Petals!

When I was a child, Mahashivaratri bhajans used to be conducted at home. It meant 24X7 work for my parents, especially my mother. But this is the one festival that we loved to get ready for.  You had to prepare in advance for hosting so many people overnight. They had to be comfortable yet alert because no one who stays can be allowed to fall asleep unless they are unwell or on medication. So, if there were aunties who wanted to take a ten-minute nap, I would time it and call them exactly in ten minutes! The joy of watching grown-ups make a fool of themselves over getting few more minutes of sleep cannot be underestimated especially when you are ten or twelve years old! Perhaps it is those beautiful growing up years that make it difficult for me to stay away from an all-night vigil during Mahashivaratri. I can't stay away from it no matter where I am, even if the following day is a working day. This year too, I attended the Mahashivaratri bhajans at the Sai Center, Lo...

I grew up outside India for many years - which also meant that while I got to eat exciting types of food (nope, sorry to disappoint you, not grasshoppers - I don't think I would be okay with it!), like crispy chicken in the basket or grilled Chambe  fish, I missed out on some desi food options. My parents say that I was such a reluctant child when it came to eating food that I used to take two to three hours to finish a single meal, morsel by morsel! Not anymore....hahaha! Tea-time snacks at home used to include a variety such as dhoklas, parippu vadas, unniappams, murukkus and cakes. Yes, that was my mom's happiest ''cooking days" sort of phase. She would whip up a new dish everyday and it would turn out so yummy that we would want more of it. Looking back, I can't help admiring my mother because I simply don't have that kind of consistency or energy to even try this on a daily basis. She did this for years while we were growing up outside I...

You know I love readings books and if it relates to mythology, you've got me glued to every page! It is never easy to recreate the character and the inner world of already known characters - the challenges are many and quite tricky for a writer.  In the mythology genre, Kavita Kane is my favorite writer.  Her books   Karna's Wife and Menaka's Choice had me spell bound! . Kavita Kane brought every character to life and I simply loved both these books. [My post in Writers Melon: Why are Kavita Kane's mythological narratives so compelling to read? ]                                       [ Source: Kavita Kane's Facebook page ] If you have read the Ramayana, you already know a little about the story of Surpanakha - the ''wronged'' sister of Ravana. In this novel, the author gives readers a glimpse of the inner world of Surpanakha - her childhood, her relationships...

Time flies faster than we can imagine.  A little girl who is the ''music" of our home is now celebrating her birthday, continents apart. Her birthday is on January 6th and it brought back many sweet childhood memories. She is away from home but never far from our thoughts or my heart.  Geethu and I, as sisters, grew up together and as most of those who know us already will know, we are absolute opposites but we complement each other in a beautiful way. But let me confess, growing up with a super intelligent kid who could breathe, think and talk science and maths like a pro was a traumatic experience for the older sibling - namely, me. It didn't help that she was also one of the best in all types of sports and we had no space to keep all the certificates and prizes she won for her school in different sports categories. Well, I spared my parents the trauma of having to store my certificates or trophies of glory by not having any...lol!  What I think is most...

Loving Happy New Year wishes to all of you and I say this with all my heart. If I don't feel it from my heart, I can never sit down and write these words to you.  2016 has been a roller coaster year for me - I am sure it may have been the same for you and your loved ones too.  Life will keep unfolding, the best thing we can do is to keep evolving and making new choices that bring us more peace and clarity about being in the "present." I don't know if this sounds like mumbo-jumbo nonsense - yikes, I hope not. As a working mom, the toughest challenge that I faced this year has been to be fully focused on my son. As my son is growing older, he has far too much to tackle in his studies. What I strive for is to have open discussions about any topic that he has questions about even if it means answering questions that are not easy to find a balanced response to but we discuss everything openly.  I am not a control freak mom and I don't aspire to be one....

Winter mornings are great to read gripping novels that explore the heart's longing for the forbidden , but you need the comfort of a warm sweater, an inviting quilt and a cozy bed to snuggle into.  And lots of chai - piping hot, laced with a dash of cardamom. That is how I read the first sentence of  KR Meera's novel,  The Gospel of  Yudas , translated by Rajesh Rajamohan, and the sentence simply leapt   into my consciousness as I read the words, " A traitor can never sleep. His hunger is eternal; his thirst, insatiable. " I HAVE to say this: This blurb took my breath away - the different shades of green-blue tones and the sinking girl evoked strong emotions even before I touched the first page.  For latest book reviews, subscribe to  Svara's Newsletter ! And you feel a spark of rebellion stem from within when you read poignant sentences like this, " In our lake, dead bodies raced among themselves daily to find their way to the surfac...

Why is Vidyarambham celebrated? For Malayalis, Vidyarambham is an auspicious day on which the elders and children mark the day by writing the sacred words, "Harisree Ganapathayeh Namaha."                                           [Image Source: AI Generated for Petals!]   What is the concept of Vidyarambham? The observance of this ritual may differ from region to region, community to community and family to family. Whatever I share here is based on how Vidyarambham is celebrated in my home. [ READ: What to Write During Vidyarambham ]   Vidyarambham: How Malayalis observe this sacred day In families where the children are gearing up to enter pre-school or play school and are not yet ready to join the formal schooling system, Vidyarambham marks an important occasion for an elder to introduce them to the world of "vidya" or "knowledge." The words ''Harisree Ganapatha...