Raja's Gems - the latest one you heard...Part 3

[rajkumarc]

Beautiful and moving post KV. Brought back memories of my grandma as well. In my case, it was gingelly oil followed by Arappu/Seeakkai kuliyal, the later part is what i dread the most Bathtime snacks is new to me, didn't have that privilege

[jaiganes]

Fantastic posts, kiru & KV!



KV,
Your above post brought back memories of my strong refusals to eNNaikkuLiyal to mom She had her way anyways...it was gingelly (sesame) oil and fried garlics in my case. Yes, those garlics were extremely tasty

There's going to be some theory-ist who'll connect such upbringing to liking rAsA songs

one fondly remembers touser rama rajan being given an oil bath by Vinu chakravarthy in "Enga ooru paattukkaaran" - I hated those oil baths then - still not fond of them too much..
but on days of special festivities, the oil bath added some new dimension - particularly when one beats the rush to get early in the line on a diwali morning - even a sticky oil bath is worth having...

[KV]

V_S, App, Kiru, rajkumarc... nandri'nga.
I'm still not sure why this song caused the rewind. I mean, something like Azhagiya KannE is understandable in this situation. This song doesn't even have the nostalgia tag attached to it. Hmm, music, very strange thing, i tell you.

[skr]

KV , That was a really nice write up ..
As V_S has mentioned ,u shd write more ..i miss your Raaja of Erotica posts ..

Also thanks for Telugu version of Vaa Vaa Naalukku Naal
Can you also give Telugu version of Kodai Kala Katre , never hrd it b4 ?

[KV]

Thanks skr. You can listen to the Telugu version (kondagAli thirigi) here.

[KV]

AagAyam boolOgam from Jackpot, SPB (and Sunandha?), 1993. I've never heard this song before. Lovely melody (set in 7/8, mishra chApu).

[Plum]

Jackpot is a Malayalam movie, KV. The malayalam song goes "Thaazhvaaram...". I don't remember anything after that. I am just guessing that this is the song dubbed as Aagaayam as the beginning sandhams match.There is another malayalam movie around the same time "Man of the Match", with a lovely "Kathirum Kothi". Looking at the movie names, might be the same combination of director/producer and/or actor.

[KV]

Oh dapping padamA? I guess that explains 'adhi kAlai nEra kanavil unnai pArthen' getting rehashed into 'idhu kAdhal nenjam' here.

[thumburu]

The mind loops back two decades to the weekend mornings, dimply lit by the then, shy Bangalore sun that always seemed to hide behind blinds of clouds, meekly peeping and showing its face only occasionally. Weekends in primary/middle schooling meant holidays on both, Sat and Sun, a relief that most kids beyond high school yearn to get back. And weekend as kids also meant ‘oil-bath’, time for lazing, loosening up and cooling down oneself, though, even such occasions for luxury needed a lot of coaxing into for many bratty kids. More often than not, my grandma would volunteer to take charge. I wasn’t really a brat, but that wouldn’t stop my grandma from giving me perks for allowing her to help me relax. Can affection be showered any better?
Bangalore, then, being much cooler normally than what it is nowadays, would usually render the coconut oil thickened and even almost solidified. Scooping out two spoons of it from the stainless steel container (no Parachute/branded oil then; was bought ‘in loose’ from the local grocery store), my grandma would heat the oil it in a small steel cup; the viscous white fluid melting into a glistening transparent liquid. Then came the special part, the bonus. She’d put a little of the heated oil in a tiny frying pan and throw in a handful of raw rice, pepper and tulasi leaves and fry them till the rice turned golden brown. Now, this isn’t some herbal treatment for the skin, but rather strangely, a bath-time snack. Yes, you heard me right; this was something to munch on while the body was being smeared and massaged with the heated oil. All along she would hum songs – her perennial favorites Raadha samedha Krishna and Chinna Kannan azhaikkiraan - her honey soaked voice not missing a note even though her hands were busy working the on her grandson while also keeping a check on the temperature of the water filling up in the bucket. All that I had to do was sit and let myself unwind, munching on the cripsy rice and Thulasi leaves, as the oil smoothly soaked me up and seeped in, her silky singing echoing in the background – a princely life.

“Meeting and parting are illusions, separation is the real truth.” – OV Vijayan, in ‘The Airport’.

My grandma is no more; she passed away four years back. Shadowing the sadness, a sense of pain, guilt and shame takes over, thinking of the troubles I’d given her as a kid, the tricks and pranks that I’d played on her. But the happier moments and sweet memories linger on and soothes the pain, temporarily at least. I childishly long for the warmth and affection of my grandma and grandpa though I know I will never get it again, ever. Shine on, paatti, thaatha; bless us.

This morning, on the way to office, I happened to listen to ‘Unnai pattri sonnaal’ from Maththiya Chennai. The soft, silky tune that glides effortlessly and the lively bass and drums that keep rhythm brought back memories of the heated coconut oil and crispy rice and Thulasi leaves. I could momentarily sense the warmth and cuddle of my grandma. Thanks Raaja.

That was a moving nostalgic recount on those selfless God sent angels called "paatti/ thaathaas" . Poor souls showered only affection on bratty grand kids knowing fully well they might not live to reap the fruits of their love. For us girls it used to be Friday early morning ordeal with paatti oiling our long hair amidst our "oohs and aahs" when she tries to unknot those unruly "chidukku". No bathtime snacking for us but lots of juicy tales during the 30 minutes to one hour soaking interval like rasagundu kadhai, mandrikumaran kadhai and other mythological stories that the telugu filmdom of yore liberally borrowed
Well, to come back to the topic, our bath time IR song used to be the "meendum kokila" jalakreedai song "ponnaana meni"

[KV]

Thanks thumburu. Yeah, chidukku edukkardhu and pEn pAkardhu were weekly exercises that my paati did on my sis! 'Eerum pEn aagum, pEnum pisAsu aagum' she'd say while she carried out the annihilation.
Glad that the post triggered a sense of nostalgia in you guys.