On a stone bench, under a shady tree......

                           

On my way to Talakkad, I passed through T. Narsipura – a  village which is a charming throwback in time. It was around 11 in the morning,  but the folks of the village looked so relaxed, some women were chatting on the ‘Thinnai’( cement benches),  while some old men were seated under a  stone platform  under a tree and chatting . Unlike the urban souls rushing in the  bumper to bumper traffic holding their mobiles,  people  here  were walkin to their farm lands and some were busy with their silk cocoons (sericulture), while some school boys were chasing the worn tyres with a stick. The way these  unknown villagers smiled and waved at us was so heartwarming.

Any way, the talks  under the tree and thinnai  is the topic of my post.  It made me recall my visit to my perimma’s ( mom’s elder sister) house 25 years back for  my vacation at Pettaivaithalai near Trichy.  It had beautiful  quarters  of Cauvery sugars( now Parry’s) where the rear  door of the back yard opened to  the  Cauvery canal and palm groves. Just in front of my perimma’s house was a square bench pattern on which all the ladies would assemble unofficially around 7 and chat their problems away.  These ladies would also go on a yearly trip to Kutralam( southern most district of India)  to buy the yearly stock of spices –  a business and pleasure trip.

Much before the Doordarshan days, my mom and her friends too  after their household work would sit out  under the gooseberry tree and talk while they learnt to knit, sew and ‘Can’ foods like juices,pickles and jams.  They were like members of one big family.

We have one such cement platform under the tangerine tree  in the back yard of our Grandmom’s house too at Lalgudi.  Neighbours come and chat with our house hold members.

The conversations in  all the above meetings would  involve politics, movies, music, cuisine, latest trends, developments, job and alliances for their children, schooling etc...  and most important was they would  share their personal problems,  happiness, worries , sympathise and empathise with the other’s feelings without being judgemental.  Just listening and talking their problems was so cathartic and de-stressing, my mom, and perimma would say. As a child, I was  a witness  to this talks.

Even yesterday over telecon my atthai( father's sis) told  me about the beautiful time she had  with my dad, mom and  her other siblings at my uncle's place, while we their children were faraway. The retired lot talk and spend their time and  it is so healing to their soul to share their problems.

These personal  meetings/conversations are called by many names in many languages like ‘Katte matthu’(kannada), arrattai  ( tamil),  gappe(hindi) , gossip or euphemistically I call it ‘ Group Discussion’ or   ‘Hang out’.  When  there are no family priorities,  I too experience the above meetings in my  housing society  with my  friends in the evenings.

These talks create a bond of share, care, love and help among people.   At times of crisis, they also become a support system like an extended family. 

My friend, who   is  a  member of a  counseling  organization based in Seattle often holds  meetings to counsel people.  She said all they  do is take some personal time to  listen  to people’s problems and they don’t even  give advice.  Just talking their problems made them mentally lighter.

Now tell me,  Isn’t there some similarity to the  above talks and the organization.?


A simple village activity  has metamorphosized  into an organization and given birth to a new job avenue called counseling.

If most of us talked and shared our worries and listened to others, there would be no need of family counselors, marriage counselors  or student counselors.  Today, many  of us  that too urban souls, plan strategies to compete and survive, think logically,  make scientific breakthroughs  in the process we have become less emotional.


Infact,  Most of them bottle up their emotions and portray a rosy picture these days which only harms our health.  Emotional connect has  become a victim of changed  times.

Many of us   socialize virtually  on  FB, Geni , skype , orkut etc… but unfortunately since time is a premium, today many find it difficult to connect with  their own family personally, leave alone friends.

Here, I could not stop myself from envying  those  simple villagers having katte matthu( conversation on an elevated platform).

 I so much dream   too  lead a simple life like those villagers,  chatting away  in some idyllic village faaaaaaaaarway from  the neon drenched , carbon spouting city  among  like minded relatives and friends, in my Dream home.

My Dream home? How will that be?  That’s an other post………….

P.S: The above theory of talk and healing was elucidated in a Tamil drama. If interested read here.

 ( Above photo was clicked on my way back  from Somnathpur, Karnataka)

Madhya ranga - Abode of reclining Vishnu

When  we were driving around a bend to reach the Shimsha falls, We read the board of Madhya ranga and  on our way back stopped  to see the temple. It is also called Sri Jaganmohana Ranganatha temple. A pretty huge temple, Simple but very divine. The villagers told us the priest had gone to a nearby  place for the wedding and so the sanctum was closed. I walked to the huge wooden double door and found their was a   peep hole for darshan. I peeped through to find the divine lord clad in dhoti and garlands, absolutely stunning through the filtering light  of the oil lit lamps.  There are very few idols which can send such vibrations. This was one such. The image and calmness is finely embedded in my memory, that it is flashing every now and then.

Devout  Hindus travelling towards Mysore can mark this place called 'Madhya Ranga' at Shivanasamudram.

The 3 major riverine Islands formed by River cauvery are Srirangapattina, Shivanasamudram and Srirangam. Apart from having historical significance and natural beauty, these 3 islands are also major pilgrim centres.

All the 3 Islands have a temple dedicated to Lord  Vishnu popularly called as Sri Ranganatha. The reclining pose of Vishnu on the multiheaded serpent Adisesha is called Sri Ranganatha and his consort Lakshmi is called Ranganayaki. 

Sri Rangapattina is called Adi ranga (the first one)

Shivanasamudram is called Madhyaranga ( the middle one)

Sri rangam is called Antya ranga (the last one).

Of all these Srirangapattina and Sri Rangam are famous but  not much is known about Madhya ranga. This is supposed to be a 1500 year old temple built by the cholas, who were known for unique architecture  and the idol is made of  black fossil stone( saliigrama). A legend goes that Sri Hari gave darshan to Lord Indra here. The Idol is also small compared to adi and antya ranga, . Visiting all the 3 Rangakshetras ( adi, madhya and antya) between suryoday(dawn) to suryasth( dusk) is considered auspicious and  called Brahmanda darshan or triranga darshan. The belief of devouts is that this darshan washes away your sins and gives peace and plenty.

A tidbit: All of us know that the Pilgrim center SriRangapattina was the capital of Tipusultan, The ruler of Mysore who gave the British nightmares but very few of us know that he was a devotee of Sri Ranganatha. He is supposed to have had conversations with the Lord. He also rose to the morning chants of ' O Ranga' . My parents 80+ old neighbour @ bangalore  told me that there was a 'Sri Ranga' temple beside all Tipu's palace.  There is one at Bangalore city market too. Besides Tipu's wooden summer palace is a Fort temple dedicated to Vishnu.

Interested, may check a video on Madhyaranga here.