And for a Friday in God’s Own country, back from breathtakingly beautiful Japan, some thoughts….. some musings…..
Most Mallus, an average Keralite, can well be equal or as good in terms of self-hygiene with a Japanese. The Malayalee, wherever he is, will have a minimum of 1&1/2 baths every day. Ofcourse, the average Japanese woman may be wearing more expensive clothes, designer shoes and hand bags. But the Mallu woman is equally elegantly dressed in her “Kasavu Saree” and the flowers bedecked hairstyle. However, the most contrasting is the love of animals, manifested in a complete mayhem of stray dogs in every city. The same love of pets in Japan means 100% total love for own pets with complete and equal commitment to societal needs. Care for society is supreme in Japanese culture.
And now in Trivandrum, I am seeing with bated breadth the frenzy of Devotees from all over South India particularly AP, Tamilnadu and Karnataka apart from ofcourse Kerala, thronging to go to Sabarimala; one of the most renowned and famous temples of India. Sabarimala is the abode of Lord Ayyappan-Dharma Shasta, Son of Lord Shiva and Mohini (female Avatar of Lord Vishnu). This temple visit is not like any other normal pilgrimages it is open only for a short time of the year. Every devotee wanting to have Darshan must undertake abstinence for 41 days; no footwear, no shaving, no upper garments, no non-veg or alcohol. Women from puberty to menopause are proscribed to the temple by convention. But every family whose male member has put “Mala” will, with equal devotion, follow all the house rules of abstinence. An unbelievable human trait manifested in total devotion to the Lord.
Cutting across all religions, Malayalees, whenever one sees a Devotee enroute, addresses him as Swamy. So let’s all chant, “Swamy Saranam – Ayyappa Saranam” the Mallu way, the devoted way, the SEEGOS way.