Some childhood reminiscences

 Have been resolving to write a sort of consolidated memory of certain things that I did with my brother & sister.  What we did as children! 

My grandparents whom we called Amma&Appa had taught us Shlokams and we had seen our Pooja being lighted with a lamp both morning and evening. 

Ayya - Bai were our dear Uncle and Aunt. 

Our dear Aunt's name (Periamma =Elder Mother) was KRISHNAMBAL & Uncle's name was Harihara Sharma. 

They were most loving & we 3 children spent 2-3 years altogether in Bombay (Ganesh Bagh, Matunga ) when our parents were away in UK. 

In addition, every summer vacation (for 2 months) we used to go to Bombay to be with them. 

Those were the years - very rich, when I as a child learnt Tamil & Marathi. 

My Periamma had 5 children who were much older than us and they were MOST LOVING. 

Eldest son was called चूड़ामणि and his name was Prabhakar Sharma. 

To us he was ANNA JI- (Elder brother) who told us Tales of Valour about Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Who fought against cruel Muslim rulers especially Aurangzeb the Most cruel of Moghuls. 

Annaji married Sulochana (our famous Manni) who arranged my marriage to Appa. 

Manni passed away about 3 years ago. 

Their children: Usha(in Suisse) , 

Ashok-Poornima and Sushil-Kamala both brothers in Bengaluru. 

Anasuya was our elder sister, then Priyayamvada (whom we called Piri), next Sitaram (who named himself - He told his Father :Mera naam Sitaram) but he was called Baby by all and last brother was Krishna who's wife is Lekha. 

Except for Lekha, all the rest have become memories. 

Anasuya 's husband was Hariharan athimbair. 

Their children are Girija and Vinay. 

Priya' s husband was Balasubramaniam (Balan Athimbair). They did not have any children. 

Then as we grew up in Allahabad with grandparents fading away, we saw our Mother whom we called Mausi light the Pooja Lamp. 

Our paternal grandmother whom we called Dadi also followed the same Hindu ritual. 

Dadi was very orthodox and kept many fasts (jours de jeune) And we used to get delicious PRASAD after Pooja, & Arati. 

This was very normal in our home. 

One ritual that our Mother instilled was to say our Shlokams together in the evening. 

Coming back from school we would finish homework and go out to play but had been told by Mausi to come home as soon as it became dusk. This time is called GO.DHOOLI. Go =cow and Dhuli =dust. 

This is the time when Krishna Bhagavan, the Divine cowherd brought back cows home after grazing. 

And in the rays of the setting sun would be seen the dust raised by the cows coming home. =GO. DHULI! 

You children (Soumyarani & Aditya) know the Shloka :

"Godhuli dhoosarit komal gopavesham 

Gopala balak satai anugamyamanam, 

Sayandanai pratigriham Pashubandhanaartham

Gaschantum achyuta shishum 

Pranatosmi nithyam 

Gidhuli dhoosarit komal kuntalagram 

Govinda Bindu vasanam 

Gopala Balam manasaasmarami

So without fail,DAILY we used to BLINDLY OBEY.

Our parents used to return home LATER in the evening from the University. 

And were usually not at home. 

We would come inside the home , 

wash our feet well. 

And I being eldest and a girl used to light the Pooja Lamp. 

We would spread our special श्लोकम् straw mat and sit cross - legged and say our Shlokams with closed eyes and folded palms. 

However, we were very naughty. 

My brother and I being very close in years would chant Shlokams at different speeds, race each other and get into a real battle. 

And often my Mother would say :Are you saying your prayers or having a fighting match? 

But saying our श्लोक was something we did regularly and daily. 

And this discipline was due to Amma-Appa, Ayya-Bai, Mausi & our dear Dadi too. 

After saying our Shlokams we would take each family member's name and say Bhagavan, please protect & look after them in every way. 

After saying our Shlokams we would do namaskar in the Pooja room and go to every person in the family and say Namaste to them individually. Age did not matter. 

This was done daly. 

Today too I continue each morning and evening to light the Pooja Lamp. 

And the serene luminosity of the lighted lamp awakens many many hidden memories from the recesses of the mysterious mind.

First it reminds me of Mausi my Mother who gifted me the precious and beautiful Bell metal vilakku as an important part of the gifts given while leaving home with Appa after getting married. (10th March, Monday 1975).

My dear Aunt Bai had given me a Lakshmi-Ganesh framed picture that was at the centre of our Pooja wherever we put up our home.
Those are such sweet precious memories which I shall cherish as long as I am alive! 

As a little girl, seeing dear Bai, my dear dear gentle aunt lighting the lamp in Allahabad home every morning, I recall asking her  :Bai what do you think and pray when you light the vilakku. 

And she would give one of her sweetest smiles and say :O I pray to Bhagavan to keep you all safe, well, healthy and happy.
Such a simple but precious prarthana. 

And this is exactly what I do daily today!
For everyone in the family and also the world to be healthy and happy. 

My Grandmother & Grandfather taught us all the Sanskrit Shlokams that we know and I do marvel at their wisdom, patience and love to have bequeathed to us one of the most precious gifts of life for life! 

We as children (whether our parents were at home or not) came into the house at eventide, washed our hands & feet and would light the lamps (my Mother had two small silver lamps given to her by Amma our grandmother). 

We had a Popat Krishna (Sweet Krishna smilingly holding a parrot to his heart) at the centre of the Pooja shelf in our small study room that was shared by the 3 of us. 

Some of the Pooja items like the Deeparadhana item for Ararti, the small brass bell used during Ararti and a silver Lakshmi coming to me from Amma.
And brass panchpatra-uddharini, Shaligram and Shivalinga ((2)from Dadi my paternal grandma. I recall her taking these items to the Sangam-Thriveni for her annual Gangasnaan and they too had a purificatory bath.

So they have SPECIAL SACRED VIBRATIONS. 

While lighting the Lamp I also recall Bai saying to always take two wicks, never single. To use Til oil and say the special Shloka while lighting the lamp for 'enlightenment' and everything auspicious, good health and also 'over-coming enemies'. 

How naïve I was as a little girl! 

Enemies means the negativity within oneself but I used to interpret it as school friends with whom one had had a tiff! 

Such stark Immaturity! 

Time, experience and age has indeed made me a little wiser.
And one could never blow out the lamp. 

If one had to do so it was done gently with a flower that had been offered in prayer after application of milk on the sides of the vilakku.
Perhaps those reading this may wonder as to why so many rituals. 

Yes. Rituals connect us to those loved ones who taught them to us. 

And more importantly, we become more reflective and think deeply about the rituals. Why do we follow rituals? 

Thinking deeply one réalisés that they do hold weight. 

Rituals give a certain routine to be followed that leads to physican & mental discipline. 

Then once the child gains maturity and control he will evolve and understand the worth of rituaks that can be discarded. 

Rituals are just support systems that are besu in themselves. 

They are like arranging a table when guests are invited for meals. 

We set the table with new plates, shining cutlery, new table cloth and even light candles etc. 

If we can do this for friends why not do it for that ALL - PERVADING POWER ??? 

Of course, it all depends if one has Faith (Vishvas, Bhakti)! 

Lighting a lamp itself is beautiful as it spreads a glow all around and especially lighting up the eyes of our Devis & Devatas in the Pooja. 

Lighting lamps, agarbattis, offering favourite fragrant flowers to the diety, performing neivedyam (Brahmaarpanam) & arati are all part of the rituals of performing Pooja. 

This itself is a form of Meditation.

Lighting the Pooja lamp is something I grew up with. I saw my grandmothers, my mother and Aunt and all family members participating together.

Every Hindu home, however, affluent or poor always dedicates one small corner of their home to the Cosmic Power. 

And it is a beautiful custom. 

The same venerated deities are passed on from generation to generation and even if Bhakti /Vishvas are not the pivotal factors at least it is sentiment for the tradition that is carried on!
For me it reminds me and directly puts me in touch with all the great souls of our family. And their sacred memory gives me strength and courage to tide over little hiccups as well as the stormy events of life!

Just a short memoir of my sacred, childhood memories that I wished to pass on to you children. 

It may be of interest to you.