Going Home

As the title goes, we were going to our native on a festive season after five years. Every time I go home, I start collecting gifts for relatives and friends. The excitement of going to my native is immense and an array of childhood memories bubble up. As a child, I always felt the festive mornings were brighter than other days, with a devotional songs and fragrance of incense sticks in the air, which made me unusually bright and happy. Being of a generation which saw the transition of techie life, with Radios, Tape recorders, Videos replaced by Smart phones, Tablets and Ultrabooks, Internet TVs, we did have a childhood with seldom use of electronic gadgets. We played outdoors, ran around bushes and ended up with rashes and bruises, climbed trees to pluck fruits, smelt flowers, sipped nectar of some flowers. All these might seem strange to this generation because most of them live in apartments, where plants and trees are put up for beautification of the landscape.

The festive day, I am describing is Onam of Kerala, India. The natives celebrate the festival remembering the King Bali who was a philanthropist and during his reign there was no poverty or theft. According to the Hindu Scriptures Lord Vishnu took the form of a small Brahmin boy and asked for land measure of his three steps. The King agreed to give him what he wanted but the boy is believed to have grown big, to step the earth for the first step, the space for the second step and turned to the King for the third step. That's when the King realised that there is nothing to be arrogant of one's charity, if it doesn't make the recipient happy. The King thus gave himself as the third step and the Lord Vishnu is believed to have given him the best status, Suthalam, after death. The message the King left for his subjects was never to have expectations from what you give or what you do. These legends of mythology imparted social etiquette like harmonious living and sharing for us, as children. During the last three days of Onam, Trikkakarappan, Lord Vishnu is worshipped and the blessings of the elders are seeked for a better harvest season.

Trikkakarappan-Lord Vishnu

Like all festivals, Onam is also a family time celebration followed by the feast in our family home. It was also an occasion of bonding with our cousins. Recounting from my childhood memories, we would all reach our family home and help in the rituals. The sculptures were made by my grandmother and it was kept at the devout place. My uncles used to perform the ritual of welcoming King Mahabali from the entrance gate of our house where a sculpture would be worshipped and the way to the devout place would be sprinkled with the cut tender coconut leaves, holy basil and Ixora coccinea. Three days puja would be performed. The spring time was in all bloom with flowers, fruits and harvest. It was with all excitement we woke up early hours of day for the rituals to welcome the King Mahabali to our house calling out 'Arrpooo irro irro irro', which would be louder than that from neighbouring friends. After rituals and puja we were all dressed in new clothes (onakodi). The vegetarian feast of many dishes with at least two types of payasams were served in banana leaves. There were community programs of group dance by ladies, Kaikotti Kali, tug of war, games for kids with all neighbors participating. The ten day celebration of Onam started with 'Athachamayam', the procession from Temple with different themes to commemorate the advent of Onam. Different regions of Kerala had their own share of celebrations. The snake boat race has become a state celebration. The celebrations brought about a feeling of 'oneness' among all. Now after many years, the festive season bring back all those fond memories and excitement to go home....

Back to my packing, I was keeping things to take home in a room so that I don't miss out anything. Taking a short break in the afternoon…I was at a shop asking the cashier lady about a health tablet for my mother. She showed me a tablet form and a powder form. I preferred to take the tablet form because my mother has dementia and she would be comfortable to take this tablet along with her other medicines. It is from her, I earnestly picked the sweet tooth gene, so I bought her some chocolates and then…… When I sat awake, I realised that it was five years since I lost my mom, my dearest friend. But somewhere in my thoughts she still lives, for home is where she is.