Diwali 2013

Diwali 2013

The Sabai gang of KK Nagar successfully celebrated Diwali Dhamaka with family for the third consecutive year this Diwali. This year we packed our bags for a night's stay at Continental resorts in Thirukazhukundram.

Our gang has grown in size to fill up a bus and a tempo traveller. The kids known to each other as neighbours and in some cases classmates too warmed up to each other right away in the bus. The guys who are friends from many many years decided to travel and have fun in the van with only two of them deciding to nobly escort the ladies and kids in the bus. We, the ladies, were discussing clothes and Diwali bakshanam to start with. The journey was about 1hour and 30 min at the end of which we were at the resort. The size of the place was unimaginable with battery cars operating to take us to the cottages. The whole place was beautiful.

After freshening up in the rooms, we met again at the swimming pool area for coffee and snacks. The teenage kids started hanging out with their age group and a few pre teens also tagged along. The guys were thinking of jumping into the pool and we started exchanging information and tips on running the household.

This was followed by the highlight of Diwali, colourful bursting of crackers. We had great fun, ending with lighting circles of sparklers and watching them form a ring! 

After such action packed evening, we were ravenous, not to mention the energetic kids. The dinner buffet was organized in a nice open area and we were eager to start. But alas, only the empty dishes were kept ready for the buffet with the burner ready to be lit, there was no food inside. Understanding it will take at least another 30 minutes for the dinner to be served, we decided to ask the kids to sing. It was such an enlightening experience. What knowledge these kids have! After the initial shyness, the children came out very enthusiastically to sing all types of songs right from carnatic to kuthu paatu, as solos, duets and chorus. We made a couple of knowledgeable ladies also sing.

Of course singing session in the Sabai cannot end without our light music singer Kumba’s performance! He did sing a few numbers for us with a special one for his wife Sudha!

 In between dinner did happen and the food was good, but priority now seemed to be the music and the fun we all had together. As a mike was available, the guys took over, giving speeches, the main highlight being friendship for three and a half decades. Thinking about it, it is not such an easy thing, to maintain a steady friendship over such a long time. It may be possible for 2-3 people to be friends for many years, but not a gang of people. Kudos to you guys!

After a good night’s sleep, the guys and kids were energized to play cricket in the morning and the ladies had to make our own plan. Many of us were interested in visiting Thirukazhukundram temple, but were discouraged about the number of steps to be climbed. We ended up visiting Rudrakoteeswarar temple nearby, thanks to the suggestion given by Sujatha.

We came back by 10 to have breakfast and had a major gossip session for the next few hours which was real fun! 

Post lunch and a very small siesta, we bade goodbye to the lovely resort after a group and family photo session to return home. 

Sabai (சபை) Ladies Club

Sabai Ladies Club - First meeting

We, the wives of the KK Nagar Sabhai guys decided to party alone as only our men have been enjoying all along! The guys have been neighbourhood friends from their school/college days and we ladies came to know each other only after getting married to our respective guys. The ladies usually get to meet each other only during any function at one of the friends’ places and maybe at the kids’ schools.


The first step was to have a lunch party at one of our houses. This happened last Sunday.

A van was arranged and all the ladies and kids were picked up from their respective homes. We were about nine adults and children. Lunch was ordered from a caterer along with many goodies. The party started with a cake cutting.

The kids had a great time playing. The ladies basically sat around and relaxed, chatting about everything under the Sun including movies, cookery, various schools and education system, problems we face in the family and of course our men! Lunch was nice with a sweet and ice-cream thrown in.

              Post lunch the kutti kids slept for a while and the big ones continued playing. We continued our chat and finally winded up after tea.

                 All in all it was good fun and we hope to have more such interactions in the future with or without our men!

My Great Ancestors - III

Lakshmi Paati

Lakshmi Paati – called as Bombay Paati (because she spent many years in Bombay) by all in the family is the eldest in our family (born in 1911). She is my mother-in-law’s mother. Though she is bed ridden now, she was a very active person until the last 3-4 years. I remember Paati and me taking a bus back from Adyar to K K Nagar in 1995 when she was 84 years old! Nowadays though she is a bit confused at times, most of the time she responds to our questions. These days the favourite question and answer session between Paati and me is:

I : பாட்டி, நா யார் சொல்லுங்கோ
Paati : ஜெயமா? ஜானகியா? And a few other names will also follow.
I : இல்ல, நா லக்ஷ்மி
Paati : என் பெயரும் லக்ஷ்மிதான் (with a guffaw)

If I ask her what she ate, she does not remember. But once any slokam is played on the tape/TV, she will start whispering the slokams along and her feet will be tapping to the tune.

Nobody would have suffered like Paati, losing her brother, husband early in life, son, daughter-in-law in their prime, daughter, sons-in-law in her old age. But for her attitude towards life, she would not have survived so many losses! She just follows the motto “do your duty and leave the rest to God!”

I met her 15 years back when I got married and from that time, I have never seen her worry or cry over something. Always a cheerful attitude and ready to do any help that she can to her children!

When she used to come and stay with us in our K K Nagar house, many times I have teasingly asked her “பாட்டி, Singapore போலாமா ”, USA போலாமா", she never said “எனக்கு எதுக்கு அதெல்லாம்” always used to say “okay, போலாமே” எப்ப flight பிடிக்கலாம்?".

I got to hear this funny story from Paati. Once, my father-in-law and Paati came by bus from Perambur to K K Nagar. My father-in-law went in the front near the driver seat to chat with the him leaving Paati in a seat in the back. As soon as she saw the K K Nagar Pillayar Temple, Paati thought they have reached home and worried that son-in- law will leave her and get down, hurriedly got down from the bus! Our house in K K Nagar is two bus stops ahead of Pillayar temple. Only after the bus left, did she realise that my father-in-law had not got down and the bus stop was not right. While my parents-in-law were worried about her, Paati hurriedly walked all the distance and reached home. In her panic, she did not even think of taking an auto! It was great to hear her laughingly narrate the story.

My husband says that Paati is more modern in her outlook than any of her daughters.
Once when he was in school, Paati was taking care of him and his brothers at home when my mother-in-law was out of town. My husband and his brother wanted to make omelette at home which was a taboo. Paati indulged her grandchildren’s wish and allowed them to do it! This is only a sample of her modern outlook!

Her will power is also worth a mention; she had a fall in 1996, broke her thigh bone and had an operation. She travelled back to Madras with her daughter (Hema Chitti) from Coimbatore by train in December 1996.

Even when she is bed ridden today, all her body parameters are perfect; she does not have BP, Sugar or any other ailment. It is just plain old age and system is slowing down to a snail’s pace.

I am very happy to have had the chance to know this Paati and have some good times with her.

Love you Lakshmi Paati!