Valli Amma .
Valli amma has almost entered her 70's and this was the thought that came to mind when I saw her 4 years back in between my hurried packing and stuffing all the things which could be brought only in india and which were often missed in her cooking experiments later . Small things like kavvam , nethi ginna , amitabachan spoons small glasses for daily coffee ritual .The thought brought a smile to her as how a small glass could be brought across 7 seas just to get the feel of the morning coffee and felt the prick of her husband's when he laughed at her remark that american mugs are too heavy to hold for the morning lazy fingers . Well that was now almost some time back and to see valli amma again in their house , the four years could be just cancelled in one second and she could be well transformed to the bubbly self of twenty something .
. As far as she could remember Valli amma had 4 sons , one being in the city and three other settled in various parts of the country .She preferred to stay with the third son who stayed near her home town so she could visit the yearly Kalyanam of Anandashewara swami every summer . Her father and elder brother were once the trustees of the temple and she was recognized very well by the the community . The kumbabhishekam always started by her father and later joined by all the members of the village . She would never miss the sight of the lingam after the abhishekam once all the alankaram was done .It felt like Lord shiva had come for a brief respite from his heavenly abodes and decided to come by for a small jiff of the beautiful scent of the flowers carefully picked by her mother and elder sister .The lingam was smeared with white vibuthis and then the large grand land of roses was placed delicately on the outer form of the lingam. It brought people from all spheres of life for the 4 days and the temple was a congregation of children running in all directions .Old relatives from far off villages , old uncles , the old man who sat in the temple corner and made jandhyams for the clan of men hoarding the temple . Her father never liked the man and fumed that the man was selling jandhyams in front of the lord which was not good . He was doing business in the name of god , infront of him which according to her father was a blasphemy . The thoughts valli amma remembered about him was the sweet scent of vibhuti which shafted through the air and stayed there .May be that was the reason that father allowed him to come to the temple she often thought .
She being the youngest of the family was often eluded from the important business of the house and was left for playing around during those days . Those were her child hood days and the sweet days of youth that the village has seen . Her playful step wandering between the house and the temple stopped by the small meeting of her friends , shrill voiced mammagaru , a hurried visit to her akka who lived nearby the temple , shoving into her hand the things her mother cooked in the morning or a small letter , the old woman who lived around the corner and helped some times her mother in making sweets and jantikalu at the time of the festival. Her mother often consulted the mammagaru when she was planning a heavy meal . At the age of 16 which was considered late by her father she was married to her husband a small gumasta in the adjoining town .She was taken by shock as her amma and nanna had arranged things so quickly and before she knew what was happening she was standing beside her husband for a formal photo inside the photographer shop . The single greasy photo of the proof of marriage which hung in the different homes she stayed in the different towns , she in the new creamy pattu pavada and he sitting in a wooden chair with a thick framed glasses and a stiff moustache . Children happened and a row of 4 boys in succession made her a busy mom later . But the yearly visit to the Kalyanam was a constant in her life . Something that was like a focal point and all the things revolving around that time .
. As far as she could remember Valli amma had 4 sons , one being in the city and three other settled in various parts of the country .She preferred to stay with the third son who stayed near her home town so she could visit the yearly Kalyanam of Anandashewara swami every summer . Her father and elder brother were once the trustees of the temple and she was recognized very well by the the community . The kumbabhishekam always started by her father and later joined by all the members of the village . She would never miss the sight of the lingam after the abhishekam once all the alankaram was done .It felt like Lord shiva had come for a brief respite from his heavenly abodes and decided to come by for a small jiff of the beautiful scent of the flowers carefully picked by her mother and elder sister .The lingam was smeared with white vibuthis and then the large grand land of roses was placed delicately on the outer form of the lingam. It brought people from all spheres of life for the 4 days and the temple was a congregation of children running in all directions .Old relatives from far off villages , old uncles , the old man who sat in the temple corner and made jandhyams for the clan of men hoarding the temple . Her father never liked the man and fumed that the man was selling jandhyams in front of the lord which was not good . He was doing business in the name of god , infront of him which according to her father was a blasphemy . The thoughts valli amma remembered about him was the sweet scent of vibhuti which shafted through the air and stayed there .May be that was the reason that father allowed him to come to the temple she often thought .
She being the youngest of the family was often eluded from the important business of the house and was left for playing around during those days . Those were her child hood days and the sweet days of youth that the village has seen . Her playful step wandering between the house and the temple stopped by the small meeting of her friends , shrill voiced mammagaru , a hurried visit to her akka who lived nearby the temple , shoving into her hand the things her mother cooked in the morning or a small letter , the old woman who lived around the corner and helped some times her mother in making sweets and jantikalu at the time of the festival. Her mother often consulted the mammagaru when she was planning a heavy meal . At the age of 16 which was considered late by her father she was married to her husband a small gumasta in the adjoining town .She was taken by shock as her amma and nanna had arranged things so quickly and before she knew what was happening she was standing beside her husband for a formal photo inside the photographer shop . The single greasy photo of the proof of marriage which hung in the different homes she stayed in the different towns , she in the new creamy pattu pavada and he sitting in a wooden chair with a thick framed glasses and a stiff moustache . Children happened and a row of 4 boys in succession made her a busy mom later . But the yearly visit to the Kalyanam was a constant in her life . Something that was like a focal point and all the things revolving around that time .
posted by KB | 2:41 PM
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