The generations passing by..............

The motivation to write at this time is I am seeing a generation slowly vanishing from the vicinity.

I am a person who likes to spend time with the older generation,to hear how their life was and to visualise how things were during their era

As years go by,there is going to be a time where the elder people whom we consider with due respect are slowly being eradicated from the earth,off course it is a natural phenomenon and there is no way to prevent it.

What concerns me about this whole process is are we losing some of our values,traditions and customs with these people?There is a lot of changes occurring to the world around us,something called metamorphosis that is happening in the 21st century.

This process, is it bringing good or bad?Changes are inevitable,but are they bringing in good qualities or taking away the good values from our culture?

My suggestion is even if the generations goes by,the cultural heritage of a population greatly depends on the rich values,traditions and beliefs that has been practised from ages without much changes.So if we are able to preserve these traditions for the coming generations,it will help them to distinguish what is the richness of our heritage and where we come from.

Please encourage your children to learn their mother tongue,to practise your religion and to respect the elders............

Ponnonam Vannallo......................

Last day when I called my mom who is in Kerala,she told me that it is Chingam 1.The first day of the first month in Malayalam Calender which is a special day according to the Hindu ideology and one of the good days in the year to arrange for special functions like a house warming,marriage, and so on.
It is from this day that the Keralites start decorating their front yards with floral designs which marks as a welcome note for Maveli Thamburan,who was the ruler of Kerala and got exported or transferred or relocated or moved (the last two more appropriate) to the other world(Pathalam,which is considered as existing below earth,myth please no questions).
Onam is a harvest festival of Kerala,but it has a myth too.
Onam is celebrated to comemmorate the arrival of Maveli Thamburan to the earth to visit his country men and this occurs once in a year and for which Onam is celebrated.
Remembering about Onam,I spent my childhood days in Thalassery,a town in Northern Kerala as my father was working there and most of my Onams were celebrated there.In contrast to Muttom,where my parents are now,all our neighbors are Hindus and they celebrate it with full fun and frolic.My sister's greatest activities are participating with my neighbors in floral decorations and making a miniature one at our home.My younger brother is also attracted to her chores,just as to give her company,
My main interest on Onam and Thiruvonam are drinking at least 4 types of Payasam,which is a sweet dish,exclusively home made and no words to describe it than having it.
Among the different payasams,we have that day,the one we all look forward is Saradechi's which is the best.Saradechi has a special type of taste bud and so her Payasam will have all the ingrediants at the maximum threshold that nothing else can beat it................even my mom's won't come near Saradechi's.Her masterpiece is Palpayasam................man,there is no words to explain it...........you have to have it.
I have not had this one for long number of years......but my taste buds won't forget those dishes which Saradechi has made for us.Long live Saradechi..............
The other thing is all our neighbors use to have new clothes for them which they wear on Thiruvonam,but unfortunately my father does not encourage this custom.His policy is even if you don't have a new dress,your tummy should be full and he makes sure that this is taken care of.I think that this is a great principle in real life even though I considered it stupid on my younger days.
I also remember a folk art called Kaduva kali or known as Puli Kali where people get decorated as tigers and they visit the local houses.This is common in Travancore.I loved watching which I did in real only once or twice.
If anybody took time to read this whole stuff,thank you for your patience and sorry for making you bored.
Again I am missing Onam,my mom's Onam Sadya,Saradechi's payasam,floral decorations,beautiful Mallu girls with colorful costumes and long black hair beautifully pinned with jasmine flowers.
I wish all the fortunate Malayalee brothers and sisters in Kerala and the unfortunate brothers and sisters outside Kerala A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS ONAM..........................have fun,