2 weeks ago , I had to travel to another part of Bangalore, to visit a relative..Kids and husband backed off saying that it would bore them. So I abandoned the plans of driving, and stood in the bus stop. Hopped on to a volvo. It felt like heaven, ac, kannada music, kannada news paper, I felt so so good. I almost felt, I was in a plane, and air hostess would serve me coffee and breakfast anytime. But realized its not.
I leave in new Bangalore, basically where there are more and more apartments, less people talking kannada, and surrounded by huge IT companies. Early saturday mornings, the roads will be empty and deserted.
Whereas when I reached old Bangalore, I saw aunties in nighties having brooms in their hands, washing in front of house. Uncles wearing panche , reading news paper and yawning.
Parks filled, with old thathas , laughing in laughter clubs. Jasmine,and vegetable sellers selling their wares.I was reminded of my childhood, when thataha would go for walks, in the morning and embarrass us, by plucking flowers from neighbors, ajji would make us wash in front of our house and stand there , until we finished, for supervision. Appa would sip coffee watching the commotion un perturbed glancing occasionally from the newspaper .And we would sleepily just sweep and pour buckets of water .
My kulli will never know, all of this, since we stay in apartments, housekeeping staff does all the sweeping, and I just wipe in front of the house on festivals only.No pouring water, since no water outlet. This ayud pooja also, teh car wash guy cleaned cars and kulli showed no interest in washing cycle. Whereas till I got married we would line car, scooter, 2 cycles in front of garage and pour buckets of water on all of them and wipe them dry.
I am just 30, and i already feel my childhood was long time ago and those golden days were far behind. Tell me does this happen to you also?
I leave in new Bangalore, basically where there are more and more apartments, less people talking kannada, and surrounded by huge IT companies. Early saturday mornings, the roads will be empty and deserted.
Whereas when I reached old Bangalore, I saw aunties in nighties having brooms in their hands, washing in front of house. Uncles wearing panche , reading news paper and yawning.
Parks filled, with old thathas , laughing in laughter clubs. Jasmine,and vegetable sellers selling their wares.I was reminded of my childhood, when thataha would go for walks, in the morning and embarrass us, by plucking flowers from neighbors, ajji would make us wash in front of our house and stand there , until we finished, for supervision. Appa would sip coffee watching the commotion un perturbed glancing occasionally from the newspaper .And we would sleepily just sweep and pour buckets of water .
My kulli will never know, all of this, since we stay in apartments, housekeeping staff does all the sweeping, and I just wipe in front of the house on festivals only.No pouring water, since no water outlet. This ayud pooja also, teh car wash guy cleaned cars and kulli showed no interest in washing cycle. Whereas till I got married we would line car, scooter, 2 cycles in front of garage and pour buckets of water on all of them and wipe them dry.
I am just 30, and i already feel my childhood was long time ago and those golden days were far behind. Tell me does this happen to you also?
True, S! We're losing out on our culture... though i crib most of the times when my family expects me to follow age old tradition, i later realize that without it, we'll forget our culture....
ReplyDeleteAnd i'm glad i live in South Bangalore and with inlaws, where every morning bagilu toleebeku, rangoli hakbeku, ella habba madbeku, and so on... almost the things i grew up doing...
@Sum, You are lucky sum, we stay next to our work places, hence miss out on many things. But I guess nothing in life is free.
ReplyDeleteDonno musica, a few rituals that I like I have been able to retain, others have faded away. Since I too live with inlaw and very close to parents, dont feel the pinch, I guess :)
ReplyDelete