After a long long time..

I am scribbling something after a long long time. Almost a decade. Ever since I became FB user I stopped writing in my blog. Over the years I have been prolifically writing in FB. Instant reach to friends was the reason I found interesting in FB. 

From now onwards I will copy whatever I write in FB. I have lot to copy and paste ..Too.. Especially Malayalam stuff. Hope this Covid 2nd lockdown period I am able to copy some. 

I am quite surprised to see all my posts are in tact in rmu blog.

I express my profound gratitude to blogspot guys and google for keeping all my old posts safely.

Sreevalsan.

Indian soldiers from Malabar in world war I.

Indian soldiers in Action in  World War I. 

 Hundred years have passed since World War I. The world is observing World War I centenary ( WWI period was 1914-1918). But there is no sound and fury in India unlike in other European countries. Main reason is India was a British Colony then. But today’s generation will be surprised to know that an amazing number Indians participated in the war. Some records show that more than 14 Lakh ( 1.4 Million) Indians participated. This count far outnumbered the count of soldiers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the other British ruled nations, put together.

Lord Macaulay’s words “How can a man die better than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, and the Temple of his Gods” would have inspired a lot in India then as it is today. But Indians then fought for a British King and a distant nation which they never saw.

Britain definitely used the Indian “coolie soldiers” in hordes. Most were called Sepoys. It was their duty to protect king   ;)   and for whom .. and for what the war was.. ?  

Although Colonial issues ( who -  controls what? ) of powerful European powers  were responsible Wikipedia history puts the  beginning cause as  assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie by Gravilo princip an ethnic Serb from Bosnia. What a thing to start a world war!

And Where were they going ? Against whom were they fighting? It seems they were just pawns.

India contributed immensely to the war effort in terms of both men and material. Her

soldiers served with credit and honour in numerous battlefields around the globe: in France and Belgium,

in Aden, Arabia, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Persia, Salonica, Russia, and

even in China. By the end of the war it was recorded that 1,100,000 Indians had served overseas at the cost of 60,000 dead.

We do not know much about Indian Participation except some memorials here and there in small towns.  Most WW1 memorials are not kept well. In Tiruchi town you can see tower clock and a plank showing “349 from that place left for war and 41 did not return”.

We do not teach our children about the Indian soldiers participation at all.  A few names on the India gate is deceiving.  There were regiments from all the regions administered by Britain. There was a Regiment from Malabar too..    Nair Regiment.!

Some data I got from the book ‘Kozhikodinte paithrukam’ ( by Adv.T.B.Seluraj  - Mathrubhumi books) will be of interest to you.

Records show a total of 99,680 was recruited from Malabar. People from Malabar actively participated.  Documents show 1,500 people dead from Malabar alone.  We do not see any memorial here.

People were asked to donate money generously for the war and a sum of Rs.9,32,500 was collected. Ships traveled from Kozhikode to Mombaza – 5 times, To Basra 25 times, To Suez 13 times,  To Alexandria 7 times, To Arabia 13 times.  The British authorities in Malabar encouraged recruiting agents by giving attractive awards – Mainly watches and Revolvers!  - A Wrist watch was a highly sophisticated technology product - a coveted prize then!.  Records show that one Yusuf from Malabar got a watch for supplying largest number of soldiers. The watch was sponsored by Vengayil Kunhikrishnan Nair - on behalf of Govt.. A Revolver was awarded to Pootheri Kuttikrishnan Nair from Feroke for supplying large number of coal workers. Poor hapless Malabaris -  they were toiling in distant lands in Gallipoli, Flanders, Macedonia,Sinai. But when the war ended the Government took care of the dependents and the injured considerably well. We must appreciate that. There was an order to give a minimum 5 acre land to dependents and injured. The documents show 43 people got 94 acre land like this.  The Gov. jobs fetching upto Rs.15/- p.m. was reserved for war victims family members. Free education upto secondary. Free notebooks too. ;)
I only wish if at least one literate guy among those soldiers had attempted to write his experience, today we would have relished it ! 

Mother Robin of my courtyard.

It has been 13 or 14 years since I planted the Lychee tree in my courtyard. So far it did not bear any fruit. Recently a friend visited home said the tree is not Lychee it is lololikka (Sour cherry). Whatever it is, I am not disappointed for it not giving me any fruit. In fact I am very happy to see lot of birds perching, resting on this tree. This photo shows, my friend,a mother Robin resting on the tree on a lazy afternoon. Sitting in the Portico, and watching it idly, we communicate each other in subtle ways. My heart is filled with love and affection. Can a bunch of sour cherries or lychees give it? No, I don’t think so. I am not a ‘prayojanavaadi’. Sometimes we need to do things without expecting anything in return. 

By the way the bird is Oriental Magpie Robin. It is very interesting to watch it. A family is staying in our compound. We in KeraLa call it KalyaNi kuruvi, MaNNaaththikkiLi, MaNNaaththippuLLu etc. MaNNaaththi means washerwoman. Most washerwomen are dark because they stay in sun all the time. But they wash clothes well and when they come with bright white Dhothis there is color contrast. Perhaps this bird got that name because of that BW color contrast. This bird is a fantastic singer. It gets up early in the morning say about 4 ‘O’ clock and starts singing. Some times I used to wonder why? I watch through the window and see it just sitting on a tree or electric wire and simply sings. 

It is late-nighter also. It is there till 7:30PM flying and singing around. It becomes quite friendly. In BengaLi it is called Doyel. A very popular name. You know one thing... …It is BangLadEsh’s national bird ! 

Another Nov.14th ! 125th year of Jawaharlaal Nehru , former PM of India.

Another Nov.14 and this time it is 125th anniversary of Chaacha Nehru.
Posting a rare photo of Chacha with Grand Children looking into a pond.
I respect Nehruji though I have some reservation on his Brit-educated-elitist outlook of India. Nehru’s charismatic personality subdued Indians so much that their ability question and reasoning was compromised. People were reluctant to discuss “after Nehru who?” .
And the fight is on now for legacy ..on who owns the legacy ? ..
Congress Party for years had cultivated the legacy to fool us. Now as the time passed and the world progressed, we learned so many things about Nehru, we are not concerned who actually owns legacy except media and some political parties. Two people, a mother and son, who do not even have a strain of Nehruvian quality is claiming the legacy. We should let them have it all for themselves.

I remember having a lesson in English Reader while in 3rd standard titled “Chacha Nehru” It had a picture of Nehru playing with 2 small kids. Children were playing with toys. The lines below the picture said ..This is Chaacha Nehru. Nehru loves Children.. These are his grand children Rajiv and Sanjay. Rajiv likes aeroplanes. Sanjay likes cars.” etc etc. ! Nehru was Prime Minister then !
Later during 1970-71 when I was in college, Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. There was a whole BOOK to study in the Primary classes titled “Indira Priyadarshini”.
No questions asked, no answers given! No Arnab Goswami then !. Nation never wanted know either.
Imagine if now the kids have to learn just one line about our current PM, who rose from a humble background to the nation’s highest position, who is the most popular prime Minister after Nehru, … ..the sky would have fallen!
Happy Children’s day !

Dan Brown in India !

Dan Brown is in India. 
Rajdeep Sardesai Interviewed him. As a true Maculay's child he asked Dan any plan to write about other Religion especially Hinduism ? Ignorance has no excuse. Hinduism has no single book and is not history-centric. With around 2000 basic books, more than 10,000 study texts, more than a Hundred thousand sub-texts and yet with so much destroyed Granthaas and unknown Original texts, and with an amazing mosaic of culture, I am sure Dan will be sitting on some rock on the shores of Ganges in Hrishkesh doing meditation. 
On the other hand on expected lines, to make some more quick bucks, to please some quarters, he can write on Rat and snake worship or like Arundhathi he can dwell into casteism or perhaps better like Wendy Donigar can crawl in Kamasuthra and say that it is all about sex!.

Just saw Interstellar !

Had just seen Interstellar yesterday and now today heard the news of Rosetta Mission - landing on Comet...... Mind is out in space.  
Interstellar reinforces my faith in ancient Indian Wisdom and capacity. No wonder the Black hole is inadvertently discovered by an Indian. ...C.V.Raman, S.Chandrasekharan all names come to my mind. Thats all modern. 
But Our ancestors knew everything. They were experts on Gravity and Time. Bharadwaja's Vaimanika Sasthra was all on Science of Gravity. I have never seen Time calculation from Micro second to Mahakalpakaala, Paraanthakaala any where else. In any civilisation that exists or did exist on Earth.Thats true for distance as well. Even a Mokshakaala (people think they don't come back if attained Moksha - but it is not true) is computed. Everything very precisely. Calling our Ancestors, Avatars, Astrology, and all other sciences with connotations as Hindu- is belittling. It is Sanathana philosophy an endless journey.. .. And many texts still exists .. One life will not be enough to explore. An ocean should not be judged by looking at waves. I pray for those masters of the yore ..in silence.

Bar scam in Kerala..LDF saves UDF !

ബാർ കോഴ വിവാദം കെട്ടടങ്ങിയോ ? അറിയില്ല .
ഈയിടെ കോഴിക്കോട് ബാർ അസോസ്സിയേഷൻ നടത്തിയ ഭക്ഷ്യ മേളയിൽ എത്തിയ ചിലർ "മറ്റേതുണ്ടോ " എന്ന് ചോദിച്ചുവത്രെ . ബാര് ഓണേർസ് അസോസ്സിയേഷൻ എന്ന് തെറ്റിദ്ധരിച്ച് പോലും ....മെലിഞ്ഞ് ഉണങ്ങിയ വക്കിലന്മാരെയും കുംഭേശ്വരന്മാരായ ബാർ ഉടമസ്തരെയും കണ്ടാൽ തിരിച്ചറിയാത്ത പാവങ്ങൾ .. ബാർ ബാർ (പല തവണ) ബാർ എന്ന് കേട്ടാൽ അങ്ങനെ യൊക്കെ ധരിക്കും ."കാണുന്നതൊക്കെയും ഹരി നാരായണായ നമ: കേൾക്കുന്നതൊക്കെയും ഹരിനാരാ... " എന്ന ഭക്തരുടെ മട്ടാണ് ഇപ്പോൾ കുടിയന്മാർക്ക് ...ബാർ കോഡ്‌ എന്ന് കേട്ടാൽ പോലും ചിലര്ക്ക് വിറ വരുമത്രേ.
എന്തായാലും വിവാദമൊഴിഞ്ഞുള്ള നേരമില്ല ഉമ്മൻ ചാണ്ടിക്കും പ്രഭ്രുതികൾക്കും - എപ്പോഴും ഡിഫൻസിൽ തന്നെ കളി .. ഏത് കാര്യത്തിലാ "സർക്കാരിന് കോടതിയുടെ രൂക്ഷ വിമർശം " എന്ന് കേൾക്കാത്തത് .?. ഒഫൻസിവിൽ കളിക്കാൻ ഒരു ചാൻസ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു ..മോഡിജി സ്വച്ഛ് ഭാരത്‌ തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ ..അതിനും മുമ്പ് ശുചിത്വകേരളം തുടങ്ങി യത് നമ്മളാ എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞ് ചൂലെടുത്തിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ .. അതിന് പകരം ചെയ്തതോ ! ആ പാവം ശശിമാഷെ ! കഷ്ടം !

TWELVE YEARS BACK HOW PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT FUTURE INDIA ! 

Leaving all the debates on “Chaiwala, Zeher ki kheti, gutter snipes and impotency” I went for reading some stuff. After dusting the shelf an old magazine caught my attention. It was “Bhavan’s journal”, 49th annual Number dated 15th August 2002. Our Ex-president Shri R.Venkataraman was the President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan then. Perhaps that’s the reason why they brought up a nice pocket edition worth keeping for years. This book contained a special feature namely “My vision of Free India” and about 100 people famous and not so famous had penned their visions in it. 

Vajpayee was PM then and K.R.Narayanan the President. Apart from the usual pleasantries from Pres., Vice Pres., PM etc. it contained a Vision by APJ and it was the best. It contained vision of non-descript people including an VIII std student namely Gayathry Latheef. I was quite happy to see the vision of late Shri V.K.Eradi. He was a mentor and friend to me. 

I was startled to see a vision which has almost realized. That outstanding vision was of one Prof. Mary Thomas. She writes “My vision of India is one wherein Civil Society Organizations would act as a check on elected representatives, promote environmental health, initiate electoral and judicial reforms secure share in decision making to the common man at grass root level.” Yes, it is happening through AAP, IAC & other Organisations etc.

But then I was stuck at a vision or Non-vision page! That was of Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha then Dr. Man Mohan Singh!. It was the worst vision I read in the book. Even A.K.Antony’s vision was much better. Dr. Singh had written what India he would not like to see. Not much to say he filled half the page with Tagore’s poem “Where the mind is without fear..” Yes full poem!. A Clearly visionless person later became our Prime Minister and he was in the seat for 10 long years! I regret for forwarding his bio-data to so many people when he became PM. No other country head had that much Qualification and experience. But he greatly disappointed me and my countrymen.
Cry my beloved country!

Is Face Book reason for not blogging ?

Its amazing !
I did not blog for more than a year now. I was indeed quite busy. But that is partially true. I would be lying if I say that was the only reason. The charm of FB had overcome me. I thought FB is a good idea - a nice thing as all my friends gets instantly notified of my posts. And I collected many friends through FB too. I joined one or two groups was involved in many a discussions there.

But over the years I feel FB's charm is fading. Getting notified of uninteresting things is annoying. At times one becomes  a "Response robot". You are supposed to "like" somebody's stupid post. Some times when all other friends have liked your friend's child's photo with that funny Santa attire then you are also supposed to like it. Is n't it? Just to flatter some one people put comment "very very cute"! Some times for a kid who has no good looks at all gets so many "So cute" comments -  you are taken aghast. You have a feeling that you will be left out if you did not like some one's post or did not say happy b'day to a friend.  What if you do not like a photo? You have creeping feeling ... What your friend will think? Some times when I post a beautiful scenery or place I visited did n't I check who all liked it? So people must be looking whether I liked it or not. Close friends or relatives are ok. But what about some one has become a friend through FB?. Are you supposed to like his/her stuffs? I seldom share others photos but didn't I feel happy when people shared my photos? May be there are a lot of articles written about these things. I have n't read any.

At times when you are in a group you see posts which you really do not like. Then you are forced to write something disapprovingly. You then desperately look for an 'Unlike" button which is missing in FB.  There is no way to unlike in FB. "Unlike" is a word that FB does n't "like" ! Too many unlikes for somebody's post means that person will never be back on FB for sure. Then who would like to loose clients?. FB claims more than Billion now. No doubt FB rules the Social media scene. But when in FB you pretend too much.You avoid people by excluding them, You hide your posts, You post only in some groups. You secretly visit other's posts and photos. You peep into a person's profile who is not yet your friend. You create wrong profile and posts some nonsense in some groups or some other people's wallpaper. You unfollow some and follow some without their knowledge. You spent hours if you have one or two profile or if you are an Admin of a group. If you are member of 2 to 3 groups then FB eats up your time. I have seen girls and boys of my family who are not even 10 say they are 23 or 24 - so FB allows people to lie.  

The true facts for my getting involved in FB is 1. I was very much interested in IAC and ANNA Movement which was very prolific in FB. 2. As an environmentalist I had opened a group and I am the Admin of it. Busy with Environment activities year round I did not find enough time to write something creative which is requirement for a good blog. So Blog makes you creative. It does n't matter who sees it. I am on my own when I blog. I don't see a crowd. I don't see a group hostile to me who will immediately jump to attack me or defend their stand vehemently. I am a free man in Blog- Blogspot ! I am going to come back and write my stories.. What if I have no followers.. What if no one comments.. What if no one has ever seen it ..I don't care  I wrote whats in my mind ... forgetting everything the grammar the spellings ..I need not care whether I have hurt anyone or not.. I write from my heart with full freedom .. thats enough ! Thank GOD my blog is still active and I can write in it after a year or two.Thank you blogspot ! Thank you google!.  

But meanwhile wait a minute ...   Let me just see who has commented on my critical post in that "Nairs" group !

:)

Drongo - the Kakka thampuratti, Karuththa maNavaatti - the black princess of Kerala

"Treuuuwing....." a piercing sound ! 
I guessed its Drongo .. took the camera and went to backyard.. there it is perched on the Papaya tree.!. Ah ! Drongo the fly-catcher..Its not ordinary drongo it is the Great racket tailed drongo ((Dicrurus paradiseus) endemic to Kerala./ Western Ghats. In MalayaLam we call this bird Kakka Thampuratti ( Queen of crows) "Kakka thampuratti, karuththa maNavaatti koodevide"( meaning: Oh Queen of crows, black bride wheres your house..." ) is a popular romantic song.
Lesser drongos are seen everywhere in India often on top of buffaloes foraging in fields. In Tamil its appropriately named Kari kuruvi( Charcoal bird) ..But I don't know why some Hindiwalas call it Kothwal ( = Police) strange enough some call it Bhujanga ( = snake)..In Kannada they call Kari Bhujanga !! .. Drongos are revered by Shia Muslims. They believe it brought water to their saint Hussain ibn Ali. 

..

(click on pic to see it big)

ONaaligia !

Mrithyu !

This is what I thought when I saw this snap in yesterday's Indian Express news paper. 

The rail laborers taking rest under a goods wagon in West Hill Rly stn in Calicut. 

Approximate meaning of the lines :

Does the people take refuge in the mouth of death say that dead, birth, happiness, sorrow are all incomplete?

Is n't it a miracle to be born and to live in this world ? 

Yea.. I got the message that they want to convey ..I see that wheel on top of their head.. the samsaara chakram - the eternal wheel of life and births ! 

Train Timings Calicut (Kozhikkode)

Train Timings in India are often a pain on your......! . Why do they change the timings often? I do not know.
Most trains are demanded and introduced by MPs and Ministers. It seems they never check people's requirement. That is true for Number of Railway lines as well. It seems it is all done on the Whims and fancies of some politicians. There are railway networks to least traveled places and least used. I am not saying that we need not build railway to remote places. But the usability- profitability etc. need to be checked.

If you check Railway map of Bihar or Bengal you will see number of Railway network. This is because most Railway Ministers were from that area. Those areas are notorious for ticket-less travelling still more number of tracks and trains are put there. On the contrary take south. Most people buy tickets and travel - even platform tickets are religiously bought. This is very true for us - for Keralites.

Southern Karnataka, Malabar area is most neglected by Railways. There are many districts like Coorg, Wayanad where train travel is unheard of and they think it is impossible to build a rail line there.  If we can build railway line in Konkan coast then it is very much possible. A railway line through Wayanad and Coorg is a much needed thing. Speculation on environmental damage because of Railway line is exaggerated. More damage is done because of Road connection. More and More roads are built through the forests. In fact a Railway line through forest has less impact than Road.

Malabar Should be connected to Mysore. That is long cherished dream of people. Already there is a rail line upto Nanjangud. This should be extended upto Nilambur. Nilambur in Malabar is near by. A connection through forest, although difficult because of terrain, is feasible and it can reduce the distance between Kochi and Bangalore. The benefits are immense. Tourism potential is enormous. Many times feasibility studies are done and left out. Many people think that this is because of pressure from Bus lobby. Kerala Politician's nexus with Private bus owners is suspected. The private bus owners are unscrupulous and at times they charge hefty rates - especially during Xmas / Onam vacations. There is absolutely no regulation to check the bus Tariff from Various places in Malabar to Bangalore / Mysore.    

We need new Railway tracks. The demand for Nanjugud - Nilambur line or Mysore - Tellichery line is sought since Independence but no action is taken so far. Large number of students study in Mysore / Bangalore also there are number of  IT and other professionals from Malabar working in Bangalore. They find it very difficult to travel because they have to depend on a single train  - Kannur - Yashwantpur express. Tickets have to be booked 3 months in advance for this train that much rush is there. But still there were attempts to make this train weekly once !! It is amazing how people in Railway Ministry in Delhi thinks! - Southern MPs are not capable enough to raise their points or are least concerned about the plight of people.
Concerted effort is needed demanding new trains from Malabar to Bangalore.       

Vellila - Silver leaves

"Amma karuthum makalu veluthum makalute makaloru sundarivesi "
is a riddle every Keralite knows. It is roughly translated as "Mother black, daughter white and daughter's daughter pretty dame" - and the answer is "Vellila" -  Velli leaf - Silver leaf ( or white leaf )..it is wild flowery plant found abundant in Kerala. It is normally found near ponds household bathing tanks and it's leaves are used as shampoo by ladies. Is the daughter's daughter that pretty orange red flower not easily visible in the bush?. I don't know. Perhaps nature has tricked the butterflies with white leaves because its flower is too small ! :)

T.P. - The two letters that shook Kerala

T.P. & Family !

For unbiased news many people in Kerala turn to National English channels  but being a ‘socially aware’ keralite ‘animal’  living in Kerala I should watch Malayalam news channels but the issues they cover normally are so dull - domestic political quarrels and rivalries - so mundane,  that I completely neglect it – well till recently.

On May 4^th things changed. A CPM ( Communist Party of Marxist) rebel named T.P.Chandrasekharan got killed. On that day I was glued to Malayalam Channels for want of news which no other national channels gave. For the national channels it was a small incident. But for the Keralites it was not. It has far reaching implications perhaps culminating in the vertical split of a strongest political party in Kerala.

The killing was not a normal killing. The brutal hatred was evident - 51 cuts on his face  as if to deface him so that even in his death he should not be identified.
Remember Che guvera – surprisingly many leftist youngsters sportingly wear T-shirt with his picture.. .what a surprise ! the Marxists in Kerala wanted the same fate to T.P. himself a Marxist !  

What was his sin for such a brutal end ? What did he do to annoy such a big party ? The reasons are revealed now.

Comrade T.P. Chandrasekharan was small time party worker who had influence only in a small locality. But he challenged the diktats of Party bosses. He floated his own party. He supported  V.S. Achuthanandan a CPM stalwart and the  leader of opposition in Kerala Assembly. That was an outside support for a person inside the party. The person inside is capable of splitting the party. There lies the importance of eliminating an outside support. T.P.has been swearing on communist values and using the same flag which attracted many ordinary folks.

Official party boss Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan openly talked about T.P. as a traitor.

CPM had always supported violence although officially they will not agree to it. They will say that it is not the party line. Some time back the brutal killing of a BJP activist, Mr. JayaKrishnan, a school teacher in front of students had shaken the minds of Keralites but not to this extent. The culprits were caught but like in many other political murders in the state they were let off. CPM was the ruling then and its police did not find enough evidence. No strong witnesses either. Often under threat witnesses change their affidavits. So the criminals walk free. They taunt and roam around with impunity. So when killing becomes a small stroke of music which can be accomplished easily perhaps the decision to eliminate is taken more casually. In the killing JK when the criminals were let off the then State Home Minister, Marxist leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, himself came down to welcome them. They were given a rousing reception in the same town where the killing took place ! What a brazen support to violence – That too from a Home Minister !

We now understand that T P was a people’s man.  He wielded enormous influence in his locality. He was brave and with clear vision. He wanted to steer the party from bad doings. With enormous wealth at its disposal party had become more than of bourgeois party. With its own media, newspaper and  TV channels and several business houses and  co-operative ventures – ( aka  ‘peoples’ ) it bought off every one on the way. Even its central leadership is powerless and depends upon the state arm for financial support. So they wont take any stern action against the state unit. The party almost died in West Bengal – a natural aging process. So the source of income is from the Kerala state. If the party is split what happens to the enormous wealth?  It is unthinkable. What will happen to Trade Unions it nurtured and the money it brings? The top official leadership shudders to think. So they accuse the media that it is masterminding a plot  to destroy the party.

The enquiry is still on .. a verdict is not immediately expected..

We have to wait and see.. 

Ente Marupadi allenkil support

Himsa

Touch me not Flower

"Touch me not" or whatever you call is a common thorny wild bush flower in India. In my home state Kerala it is quite common. Here we call "thottavadi" means "fades when touched" . In other parts of India people call it Lajjaalu, lajvanti, lajjavathi etc. Sanskrit word for it is Lajjavathi meaning "shy dame".
We use it's leaves as medicine. I remember in my childhood in the village when we get injured while playing this was the immediate medicine we used. It has beautiful flowers. But no body cares. In my childhood days I used to wonder why people are not taking it for Onam festival flower arrangements. I had penned a small poem in Malayalam depicting that pain of neglect which thottavadi suffered.

Yam Flower !

It was only recently I noticed this Yam flower. I don't remember having seen the flower which was a common site in our native village garden. All my relatives say that they have seen it and tasted it. Recently we got one in our backyard. I ran to see when my wife said .."hey..we got a chenappoo..!"

The Elephant foot yam is called "Chena" in Malyalam and "poo" of course is for flower.. I went and inspected the flower..it was a funny thing ..like ..you know ..:).. "shape can't be defined " thing !! Botanical guys may be able to show each part what is what ..I have no idea.. I like the silky maroon violet outer skin..

But the most interesting thing is my wife made a beautiful Masala curry out of it. It was indeed fingerlicking good and after having it I said let all poo..s become chenappooos.. !! :)