Indraprastha Giggle & the Holocaust

 

Indraprastha Giggle & the Holocaust

Thanks to  my friend for his terrific.suggestion,I am determined to harass you with this torrent of torture. When I informed him of my intention to write  this  blogpost he demanded his name to be featured prominently. Therefore I have acceded to Pithukuli’s  command . But,then I felt that the idea  of sharing my  candid thoughts  on “.Navigating Life in the Facebook Age” could prove to be remarkably uninspired. Pithukuli  came to my aid once again& added to it, what if this platform existed at the time of Mahabharatha & the Kurukshetra war.?

So here’s   how the Kurukshetra War becomes a bizarre online roast where Bheeshma Pitamaha, Kauravas , Shakuni Mama  and the Pandavas battle it out  using status updates and trending reels

Sanjaya was in deep thought.: Suspecting  that his  Divine   “Divya Drishti” was getting  a bit rusty he decided to create and manage a Facebook page named  “Back to practicing my Divine Vision  #DharmaWins #TotalWarOver."

 Moments after Sanjaya added members of “Kuru”  lineage  in the group  Chat threads & posts began flooding in.   

Sanjaya : Feeling excited—with Dhritarashtra.🔴 LIVE NOW: Streaming the Kurukshetra War straight from the battlefield! 📺⚡ Log  in for live updates, heroic take downs, and strategic insights. You won't want to miss a single second of this historical clash.

Duryodhana logged in to boast about his 11 Akshauhinis ,(the massive combat formation) but a viral status from Lord Krishna crashed the Kaurava servers.

.Day 1 of the Kurukshetra War started with a Facebook Event invite titled "Total Annihilation of Dharma - Bring your own weapons! “

Duryodhana, looking awesome in his silver Armour, went live from the battlefield with the caption: "Feeling mighty, gonna beat up some Pandavas now, might delete later.” #HastinapurRocks #AkshauhiniLife.

 Shakuni Mama kept forwarding shady, unverified forwards. “Forward this to 10 cousins or the Pandavas will take your kingdom!”

Bheeshma Pitamaha finally joined Facebook, but his profile picture was a default sunrise with the quote "Silence is golden.”

 Within seconds, Dusshasana  tagged him in a 50-picture album titled "Hastinapur Fun Trip 3067 BCE.! " filled with blurry photos of himself  & Shakuni Mama plotting at the local Gambling ( dice) joint.

But the comment section immediately broke down. Karna liked his own post,

  Shakuni Mama dropped a comment: ", why you so tense ? Just roll the dice, da!"

Arjuna changed his relationship status to "It's Complicated" after a very public spat with Karna on his timeline.

 Karna had commented on Arjuna’s archery post: "Bro, Photo shopped.! Professional archers use natural lighting."

Meanwhile, Draupadi  re-posted one of her earlier comments on Facebook from the swayamvaram. The caption read: "Feeling cute, might drop a bow later, IDK. 💁‍♀️🏹"

 Her inbox was instantly flooded with friend requests from five very confused brothers and an angry Duryodhana

Meanwhile, on the Pandava side, things were moving at a much slower pace.

 Arjuna was scrolling through his feed in tears. He had just seen a 4K drone video of the Kaurava army and commented: "Bro, these guys have 11 Akshauhinis and I have only 7. I don't want to fight, I just want to go to Mount Raivataka & meditate”

Things hit a boiling point in the middle of the Kurukshetra War.Arjuna checked in on Facebook at the battlefield with the status: "Feeling down. Mentally blocked.”

Lord Krishna immediately replied in the comments section with a 700-verse pinned comment, breaking down the Bhagavad Gita for him. It was essentially a massive motivational thread that read: "Do your duty, kiddo. don’t worry about the likes. DM me if you need more clarity “

 Krishna, the ultimate (trouble maker/shooter ) and strategist, then uploaded the ultimate viral Reel titled "Karma - Just do your duty, Macha!" The Reel became an instant hit, getting millions of views, shares, and a personal check-in from Bhishma Pithamaha himself

.Meanwhile,Duryodhana kept updating his location status to "Safe" inside a lake,

Bheemasena dropped a hilarious reaction image of his heavy mace with the caption, "Tag someone whose head you want to break today!" ,ferreted Duryodhana  out of his hiding place , poked him repeatedly in the ribs, and ruined his whole day.

Finally, after the war, Yudhishtira posted a status update that read: "We won, but at what cost?” The comment section immediately blew up with Draupadi replying: "Cost?! You literally staked me in a game of digital rummy”,

“O’ Bharatshreshtha  the battle is done & dusted .Now Get off your moral high horse and DM King Virata to reserve his beautiful Viratanagara resort for the six of us. No better place to unwind ”

The internet finally broke with  Sanjaya sharing  the ultimate post-war status: "Peace is finally here. Will be back soon with latest   Divya Drishti  updates”  .  #DharmaWins #TotalWarOver.

 

Whispers of Yesteryear

 

Whispers of Yesteryear

The dedicated South Indian domestic help of "olden days” represents a deeply ingrained, often familial, relationship within traditional homes. Historically, these helpers(Male or  female)—often addressed by their names by the oldest to the youngest member of the family  or referred to as  “ Maami” in case of female help,were considered part of the household, navigating a complex blend of servitude, loyalty, and emotional attachment that blurred the lines between employment and kinship.

Domestic helpers often worked for generations serving the grandparents, parents,  children & grand children of their “adopted”  family. They were trusted implicitly with household management, child-rearing, and sometimes, important family decisions, becoming matriarchal (or patriarchal) figures in their own right.

They were often treated as Integral  part of the extended family—given a place to live, food, and clothing, rather than just a salary.

Their duties, which these souls took  upon themselves as their responsibility covered the entire spectrum of household management, including early morning chores like home cleaning, fetching vegetables, sweeping, washing, and preparing tasty treats & traditional dishes.

There are instances of  helpers who stayed in the family, when both parents were working, and  caring for the elderly, acting as the backbone of the household in the absence of nuclear support structures.

 They are remembered as people who arrived quietly to help with chores, the women wrapping their hair in a “Bun” , often with incredible endurance and devotion to the welfare of their adopted family & children they raised.They were  both servant and surrogate — a figure of loving care fused  with their foster  family.

A common occurrence  is a "Paati" (elderly lady) who managed the kitchen and took care of children, becoming more trusted than relatives in some cases.

The Changing Dynamics

While it is easy to  romanticize the relationship that existed in the past, recollections of the subtle play of complex power dynamics cannot be missed.

 The role was often rooted in rigid “olden day” social stratification  systems, where specific  tasks were assigned to workers belonging to particular tier.

As lifestyles have  changed, many of these intimate relationships too have transformed into more contractual, commercial arrangements. However, the reliance on help in Old Fashioned South Indian households still remains a strong cultural practice, with many long-term domestic workers  maintaining close ties to families.

In remembrance of Krishnan,Pachaiamma, Rajamma, Savithramma, Mudda(iah) & Hombale, Basavaiah(Sr) & a host of other noble souls.

Ten Millilitres of Sunshine

 

Ten  Millilitres of Sunshine

 

The branch came down in  night’s storm.leaving a fat  Gulmohar limb, lying across the  pathway like a sleepy python. Next  morning, Junior  spotted it first.

A Logger had  been requisitioned. for Slicing off the fallen branch and other threatening ones to clear the pathway.

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Wild honeybees had built their comb inside a hollow in the broken branch , . The bees had  already abandoned ship after the storm damage. Just a few confused sleepy workers left, buzzing around .

Rule one: you don’t normally raid a full live hive. But this? The force of the fall had already fragmented the hive. Only a piece no bigger than my palm could be salvaged.The comb would rot with the branch if left where it was  as the bees had moved on.

“Squeeze it” I was commanded

 Squeeze I did.! Gently. Thumb against the wax.

 Golden.Slow  One drop, then another It pooled in the cup like liquid sunlight. Thick, fragrant, carrying the smell of tamarind flowers  (Imagination?). Five  millilitres. Maybe ten. That’s it. About two teaspoons full.

 . Excitement. Thrill. My first ever Honey harvest. And  at Home too !.Never ever dreamt. Four pairs of eyes went wide.

 

We shared it. A few  drops each on our tongues. “It tastes like the fields after rain! ”No chapatis, no bread slice.. Just us, the fallen branch, and the buzz of the last bees relocating to a safer branch .

The comb was just a blob of wax now .& went back on the grass for the ants. Waste not, right?

Later, while washing the cup in the tap, I thought: “people chase kilograms of honey, but this was better”. Ten millilitres , earned without violence or force. It was like Nature  giving us its spare change.

Unanimous  verdict as we licked our  fingers: “Best honey ever”.   (Because we didn’t get much ?).

. Sometimes survival isn’t about filling jars. It’s about knowing when a few drops are enough.

Amidst all the excitement, a small voice in the back of my mind kept asking, “Did we steal somebody’s food , will someone go without lunch today?”

 

Art of Doing Absolutely Everything Else

 Art of Doing Absolutely Everything Else

The evening started like every other wellness intervention. Surrounded by half-empty plates of salad and sipping on lukewarm green tea, I solemnly swore a sacred oath: The “New” Diet" has started today.For a whole  hour, I passionately dissected the nuances of intermittent fasting, and the exact glycemic index of a single  almond. I lectured on the spiritual awakening of cutting out sugar, while  eloquently defending  the virtues of the morning smoothie. By 10:00 PM, I felt practically enlightened, practically weightless, and entirely smug.” I am  basically an athlete now,"  I gloated, congratulating myself"

 

     The morning ,normally ( meaning regularly)  at 7:30 AM in a bustling  kitchen , it’s   an absolute labour of love. The fermented batter has been perfected over years,   ground to a flawless, fluffy texture, and the tempering on the coconut chutney sizzles with crackling mustard and fresh curry leaves. I eat  until I physically cannot ’ manage another bite. I wash down three “pillowy” idlis, a crispy  dosa,  with a steaming cup of Malted Ragi . I’m  done. Or so you think!. Then comes the sinking realization around the afternoon dining table. A quick mental tally of the remaining batter and prepped ingredients means a total loop reset. With zero leftovers spared, the exact same meticulously crafted, oil-soaked, and carb-heavy meal is  officially penciled in for dinner. The magic of the morning—the satisfying crunch of the Dosa, the perfectly spiced  , fresh tang of the chutney—is overshadowed by the sheer volume of steaming rice and lentils I am  destined to consume again. By 8:30 PM, the familiar aroma of  ghee and roasting dhal once again fills  the house. Staring at the steaming plate, my  stomach does a flip, heavily debating the sheer limits of human digestion. Yet, as that first bite of piping hot, crispy dosa touches the tongue, I  just cannot  help but surrender to the matchless solace  of it all. I am  officially a victim of my  own delicious success. And yes The New Diet starts tomorrow. Who said Tomorrow never Comes ?

 

 

செவ்வாய் மஹிமை

 

செவ்வாய் மஹிமை

தனது ஜாதகத்தைப் பார்க்காமல்  toothpasteடை க்கூட மாற்றாத மனிதர்தான் இந்த நாராயணன் மாமா. மனச்சநல்லூர்ரில்  மரங்கள் நிறைந்த காலனியில் ஒன்றில் தன் சொந்த வீட்டில் வசித்து வந்த நாராயணன் மாமா. தனது குடும்ப ஜோதிடரான   “வஷிஷ்டர்” பூசமுத்துவின் வார்த்தைகளை வேதவாக்காக ஏற்றுக்கொள்வார் . பூசமுத்து ,வியாழன் 5 ஆம் வீட்டில் இருப்பதாகச் சொன்னால், நாராயணன் தெய்வங்களைத் திருப்திப்படுத்த மஞ்சள் நிற ஆடை அணிவார், மஞ்சள் நிற உணவைச் சாப்பிடுவார், மேலும் சாலையின் இடதுபுறமாகதான் நடப்பார்.

 

பூனை விளைவு: ஒரு செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை காலை, நாராயணன் மாமா ஒரு பெரிய business meeting ற்குத் தயாராகிக் கொண்டிருந்தார். அவர் தனது பஞ்சாங்கத்தை  புரட்டினார் , எல்லாம் சரியாக இருப்பதாகத் தோன்றியது. அவர் வெளியே காலடி எடுத்து வைத்தபோது, ​ ராகுவால் அனுப்பப்பட்ட ஒரு கருப்புப் பூனை அவரது பாதையைக் கடந்தது , மாமா பதற்றமடைந்தார். அவர் வெறுமனே நிற்கவில்லை; பின்னோக்கிச் சென்றார். வீட்டிற்குச் சென்று, இரண்டு மணி நேரம் தன் sofaவில் அமர்ந்து, ஒரு பால்காரர் அந்த வழியாக செல்லமாட்டாரா என காத்திருந்தார்..கருப்புப் பூனையின் துரதிர்ஷ்டம் அவர் மீது சுமத்தப்படும் என்ற எதிர்பார்ப்புடன் காத்திருந்தார் . "கருப்புப் பூனைகள்  மாறுவேடத்தில் இருக்கும் சனிக்கிரகம்  என்று பூசமுத்து  என்னிடம் கூறி இருக்கார் ," என்று தன் மனைவி  ராஜேஸ்வரி  மாமி யிடம்  குசுகுசுத்தார்.

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 செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை திகில்:  அது ஒரு செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை,

இரத்தம் மற்றும் குழப்பத்தின் கோளான செவ்வாயாலஆளப்படும் ஒரு நாள்.

 நாராயணன் மாமாவுக்கு    விதிகள் நன்றாகவே தெரியும்:- நகம் வெட்டக்கூடாது, சவரம் செய்யக்கூடாது, கூர்மையான எதையும் வாங்கக்கூடாது. அவர் அலங்கோலமாக காணப்பட்டார், ஆனால்  பாதுகாப்பாக இருந்தார்.  அவரது வெள்ளை வேட்டியில் இருந்து ஒரு சிறிய, தனித்த நூல் தொங்குவதைக் கவனித்தர் . அவர் உள்ளுணர்வால் அதை இழுக்கக் கையை நீட்டினார், ஆனால் திடீரென்று பூசமுத்துவின் வார்த்தைகள்   நினைவுக்கு வந்தது: நூல்களை இழுப்பது = பதற்றத்தை அழைப்பது  = பேரழிவான  முடிவுகள்.

காலை ஆட்டினால் தனது அதிர்ஷ்டம்  போய்விடும் என்று     நம்பியதால்,, அன்றைய நாள் முழுவதும் தன் காலை அசைக்காமல அதே இடத்தில் அமர்ந்தபடியே இருந்தார்.

 

 இறுதி "ஆதாரம்". அலுவலகத்தில், அவரது மேலதிகாரி குறைந்த செயல்திறனைப் பற்றி கத்திக் கொண்டிருந்தார். நாராயணன் மாமாவோ அமைதியாக அமர்ந்திருந்தார், ஏனெனில் அவனது ஜாதகத்தின்படி, இதே நாளில் அவரது சனி பெயர்ச்சி "உணர்ச்சிப்பூர்வமான அழுத்தத்தை " ஏற்படுத்தும் என்ற நம்பப்பிக்கையில். தன் தவறை நியாயப்படுத்தி. "நான் அறிக்கையை முடிக்காதது என் தவறல்ல," “இது பிரபஞ்சத்தின் விதி!"  என்று  பெருமையுடன் நினைத்துக்கொண்டார் . அன்று மாலை, அவர் தன் மனைவியிடம், "பார், மேலதிகாரிகளுடன் எனக்குச் சவாலான காலம் இருக்கும்' என்று பூசமுத்து   சொன்னது, நடந்துவிட்டது!" என்றார். அவர் பணம் சம்பாதிப்பார் என்று சொன்ன மற்ற 50 நாட்களையும்  புத்திசாலித்தனமாக புறக்கணித்தார், ஆனால் அவர் சம்பாதிதது  மட்டும் இல்லை.

நாராயணன் மாமாவின வாழ்க்கை, தவறவிட்ட வாய்ப்புகளும் அதீத பதட்டமும் நிறைந்த ஒரு, குழப்பம.. ராஜேஸ்வரி மாமிக்கு  மிகுந்த துக்கத்திற்குரிய விஷயமாக இருந்தது

 

ஆனால் மாமாவோ முழுமையாக மகிழ்ச்சியாகவே இருந்தார்—  ஜாதகத்தின்படி, அவர் வெங்காயம் அல்லது பூண்டு சாப்பிடாத பட்சத்தில், அடுத்த செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை அவர் அலுவலகத்தில் மகத்தான நிலையை அடைய விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது என்று “வஷிஷ்டர்” பூசமுத்து அவர்கள் ஏற்கனவே கணித்திருந்தார்