It was Summer Vacation,Mala was enjoying her holidays in her usual style.Bala was there with her everyday.They had a small toy house built and both of them played in it for hours.Bala had her own route to come on to the terrace.The houses were all lined up closely together one after another with no wall separation,even if there were one it was small and the crossing over was much easier. she just went from one end to the other end very easily.
Almost everyday she was there before Mala.Mala took her breakfast of idli and chutney up to the terrace and had it along with bala.They had fun together all day along and bala brought Knowgu(it is a palm fruit available only in summer) and they shared them.It was one such morning when Mala went upstairs she didn’t find Bala, Mala sat there and looked at the toys that were lying all over the place. she was in no mood to put them in the basket. she looked lazily at the clouds, when she remembered bala telling her that if she wanted her to come she could tell the clouds and they would take the message and convey it to her.Mala saw a snowy white cloud just above her,she waved to the cloud and said ”hey,beautiful cloudie will you tell bala that I am waiting for her”.The cloud moved swiftly and Mala waited. She heard a noise behind her,she turned and there was bala, mala chuckled and asked bala if the clouds told her that she was waiting for her.Bala nodded yes.Bala stopped for a moment, turned around and asked bala if they can go to the krishnar sannathi.Mala said “ why not come let’s go. “Oh! I didn’t have my bath. I will go and have my bath and will be ready in 10 mins. is that ok “Bala nodded Yes “I will meet you at the end of the road”,tsaying which she disappeared.
Mala went downstairs, told her mom that she wanted to go the temple, ran to the bathroom to have her bath and her mom shouted back that she should not go alone.Mala opened her bathroom door and said ”amma, I am going with my friend “ her mother muttered something, which Mala never bothered to listen.She quickly had her bath and got dressed.She combed her hair, sarasu aunty had given her some flowers the previous day, she quickly pinned it to her hair,took some for bala both of them loved jasmine and the red kanakabharam.The flowers had a combination about it and looked so beautiful. Mala had a long hair,so she preferred a double plait and at the end she just left it without a ribbon and it didn’t open out since her hair was quite curly. she just plaited them quickly and dashed to the slipper rack for her slippers and opened the door and quickly closed it behind her.
She walked quickly down the streets. It was a little bit crowded. There were people cleaning their front entrance,a ritual which is followed and done every morning,as they did so,they were standing and talking to their neighbours. It was a vibrant neighbourhood with everyone knowing each other and their were children playing in the middle of the road without the fear of cyclists, Raju the vegetable vendor was selling vegetables with his cart in the middle of the road and there were few ladies standing around him bargaining with him. He loves the bargaining, he starts with 50p per kilo for tomato and would end up selling for10p per kilo, raju stopped his bargaining shouted out to Mala ”Are you going to the market Mala i told amma that i will get her carrots” mala said ” No raju anna i am going to the temple,amma is waiting for you” “ok...ok i am on my way” he said and continued his bargaining with the ladies.Mala passed Mani vaithyar’s house and Lo! ambujam patti was there.if she starts talking she will never stop, so she turned the other way and moved on.Ambujam patti called out behind her ”mala, where are you going ?come here” Mala turned to her and said” patti, i am going to the temple, manjakappu sevai will be over, i will come back and talk to you”, and she started running down the road.Ambjam patti was a woman of around 75 years, she was mani vaithyar’s athai ,she lived in their house since she did’nt have any other relatives.she was a quite a stocky woman and very sharp,she observes everyone walking past her and engages them in conversation,she had to know what everyone was upto,but she was very kind to children and often invited them for all the festivals and gave them sundal and paruppu thenkai which is often very tasty.today Mala didn’t have time to stop by and talk to patti.ambujam patti liked Mala for some reason and so mala always stopped by to talk to her which is why patti was perplexed when mala didn’t stop to say a hi to her,but nevertheless she called out behind her “ get some prasadams, when you come”, mala nodded her head and ran.
At he end of the road, bala was waiting for her near the well, mala ran up to her, panting, ”what happened, why did you come running, are the dogs chasing you” bala teased her. “No. worse than that ambujam patti caught me” together they laughed and started walking.Mala told her how she escaped from everyone and told her about each one of them. both of them laughed as mala narrated.Bala put her hand on Mala’s shoulders and together they walked.They walked down east chitra street and through the morning market and entered pattabiraman street. the crowd here was thinning out because it was a more a residential area. The house here, were quite big and among the line of houses were the agobala mutt and its boarding houses for pilgrims. They crossed the chithamani super market and down south chitra street.The street here was quite broad because during the chitrai month, the temple has its car festival.Huge crowds will be there during that period, but today it was empty with few people around. Mala and bala moved towards the west and after walking for quite a while Bala turned left, it was the kadaitheru the two sides were lined with shops. It was quite early, so not many shops were open.Bala stopped before a small temple. It was pathala krishnar sanathi.
Bala stopped and said “ do you know the significance and the ritual followed here.Mala shook her head.Bala said” Namperumal comes in procession from the Sanctum Sanctorum to the Sri Pandaram on the Panchrathra SriJayanthi day. Namperumal moves to the temple kitchen(madapalli) itself to have first hand information of Appam, Seedai, Murukku etc. At SriPandaram, Thirumannjanam is performed while Araiyar will be reciting Periyazhavar Thirumozhi .It is Periyazhavar who in his Periyazhavar Thirmozhi brings out the Krishna"s Pranks from the time of incarnation . Hence Araiyar 's recitation of Periyazhavar ThiruMozhi . In the night the Krishna 's Vigraha in the Kannan's sannathi will be given milk in a white conch . This temple of Krishna was built in the year 1232 by Uma Devi, the queen of Veera Vallaladeva, The Donar lived in the time of NarahariBhupala known as Veera NarasimhaII, a Hoysala King .The Hoysalas were camping at Kannanur now called Samayapuram and were assisting the Cholas who were very weak then and were guarding from any possible attack from the Pandiyas. This was named Tirukkuzhaluudina pillai (Krishna ) She created Endownments to offer to Krishna curd and Ghee in pots with special cakesev eryday. As far as place is concerned this is the third Vibuthi not fitting into Leelavibuthi on Nithyavibuthi . Mala quickly said “ I was here for sri jayathi bala. Krishna moves around the streets in a Pallaku and drops of Gingely oil is offered to all of us,and they call it "Yennaivilayattu". Then Ranganatha with his consorts moves on a procession to Yadava Mandapam near Thirumanjana cauveri . In the evening Namperumal adorned with Kilimalai( a garland with lot of of parrots made out of green leaves.Bala said” He wears this Kilimalai, and he wears this occasionally only, like Vaikunta Ekadasi day.” yes repied Mala. “The Sathatha Vaishnavas who hold the heriditary rights who offer this type of garland and in return offered a ride in the temple Elephant . bala continued “In the evening Krishna will be leading the procession followed by Namperumal with Upayanaachimars. After going around the Chitra streets the procession will reach southern entrance near Pathala Krishnan sannathi where Lord Krishna will break the pots containing Milk curd and turmeric water. This is called "Uriyadi". After this Namperumal and Lord Krishna will reach the Sanctum Sanctorum. Namperumal will order through the utterances of Sthanika to leave the sathhani at his house in the temple elephant as an honour.
Mala said” It is really very nice to watch”.Do you like being here?bala asked.Mala said yes why do you ask? Bala said do not miss these festivals and its traditions.you will need them anyway,a thing to cherish,saying which,she opened the small door sat in front closed her eyes, mala stood just behind Bala ,wondering why bala became very serious,Mala really could not understand bala,sighed and closed her eyes.Her mother had taught her krishna astangam, she said the first verse,and opened her eyes. To her astonishment, the krishnar which used to be 5 feet below the ground had risen up to the surface.Mala was always
very scared to look down fearing that she might fall into it,but today to her suprise the krishnar had come up bala offered butter and pongal to krishnar lighted the lamp showed arathi and turned around to give arathi to mala, mala by now is used to bala’s ways so didn’t ask her anything took the arathi. Bala got up and after that the krishnar went down slowly. bala closed the door, turned around to mala and said” shall we go” as though nothing had happened. Mala nodded and both the girls turned around and mala saw no one had seen what just happened.Bala never spoke a word about it, gave mala the prasadams,mala was hungry by now ,so she took it from her gratefully.both of them walked quietly for some time each one lost in their own thoughts........
Leelaikal Thodarum......
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