A MEMORABLE INCIDENT

Somayaji with Sundaresan

It was those days....early 1980's...... when I was living and working in Yola, Nigeria..... Friends were only relations.... Mr Sundaresan family was close friend to us..... they had a son Sreenivasan (Cheeni) Grade X, who was studying in India and two daughters Priya & Usha, living with them......
Communication was poor..... no telephones, no computers, no mobile phones or SMS's..... mutual visits were only contacts.....
Sreenivasan, then must be 15 yrs old, was to come from India to join his parents for holidays. Mr Sunaresan traveled to Kano, International Airport, a distance of almost 800 kms from Yola, to receive his son.......
Bur due to some emmigration clearance  issues, he was held up at Chennai Airport. The information was not received by the parents. They didn't know what happened to him and whole family was so worried that Sunderesan's wife, Prema, stopped cooking and eating also. Few days passed without any information.

Nalini with Premakka

As I and my wife were regular visitors to their house, after a week, one morning went to their house, told them casually...... Today, Cheeni will come..... I will go to the airport and bring him and left......
When the plane landed in Yola Airport, to my surprise, the boy was getting down from the plane...... without notice, was received and taken to parent's home........
Imagine the ecstasy of Sundaresan's family...... Premakka absolutely could not believe cheeni has come..... She hugged him and confirmed that it was true......

Dr Sreenivan,  wife and son

Last week, we met now Dr. Sreenivasan, (now scientist at Atomic Energy Commission, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu) his wife and son in Chennai..... remembered the incidence and laughed out loudly..
Thursday, 21 March 2013

MEETING OLD FRIENDS

Jose, Balakrishnan, Dr Bhagvan, K Gopal

Functions are occasions to meet friends and acquaintances and catch up with lost contacts. It was such an occasion at Chennai on 18th March, at the Wedding of Umakanth's daughter Anupama.

Premakka, Vatsala, Vidya Neelakanthan & Priya

During my Nigeria days in the 1980's, where I used work in Gombe, Yola, Numan of Nigeria, anyone from India or Srilanka used to be close friends. Those were the days of no mobiles, laptops or computers. Contacts were only through visits. Towns were far apart (Gombe to Yola 250 kms) and still used to meet OUR people. Umakanth used to be the manager for Best & Crompton Company putting up power lines at different parts of Nigeria.

Sundaresan and Neelakanthan

So met K Gopal, Balakrishnan, Jose, Neelakanthans from Best & Crompton and Sundersean family at Chennai. It was  a grand re-union.
Monday, 18th March

WEDDING - ANUPAMA & VIGNESH

18TH MARCH 2013

MRC CENTRE, CHENNAI

Umakanth's daughter Anupama wedding with Vignesh was scheduled for 18th March at Velliamma Hall at Mayaor Ramanathan Chettiar (MRC) Centre at Chennai. Since Umakanth was  a close friend from Nigeria days, and it was his long standing demand that we attend the wedding celebrations, we were there.

Traditional Tamil wedding with modern touch in a grand hall, lots of people, meeting some old friends, some have become really old, some are still keeping fit and kicking, and was a grand re-union. early grand lunch, catered by A C Rajasekharan, with lady hostesses taking care of guests and making them comfortable.

Evening grand reception, with stage re-done with beautiful flowers and lighting and buffet meals, so many varieties, choice is yours..... on a perfect setting.....
Tuesday, 19 march

ABACUS CERTIFICATES

10TH MARCH 2013

Course completion certificates were given to students who have completed their levels in a simple ceremony on Saturday at the ABACUS CENTRE premises.

Though few students are joined the course, they are quite happy with the learning of mental arithmetic talking place in them and their speed increasing. Parents also expressed their delight over the child taking keen interest in the ABACUS METAL ARITHMETIC learning program.
The Course Instructor, Mrs Nalini Somayaji gave away the certificates in the presence of the Franchise Mr B Jayarama Somayaji.
Sunday 10 March 2013

GRUHA PRAVESHA - HIRIADKA

MARCH 2013

HIRIADAKA.

Gruha Pravesha is a ceremony performed on the occasion of one's first entry into a new house. Once the house is ready, the family moves in on an auspicious day that is determined by the astrological charts. Purity of panchang (almanac) and auspicious time (muhurat) must be considered during the gruha pravesh.
Dinesha, resident of Bommar Bettu, Hiriadaka, Udupi District, constructs a modern  house close to their old house and performs elaborate house warming ceremony on 22nd Feb 2013, inviting all friends and relatives. The ceremony is over two days, one in the evening and the next day with Gana Homa and Sri Satyanarayana Pooja, followed by grand lunch, for all well wishers, friends and relatives. It's celebration of happiness and prosperity.

Ritual follows that a cow and calf is brought into the house, performed pooja, given food and then taken back to its shed.

Apart from observing an auspicious date, the house-warming ceremony is another vital aspect and it is compulsory before moving into a house, whether rented or owned. In India, the house-warming ritual is regarded as second in importance only to the wedding ceremony.

Vasthu Sastra says that all dwelling spaces are alive with unseen entities and prayers are necessary to purify the space from negative energy and to allow the flow of positive energy into the property. It is believed that unholy vibrations may have resided in the vacant space, which is why prayers are conducted asking the unseen forces to leave before new, protective energies are invited to occupy the space. It is recommended that a priest perform the house-warming ceremony because it involves several levels of cleansing.

Those who follow different faiths can conduct the ceremony differently to invoke the blessings of the Almighty, elders or well-wishers. In the Indian tradition, the sacred rites are performed to bestow good health, wealth, peace and prosperity to the house owner. The function begins with a pooja (a rite of worship) for Lord Ganesha, the main deity, and the breaking of a coconut to clear all obstacles in the way of the auspicious event.

5 March 2013