Saturday, September 13, 2008

Onam 2008


10 comments:

notyet100 said...

sadya looks so yum,..happy ONAM...

Vidhya said...

Happy Onam Ammupatti, I made more kootan, olan and paal payasam today for onam

Srivalli said...

Thanks for the series of all days..everything looks so nice...Happy onam!

Anonymous said...

Peearkay
Onam reminds me of an intersting story when I was a kid.
My father a farmer used to grow bananas near our Paddy field.The workers also grow various vegetables in their houses and sell them in the nearby market to earn extra income.One of my fathers worker was Moideen.
One day my Grand mother asked my father to get some banaana to for 3rd day of Onam.
My father on his usual round to the banana garden found 2 beutiful nendraVazha kulais hanging and growing and thought this can be reserved for Onam for the kids to eat.
On his way back to home after some time he saw Moideen carrying some vegetables and Bananans in his head to the market to sell.
My father thought that since Moideen is his worker he can get a better bargain and asked Moideen the price for banannas.
Moideen replied" Sir what can I tell you. You are feeding me day in and day out.What ever is in this basket is yours only. I cannot ask a price from you. What ever you feel you give me."
My father thought for a while. If he buys from else where he will have to pay some twenty rupees for that basket full of bananas.
So as a fair deal he offered moideen 15 rupees. Again moideen said" Sir I repeat this i can give you free,since everything including me belongs to you".
My father a benevoent employer insisted he should take that Rs 15 or else Moideen's children will suffer but asked him to delver the same at Home.
My grand mother also intially thought it is from our farm house but my father eplained how he got a good bargain from Moideen.My grand mother also agreed it was a fair deal and Moideen should not suffer.
After 3-4 days my father went to the farm again to cut the bananas for Onam and called Moideen to cut and bring the banans from the plant.
But there was no banans. On enquiry it was found that Moideen had stolen the bananas reserved by my father and sold the same thing to my father.
But quick witted moideen pleaded innocence saying"Sir I told you that day itself ,everything is yours and you should not pay anything to me".
Everybody including my father had a hearty laugh.No action was taken against Moideen since this was not considered a serious offence since on those days our farm workers were considered as a apart of the family.
I narrated this story to my children yesterday night while having our dinner(we had onam dinner since it was a working day)and they all including my mother had a good laugh. i hope my father who ight bewatching us from heaven also laughed.

Anonymous said...

Peearkay said
Onam reminds me of an old story.
My father was farmer and used to grow Bananas near our paddy field 3 km away from our house.His workers also grew various vegetables at their houses and sell them in the nearby market for extra income.One of the worker was Moideen
On the third day of Onam my Grandma asked my father to bring some bananas to be boiled for dinner.
My father went around the banana plantation and found 2 fully grown up bananas Kulai .Then he decided that they will be ready for Onam and hence decided to buy from else where the days purpose.
In the afternoon he was going to the market but midway found Moideen carrying some vegetables and bananas to the market.He asked"Moideen,what are you carrying"
Moideen"2 kulais of bananas and some brinjals"
Father 'What price "
Moideen" What shall I say Tahampuran(sir).How can I give quote to you. Everything is yours. You order,if will do it"
father thought for a minute. This will cost atleast rs 20 at the market.
"Okay okay,dont talk much I will give you Rs 15'
Moideen'-Again let me tell you sir everything is yours,what ever you want you give me".
Father" No you should get a fair deal since you have to feed your kids.Go deliver this to the grand mother"

My grand mother was pleased to see the good bananas and also gave moideen some nastha panee.and asked if this is from our own farm
My father explained how he got a fair deal fromMoideen. My grand mother agreed we should be fair to our workers.


On the uhtradam day my father decided it is the right time to cut the bananas and asked his head worker Chamiyar to cut and bring them. Chamiyar came back with a grim face and told There were no bananas and they were stolen(which was common thing).
My father was a short tempered man was very furious and ordered an enqiury.It was found that Moideen had actually stolen the bananas and had sold them same thing to my father.
But moideen pleaded innocence saying"Thampra...... I told you that day itself everything is yours and dont pay me anything'
My father laughed aloud and pardoned Moideen since on those days our workers were considered as part of family.
But he reminded them that it was our fate that we should enjoy the fruit of labour that is why it came back to us even though it was stolen(a positive thinking?)
Yesterday when we were having our Onam dinner (we had dinner since it was a working day) I told this story to my children and every body including my mother had a hearty laugh. My father who might be watching from heaven might have laughed too........

SK said...

happy onam ammupatti.

We made sambhar, avial, rasam, kichadi, pachadi ,thoran, ada pradhaman and pappadams for onam sadhyai. Happy Onam to all!

Anonymous said...

WE ARE NOW IN THE US WITH KUMAR AND FLY AT MEMPHIS AND THEN AND NOW IN CHARLOTTE WITH VIDYA AND FLY. VENKY WAS IN THE FLORIDA AND PRANAY IN THE SCHOOL SO WE HAD LIMITED ONAM ON FRIDAY. BUT WE HAD THE POOKKALAM BY VIDYA TO THE DIRECTIONS OF RAJAM WITH FLOWERS COLLECTED FROM THE BACK YARD. THEN WE HAD THE PROGRAM RUN ON U TUBE OF VALLAM KALI AND THRITUVATHIRA KALI. DEEKSHA AND PRANAY LOVED THEM AND HAD GREAT FUN. PRANAY MADE A COMAPRATIVE STUDY OF THIRUVATHIRA KALI AND BELLY DANCE WHILE DEEKSHA MADE AN ATTEMPT TO MIMICRY THE THRIUVATHIRA KALI.
ON MONDAY EVENING AS VENKY IS BACK FROM FLORIDA WE HAD THE ONA SADYA. WITH ATAI PRADHAMAN AND THE AVIYAL; ETC ETC.
SO WE HAD A GREAT ONAM . THANKS TO AMMU PATTY FRO BRINGING THE POOKKALAM AND THE RELATED STORIES TO US .
PRANAY WAS NARRATED THE STORY OF BALI AND HE HAD MANY DOUBTS . IS BALI STILL LIVE HOW HE WAS KILLED HOW IS COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YAER.
WE USED TO HAVE AT VECHOOR NEAR VAIKOM THE ONMA IN GREAT SHOWS. THE POOKKALAM USED TO INCREASE IN SIZE BY A LAYER OF CIRCLE EVERY DAY TILL THIRUVONAM WHEN THE TENTH CIRCLE WILL BE ADDED WITH VAZHAPINDY OF 3 FT ERECTED ON THE CENTER FOR DECORTATING WITH AMBAL POOVULA AROUND THE PINDI . THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THE PREVIOUS DAY NICHT SO THAT WE ARE FREE FOR THE THANKAI ELAI ADAI AND VADAIS THE ONAM DAY MORNING . CHITHAPPAS USED TO DO THE POOJA TO THE BALI. THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE YAJGA SISTASANA BHUJA.
ON THE SEVENTH DAY BEING MOOLAM WE WOULD HAVE THE POOKKALAM ON TRIANGLES BACK TO BACK WITH A CIRLCE OF POOVUKAL AROUND .
SO ONE MORE ONAM IS OVER NOW WE WILL WAIT FOR THE BEST ONAM WHNE WE WILL HAVE MORE STORIES FROM AMMUPATTY.
SIVAMONI

Ammupatti said...

Hi Peearkay

Nice story there. I have not heard of it before. May be I will post in "Kathai Kathayam Karanamam".

Ammupatti said...

Hi Sivamoni

Glad to learn that you had a grand Onam so far away from home. I think the spirit of Onam lingers with the Keralites wherever they are. We also celebrated Onam in the US in 2005 complete with Pookalam and a big get together.

Happy holidays.

Jen Kumar said...

The use of leaves is brilliant. The contrast is so pleasing.