With Love for you Amma, on your last day at Work!!!

It's amma's last day at work, she is retiring from her Banking Job after serving for last 33 years..

Here's for you amma.. 

Missing appa when he moved to Saudi, and the little me in your lap, 

you knew you didn't want to let go the time just like that ruining you!!
To fuel your desire was your aunt, who was gold medalist in M.Sc and 

already was with BSNL to motivate you!!

Long talks, heaps of books, she made you job ready 

till you got the written through!!
When the banking industry was full of Accountants and Economists, 

you proved Mathematicians could rule too!!

You withdrew your promotions just to make Pavan and me career ready!!
Else am sure you could have been GM already!!

While your appa stood for you always, your amma no less a warrior,

was your emotional, spiritual, financial adviser and a stress buster 

with whom you shared everything always!!

I still remember the days when appa and you drove to work 

together on 2 wheeler 10 km one way!!
Am sure you enjoyed that lone time together on the highway, 

which you never got at home in a family of six anyway!!

Driving in sun and rains together then brought much fun for you, 

than any long drive in car today can bring for you!!

Its last day of your's today at Corp Bank which bought bread, 

butter and light in our home all these year!!
Am sure the days to come for you and appa will be 

merrier, merrier and more MERRIER!!

Happy Last day of work Amma and thanks for being what you are for us!!

Odave Gantu!!!

Brought up around Hassanamba temple, we were always fond of this place... Of late the popularity during Deepavali has grown so much that we often skip visiting the temple during Deepavali, for the heavy crowd.. Do check my detailed post about Hasanamba temple and Deepavali

Nandi Kolu 

Nandi idol on Nandi Kolu

Siddeshwara swamy procession on Balipadyami was one big night out for us, still remember my uncle was one of those very few who knew how to balance and dance with Nandi kolu. The Nandi kolu is a long pole with idol of Nandi at the bottom and an orange flag at the top. Its an art in itself to balance such long, heavy pole. Shaking the pole in a rhythm generates the music of the bells attached to the pole. Nandi kolu Kunitha(dance) used to be part of Veeragase troop who narrated the story of Daksha Yagna through dance. The procession used to start by 10 at night on Padya and end next morning back at temple.

Odave gantu procession on bidige(next day of Balipadyami) was something we always waited for. Just before the temple is closed for the year, the jewelry (odave) offered to goddess is tied in a cloth(gantu) and taken to the pandith's house to offer aarti and taken back to the temple premises.. The jewelry is then kept in govt treasury at District Commisioner's office, only to be brought back next year during Deepavali.. This procession was always considered very auspicious and madi(couldn't be touched by others) which included only brahmin purohiths in wet cloths.. The procession used to walk through the raj beedi(main street) and most of the devotees offered offerings on the way.

As kids, only if we had holiday on bidige we waited since morning for this procession.. Today somehow I squeezed myself into the temple premises to watch the procession, to relive my childhood days..

Balipadyami, the offerings and celebrations !!!

 I recently read somewhere, how rangoli was drawn with rice flour in ancient days to feed the ants, insects and birds.. This is Balipadyami rangoli - cowdung ball, decorated with flowers maize, ragi sticks with a piece of pumpkin in front of  neighbor's house.. Rice flour has been replaced by white sand these days, but grains n pumpkin still adds to the reason why rangoli would have been started... While karthika Padya is celebrated as Bali Padiyami, its also Govardhan Pooja on this day. While the cowdung ball with flowers signifies the welcoming of King Bali to earth, it also signifies the Govardhan Hill/Parvat with the flourished flowers and grains topping it. 

Asura King Bali was one of the seven Chiranjivis(immortals). Bali had the blessing by Vishnu of being immortal, and he was equally charitable. His arrogance and vainglorious made other gods to request Vishnu to get rid of him. Vishnu in this incarnation as Vamana a dwarf saint visit Bali and asks for charity. Bali promises him to give anything he wished for. Vamana ask 3 footstep ground for himself. Bali accepts his request looking at the small boy's foot. Vamana soon turn into a giant, while he cover Swarga lokha(heaven) and bhoo lokha(earth) in his first 2 steps, Bali offer his own head for the third step. Vamana stamp Bali to Pathala Lokha covering the third step. Bali is said to return to his kingdom on earth once in a year on this day of Balipadyami, where people of his kingdom welcome him through celebrations.

Kajjaya/Adhirasam is one dish, which is not missed in any homes in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Bali Padyami. Made of rice flour and jaggery, the sweet is freshly prepared the same morning. Call is Indian donuts, the soft, juicy rings are topped with white sesame to make them more nutritious.