Endearing lyrics

Ganesha banda...

It was a festive weekend back home and to say the most obvious, I was not part of it. Yawnnn...

Luckily, I did not have to work as was planned but for some irregular mail-checks/lookups in my office laptop. It wass a feeling with excitement and sadness when I talk to folks back home on a festival day. Elation of being part of the festive mood for few moments on the OFC cable and sadness of missing out yet again :(. Especially, when it comes to Ganesha Chathurthi as it marks the dawn of long string of festivities for the next 3-4 months of indian winter.

One thing I fondly remember of Ganesha Chathurthi (away from gulping loads of eateries), is the "Ganesha-seeing" ritual performed by the kids. For the unknown, it is a fun-activity where kids form up a gang and go knocking on the doors of homes asking for "Ganesha ittiddira?" (Have you bought the Ganesha idol?). If you get a positive response, you would just barge into the home and put some "akshatae kaalu" ( grains immersed in liquidish turmeric powder and kumkum) and pray for the goods. Again for the unknowns, on the day of Ganesha Chathurthi, household get an idol of colorful Lord Ganesha to worship, pray and then perform the systematic ritual of Visarjan (immerse the GOD in waters). More details of which is here.

Back to "Ganesha-seeing" ritual!! As a kid, I remember being part of it for three or utmost 4 years. But it was ultimate fun to barge into unknown homes and shout - Ganapati bappa moraya. Number of Ganesha varied from 11 to 21 to 108. Many a times we would wake the sleeping lot who would have embraced the sleep-GODs after their sumptuous festive lunch. Add to that, many household would have cooked some sweets/savouries for the impromptu kids gang. All and all it was a fun filled holiday as parents/elders never said NO for such an activity. In those days, internet and cable television had just started spreading its tentacles and for a kid, being away from home with friends sounded pleasant than being engulfed within the four walls. More so when you have the liberty of roaming anywhere and everywhere in the name of being blessed by the GOD :-). No wonder kids loved Lord Ganesha.

Do I want todo that again? Even if I were to I dont think any sane-minded people would allow me inside their home. Just imagine the scene where an unknown 6 footer asks a female sitting in her living room - "Ganesha ittidira?". I will let you imagine the consequences of such an act :-)

I am not sure if later(current) generation of kids are keen todo that anymore and if they were to, does the current environment/surrond provide a breeding ground for such an act? Not sure. But truly , if you are not going through this in your early childhood years, you are missing some fun.

Just another weekend passed by with nothing notable worth mentioning. Ok folks got to run and have a great week ahead :-)

Bengalooru ??

Over the few months, it has been a roller-coaster ride with lot many things going back of the mind, at work and everywhere else. Many times felt the need to pen those thoughts but never found time todo so and had literally forgotten that I nurtured a blog few years ago.

Browsing through my iphone enroute to work, I was reading this blog material citing a column from Outlook 2006 cover edition. It read “Why Bangalore hates IT culture?” where the pakka bengaloorean CNR Rao expressed his on why a pakka bengaloorean hates IT culture.

It was quite interesting to read through and raked up more questions at the top of my tall frame. Not sure if I can call myself pakka bengaloorean although fed and bought up completely in Bengalooru. But, I was born in mangalore and spent my valuable engineering days away from then Bangalore (which I feel was so unfortunate). And top it all now I am an IT professional with emotional roots laid in bengalooru while all my professional roots seems broken away.

Having worked abroad for nearly 5 years now, I always wanted to settle down in Bengalooru (mortal can only plan while they cannot control it). If I were to go back to bengalooru now, would I feel the same frustration although in the back of my mind I know what bengalooru was? May be or may not. One thing is certain, few years down the lane I want my kids to be a proud bengaloorean.

One thing for sure I want bengalooru not to lose its true cultural essence (may be it has lost it already) but yet provide a thriving place for IT professionals like me. Because, I love bengalooru.