as Thanjavur in South India,
He lived six or seven miles from the Railway Station.
He used to play with the boys many games on the road, They played football.throw-ball, hit ball. They also played marbles,sometimes when the marble was broken there were tears
in the eyes of the loser,sometime wept and sometimes crying.
The loser has to push the marble till he reaches the game spot and his knuckles
would have scratches and at home he applied the turmeric paste.
. Next day,he was ready for the game again. They played with the cycle rim and the stick and would drive the rim
with the stick running along with that. There was competition and there was no jealousy or fight.
They also played with the stick and the bail and the ditch in the road.
He would hit the bail. The opponent had to catch or bring it near the hole. Then the play would start again.May be, The boy thinks now that was the forerunner
for the cricket of date. They also played with the tops.One boy,who lost would keep his top
in the middle and the other boys would hit at his top and sometimes break it.
Then they had a nice scene there.The next day the same boy
would come with another top to play again.There was no bitterness among them. They had the sportive spirit..If any boy got hurt, all the other boys would pacify him and give whatever help they could Some of those boys, when they meet even now are very happy to have
the exchange of welfare of their families and the stories. . Girls used to played different games like Sillu or Paandi. PALLANGULI AND 6 0R 8 STONES.
. A game of jumping from one block to another. Another game was with the bamboo sticks. It would have a hook
at the end. The loser’s stick would be thrown away with the hook in the other stick.
The loser had to go there where the stick was there and bring it back. The boys also played Kabbaddi.
Now an Olympic game.
Finding which team was stronger and valiant and have more vigour and presence of mind.
SCENE - The game would come to an abrupt end ,if a corpse was taken on that road
and the flowers were showered on the dead body and on the road,
In some house,if a person left this world, there would be huge hue and cry. You could see people coming from a two miles afar crying and weeping
along with the drums beating.. Some time they were all hired and would come there
for 4 idlis and one coffee and for some little money and a meal after the corpse
had been taken away from there.
When Pandals or shamiana or tent was put in front of
anybody’s house that meant some auspicious function or the other way round. If the drums were beaten that meant someone left forgetting his breath.
If the Nadaswaram was played, that meant some good auspicious functi. The whole residents would enjoy a get together.
SCENE -3 In front of the house there was road, At the left hand corner there was a beautiful “Magila Maram:”
The flowers were very very tiny and had a good smell. Between the tree and another house there was a lane.
The boy went into the lane which lead to another big garden only once or twice.
. He used to sit on the walls of his garden and watch.
The lane was normally very empty.
. On that lane and in the house nearby he had friends with whom he played games.
. He still remembers those days when Goddess Draupathi would
come there in procession and would never leave that corner until a lemon or two was cut and thrown,’. The man who wore the attire,the boy even now wonders how such a
heavy attire was carried by him Sometimes when there was fear of Cholera,
Goddess Vadabadra Kali would come and drink turmeric water
nearly 4 full vessels and also eat plenty of neem leaves.
. This also is still a wonder for the boy.
On Sivarathri day, a man with a bull well-decorated
would come with beating the drum and would leave the house
getting some old clothes and rice and change.
SCENE.=4
The boy who slept on the Thinnai was all the time afraid
of Kali might come in the middle of the night on the road.
In the month of January. All the roads near about Rahu Kala Kali
or Vadabhadra Kali were decorated and everywhere
the hangings made from the tender leaves of coconut were
put in a special fashion.It was a very nice sight.
There the Goddess would have Abhishekam and dressed
in different attire everyday and was blessing all those who came to her temple.
. The drum beatings made even the non-music lover to dance.
Some devotees carried milk in a closed vessel. paal. Kudam
the kudam was also covered with flowers.
There was a municipality thick pipe of 2” which supplied
drinking water to the locality. There was always a bickering,quarrel and fighting for
who had to take first, The fight and quarrel would lead
for the husbands to join because of the slangs and untoward words used by the ladies.. The boy was watching along with other boys
and learnt many a slang by heart.
SCENE-5
He used to study in the Kalyana Sundaram High school.
He had to walk all the way to the school.
He went from Marakkadai, then Keela vasal
and vellai Pillayar temple and then touching
the East Main street (keela veedhi) then come
to Aranmanai gate the
front one and the middle one,then through the vegetable market
and then through the kadai veedhi( the road full of all kinds of shops on both sides)
. And he still remembers the Jain stationery shop where
he bought his school stationery.
Then crossing one
Lord Narasimha temple and finally reaching the school.
The school was very big. It had a big hall.and nice stage to play dramas.
The boy even now remembers the Krishna role played
by his elder brother with a red shawl on him and asking Karna
to give as donation his Pun Sri .Venkatrama Iyer was taking for class 3rd
and then Rama Iyer and Laxman iyer the twins took 4.5 and 6 th standards
.SCENE-6.
In 3 rd std, he had a friend in the name of G. Ramachandran,
who introduced the Heramba temple of Ganesh behind the then
Meenakshi talkies( cinema theatre)
WE used to see movies in Meenakshi theatre when Mr.Nagaraj was the manager.
Mr. Nagaraj retired as a teacher and joined the Meenakshi theatre. The theatre was very near North Main Street.
SCENE.7
In that street at the end of the street,there was a house where
Prince’s relatives and their families lived.when the family went
the cart was covered with white cloth on both front side and back side.
This was the custom followed by some Muslim families too. There are 4 main streets East main street,
North Main street, West main street and south main street, West main street was called Mela veedhi.
These streets were very lucky,They had seen
Muthu pallakku the chariots more than 8 or 9 coming from
different parts of the city and from evening 6 p.m.
to next morning till 8.a.m. they were running on the 4 roads.
. That sight was a rare one. All the leading
Nadaswara vidwans played and it was very nice and pleasing to the ears.
There was a sadhir aattam in the big temple.The dancer went
on the top of the ladder nearly 100 feet and from there she danced
the special round with a thick wood in the middle.
she would tie herself there and danced. It was there
in the left hand corner of the temple entrance.
SCENE.8
In the early mornings all devotees took bath applied
the religious signs on their foreheads and went inside
the big temple to pray after worshipping the Ganesh
idol on the bank of the river.
People of those days told each one that there was a ghost
called “Mohini” in front of the Big temple so people
avoided to go on that road in the night alone.
. One could hear
Reserve police bugle sound from there in the morning.
. This road is behind the Govt. Eye hospital. You can see now
the statue of the king Raja Raja Cholan there in the corner.
. The road in front of the statue was leading
to the clock tower,where the clock was showing the right time
on all the 4 sides of the red tower.
. The boy had gone on the tower with the help of his family.and. friends.,and neighbours.
Now it is in a dilapidated condition.
SCENE-9
. Opposite to that was Mangalambika Lodge & restaurant.. You could have nice dishes .
It is a hearsay that one noted famous singer husband KITAPPA
of Mrs.KB Sundarambal lived there on the top of the hotel.
That road led to Gnanam theatre and Jupiter theatre.
. opposite to clock tower was the Ramanathan. Chettiar Hall
where dramas were conducted. In Gnanam talkies this boy saw Naam Iruwar on the chariot’ s run day at one a.m.
Jupiter theatre he saw Badi Baden, Chakra Dari, Ratna Kumar’s,
Kalwanin kadhal After his marriage he saw Mana ppandhal with the whole
of his family in the same Jupiter theatre,
During interval, they used to drink soda colour soft drinks.
There was something special with the bottle. In Gnanam theatre the boy also Aayeeram Thalai waangee Apoorva Chinthamani.
On one fine day he attended the free concert given by
the famous Mrs..K.B.Sundarambal.it was really grand.
There was no mike arrangement.
.Her voice could be heard even in the last bench near the theatre room.
A marble was in the neck of the bottle.a wooden cork
was used to hit the marble down. Then he could have drink.
you have to use a special knack to drink from that bottle.
Scene.10
We used to walk through the lanes from another side,
called Dasthamaal lane and reach the school K.H.School through the lanes in a short cut.
. We enjoyed our studies in that school. (KALYANA SUNDARAM HIGH SCHOOL.)
The school had a big very vast playground.
We used to play football,volley ball and hitting the rubber ball
on the tall wall behind the building where Arabic was taught.
There was a big banyan tree.with lot of shade.
We used to take rest there and sometimes taste
the small red tiny fruits like figs.
Scene.11
The boy just now remembers the story.
A pedestrian was walking through a garden. He saw the pumpkin plant
with one or two pumpkins on the ground clinging to the plant.
He thought for himself and said God is not clever.
That the big fruit must on the high place.
Then he was tired,He
came and rested under the banyan tree.
When he was half asleep, a tiny fruit fell on his forehead.
Then he felt sorry and was wondering the creation of God.
What would have happened if he got a hit from the pumpkin from up.
Scene.11
The boy with his brother used to have lunch there.
A cow used to come to participate in the lunch. In the evenings they all went through the same lanes
and reached home to play games on the road with their friends. Then he came back,washed and had dinner and then slept.
SCENE.12
At that time there was no radio,.Only the His Master’s voice
grama -phone played the 78 rpm records.
The boy used to go to the house of Sri. RADHA KRISHNA Iyer, where this grama-phone
was there to listen to the songs.
The song Bruhi mukundh dhethi he learnt from the record.
And also Nee irangayanil, Boomiyil manida janmam/
SCENE-12
. Near their house , on the left was an open space
where folk dance was going on.
Some days dramas. One of the drama was Prahaladha,
son of Demon Hiranya kasibhu.
When the father hit the pillar Lord Narasimha.
The actor came,the actor Hiranya Kasibhu ran away from the stage.
They put a big tree of banana and it was torn into pieces by Lord
Narasimha actor ,the actor Hiranya kasibu was nowhere to be seen.
That place where the folklore dramas were conducted
was later bought by a gentleman for running a saloon.
Even now the boy remembers this incident.
. There is even now a municipal hospital.
The boy was a daily visitor to that hospital to have a mixture in pink colour.
The compounder was very kind. He knew what the boy wanted.
As soon as he saw the boy entering,he used to fill the ounce glass
and give it to the boy. The boy would give a smile in return and went away.
There was a water tub ,where the drinking water would be filled for the hospital.
Then he would come back home.
Especially at the lunch time.
. In the dining hall, not less than 16 people would sit and had lunch.
The boy would sit with all and had lunch.
Next he would sit with his mother and aunts and again had lunch.
Next if anybody else sat, with them also he gave company.
Then he would run away to,the garden in front of the house
to run,walk and enjoy the company of the trees,plants,
near the wells,and where compost was made.
. He would wait for the toddy brought in by the toddy drawers
to taste by putting his hands and licking without the knowledge of any one.
He went near the buffaloes and sometimes would milk
them straight and drink their milk there only.
He would take the cows for drinking the water so too the buffaloes.
Sometimes the buffaloes used to keep,their hoofs
on his foot and it pained him too much. Still he did not
feel sorry or hated those buffaloes or their calves,
The cow used to drink from the top layer
but the buffaloes would dip,their heads till the eyes
to have a nice eat from the bottom.why?
The remnants of the food and all were put in those two big tubs.
. One cow used to come into the house to have a banana
from the hands of the boy’s aunt in the mornings.
Now about the front Garden.There were two Gardners
to take care of the garden.
They both lived in thatched houses.
This boy used to visit them at any time.
. Both the families liked this boy very much.
He used to join them in their breakfast too
and enjoyed the food and their kind company.
. At the left of the entrance gate there
was the shed for cows and buffaloes.
. On the right were two Sapota trees and
after that a few yards away was a very well.
. It’s water was used only when necessary.
Behind that well was the pit a big one for the manufacture of compost manure.
This manure was only used in the whole garden for all plants,.
. Next to that was a very big Neem tree,
with many branches.All the time you can see
under it the flowers and the fruits.
Many birds built nests on that tree.
. There was a snake hole. A big long cobra lived in it.
It used to crawl all over the big garden in search of its prey.
It never harmed any one.
. The servants built a small temple there.
. On some days they used to offer prayers and
take Prasad the offerings to the Gods.
. This boy was present many a time to,partake
in the prayers and mainly for enjoying the Prasad offerings.
. If you go on the right,there was a big broad footpath ,
you could walk and see both sides many plants and trees,creepers etc.,
. Each had its own shape of bark,leaves,colour and fruits and flowers.
If you go from there straight you can reach the big well,
with electric motor, pipes very big long ones with
the valves in the bottom of the well .
There was a big oblong tub, where the water was filled to the brim
and then the valve was opened.
. The water gushed from there in good speed
going through the paths to all the fields or areas where
the plants some of them giving out a few small leaves,
some already grown and some were ready for harvest.
. Near the tub where water was flowing out there
were two or three banana trees with fruits hanging
slantingly,some already ripened and were ready
to be consumed,the boy ate one or two from them.
. Once the boy went to the river near by with the servant
and two cows and a calf.
The boy was very happy in accompanying him,It was fun for him.
. When he went to the river,the calf also got down
in the river and was swimming.
The boy was tightly catching the rope and
was also drawn by the calf. . People shouted and the servant swam and
brought the boy and the calf to the bank of the river.
Thus he saved the boy’s and the calf’s life.
. When he came home, he told the incident.
. The boy’s grand father heard that
and from that day on wards no boy was allowed to go to the river.
There were given the choice of taking bath in the tub.
It was very enjoyable one.
On one day, he and his brother took bath in the tub.
. There was green algae on the bottom of the tub.
When he wanted to touch and play with
his younger brother he slipped and fell in the tub.
. He got hurt and there was a big hit on his chin.
. . The blood was oozing.
.He left the tub and ran to the nearest hospital
where one doctor, Panikker stitched just like that
and put a bandage over that.
. It took seven days to get healed..
It healed.
Then the boy was back again in tub and played in the tub again.
That was a pleasure and past time for him
and all youngsters.
The garden was a paradise.
On one day, as usual,he climbed the coconut tree
and was sitting on a dry leaf and cutting the green leaf.
Someone saw that one and complained at home.
When he came back home,with scratches on his shirt,
blood in small quantities oozing, which was covered
by mud below the coconut tree.
171. His grandfather told the boy’s mother
not to give any food for three days.
172. That was the punishment he got.but his mother
gave him food stealthily because she was his mother.
173. One day, when the gardener was busy,
he took the spade and wanted to change the course
of flowing water,he hit the spade so hard .
174. It fell on his big toe and blood came out.
175. He ran to the nearby hospital and got his wound dressed.
176. When he came home, his mother asked him about that.
177. He simply told he got a small cut from the spade.
178. On another day, when he was doing the same thing,
the gardener came from behind and gave him
a nice beating on his back.
179. That was nothing for him
because he knew how to bear the pain of any hit.
180. When he was too young, he saw the snake on the Ananas
/ pine apple plant, he used to throw small stones at that.
181. When it gave a hissing sound, he was very happy.
182. Playing in the tub water, climbing the tree,
playing in the garden with the spade, playing with the cows
and buffaloes was his past time.
183. On Muthu pallakku day, there were 7 cars/ chariots and
they went fro North Main Street, to West Main Street,
then from there to South main Street then go all
the way to East Main Street and dispersed.
184. The chariots would start in the evening, all the instrumentalists
,Like Nadaswaram, Thavil, And folk dancers,
karaka attam,puli vesham,Bharat Natham
and many more colourful items with all decorations
were seen and witnessed by the boy,it would be
at the dawn reach the south Main Street end and bid farewell to the chariots.
185. At the same time there were many shows in the cinema theatres.
186. The boy went for one a.m show of Naam Iruvar movie
in Gnanam theatre.
187. Now in that place there is a beautiful hotel called Gnanam Tower.
188. At the end of his road on the south from his house,
there was a Agraharam the
abode of Brahmins.but there were only two Brahmin families there
189. One was occupied by a Christian family
and others from different castes.
190. This boy was supposed to be a Brahmin boy,
but he was not bound by any of the rules followed by them.
191. He used to visit gardener’s house and had their nice food
with them.palayadhu and sutra vaccha kulambu And elumichanga pickles.
192. In another house, Idlis with sambar.
193. On one day when there was a marriage function
,in one of the houses,he went and sat with the bridegroom
and called the bride in her name Kalyani put for him two more Idlis,
194. All were looking at him and he did not care.
195. Kalyani came and put for him the Idlis and sweets too.
196. When he joined the school where he got the ruler hits
by the head master for taking away two pieces of chalk,
.He saw a big fig tree with many fruits and under
it a swine feeding her ten babies.
197. It was fun.He took the fruits lying at the other end
and enjoyed eating.
198. On his way to school, he saw some middle aged
women selling dosas nice ones with tomato thin chutney,
his mouth was watering.
199. One day he could not resist the temptation
and had the dosas with tomato chutney,the thin one.
200. From there near Vellai Pillayar temple
he had to cross the beggars Manda Pam ,a place
where there were many beggars.
201. Near that was the place, where the cows or animals
were held in bondage.
202. The owner had to come and pay the fine and take them home.
203. On the left of the temple there was a tank full of green algae.
204. He had to cross the palace arches twice on the East Main Street.
205. One day his mother gave him eight Anna s that is
two 4 Anna’s to bring vegetables.
206. The boy saw some gamblers. He was having a bag of coins,
207. He was telling if he played with 4 Anna s he would get 8 Anna s.
208. The boy was tempted to,play. He played and lost all 8 Annas .
209. He went home told lies to his mother he lost the Anna s on the road,
210. But the next day he could not cheat his mother.
211. He told the truth and she did not scold him.
212. She told him to be more careful and not to get tempted
for extra money in the wrong way.
213. Some days she sent him to the market to buy vegetables.
214. He took two big bags.Both the bags were full
and all they cost only Rs.5/-
215. He found it very difficult to carry.
216. He went to the market to buy account Vellam jaggery .
He asked mom to give him one piece as coolie because he likes sweets.
217. On the way to school,he used to buy a framing shop.
218. He was wondering to see the three Gods in one frame.
219. He waited there for some time,walked here and there to watch that photo.
220. There were some Nattu marundhu kadai.
homogeneous medicines shop.
221. Special smell used to come from there.
222. Near the school some old ladies sold kamar kattu,
thaengaa mittai.maanga Pinju And ilandhai. Palam.
Till now ,
223. The boy remembers even now the concert
by the great unique songstress K.B. Sundarambal.
224. He saw when he was young three or four movies.one.
Aayeeram Thalai Varangi. Abborva Chinthamani.
They showed the heads cut off upto. Ten numbers then only
the numbers from eleven till 999 in card board in the movie.
The boy learnt again the counting upto 999.
225. Mangamma sabhdham ,Apoorva sahodharargal,
Mandri Kumari, Ratna Kumar’s, Mana Pan dhal.
Kalavan kadhali,velar kkari. Bad I ba hen in Hindi
Chakra dhari,Citadel Gnanam soundhari,.There were Gnanam talkies,
Jupiter cinema then came Meena talkies the last came
226. Parisuddham talkies.
227. Sri valli
228. Near the Then new bus stand which was brought from near railway station.
229. There were two big drama stages one was
Ramanathan chettiar hall and one near in the west Main Street.
230. The boy left with his father,mother and brothers
went to live in a village called Manoji Patti on the way to Vallam.
231. Their house was on the other bank of the river
Pudhu aaroo.kallanai kalwayi.
232. The bridge was very narrow and only two persons can walk together.
233. The bricks to construct their house were taken
as a head load by a single person at one time.
234. One load of bricks to be on the other side would take one day.
235. Somehow a beautiful house,with a thatched roof in front,
with a pure water spring well was in front of the house
supplying water to the few houses on that street.
236. There was a beautiful big swing,on which everyone
sat and enjoyed the swings.,with a nice gentle breeze touching their bodies,
237. It cannot be described it had.has to be experienced and felt.
238. The kitchen was at the end of the hall.All the family sat
in the kitchen and had their meal.
239. The boy used to go at the back of the house to,play in the garden.
240. He used to throw stones at the nest of the eagle on the tree.
241. The mother eagle noted this and came and
scratched his head with its claws and the boy learnt a lesson.
242. There was mud well behind.The boy sowed some seeds of paddy.
243. The rice plants grew from there and it gave him
immense happiness in seeing the green shoots.
244. There were rose plants and other flower plants
and vegetable plants including the long green chillies,
245. He was very very happy,he did not miss his dear plants.
246. The villagers liked him very much.
247. They called him to first plough the field for the first time
to sow the seeds of groundnut.
248. The plants grew and gave many groundnuts.
249. When he pulled the plants he got in the roots many groundnuts.
250. Once he saw a wooden bundle in the garden.
251. And in that bundle there was a snake called saaara paambu.
252. It had yellow belly and the whole bottom portion was also yellow.
253. The villager told him that there was nothing to worry.
254. It was a non-poisonous snake.
255. They all used wood,twigs,blogs for cooking.
256. Coal and wood were only the fuel for cooking and
for making hot water for bath,
257. Wood was mostly used. The falling from the trees were collected
and used and the trees were not cut.
258. The wood from the grown trees were used
for making beams in the houses and for making a tent
for the functions and festivals only.
259. Later on the hotels,restaurants ,marriage halls used these sawukku kattais.
260. There were and are still,shops selling these wooden blogs and pieces,
261. The house was very cool in summer and the gentle breeze
made the boy feel as if he was in an air-conditioned room.
262. The fresh air blowing,the sound of the river flowing,
the smell of the raindrops falling on the dry ground
are all to be experienced and enjoyed.
263. Some one put a fresh fish-lings from the fresh water river
and they grew to be big.
264. When the boy pulled the bucket filled with
water from the well,one or two would come and the boy threw them back in the water.
265. They had two dogs in their house.
266. One was Brownie and the other was Lilly.
267. Both were very very lovable ,affectionate ones.
268. The Brownie used to stand near the boy,when he was drawing
water from the well.
269. The boy once by mistake dropped the fish.
270. Brownie ate that one and from that time on whenever
the boy came to draw water he would accompany
him for he had the nice taste.
271. When the boy returned from the school in the evening
,the bullock cart had to cross a stream full of white coloured
pure water flowing from the Mariamman temple,both the dogs,
somehow or other heard and came galloping towards the cart
and jumped in the cart and started licking all the children’s faces though they avoided that.
272. They would give company to the children home.
273. The children had to cross the narrow bridge over the river.
274. One fine day, the river was in spate and that was the day the flood gates were opened.
275. Brownie never knew this.
276. He was very fond of fresh fish.
277. We searched for him every where.
278. We could not find him anywhere,
279. One of the villagers informed their mother that he saw
Brownie was taken away by the floods.
280. The whole family missed Brownie too much,especially the boy.
281. It was a nice peaceful life in that village,
282. on Some-days,the boys walked all the way on the bank
of the river and found ways to reach the school by walk.
283. It was very pleasant.
284. Some days they walked back from their school
through the main bus route leading to Vallam and
on the way they tasted the tender tamarind and
they brought with them the grams.
285. On the way they entered a Pandhidhar thottam
garden and tasted the fresh mangoes,
286. They never felt so tired for they were
playing on those roads. 287. Watching the bullock carts go by,
sometimes running behind those carts, sometimes by chance
having a ride on those carts.
288. There were many cashew trees on both sides of the road.
289. If they could find some ripened cashew they tasted that also.
290. In some places they saw Chappathi Kali and other kalli plants.
291. Both of them had very tiny leaves and plenty of thorns.
292. The red fruit attracted them but they were afraid
to go near the plant and have the fruit.
293. This young old man passed through the village Manoji Patti
crossing Vallam Road on the way to Thanjavur on 6th April,2018.
294. All the cashew nut trees are cut and new new buildings
on both sides of the road are there in their places.
295. It reminded him of the good old days of his stay with his family.
296. His eldest brother’s marriage was fixed during those days.
297. This boy was asked by his mother to prepare rasam
only for them when they returned.
298. He did what he could.
299. His brother at first did not like the proposal
but to satisfy his father ,to keep,up the promise agreed at last.
300. He left Bombay,after working there
for 2 years with a company in Opera House.
301. He got a job in Coimbatore and he got settled
in Coimbatore after his marriage.
302. He was well-known for radio,tape recorders
repairs and he specialized in +car radio fixing.
303. He in no more now.
304. The family lived in that village.
305. The boy’s mother taught him some bhajans on Lord Siva and Muruga.
306. “Natarajan ellorkkum Nallavanay,Nalladhellam thara vallavanay.’.
307. Ye ru mayil yeri vilaiyadum mugam onray
Easarudan gnana mozhi presum
mugam onray,
koo rum adiyar gal vinai Theerth mugam onray
,Kun ru wa veal Vaani nindra mugam onray,
Maa roo padu soorarai Vadhai tha mugam onray,
valliyai manam punara van dha mugam onray
,Aru Mu ghamana porrul nee Aru la vendum
aadhi Aruna Chalam amarndha perumaleh.
308. These songs he sung in the early morning with
some of the villagers when he went to the Ganesha temple
in the early mornings in the of Margali month
. 309. He used to take tea for his father who was supervising
the villagers in the field near 15 arch bridge.padhinanju Kanjur paalum.
310. The field was not that fertile.it had more Saltish sand Kallar Mannu
not good for paddy growth.
311. The boy was the priest to offer oil bath to Ayyanar under the big banyan tree.
That day everyone had a nice meal.
312. Then he went near the ditchi Pallam where the small piece of land gave good yield,.
313. There was one arch near the field and a big tree
with many branches giving a Good shade and the boy
enjoyed more of his time in sitting there near the stream
and enjoying the cool gentle breeze.
314. The boy enjoyed the fresh air,the surroundings and the stay in the village.
315. They left the place and came to Ganapathi Nagar.
316. They rented a house.The house was spacious.
317. It was where his elder brother tried to leave
both hands and riding the cycle fell down had many bruises.
318. His eldest brother brought from Ooty
319.a small black beautiful . Pomeranian dog
in a basket from Coimbatore.
320. It was cute and it always had a ride
in the front Bar with both the legs on the handle bar.
It enjoyed the ride very much.
321. His elder brother was driving the bullock cart went to the town with his father.
322. On one of those days, the bullock stood near a shop and did not budge an inch.
323. When asked the reason the shop keeper told
that it got accustomed to have one banana
and the color the soft drink.He got that then only moved,.
324. This habit was the act of his elder brother.
325. Many of the days the boys with their sister
walked to the school and came back.
326. Then when the boy’s grand father was ill,
they moved to p.m.koil street where the boy was born and brought up.
327. The boy enjoyed that life very much.
328. He was feeling very sorry to see his grand father very ill.
329. Grand father was in the bedroom which
was in the bye way where the granary the 2nd was there.
330. He remembered how his grand- father used
to go in his green colour Morris minor car and also
sometimes in the bullock cart.
331. He misses his grandfather and grand mother too much.
332. The boy with his younger brother joined another school .
St.Antony’s high school near the new town.
His sister studied in the Sacred Heart Convent,behind St.Antony’s.
333. The boy with his brother walked from
Poomal Rowther koil street,through East Gate
and through his school mate Sylvester’s palace like building.
Ebenezer his brother once studied with his elder brother
was studying in Kalyana. Sundaram high school.
334. Once when our class teacher asked a question
“ which sweet every one liked, each one gave
a different answer. He stressed upon and
with an emphasis told “”Kunja laadoo”.
335. He got branded from that day as “That Koonja laadoo”.
336. There was another teacher who took History and used
to encourage all saying
337. Good good, for his name was Dairyam (courage).
He was an excellent and kind teacher. Never we had seen him losing temper.
338. There was one geography teacher.
He never used to bring the globe or Atlas in the class.
339. He used his fist to show the Earth and put his middle finger
in that showed the rotation of the earth.
340. The usual mischievous boy of the class Sylvester
got up and asked “ Can it not rotate in any other way or with any other finger”?
341. He was punished and sent out of the class.
342. Another day the same teacher,teaching geography ,
asked us what grows more in Tanjore and what is available more in Tanjore.
343. The same Sylvester told “”Ayyar kadai Snuff””.
The teacher got wild and sent him out,
The reason was he was an addict of that snuff.
344. He used to tell his students to buy that particular snuff for him.
345. It was very bad to see him using his hand and
removing the snuff remnants from his nose in the class.
346. Do you know how the earth rotates?Does it rotate from west to east or the other way round?
347. Do you or your kids use Atlas regularly?
348. Still the classes are run without the Map or the Atlas or the globe.
349. I find even now the students even studying in 10th std.,
350. They do not know where is London,Paris, New York .
351. Currencies of the countries and capitals of countries ,
why the names of the continents and oceans and seas.They are not familiar.
352. Then this boy used to walk to the school through
East Gate, Blake school,fish m
the railway bridge ,reach Sacred Heart Convent then reach his school.
353. He never had to carry 10 kg .bags of books and note books
like the students of these days.
354. School going on walk was fun and interesting.
355. They could observe good and bad things happening around them.
356. They observed ,listened and learnt more than from the books.
357. Then the boy went to live with his parents in the village.
358. From there they either used to come by bullock cart
or by walk to the school.
359. In the evenings some days they had to,walk back
to the village by walk only.
360. They used to eat the tender leaves of the tamarind or mangoes.,
361. They sometimes carried groundnuts too.munching
that one playing with the stones ,throwing one stone
and hitting it with another.
362. Like that it went on till they were tired.
363. They came home very tired had their dinner and slept.
364. One day the boy got up at around six o’ clock went
and stood on the river bank.
365. He was watching the fast flowing water.
366. The river carried away many things. Some trees
,some branches and a corpse going up,and down in the speeding water.
367. He heard from the villagers, that those who commit suicide
they tie a big rock or stone in their hips and then jump in the river
so that the body would not come on the surface.
368. He even now wonders how the person plans even for the suicide.
369. He was wondering why did she do that?
370. Depression,oppression,confusion all lead to desperation
leading to this conclusion.
371. Where the entrance to the bridge
was near the bank
there was a pond like thing, where the water from the Mariamman temple
got collected,there were two coconut trees
as some other trees giving shade and reminded him of the oasis.
372. He used to spend sometime there enjoying the cool breeze.
373. He used to walk on the sandy place where the Sawukku trees were there.
374. It was very nice to walk on the sand among the well-grown tall trees.
375. When they were in a group it was nice.
376. One tree cannot make wood.
377. The boy used to walk all the way where the 15 arches
were there and not so fertile land because of the salty remains.
378. They did not get a good yield there.The boy used
to spend his time near the shallow waters,playing there and resting there.
379. They had very fertile land which was near the one arch .
380. He used to go there too to spend his time to play in the shallow water flowing.
381. The arches were the result of them being the bridges for the railway lines.
382. All trains coming from Trichy(Thiruchirapalli) passed on this track.
383. He was really having fun watching the trains passing by
with the whistle especially near these bridges.
384. There was the tall tree with many branches there
on which the eagle was having its nest.
385. This mischievous boy was throwing stones towards the tree.
386. The eagle noted that and one fine morning
when he was doing this act,flew and perched on his head giving a punishment.
387. From that day he stopped pelting stones there.
388. He had seen snakes swimming in the streams and river.
389. As long as you do not disturb them they will not harm you
390. He used the plough to plough the field.
391. The bulls/bullocks without horns ,the short ones did a good job.
392. The other tall bullocks of special genes would pull him
very fast and the plough would not be deep enough.
393. Then seeding to be done.
394. The mud and the soil must be ploughed deep and the soil had to be turned out.
395. He knew how to transplant the paddy shoots .
396. They had to be buried in the wet- land with water
at least one inch deep in the soil.It is a special art and
it needed a knack and experience.
397. It is not easy,to stand in the muddy waters to transplant.
398. I wish the Prime Minister and other Ministers
need not do transplanting but simply stand in the muddy waters
under the burning sun light and try.
399. They will then realise how hard the work is,
especially for women for they are the masters in this art.
400. Many many hearty thanks to them for without them
we cannot have either the break fast or lunch on our dinner tables.
401. The leaders of India must know and realise
that our Mother India is an Agricultural one as their main occupation.
402.Arise, Awake. rise up. Recognize them who work so hard.
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