Ramayana masam -1

 Another Karkidakom has arrived. This is the last month of the Malayalam year. Coming next is Chingam, the harbinger of Onam. Everyone has already started preparations to welcome Chingam, I mean, the textile shops, the television channels and the liquor shops. Karkidakom is considered an inauspicious month. No new beginnings in this month. No functions like marriage or house warming happens in Karkidakom. Monsoon will be at its peak and there will be no work to the general public to do. Income reduces due to this and everyone is forced to confine to their homes. It is the time for going the spiritual way. Every home turns to Ramayanam in the month of Karkidakom. Temples in Keralam organizes Saptaha Yagnams. Bhagavatham is read in the temples by professionals whereas at homes, it is Ramayanam by the family memebrs. One month long spiritual voyage through the Holy book... that was how it was all happening in Keralam long time back.

There will be no customary lamp in front of me this time. More interestingly, there will be no Holy Book in front of me. I have downloaded the Adhyathma Ramayanam Kilippattu on my laptop. Given the circumstances, I excuse myself for the compromises. Reverence is in the mind, not in the symbolisms. Let me find recourse to this self portrayed adage...Every Karkidakom brings in a lot of nostalgia to me. I always feel so anxious to share the sweetness these old memories bring about. I never feel tired of telling the colourful stories about the Ramayana Masam and the Karkidaka vavu

We were more than happy to read Ramayanam at our home when we were very young. On the first day, after returning from our temple after the customary Deeparadhana in the evening, a lamp is lit in front of the images of the Gods and then the Ramayanam starts...On the back drop, the downpour of Karkidakom will be providing the necessary music. The rain comes like a flash. Suddenly dark clouds appear on the western or northern part of the sky and then there will a roaring sound. Rain in all its fury comes down and suddenly stops as it came. To give that extra effect, the water drops from the tiled roof falling into kitchen utensils kept at different spots inside the house did its job so perfectly. It had no rhythm. The strength of the sound varied with the strength of the rain.

Our house, like any other houses in our village has tiled roof. It was constructed by our father long time back. The total cost of construction at that time could be something like a few thousands. Now, with that thousands, we may not get even a load of river sand...Earlier to this house, it was a hut in its place, thatched with coconut leaves. Probably it was a bigger form of a hut. No electricity, no road in the village and no entertainment other than the company of the boys and girls. I have a very faint memory of the kerosene lamp carried by our grandma while she goaded us to the forecourt to answer the nature's call. The floor, I think, was made with mud and smeared with cow dung. Nice to be there, when joy was serving a life term in that hut, and love was our neighbours. We did need no other comforts...

 

" Hari Sree Ganapathaye nama: Avighna Masthu:

Sri Rama! Rama! Rama! SriRama Chandra Jaya!

Sri Rama! Rama! Rama! Sri Rama Bharda Jaya!..."

 

Balakandam has thus bagun. The journey starts. The highly enlightening odyssey had the first step there. Balakandam narrates the story of Raman's birth and the childhood. Perhaps the most nostalgic among all the chapters in Ramayanam. The playful royal kids would have played kuttiyum kolum, kallanum policum and hide and seek under the watchful eyes of hundreds of servants. They would have gone around the places to collect flowers to make “pookkalam" during Onam. The CEO post was already waiting there, so their parents would never have pestered them to study and only study all the time and get A+ in the exams. The royal kids were given lessons in politics, morality and archery. They were taught to treat their parents like Gods, others with respect and compassion and live a life of honesty and integrity. It is worth reading this book once in a year. At the least, it gives an opportunity to refresh our language that we increasingly started ignoring as the time passes.