Kula Deivam and the Act of Returning

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Kunnathur, rebuilt — familiar, and not. When I was growing up, I spent most summers with my grandparents and extended family. My maternal side was based in Pudukkottai, my paternal side in Gobichettipalayam—Gobi, for short—in Tamil Nadu. Like most families, ours has since scattered, pulled toward larger cities and better livelihoods. The structure is new. The pull is old. Back then, our visits were unremarkable in the best way. We stayed home. Visitors came and went through the day. When we were in Gobi, there was one outing we never missed: a visit to our kula deivam at Kunnathur, about twenty-five kilometers away. We would pile into a van or a bus, pack food, and set out like an informal family pilgrimage—grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, all together. My paati would make sweet pongal and offer it to Goddess Angala Parameswari, an avatar of Parvati. There were no restaurant...
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Today!

In deep retrospection or rather introspection, I had a flurry of thoughts hitting me. This was just the right time to translate my thoughts to words!


It was the time of kings,
When there weren't many a thing,
A life full of joy and peace,
Every reason to feel at ease!

Today, the days of democracy,
Where life is getting crazy,
Many a people in the race,
To run the country through a maze!

In the darbar, subjects and ministers,
Many a talks, but none sinister,
A clear solution fell in place,
There was a feeling of solace!

Today, a mess of all sorts,
Leading a life full of torts,
Everyone fighting for fame,
But none to share the blame!

Those were the days,
When law had its say,
Morals and values formed the core,
People followed it without a sore!

Today, people have no time,
Anything other than a dime is a crime,
Morals and values today a sore,
Dime, dime and dime form the core!

True values have lost its meaning,
It is upto us to relive the feelings,
Of honesty, trust and mutual respect
Before it is wiped out; the last speck;

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2005 at 9:51 PM

    good one...but i like the dimes:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 9, 2005 at 12:45 AM

    Nice one ! food for thought...

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 9, 2005 at 8:31 AM

    Good one :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 11, 2005 at 12:45 AM

    had not read any of your poems before. u are pretty good at this man! and it was certainly an interesting poem.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 14, 2005 at 8:02 AM

    "Those were the days..." - hello?! aint u just 23 out in the big bad world for the first time? :P

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2009 at 1:38 AM

    Good one and really creative one

    ReplyDelete

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