas Krishna , being in the form of  Lord , soaked other people in Love and made them to perform their duties !!

In other words, Rama indicates, " As God , what I do ?"
Krishna says, " You, as humans do the same as what I do ? "

Infact Mahabharatha came next to Ramayana , ie, Krishnavataar came next to Ramavatar . Why ?
Because, till Ramavatar , God was the sole doer of heroic acts!! This brought all the people to His Feet !!
Whereas in Krishnavatar , Krishna made Arjuna to perform the Heroic act . He was behind Arjuna !!

Indirectly Krishna's motive was to show that "Man can perform the Heroic acts equally to Him , provided the man is equipped with the Courage to perform along  with the unconditional Love !!

How he gets the courage ?
By doing "Nama Japa!!" that is "Repeated chanting of Lord's names !!" . Infact this is a  meditation. This was shown in Ramavataar , by Hanuman !!

Unconditional Love can be practised by the man , if  he leaves the "Mamakara" or the "Mine " feeling  minus the Ego attached to it !!
This was shown in Krishnavatar , by Arjuna .

 Arjuna was couragoeus and also practised unconditional Love without any Ego feeling , whereas Duryodana has the Ego feeling leading to his downfall !!

Rama showed what role does Faith plays in our life , by instilling Devotion and Faith in Hanuman !! Hanuman was always chanting the Ram Naam and believed, "Ram Naam" is more powerful than Rama Himself for Ram Nama fetches Ram automatically.

Krishna marked the significance of Guru in one's life !! With Guru's blessings and guidance , one can reach the ultimate goal of life !!

But , why then Mahabharatha came later than Ramayana ?
Because, With the courage and Faith in God ( as in Ramavataar ) , the man moves on to the next level of existence ,  that is, with  Guru's Guidance or Blessings ,   he gets  unconditional Love devoid of  Ego   ( as seen in Krishnavataar ), which leads to  "Faith in Oneself "  !!

Following Krishnavatar, comes Kaliyuga, which calls the need for the above characteristics .This is mandatory for a man to remain unshaken , in the midst of n number of turbulences he has to encounter in Kaliyuga, which is inevitable !!

Love & smiles...

My Sabarimala Experience !!

Jai Gurudev !!

Lord Ayyappa Swamy 

As a small girl , I had always had an admiration to the Lord Aiyyappa Swamy , reading His Birth Story and hearing His Fame. My father used to make the pilgrimage to Sabarimala every year , observing fast . I used to attend the Aiyappa Swamy Bhajans too . Those devotional songs like "Villaathi Veerane , Veera Manikandane !! , Kallum mullum kaalukku meththai" etc  always make a reverberation in my heart . The words would be very catchy and  inspirational too !!


And my younger brother , who is now no more also was  belived to have born because of Aiyappa Swamy's Grace after praying to Him , my parents say. My father then  had taken my brother , when he was hardly six or seven  years old in the long route of 48 km walking and trekking the Sabari hills. My brother always used to fondly cherish those memoirs, as his "Irumudi " or the baggage carrying the Rice and Coconut filled with ghee for Aiyappa Swamy was so heavy that he had given to my father to carry and he used to walk ahead of all in the group .

Alas ! In life race also , he had walked so much ahead leaving us behind ...That's a great tragedy !!
And similar to Aiyappa Swamy story  , he had left his fiancee , just before his marriage ...

The rituals and the hard penance a devotee has to undergo while fasting before going to Sabari hills makes him very strong both physically and mentally  and brings fulfillment and contentment at the end , though it is very difficult to observe  .

It was the time, when I had finished my college and had taken up a job , got an opportunity to stay with my uncle's family in Bangalore. My uncle and aunt has two sons and always do consider me as their own daughter and shower their love on me . And my uncle never leaves his family , whenever and wherever he goes anywhere ,be it a trip or a pilgrimage. And I believe because of this attitude , when he had planned the tour to Sabari Hills apart from the other tourist spots in Kerela like Guruvayoor, Kaladi etc along with his friend , he included us also . We both families joined together and set off for the pilgrimage cum trip,  though not in Ayyappa season season period .Being aware that ladies are not supposed to go there , the original plan was that we ladies would stay back while only the men alone climd the hills/visit the Aiyyappa temple  and join us back for further trip in and around Kerela.

But once on reaching Pampa , we got the information  that , they've started allowing even the ladies to the Sabarimalai Temple, of late ,this was way back in 1991 or 1992 . This information had changed our plan and we , ladies also accomplanied them , in the short route , after having our bath in the holy Pampa River. The trek and hill view was very different and new experience. 

It was really amazing to see the clouds moving gently at a level lower than the mountain . And I also remember seeing a long queue of donkeys carrying the loads of materials on their back on the rough terrain full of stones enroute to Sabarimala hills. And not to forget the historic famous Sabari temple, the old and devoted lady , who fed Rama with the fruits , selected and tasted by her as mentioned in Ramayana. That was a nice feeling to roam around there, with that story lingering in mind. 

Then , we reached the Holy and the most sought after temple of Manikanta  , the one who was found with the beads in his neck by the King, who considered him as the blessing from God due to his prayers and brought him up as his own son. The whole trekking was about 5 Kms ,felt little difficult to climb through. 

As said and heard , spotted many young ladies there . Also witnessed baskets and baskets of flowers being carried by the priests for the Puja . There was a Ganesha Temple , next to the Golden 18 Holy steps of Sabarimalai. Just on seeing those steps , something shook me from inside. These divine steps carry a lot of spiritual significance and considered most sacred by the devotees.   I was just moved to tears and the emotions in me rose very high . I stood there standstill and awestruck . The temple , the location in the middle of the dense Hills kept me wondering ,if that's a true happening . 

The story goes this way -  the little Aiyappa had released an arrow and the place where the arrow fell down , the temple was said to have been built by the King Pandalaraja . This story was running in my backscreen of my mind , though I seemed to have lost m self  in the Holy 18 steps. For one to reach the divine,  he has to climb the 18 steps or levels of austerities and penance in subtle meaning. 

Then , my aunt called me to have the darshan of Aiyappa Swamy , through the back door , because one is supposed to climb the 18 steps only if we had observed the fast and carried the Irumudi . But, something stopped me from inside . A strong urge from inside said "No!".
Having known about the severe penance of Lord Aiyappa Swamy, a Brahmachari , who had left Maalikpuram Mangamma waiting for Him at the footsteps itself .As per the story,   in fact  He had put a condition to her that the year when no Kanni swamy or new devotee comes to see Him , he would marry her. But year by year , the devotees count keeps on increasing and her wait period has become infinite.

These thoughts never gave me way to go and see Him or take darshan of Him , though He was just a few steps away. Though my aunt insisted me to accompany her , I just said a firm No.  I felt so much  contented taking a look at the sacred 18 steps and did not want anything more. My eyes were swelling with tears of devotion. And a thought had popped up in my mind that time, that after my marriage, my husband would come and visit Him. 
And we returned back after visiting Mangamma temple there .

Later as promised, with Ayyappa Swamy's Grace, the time had come for my husband to visit Sabarimala after some 10 years of our marriage and therefore  could complete the prayers. 

Lord Aiyappa Swamy always brings a sweet devotion in my heart rather anyone's heart , no doubt !!

I am sure  with His Grace,  He will give an opportunity to visit Him in the near future may be after a couple of years ..

Harivarasanam Viswamohanam
Haridadhiswaram Aaradhyapadhukam
Arivimardhanam Nithyanarthanam
Hariharathmajam Devamashraye
Saranam Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa
Saranam
 Ayyappa Swamy Saranam Ayyappa

Repository of Hari's boons,
Enchanter of universe,
Essence of Hari's grace,
He whose holy feet is worshipped,
He who kills enemies of good thought,
He who daily dances the cosmic dance,
Son of Hari and Hara,
I take refuge in thee God.
My refuge is in you Ayyappa,
My refuge is in you Ayyappa.

       
Love & smiles...





  

A Mother has born !!

Jai Gurudev !

A Kangaroo ?!

"A Mother is born along with kid !! "
That's a saying  said by Sri Sri Ravishankar Guruji .Though it's a well known fact that  a lady once she becomes a mother , all responsibilities related to taking care of the baby comes on her own naturally . No one has to teach her how to bring up her child nor she takes lessons anywhere.
It'd be really amazing to watch a  carefree young girl blossoming into an extremely caring and loving  mother , soon after the birth of the child..The young mother goes to an extent of sacrificing her sleep , food and all other comforts for the sake of her child !!

"One step ahead " we can say , if we take the case of the working mothers , who have to leave the few months old baby and go for the work , soon after her maternity leave.
Then a working mother needs to put in extra care to see that the baby is well taken care of  , for she cannot be with her child always , though her mind is always with her twenty fours a day , no doubt !!
She might seek the help of a care taker or a creech , but still her responsibilities  do not come down a bit , rather it grows multiple times . She has to see that all the requisite things of the baby are attended to by the caretaker properly. She always keeps the baby in her front end , pushing aside all other things to the next priority.

Recently caught my eyes , a rare sight ..the sight of an young mother carrying her baby ,hardly a few months old in a bag ( designed exclusively for carrying the babies)  , while riding a two wheeler , on the way back home from the creech  ! That shakes me a bit too  hard in a more subtle manner !!

The Mother of New Age !!

The photo capture of her can be seen here. It reminds us our sweet Kangaroo , carrying its baby in her pouch , hopping & jumping all the way in lands of Australia .

Oh God ! What a Creation !!
The Strikingly Amazing Mother of New Age !!
Hats off to Her !!

Love & smiles...

Sadabishekam !!

Jai Gurudev !!

Normally the elders of the family take innumerable pains to bring two young  hearts in wedlock . Lots of search for the right match , shortlisting based on many criteria including the horoscopic match , the efforts of the parents' role cannot be explained in words .

Even after the marriage , the parents strive their best to support their dear children in all highs and lows they would face right from day one. The real value of the parents' role can be sharply felt by  those who have lost them in their early ages.


I've read somwhere as , " If  we are blessed with both parents even in our middle age , we are considered as one among the luckiest few in this world. " .
The elderly couples living upto the age of eighty years is a rare phenomenon  . The children would then get an opportunity to show their gratitude back in terms of conducting " Sadabishekam " or Eightieth year marriage to their elderly parents.

Recently I got to get such a great opportunity to participate in the Sadabishekam function performed to my in-laws at Thirukkadaiyur near Tanjore .The whole process went on well . That's a wonderful feeling , I can say.

The elderly couples sitting as bride and groom  and performing puja and yagnas is a rare sight  indeed !!

The children taking care of the rituals ( standing beside the couples  brings to my mind the change in role played )  seeking the elders' blessings really makes one to feel , * gifted * to reciprocate the love received  earlier .The grandchildren do also play an active role in the elaborate rituals carried out.

The priest who conducted the Yagnas quoted  as , " The elderly couples now can be seen as God and Goddess ( Eshwaran and Parvati)  after the Sadabishekam function "

It makes true sense !!

 

Love & smiles...

So, Let's start admiring ............

Jai Gurudev !!

The U.S President Mr.Obama and the Father of our Nation , Mahatma Gandhi - What a Wonderful Chemistry !!

Soon after he became the President , the news of his admiration for Gandhi came as a pleasant surprise , especially to Indians all over the world. 

For a man who used to hang a framed picture of Mohandas K. Gandhi in his Senate office,

it's no big surprise that  President Obama  along with first lady Michelle Obama ,on his recent visit to India , quickly headed over to this city's Gandhi Museum, a three-story home where Gandhi stayed when he was in Mumbai.

Obama described the personal impact of Gandhi's teachings of non-violence and equality on his political career.   

Obama also  payed tribute to Gandhi at Raj Ghat .

 The president, who once declared that the one person living or dead that he'd love to have dinner with would be Gandhi . A stunning statement which emphasises the admiration he had for Gandhi .

He has said , "He is a hero not just to India, but to the world."

Obama described the personal impact of Gandhi's teachings of non-violence and equality on his political career.

"Throughout my life, including my work as a young man on behalf of the urban poor, I have always found inspiration in the life of Gandhiji and in his simple and profound lesson to be the change we seek in the world," he said.

"I am mindful that I might not be standing before you today, as president of the United States , had it not been for Gandhi and the message he shared with America and the world," he added.

The words of Mr.& Mrs.Obama about our Mahatma is really touching , which goes as

"We will always remember the great soul who changed the world with his message of peace, tolerance, of love,"

This clearly implies that how a man of great ideals can influence the world even after generations ...

Secondly it also opens up the simple truth  that " Admiration takes you to greater heights !! "

The height a person reaches is determined by the extent of admiration he has towards a character or an ideal  !!

The admiration towards Great Personalities moulds up an another Great Personality sooner or later , no doubt !!   

So, Let's start admiring ............ 

Love & smiles...