Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Culture and Tradition - A Learning Experience


Keeping kids engaged during summer holidays is a herculean task even though the school bombards them with projects, revision worksheets ( prequel to Summative Assessment scheduled to take place within 3 weeks after reopening) to be done during vacation. The situation is worse for those who confine within home instead of leaving for home country or other leisure tours.


Children growing abroad in a multi-cultural environment with less or no exposure to our culture and tradition has always disturbed me. There may be weekly Satsang for children.However the ambience is quite different and cannot replace or substitute the one-on-one discourse received from parents or a Guru.


Post Upanayanam, Krishna began waking up at 5. 00 am (half an hour earlier than his usual time)  to perform both Sandhyavandan and Samita-danam (fire ritual) and left for school. In the evenings he is always back from outdoor games by 6.30 to have quick wash and perform Sandhhyavandan and Samita-danam. Initially, he was finding it difficult ; but eventually he settled down.



As Summer holidays began, I thought of spending an hour or two to impart him the basics of scriptures,it's significance, music, stotras, culture and tradition. Every mid-morning, we began the session. Thankfully, I had bought few books during my recent Kalady visit. The books published by RK Mutt and Sringeri Sharada Peetham came in handy to teach the basics. Apart from Hindu Gods and Goddesses, an overview of few purAnas and it's importance, epics, importance of rituals were part of the grooming session. Everyday I read out few chapters from Ramayana retold by Rajaji and he'd listen with rapt attention. My love for music and training in Carnatic has been an impetus to learn stotras in various rAgas. Krishna's inclination towards music and songs simplified our stotra session. He became enthused to learn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtakam  stotras .. Sometimes we both hummed devotionals as well. I'd record his chants to make him understand the errors in pronunciation and he rectified the same. Before I embarked to teach him something, I had to learn and internalize.And thus the summer holidays emerged as a learning experience for me too. "While we teach, we learn".


As days passed, he turned enthusiastic about the whole stuff. On those days, when I couldn't teach him due to domestic work or health issues, the lad would grumble for not making it. One day I asked "Why don't we continue the same even after the school reopens?" After listening to his exclamatory response, I said " We just need to spend 15-30 mts daily" and he agreed. The school reopened on the last week of August and the exams which is scheduled to begin on second week of September is likely to conclude by first week of October. On many days, we couldn't proceed as per our plan and missed so many days. Nonetheless, the tiny steps we initiated towards understanding our tradition gives me great satisfaction.

Hope Krishna and I will resume the Sanatana session soon after the exams.
Postscript: Birthday bash is awesome than Vidyarambham.Invoking laukika (material) aspects in Upanayanam ceremony is cool. Throwing party in connection with thread ceremony is super-cool. However, doing SavitrOpAsana and Samita-dAnam (fire ritual) daily is neither cool nor fashionable for a vast majority. Rather it is considered as archaic and uncool by a larger section. And we lament that younger generation is responsible for the destruction of our culture and tradition.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Home Coming :)

I am supposed to resume blogging. But what am I doing at this wee hour? Listening to Dattatreya songs rendered by Rajkumar Bharati. Someone narrated Dattatreya's experience on FB, I went on a flash back mode, switched on to listen to Dattatreya songs which I used to hear my teenage days.. This is how I am. I'd embark to do something..But end up doing something else. There are few things which I began relatively early.. Music, driving, Spiritual practice and blogging. Out of the four, ONLY Spirituality continued to be in  my realm of thoughts.



 I began learning music at the age of 10. Amma made sure that I woke up early for practice. Initially, underwent training under Vanaja Mami, Chitra Akka, Dhanam mami. Took break on and off. Nevertheless,  I was fortunate to continue music  under the tutelage of a renowned guru. It was her long cherished dream  to put me under the guidance of  Palakkad Narayanaswamy bhagavathar and it was a  structured learning experience. Devotion, discipline, dedication!!! Learning under Narayanaswamy sir went on for 5 years. However, inertia  overpowered me after amma's  demise . The classes, notes, songs remain buried. But  I must confess that  over the years, love FOR music has culminated in addiction.



 At  16, I got the license (without gear) and drove the same for college, co-curricular classes, tuitions.  After completing my intermediate, I got license ( with gear). Thereafter never had any inclination to drive vehicle with gear though I continued to drive my two wheeler till I completed my PG.



 Began  serious Sadhana at 25, continued for sometime.Overcame temporary interruptions, recovered, revived and now resurgence!Glad and feeling nice!!!


 The intense and prolonged persuasion of my batchmate from Victoria College took me to the blogging world! Kicked-off blogging journey in 2006 September.Way back in 2005-06, the concept of blogging was alien to many and folks used to ask " What? Will you get money for publishing your thoughts?" Not an internet savy person way back then..Finally mustered the courage and started scribbling. During that time, I was in my native place, Palakkad, waiting for the relocation to Middle East. When I took  pen to scribble, the topic that crossed my mind was about MY MOM even though she left us early when I was in the final year of college. Like a small kid, I penned down something about Amma. Post scribbling, I was in CLOUD NINE. A decade has passed since I commenced blogging, but the memories remain as fresh as the morning dew.



 As the friend continued to pester me to compose more often, this blogger with no prior experience in writing found excuse one after the other. Nonetheless,I had to heed to the request and subsequently got into the flow.. After relocation to Dubai, I began scribbling in  2 other spaces; (Daughter & Diary for poems, Scrawler for general topics) and  abandoned  this  blog. As months passed, I turned busy in my new blogging space and got acquainted with new blogger friends. Trust me.. the journey was so fantastic. However the journey did not last long. What I did with driving and music, emulated in blogging too.Thanks to FB, socio-political issues and of course my laziness added to it.



 Had it not been for blogging, my Personal History would not have been published in  a magazine  or some of my poems would have not occupied space in mainstream media. As I complete a decade in blogging, gratitude to my friend and well wisher, Prashaanth for his support and encouragement. Indeed, blogging has been a turning point in my life .Thankful to Karmanna and his wife for their motivating words. Both of them have been kind enough to read my posts and message me his sincere comments.




 Unlike music and driving, I hope to stay in e-space for sometime.. alive and kicking. This is my first blog space and I shall resume posting HERE. Signing off. Need to complete the pending work for tomorrow's Uthradam. I signed the blog with Amma's topic. Ten years later, I am back  on Appa's DOB ( 12/9) Coincidence!


 Happy Onam.