ANUVINTE VARNA KUDAKAL.............
By the end of this week, when the sky was cloudy,i was eagerly waiting for the showers.since three days,keralites are enjoying the kumbha mazha and the scenes of people drenched in rain,the breeze,the streets full of water on television are enchanting..............so i ask someone,''tell me,did u enjoy the smell of the sand after the first rain?''''no,anu we get only the smell from gutters around.''chey,he spoiled the whole mood.
i long to be there,in chandraprabha when it rains.it's my world,my showers.in the old house we used to make paper boats and set them sail from the poomukha mittam.then we run to the kizhukkoram and watch the boat sailing smoothly with the flow of water.we had a nadumittam and water just gushes from the four corners;having rain inside the house................how can i make you feel all those wonderful childhood memories...............
then orothamma plucks the big chembin leaf and covering her head ,walks in the rain.then she has a long konjada to cover her head and back while sweeping the courtyard.
i'm not sure when i got obsessed with umbrellas.while studying in first std,pattu kuda was in fashion.the multi coloured small umbrella,so attractive and having that, was an added reason to go to school.splashing the water with small feet,holding the umbrella,anu walked to school with cousins and siblings.her school was karayoor l.p school.[now it is double storyed building].
anu still cherishes the smell of the hot uppumavu served there.
then ettan sent folded umbrellas from the middle east.[the parcel came by ship].that was so convenient to fold an umbrella and keep it in the bag.'' i also have a foreign umbrella''.what a pride!
slowly the printed colourful umbrellas were in demand.so,in the wish list anu started writing it on the top.when nanda got married and started her new life in the middle east,umbrellas were the main gifts for me.i used to enjoy the smell for many days,the special gulf smell and then keep them in my cupboard.
as the studies were done in a women's college,sharing an umbrella with the boyfriend never took place.[so many real love stories flourished under the single umbrella].
anu never took pain to learn essays or paragraphs, the way she described the umbrellas,she wanted.it could be the small white flowers in blue black ground or the black spots in brick red base.
after shifting to this land of song and sand,the passion remained the same. here, people mainly use rain coats which she never liked.she longed for the summer breaks to learn the new jingles of new varieties of umbrellas from ''poppy'' to ''happy''.a thorough study was done on the new launches and the summer vacations saw anu spending time staring and checking all the latest models.she started appreciating the loud calls ,''kuda nannakkanudo'',and called those people home to get the very old discarded umbrellas from the upstairs,repaired.she staretd spotting the places where they sit in town to repair umbrellas.
the umbrelllas started taking maximum space of the cupboard.anu changes her umbrellas as per the shade of the sarees and doesn't fold it even if it stops raining.she is so proud of her umbrellas and she wants everyone to enjoy the design.
do you call it, silly nature?never do that.see what happened.
the heavy rains always block the konkan railway track.it was such a furious night.i was leaving for trichur.the train was late.holding the handbag in one hand and the umbrella on the other hand,i continued waiting.one train had stopped at the station waiting for signal.when i went near the train,when i shook my hand,my blue coloured happy umbrella slipped and fell down to the track.i was shocked.''what to do?who will help me?''it was the brand new umbrella;the design was beautiful-full of small flowers on the blue background.
there was no 'help desk' at the platform.[and i don't know some official will help us to get back the umbrella from the track].i spotted a constable far away and ran to him.[my folks were shocked at my drama].anu is impossible.
'' sir,please help me.''[anu is never polite,mind you.]
''yes,madam,what can i do for you?''
sir,my brand new umbrella slipped and fell down to the track.it's between the train and the platform on the track''.please help me to get it.''this is a gift from my sister.''anu is almost in tears.
''what can i do?''[he was so concerned].
sir,please come with me.i will show you the spot.''
anu leads the local constable to the spot and shows him exactly where her happy lies.
she encourages the good samaritan.
''oh,u have a stick in your hands,please try whether it will reach the umbrella.''[my folks are watching the show from a distance]
.
the constable kneels down and stretches the hand with the stick with a hook.after many trials,the blue happy umbrella gets hooked in to the stick and the constable gives back it to anu with a smile.
''thank you sir,thank you very much.''''i knew you could do it.''
a hundred watts smile and the curtain is drawn.
she washed the umbrella and went back to her people with the broad smile like that flashed on the face of rasool pookutty.''what an achievement,na?''
here,the police is common man's friend.[any takers?]
i don't like the long black umbrellas of gents;so difficult to carry along.
maza and my little star catch the rain water from the balcony.they try to collect the rain drops.how can i scold them?they enjoy the wild breeze.
these days,iam more serious,doing studies on rain water harvesting.when the leading dailies start giving series on this topic,i collect the articles and try to bring an awareness among the lay man.
since last two summers i am troubling amma'',let us make a new tank in our compound''.''anu,what's wrong with you?we had two tanks.one we filled up and the other is little far away.you don't want to use it,n now u are asking me to make a new tank''?
amma is not getting what is anu up to.
the beautiful songs and scenes on rainy season attract me.last time i presented a musical show on 'water'and seventy people participated in it.the script and direction was mine and iam so happy that it won laurels.
after reaching here,i started realising the value of precious water.
iam waiting for the rainy season; waiting for the numerous
advertisements to cut and paste in my scrap book.i want to read about the stories on factories that are in to this business.
the umbrella with a whistle an with the three folded smallest umbrella don't belong to my collection.[on my forthcoming birthday,u can gift me those].
being from trichur,how can i finsh my post without mentioning the varna kudakal of trichur pooram.hey,gus,the wonders of trichur are the colourful,beautiful umbrellas of parmekkavu and thiruvambadi kudamattam.[this time i will be in trichur for pooram'].without closing the eyelids iam glued to them.those who have not witnessed it,start planning to be there ,on may,3rd.you will carry life long memories,back home.
get up from your seat and take out your umbrellas and make them fit for this monsoon........
MY GOD!GURUVAYOOR TEMPLE FESTIVAL IS GOING ON................whenever i go to temple,i see these brhamin ladies covering themselves in huge marakuda and even in the rush, they manage with the open umbrellas to have darshan of LORD KRISHNA..........these umbrellas can't be folded.
and here,in this land of beaches,you can see the huge umbrellas to protect you from sun.
hey,friends,those who want to do a thesis on umbrellas,get me as your guide.[the fees is just an umbrella].
let me tell you.........
oru kuda kandal.........
oru varna kuda kandal....................
athu mathi.....................athu mathram mathi..............
and to u,
Tumhari kasam bahut bahut yaad aate ho.............,
Ab na puchna mujhse kab kab yaad aate ho..........[mousam to baarish ka hai...........]
it's anu signing off,
wishing all of you a happy and relaxing week end..
sasneham,
anu
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