Aparna’s Blog

The sound of some music band out on the street wakes up all of us at home. We realize that it’s being played for the procession of some Amman. Seeing through the window, we wait to get a glimpse of the deity. It was taking quite a bit of time for the deity to reach our part of the street. We go out into the street and see the music band followed by a group of nadaswaram and tavil players. And then surrounded by a small group of devotees was the Amman embellished by jewels, huge, colourful garlands and lots of flowers - beauty and divinity personified. Seeing the festive atmosphere, you don’t realize that it’s 1:30 am in the night! Isn’t this what the month of Adi is all about? With Adi being synonymous with festivities in the ubiquitous Amman temples all over the city and with even some of the small temples in street corners having their own utsava vigraham (processional idol), you can often see some idol in procession.

P.S.: This happened yesterday night and for the first time in the last few weeks, I suddenly felt the need to pen this down and felt the words pouring out. Is my bloggers’ block finally gone?

This walk was by Dr. Chithra Madhavan and it was organized by ‘Namma Mylapore’ on 7th March, 2010. Srinivasa Perumal, Kesava Perumal, Kapaleeswarar, Mundagakanni Amman, Madhava Perumal, Karaneeswarar and Virupaksheeswarar temples were the temples that were covered in this walk. History, architecture, sculptures and inscriptions were the focus of this walk. So, we didn’t see the main deities in most of the temples.
Continue Reading »

After seeing the grand Arupatthumoovar at Kapaleeswarar temple, I had to ‘unblock’ the blogger’s block somehow and write this post. This is a very long post! Read it when you find time.

Despite living very near Mylapore for almost 15 years now, I had never been to Arupatthumoovar even once! When I was studying in school, festival time at Kapaleeswarar temple always meant getting a holiday or two and that was all. This year’s Arupatthumoovar was on last Saturday (27th March) &, initially, I wasn’t planning on going for it. My mom having gone for Arupatthumoovar for the first time last year, tempted me to go and, here I am now, all set to relive the grandeur of the fest which left me awe-struck.
Continue Reading »

To the city which has given me so many hobbies and passions and has made me so very busy that I do not have time to even think of getting bored! Here’s wishing you a very happy birthday, Madras!

The months of July & August are a shopaholic’s delight, since there is a sale going on in almost every other shop! Pothys, RmKV, Chennai Silks, Mokshaa, Pantaloons, Westside to even Jute Emporium, Metro, Woodland, etc. etc.! Seeing the newspapers filled with all the ads announcing the sales, it’s hard not to be bitten by the shopping bug! And the result of that is the shopping I did in Rekha’s Boutique last month and in RmKV yesterday.
Continue Reading »

andhi vaanam araikkum manjaL
koNRai poovil kuLittha manjaL

It’s that time of the year again when the above lines from pacchai nirame are the ones that I get reminded of every time I step out on the roads. The spring season is slowly beginning in Chennai. I saw the first of the copper pods bloom on some trees in L.B.road some three weeks back and a couple of weekends back saw the first of the yellow carpet of copper pods on Boat Club Road. It’s just a matter of a week or so before my city gets decorated by the yellow of the copper pods.
Continue Reading »

As I was reading Dandilsa’s post on why she wants to return to India, I realized how much I could relate to what she has written. Of course, I am already here. In fact, except for a few months of staying in another city, I have never been, forget about being away from India, been away from Madras itself. But, every time I am asked why I don’t want to leave Madras and go anywhere else, the reasons I give are quite similar to what she has written. This is the place where I have grown up and at this point of time in my life, there is only one thing that I am very clear about and it is that here is where I want to spend the rest of my life.
Continue Reading »