Bajans (பஜனை ) Tamil month Margazhi

Now it is mid December and Karthigai deepam celebrated with usual pomp and bright lights. Slowly the chillness creeps in. I have started taking bath in hot water. Morning time there is fog and chill in the air. Woolen sweaters and mufflers stored inside taken out dusted and kept ready for use.

Margazhi month is arriving soon. So also the famous bajans.

What is a Bajan?

According to Wikipedia,

 A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine. The name, a cognate of bhakti, meaning religious devotion, suggests its importance to the bhakti movement that spread from the south of India throughout the entire subcontinent in the Moghul era.

The first Bajan I heard was during 1950s. Famous Thirupugazhmani, Sri. T.M.Krishnaswami Iyer, used to conduct bajan on every Friday at around 0700 PM. They used to sing various songs and go round Mylapore Mada Streets. That was where I first heard Sri Pithikuli Murugadoss songs. He used to sing in his usual beautiful voice with playing harmonium alongside. Even in those days Murugadoss was famous with his dark glasses and Bandana around his head and orange dress.

Then came the famous Mylapore Margazhi Bajans. Maragzhi, the Tamil month is called சூனிய மாதம் ( Evil month in Tamil ). Tamilians don’t conduct any good functions during the month. No wedding, no house warming, nothing good done. But in actual practice Maragzhi is the month we see so much divotional activities.people take out தேவாரம், திருவாசகம், திருப்பாவை, திருவெம்பாவை ( Devaram, Thiruvasagam, Thiruppavai, Thiruvembavai) from the puja room and there is hectivity pn the roads and side streets of Mylapore. We can see children singing and grown up reciting thiruppavai and thiruvambai, earnestly. Andal (Tamil: ஆண்டாள் Äṇţāḷ, an( 8th century or earlier) is the the only
female Alvar of the 12 Alvar saints of South India, who sang Thiruppavai. Thiruppavai, a collection of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a Gopi or cowherd girl during the incarnation of Lord Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity, and describes the religious vows (pavai) that she and her fellow cowherd girls will observe for this purpose.

Most of us go to temple and on the whole there is more religious activity during the month then other months in Tamil calendar.

One of the important activity is BAJAN. Every day during the Margazhi month the bajans around Mylapore temple starts around 0500 am. The singers go round the four mada streets singings hymns. When I was young I used to get up in the morning hearing the songs. First bajan at 0500 am, then comes Srim Annaji Rao Bajan at 0530 and finally Sri Papanasam Sivam group around 0600 am. Each has got its own way of singing. Annaji Rao bajan, loud and vibrating Papanasam Sivan bajan soft melodious. With light glowing on the eastern sky and day becomes brighter the crowd swells and finally around 0700 am there used to be big crowd around each group. People used to hear one bajan and once it is over they move to the next enjoying the songs. So many eminent musicians used to perform. I saw other day in net the history of bajans and a picture of Papanasam Sivam in early 1930s. Seen, Sri.Papanasam Sivam even at his old age used o participate in bajans and atleast sing one or two favourite songs at the end of the rounds. He used to come and sit in a moda provided by some rasika and sing.The tradition started around 1920s, still going on uninterrupted with Papnansam Shivam’s daughter Rukmini and her son Ashok Ramani, following the practice and conduct the bajans.

The above picure was taken from internet from an article written by a sishya of Papanasam Sivam ( Sri Sivam standing second from left ). The following picture taken from the same site shows how Sri Ashok Ramani, follows the tradition

After that they used to distribute hot pongals which are always appreciated by public.

Then of course Music season starts in December. High and mighty of he Music world and also our local big wigs descend in Chennai for music season. When USA and western world shivers under the intense cold, like Europeans go to south of France for some respite from cold, Indians living there comes to India to escape the cold and also get warmth from weather and scintillating sweet music. The people throng the venue of music performances whether it is Music Academy hall or Naradha Gana Sabha, Krishna Gana Sabha. The seats fill up so quick mostly one has to be satisfied if he gets a standing space. Most also fix loud speakers out side, so every one can hear the music even if they cannot have the comfort of a seat.  I remember in 1950s Music academy used to conduct the performance (கச்சேரி) at the vast ground behind P.S.High School ( Where now P.S.Senior Secondary School is situated) under a tatched pandhal.With lot of sand and folding chairs. I remember the camera man used to sit on the top in a cradle like thing and film the performance.

Generally most of the persons start from home in the morning and return home around 1100 pm at night, tired but happy. The canteen in Music academy venue was famous and along with , who the musicians going to perform that day the menu in the canteen is equally given importance and discussed.

The tradition of music  is even now followed. Only difference is now even most of the musicians travels from USA and Europe to perform in this great tradition and make the month margazhi a prosperous one instead of a bad month

Mid 60s saw the emergence of Sai Bakthas and Sai bajans started sounding in lot of houses. With Puttaparthi Sai Baba becoming famous, most of the houses had bajans on Thursdays. In our house I went to first Sai Bajan in 1966 or 67 on Perambur and we also started Sai bajans on Thursdays.

With the advent of TV as an important media we have started hearing Bajans on various channels. In the recent years we are hearing so much bajans in sabhas and Televisions, performed by greats like,  Udayalur Kalyanaraman and Jai Krishna Baghavathar. JKB always remind me of Late Annaji Rao.

I see more and more people performing bajans and happy to see that the tradition of bajans are carried forward.

ஜாக்கிரதை, கண்ணுல கரி விழும்.

Recently I had an opportunity to travel by train from Chennai to Trichirappali, We were sitting in the Air-conditioned Chair Car and except for slight swaying of the train nothing much heard and we were talking in hushed tone since we did not want to disturb other passengers by our usual loud chattering.

Just in 1950s when we were young boys we always travelled this route. We used to go every summer in this route.So excited, we start planning in March itself for journey in mid April.

Ticket to Trichy was just around Rs.6/- (For me half ticket was Rs 3/-) by Third Class compartment. We never know there was some thing called reservation. Never seen so many crowds, like present day and mostly we go sitting in wooden bench. If there is no seat we never bothered, since we sit on biscuit tins brought by my grand mother packed with muruku or seedai or eatables. Mostly I traveled with my grand mother to Dalmiapuram (near Lalgudi) where my mother’s sister lived or toKandanoor where my mother other sister lived.No restriction from my grand mother regarding seating. She only says..

ஜாக்கிரதை, கண்ணுல கரி விழும். The present day people may not know what the meaning for this.

In those days trains were pulled by steam engines and for that they burn lot of coals. So they collect water in junctions and boil it in the engine and use the steam to run the rail engine to pull the train. Mostly in every junction the train engine will collect water from over head pipes and there will be enormouscollection of coal to burn. When the coal is burnt there will be small particles floating in air and will hit the eyes and make our eyes watery. That is why grandma used to warn us..

In acharappakkamthere will be vadai. We reach villupuram around noon and we try to get coffee.There will be a big rush before water tap where we have to collect drinking water. we never bought any meals in train and always pack a big lunch basket and lot of water in கூஜா . It usually took 10 hours to travel from Madras Egmore to reach Dalmiapuram, which was just 180 miles.

we children usuallywrite the names of all railway stations and see one by one going. in fact we know by heart whole list. Olakkur, Panjalam, Dindivanam like that. Middaysambar sadam and th sadam and evening idly. No sleep no rest. Just wondering when we will reach destination.

By the time the train crosses Virudachalam all our enthusiasm gone, tired, dirty, sweatyand some with darkened watery eyes. Finally when we reach the destination ataround 0800 pm we were so tired and sleepy, but happy.

Now we travel by air conditioned compartment, with snacks supplied by some one in train, use bottled water. no sweat, no bleary eyes, no tiredness due to heat, no rush to bring water, and aour seats are reserved and cool.

But with the nostalgic memory, I  long for those carefree days of train travelwith intervening stations with cool air and swaying trees.

My be our grand children may see bullet trains and write like me regarding electric engines and bottled waters.

But i can never forget those days and the slow moving trains and stately railway stations andcourteous railway staff... mmmm

VIPs in India

Recently I was in USAand was in Washington and also travelled to New York. It is always my nature to watch what is there unique and how it differs from India. In what way?

Of course the cleanliness and neat roads, cars following line discipline and absence of police men in every street corner directing traffic, I found one of the most important things the absence of visible VIPs. Except in New York, where United Nations is situated, where heads of States visit and travel along the streets regularly, I never heard a siren or red light mounted vehicle anywhere. Even in Washington DC where the President resides and where all powerful men criss cross the streets every day, I did not see a single police men directing any one or a car with siren going or red light flashing VIP travel. Heard only when President goes they go in convoy that too a part of the street is blocked from one corner to another corner. I just was wondering the way they do things. I was wondering where are all the VIPs?

In India what is a VIP? We say all those ex president, exministers, ex CMs, ex PMS and of course all ex bureaucrats. In other words all consider them self and become VIP. When Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister we started seeing long line of white Ambassador cars linign up behind his vehicle and all started buying White Ambassadors, at one ti the car manufacturer had a long wait list. Then the red light culture came and all started using Red revolving lights on the top of their car,whether it is lighted or not, open or covered, just to tell the road users and some innocent over worked policemen that the occupant is a VIP.In spite of various strictures passed by courts we continue to see so many red light mounted cars in the road, every day. Recently I saw news that Government contemplating bringing rules allowing all MPs to sport red light over their cars.

In Tamil there is pun for this word VIP, வேலை இல்லாத பயல். (Velai Illada Payal). That means a man without any work. We know most of us are in this category only. VIP

So when i came back to India i was just thinking. From the time I enter the airport , i saw the VIP. Some one with safari suit comes. immediately he is whisked away his passport stamped and some one carries his luggage. Except this man also wait for his checked baggage. I asked who he is. some one said he is a VIP.

So I came out and saw a car parked in a no parking zone and asked they said it is a VIP car. So I thought. OH. In India, who ever does all those not permitted for general public is a VIP.

The you go to and function, you get VIP Pass. You get VIP lounge.

Recently one of my friends said he wants to take his wife for treatment for some illness to Singapore. I asked why not in Chennai? He asked why Rajnikanth went to Mount Elizebeth, Singapore for treatment. There in Singapore, no VIP treatment to any one however mighty he may be. Once you book your appointment with doctor it goes like that on time with no interference from VIP visitors or no VIP treatment.

Even for cleaning your street of rubbish or filling potholes in roads either you should be a VIP or a VIP should reside in the street.

When we learn or try to learn some thing from west and ape every thing western, is it not prudent to follow the western VIP culture too?

The last I heard was there is a proposal to open a VIP Jail. Already in Bangalore. I heard there is jail with air conditioned cell, where EX CM was kept ( Taking rest, i feel). Now the investigation into 2G scam ceates more and more VIP under trials, I am sure more and more VIP jails will come up

Do we need these VIPS?

Fewer Indian Students in USA, but more Americans here

I saw with amusement, the following news in Times of India, 15^th November 2011, edition.

 NEW DELHI: For the first time in many years, fewer
 Indian students are going to the US for higher
study, while the number of Chinese students has
 jumped. But, also for the first time, the number of
 US students in India has jumped by over 44%.


According to the Open Doors annual survey by the US' International Institute of Education (IIE), students from India decreased by 1% to a total of 104,000. "Yet, India, as a destination for US students study abroad, increased 44.4%," said the survey. Despite the decline though, Indian students represent 14% of all international students in US higher education and the nation is by far the favourite destination for Indian students overseas.

I remember the day when one of my friends, sent his son to USA after getting B.E from Anna University. The cost of education was so cheap and I remember he took a loan of just Rs.7 lakhs from a bank for going abroad. Now with cost of education going hp nearly four fold and with repayment installment enormous and dwindling job opportunities in USA, slowly our children going to USA come down.

This reminded me of an article I wrote in some website, nearly five years back, pointing out the difficulties faced by Indian parents and their mental fight between affection and reality, where in I have actually dreamed of a day when Indian sons return to our country. I just want to reproduce the article, for the sake of new blog created recently.

 NRI Parents, Life, Feelings

By V. Veeraswami

Summer has started in Chennai. Usually people make a beeline to railway booking centers to book rail tickets for summer vacations. Some who can afford browse the internet searching for cheaper fares in airlines to visit distant places. Some go to cooler climates like Ooty, Kodai or Simla.  There is a new group of people, those with their children in USA, UK or Singapore or Australia. These parents mostly leave India now, so they can escape the hot summer in India and return by October or November so they escape the winter in those far of lands. They are NRI parents.

Long time back no one knows what is NRI. It was mostly used in Banks and Investments and financial circles. What is NRI? Non Resident Indian.  In the history we have seen merchants going abroad to sell their goods, bring back wealth. In Tamil there is saying “Thirakadal Odi Thiraviyam Thedu”

It means go across the seas and earn. In the last quarter of 20^th century, encouraged by new found Oil money in Middle East Asian countries, viz.,  Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and other emirate countries, lot of Indians started moving to middle east searching for jobs which gave them a wealth which they cannot dream here. At one time in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, like Thanjavur every house had some one in Singapore or Middle East. We used to call a small village, Koothanallor, as Kutti Singapore, where most of the people had some relative in Singapore or Malaysia and built their big houses in that small village, flaunting their new found wealth with lot of cultivable lands, jewels and luxury goods. This made every other to think and try for some work in foreign countries so they too want to earn wealth. Every parent wants their sons to go abroad. Every wife wanted their husbands to go and earn abroad.

Then came the sudden boost to IT Industry and modernization and all. Opening up of economy. In 1970 I was working in a Bank branch in Tanjavoor Dist. We used to calculate monthly interest for loan etc. using a Kapoor’s interest calculator. That is book published by a Mumbai Company containing tables giving interest at various rates. What I mean is we have not seen an electronic calculator. Next 15 years saw a tremendous growth in technology and computer entered India. Every one started to see what is computer. NIIT started Basic, Cobal and all. At one time we know only three branches in Engineering. Mechanical, civil and Electrical. Now you see there is no course with out computer. And all went for MCA, BE (ECE) BE (COMP Science)

Every one with money and influence started engineering colleges. India started producing computer engineers in thousands, every year.

So where is work? Then they found the demand abroad more than in India. They get more pay there. Go to USA, Europe. Then they saw the luxury in USA, they saw all the nice things available, they saw all those things they used to see only in movies. They saw in foreign countries they want only hard working, intelligent people and India produced them in thousands.

Earlier most of these people used to go to Middle East. From doctors, chartered accountants to laborers they went to middles east. One thing with Middle East, these countries never allows us to buy land or houses and become citizens of those countries. They worked for some years and return to India. But with USA and Europe it is different. Those ho go there to work there can always get a permanent resident ship (Green Card) or citizenship.

Every parent wants their children to go to USA. I know a friend, who came running and told me, ‘My son got admission in Axe College. All those who pass there go to USA. I am proud’ in other words he thought of his son going to USA even when the boy enters the college. OK. That boy passed and went to USA and did his MS there. Got a job. Parents find he is happy. So he prepares his nest son to do the same. He forgets he has only two sons. And both are leaving the parents. But his aim is only to send them abroad, nothing else.

Next the boy wants his green card. Then his citizenship in that country. Parents prefer their daughters marry boys in USA or Europe. Once the boys get married their wives prefer the foreign countries, where they get a nice care free life. They never like to return to India. I have seen when the children born they get used to the American or European way of life. Pizza, Burgers, hotdogs. Children oppose coming back to India to the schools. So sons and daughters who we sent to study to USA build their house there. They settle.

His neighbor is watching it. He feels why not my sons also do that? Why not we send our son to USA? So he also starts preparing his son. So it goes on like this in most of the family.

So the parents send the children to USA after giving them good education. in Good colleges, happy when they the children are well qualified. They own houses; they drive big BMWs, and Audis. They are happy. They send $$$$. Parents get money. Parents get good home; get big TV, Car and all luxury items. Parents shop in big malls, buy silk, gold and diamond. . But they don’t have any one to share their happiness or sorrow. They want to tell so much.

The locality, in Chennai, where I live, every alternate house has the same problem. Some time I feel the whole area looks like an old age home. Where there were big joint families, now live some middle aged or old couples. This is evident during festival seasons like Deepavali. I know a gentleman, who was a top executive in a multinational.  Now he lives in an Old age home with his wife. Of course the Old age homes for rich are available now. U pay the money and u get all luxuries including periodical visit by doctors. You get every thing money can buy. But not the affection or peace we got when there were joint families with children. My friend suddenly died, and his son has to come from USA. So many difficulties. He reached after 3 days. And the body was cremated before his coming. Of course he came and cried and did all other rituals. But what about the last days of the friend. No one knows.

Why it is happening? Is it only for $$$$? Is India not fit to live? Are our IITs, IIMs anywhere inferior to foreign university MS? I don’t know? Why they go and settle? I don’t know. So are, many NRI parents (parents of Non Resident Indians) do not know. Can any one tell me?

People say India is growing. India is going to be more affluent than USA. All our sons and daughters will return to live in India. Will it ever happen?

12^th December, 2007

veeraswamiv@yahoo.com

Are we filthiest nation?

We as Indians want our country to be top in all subjects, in all spheres. We showed the world we are no smaller minion who can be kicked around. We showed the world we are a Nuclear power. We showed the world that our intelligence is in now way inferior to any one else in the world. We saw Indians in Fortune list of rich people, influential people in the world. We also saw Indian born men and woman in top positions in the world of commerce and science.

But now we see we are topping in other things where we wish to be in the last. Dirty, unclean, filth.

It is really sad to see our own Central Minister, Dr. Jairam Ramesh, telling openly that our country, India has unique distinction of being crowned dirtiest country. Filthiest country in the world.

Of course we are. No one takes care, weather leaders, bureaucrats or general public.

All along we were blaming the huge population as the reason for the deteriorating hygiene. Ok I accept. But what the government has done to improve the condition?

Recently when I visited USA I found that every shop, every eatery every small shop, even a hair cutting saloon have clean toilets with running water both hot and cold. When I visited a fair, I saw temporary toilets with same facility. Are the organizers are providing the same facility here? Instead of providing facility how we expect our country to be clean?

I remember reading in TIME magazine when Osaka World Fair was conducted in 70s in Japan. They made calculation or number visitors expected, number of times a male or female required to go to toilet during period of time and then they erected toilets in the fair. Is there any mechanism like that, in India?

In Chennai, I remember a huge toilet underground in mount road, just where Anna Subway is built now. It was a very large one and he top off it was used as a huge car park. When they built the subway they demolished it. But they have never provided an alternate provision for toilet. Same in Marina Beach.  No provision.

where as there was tremendous development in National Highways, no facility worth mentioning made in villages or even urban areas, by authorities

I honestly feel the ministers and officials should think and make arrangements instead of lamenting about the cleanliness and making big hue and cry.

MY Blog

Some of us get some urge, suddenly to do some thing quixotic. May be some times it looks foolish, some times shows our ignorance, but we always think we are right anddo that.
One such sudden foolish urge made me think of writing blog and I started bravely (I thought
brave, but may be not so Brave but foolish).


Now I have decided to do some thing, I started thinking how to do that. I asked my brother who is
regular blogger and he showed how to create a blog.


Next I was wondering about the title of the blog.


According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, Vagabond means, Wandering, moving from place to
place, leading an unsettled, irresponsible life... In Tamil, we can say that is equal to, NADODI, or கழைக்கூத்தாடி.
In a way it resembled my thinking and my life, as a person who likes to laugh and likes others laugh. Every human being has some problem in life and I can say majority of them are having some problems, worries, unfulfilled dreams, fantasies.

Although they stay in one place working as desk man their entire working life, in mind they are only Nadodis or wanderers, with so many worries.
By nature, I try to lighten the mood by some jokes or some funny talks and try to lessen the pressures. Even my late father used to say don't laugh at every thing.
In real life too, I like to travel see places and explore and meet different type of people.

So when I wanted to start a blog and pour my mind , i thought of the title Vagabond and I felt it may suit me to some extent.


Let me start this blog VAGABONDVEERA