Manimals

Well, what exactly is a manimal? A man-animal aka "Purushaa-mirugham" in Tamil.

It is a scary looking stead for the gods. Oh, yes, the mind is still in Mylapore..

This one was on a weekday and there were high school examinations in the state government schools smack in the middle of the festival and the crowd was not as big or as enthusiastic. The local government is atheist and these days, the poor kids from Mylapore have to study while all the bands are playing outside. Now that, is tough!)

Just like the attendence on the last day of a cricket test match that was a definite draw, this crowd was comprised only of the real ardent devotees who were going for the record books to say "I attended every day!".

Still it was fun to watch as they did the rounds faster. The photo sampler follows..

Purushaa-mirugam (the manimal)

Singham (Lion)

Puli (Tiger)

All of them in series..

My theory? The whole idea of having a utsavam is to entertain kids and get them to like the temple and associated concepts at an early age.

This was the "catch them young" marketing campaign?

They definitely succeeded in catching me.

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From one world to another

My mother was standing next to me on top of the steps at Sri Kumaran stores in Mylapore during the temple festival. As I videotaped the procession of the various gods on their vaahanams(props, if you will) and the gods rolled past us one by one, with a pit stop or two at shades built for the purpose, an elderly uncle asked me a very simple question:

"Ange Americala indha maadhiri edhavadhu unda?"
(In America, do you have anything similar to this?)

His tone was suggesting that I would make him proud by answering in the negative. Being born with a disease called "dontknowwhentoshutuposis" my reply was

"irukku mama. USA-layum indha maadhiri oru utsavam irukku!"
(yes uncle. even in the USA they have something like this!)

My mother saw the mischievous glint in my eyes and took me six feet away from said mama and asked,
Mom : "where in gods name was there a procession like this in the US of A?".
Me : Mousaandavar Kovil-la idhe maadhiri oru oorvalam irukkamma.. (in the mouseaandavar temple there is a procession just like this!)
Mom : Adhu endha Kovil? (what temple is that? I don't remember)
Me : Walt-aalvaar kattina Kovil! (the one that the devotee Walt built for the Mouse)

When I calmly told her that the Disney parade is the american version of the Kapali utsavam, she started laughing.

Had that been said that to my grandma, she would have said "siva sivaa", "enna piththukuli thanam" or something to that effect and hit me on the head with some blunt object. Mom on the other hand actually liked that logic, especially after my other comparisons.

In the utsavam, the vinayagar and nayanamars go first and peps up the crowd, much like the initial clowns and characters that walk in costume at the head of the disney parade.

Then of course come the vendors selling popcorn, cotton candy, little flourescent toys, etc. much like the kaathadi, bangle and pori kadalai sellers who have a three minute time window, to use the artificial sense of emergency to make a quick buck.

This is then followed by the band (naayanam) and the floats with the stars of the parade. Different gods, different props. The priests hand over sacred ash, vermillion and fruits and flowers to the crowd much like the cartoon characters sprinkle glitter around. The disney parade is on motorized floats while the Kapali floats are carried by people and that seems to be the only difference.

People who have a zillion gods and godesses can have the luxury of selecting the parade favorites. If not, you have to go for funny ducks and adorable mice!

Mylapore -> Los Angeles
Vinayagar -> Pluto
Chandikeswarar -> Goofy
Karthikeya -> Donald duck
Kapali and his -> Mickey mouse and his
consort Karpagambal -> consort Minnie Mouse

It is almost one for one! Mickey mouse brings up the grand finale in LA while Kapali's entry back into the temple closes the parade in Mylapore. One has got to wonder if Walt Disney was a mylapore resident at some point.

When you accept the Dinsey Utsavam to be a replica of Kapaliworld, you are truly on your way to bliss!

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Kapali Kovil Utsavam - Adhigara Nandhi

The song goes ...

KaaNa kaN kOdi vendum, adhigara nandhi sevai thanai..

10 million eyes to view the adhigara Nandhi (commanding bull)

The way they carry Lord Kapalishwarar on the silver bull, the way they sway it to the rythmic drum beats, it is a sight to watch.

It has been 17 years since I got to see this! What with coming to the USA and the India trips always aligning to summer or winter, you never get to go there during Navrathri time (september) or Utsavam time (April). This trip was indeed a godsend.

My tired father and grandparents thanked me so many times for bringing the utsavam to them with the videos and photos.

Here are some photo highlights as well.

There are many of you out there in the same boat. Hope you enjoyed the video and photos.

Another day, another vahanam..

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What makes a festival festive?

Is it the gods?

Is it all the action?

Is it the crowd of devotees?

Is it the zillion other kids in the crowd?

or could it just be...

Kaathaadis of different shapes,

sizes,

and colors,

A billion bubbles

big ball and apple balloons

screeech screeech screech..

getting your hands on these WMD's minutes after your brother got his apple ballon

flutes galore

click click click click peacocks

and if you are a girl, some lovely nai kuttys (puppies)

glass and rubber bangles

and some paasi maalais from your friendly neighborhood kurathi

and is it?

sweet panju mittai (cotton candy)

thengai burfi and perichchambazhams(coconut sweet and date fruits)

poovam pazham, malai pazham, rasthaali ? (types of bananas)

pala cholai (jack fruit)

Pattani, pori kadalai (puffed rice and roast nuts)?

Do you still have any doubts?

Didn't think so!

ps. All of the above photos were taken between 4th and 6th April 2009 around two sides of the Mylapore temple tank around the Vijaya store corner during the Kapaleeshwar temple utsavam (festival).

pps. The photographers mental age at the time of taking these snaps was approximately 7.258 years.

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Zipping through

To Chennai and back in eight days is a zipping through experience.

Visiting a dad who is recovering, albeit with complications
Meeting grandpa who are not doing very well
Grapling with the same issue of being a "remote child" all over again and coming up with no tangible solutions.

On the bright side, after 17 years got to see Kapali Rock! He sure rocks during the festival season. Took videos and photos of the Kapaleeshwar temple Utsavam and showed it to dad, grandparents, other uncles and aunts who are not able to move around easily anymore. They were all happy that they got to see the festival, as though they were actually there.

On the brighter side, got to spend time with everyone in India and got the most important things on the wish list done.

Things will never be the same again, now that I have seen my dad the way he is. Have to learn to adjust to the fact that this is a new phase in life, for everyone in the family.

Jr. and the little one both had tears in their eyes when they came and hugged me today. They were struggling to find words to express how they missed me. They just wimpered like puppies after seeing me.

Hopefully, the development of a molecular transporter is a top priority on Obama's Act on science and technology. Or for that matter the little thingy that the Star Trek doc's hold in their hand and heal people.

Over the next few weeks, there will be posts, a lot of them, taking you to Mylapore and Mandaiveli... sometimes to 1979, sometimes to 1992, to 2009 and back to 1987. Same place, different time... kind of like the TV Series Lost, without the light flashes and the bad guys.

All that if things pan out in Chennai and all goes well.

Here is to growing old!

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