ஆத்துக்காரர்

பேசறதெல்லாம் கதைன்னு
சொல்லுவாங்க மத்தவங்க
பேசினாலே கவிதைன்னு
சொல்லுவாரு-
ஆத்துக்காரர் 

இன்றைக்கும் அமாவசையா?

நான் தேடும் நேரத்தில் 
நிலவுக்கூட வானிலில்லை ...

எனக்கென்று ஓர் தெய்வம்.

கல்லில் மரத்தில், தேடி களைத்து
மனதுள் மட்டும் தேட மறந்தேன்
எனக்கென்று ஓர் தெய்வம்.

Coin on the Forehead

Lazy Sunday.

Bal Thackeray has passed away, and Mumbai was just a placid lake, bursting at the seams to get back to its routine. The famed Mumbai Spirit, that springs back to mundane, out of any calamity. 

After an hour of Manjula Padmanabhan's "Suki", settled for "Look & Wonder: Gods & Goddesses". While reading about the underworld, the practice of burying the dead with a coin practice kinda stuck me out. India also has that common practice, and I have never questioned or given it a second thought before. 

The Greeks bury their dead with a coin over the eyes, to pay for the trip to the underworld. On further scurrying over the net, got me to this, a response on Yahoo Answers (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061104111146AA0CUXU)

"This is a very old ritual still popular in the Mediterranean portion of Europe. It dates back to the Greek Religion. It was changed and adopted by the Roman Christians.

When people died they went to the shores of the river Acheron a river that fed into the river Styx. To get into Hades realm they needed to be transported across the river. If a dead soul tried to swim across then they would lose their memories.

Charon (Chiron) was the soul doomed for eternity to ferry people across. He demanded to be paid for his surfaces. If the person was unable to pay then they spent eternity in a limbo like state. If the family made sure to include a coin with the spirit then that soul would have the money to pay for the trip.

Once ferried across the river Acheron the souls would appear before Hades himself to be judged. Those souls found wanting or with evil would be sentenced to an eternity with various punishments (as outlined in the book by the Italian author Dante). Those souls that were good would be sent to the Elysian Fields.

Originally the dead were buried with a coin under their tongue, but the habit changed to a coin over their eyes during Roman times after the start of Christianity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_funer… Remember that the eyes are considered the window to the soul; so placing the coins over the eyes makes sure that the soul will have them in the afterlife. Before Christianity became popular the remains of the dead were cremated.Placing coins over the eyes of the dead is actually a pagan ritual that became ingrained in the Italian culture. It was brought to the US by immigrants, and the ritual became famous in the Godfather movies where Mafia members were buried this way."

On the same page, there was also a very practical answer, without so many myths and fantasies tumbled. 

"Years ago this was done to make sure the eyes remained close before burial, who wants a dead person looking up at you? Some think it was some spiritual means but just practical measure."

Now that we understand the Greeks, the Roman Catholics, the Italians and even the Mafia's practice of dead sent with a coin, I still wonder why we in India bury the dead with a coin on their forehead. If the coins were on the eyes, the practicality of the situation could be understood, on the forehead would have highlighted the similarity. Yet on the forehead, and we do not believe in any kind of river or ferryman, who transports us to neverland. 

The curiosity led me to "Omens and Superstitions of Southern India" by Edgar Thurston (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35690/35690-h/35690-h.htm) Haven't read that yet, but hopefully, it shall give some answers. Now back to my, "Look&Wonder" , let me read and wonder, how far my curiosity can be stoked.

Beautiful People

Through my life, the most beautiful people I have seen, are the ones who have stood their ground, fought their way, taken a different turn, were passionate undertakers and they were mostly those who have known defeat, known suffering, known fear, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. They were never afraid of being alone, taking the first step, failing, falling, b

eing unappreciated, or going unrewarded.

They did what they felt was right. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. They are interesting people to spend a quiet evening with, and know peace.

Beautiful people do not just happen.

Why I love "The Holiday"

Some movies can just hit you at the right spot at the right time, I have seen "The Holiday" before. Yet would eventually get bored by the the time the male leads are introduced. Some movies, like love, might have to have to go through quite some obstacles to really hit the eye and reach the heart.

A disturbed, lonely evening is all I needed to chose The Holiday, over Mr. Magoo. Knowing that I am one of the craziest Leslie Nielsen's fan, even I couldn't believe I gave up his movie, for something I wasn't impressed by for years.

Now, The Holiday, is not a movie with great soliloquy's or smarta$$ exchanges, bu this one dialogue, out-aloud by Iris, played by so heart-movingly by Kate Winslet, takes the cake.

"I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible. And how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you. And it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new. And you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. And little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade."

InSync with Sewa

Its been a week, more than a week per-se, since we were there. Aniket and I. With Veeru consistently behind me for the past whole week to pen down my experience, he finally gave up too.

It was not reluctance or putting it for later, but the sheer fear, that I might not capture the entirety of the essence of the experience, might not fully translate the intensity of emotions that we went throu or just do justice to what it really did to my conscience.

It was the day of confrontation, I was a jerky mess. I haven't done this alone before. Got up very early, with tightened nerves. Still the tape of the last few days were replaying on my mind, is this going to make a difference, how is going to affect me? Would I be judged pretentious? What is this going to be in the long run. Finally, opted for an open mind and went with the flow of what was planned.

The place was far from where I live, after much asking around, we reached.

The first sight of  Ramchandra Kurulkar Trust, supported by Sewa International  was far from what I pictured. We are o enamored by the images that movies throw on us, on how service based organisations are filled with trees and laughter, a playground and happier than thou kids. But no. This was a dilapidated old flat, a but dark and damp (blame the dampness on the recent splashes of rain). It was a battered old building, trying hard to retain its sanity in the spew of weather changes. Not digressing here.

We went in.

Discussing with the trustees and Ramesh (our handler), we understood with poor public funding, and a non-existent government support, the trust was purely running on SEWA International's financial support. And yet they have done an awesome work in providing for the children the best they can. They also discussed how it is a challenge to convince the parents of the children to give them education, most of whom are emotionally abandoned by their parents at a very early age, after discovering their challenge.

Some kids were getting curious, some shy and Guddi was supercute , they tried to sport an occassional glance and very rarely a smile while we were taking a tour of the place.  The place was very minimal, even missing some of the basics. They had converted three single-bedroom flats to accommodate the 60 children, their classrooms, kitchen, sanitary needs etc... The place needed a lot of upkeep, they have done their best with the teachers and most of the staff getting zilch in pay, and still continuing to serve was quite heartwrenching.

The trust had done the best with the little they received and still unbeaten they continue their service. When they uttered, 'whatever you offer in time, kind, support, however negligible, we shall be grateful'.

We were served lunch in the terrace, while, we were also introduced to everyone. The kids were super-awesome. They were born challenged, but the smiles on their faces could make up for all the madness in this crazy world. Some tried uttering their names, saying a namaste, while some smiled with all their heart and the rest shied away behind a coy 'Hi'.

Lunch was served and we had our wholesome meal between stealthy glances,shy smiles, a tete-a-tete with the staff, in the terrace on a monsoon midday. Distant mountains, dark clouds, moody weather and the green silence around added to the deep serenity of the hour.

After lunch some kids joined us downstairs. What started as a singing soiree, later developed into all the kids   falling in to dance, to a self-sung song. Music was in the air, smiles all over, we added some chocolates to the laughter and the cheer. Our volumes went a notch higher, that neighbours came out to watch, smiled heartily and returned to there hiding spaces. Our little gala came to an end with us bidding goodbye to everyone.

Walking out, all the kids and staff from four different floors, screamed goodbyes peeping through their windows and doors. Peering through we were consistently waving our hands, incessantly smililing, holding onto our hearts from popping out of our mouth, uttering byes.

We promised we will be back.

We promised we will be there.

We promised that this is just a beginning.

So mote it be.