January 16, 2012
Another day, another wedding! This time more into the rural territory. Venue was the Jagee Auditorium at Kallambalam in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city. The groom's family was from Kochi, so they were restricted to one bus and a couple of cars. The feast was planned for 1500 people, but because it was a working day there were only a total of 800 guests.
The auditorium is owned by the Jagee jewelry shop. A garish banner advertisement of the jewelry obscenely hangs wall to wall on the stage front corrupting the decorations of the dais.
I stood around answering all the concerned queries about my "weakening" till the groom's reception time. According to grandmas and aunties, my weight loss is a matter of grave concern! One of my favorite aunts got inspired to try a diet...but only after she is done with all the newly bought rice in the house.
The photographers became directors for the reception event making both parties stand and turn for better lighting. Since I remembered the the "flower dropping" glitch at the wedding yesterday, I looked up. The backside of a common pigeon perched on one of the roof ledges. The groom, in his shiny silk shirt, was standing right on target for the bird. Fortunately all the hustle and bustle created by the camera crew scared it away.
My astrologer uncle was in full form ensuring that everything happened at the proper time.
According to him, the auspicious time called "muhurtham" has a "science"behind it. "It is calculated on the basis of the synchronization of the biological clock and the geological clock. In today's case, if we delay it beyond 12 noon, then Saturn enters the 'Lagna' and that is not good."
"Can you prove any of this?"
He stared at me as if I was asking a ridiculous question. What proof was I asking about, eh?! This is thousands of years old 'science'.
I pressed on, "When is exactly someone considered to be married? I mean, what is the exact event that constitutes marriage? Is it the sacred thread tying? Is it the ring exchange? Is it the exchange of garlands?"
He thought for a while. "All of them are included!"
"According to astrology, are the uncle and nephew destined to fight?" Amma joked.
Another sumptuous wedding feast. Even cashew nuts in the 'aviyal'. Again three payasams. But instead of banana payasam it was a gram one that was served in the middle. Overdose of jaggery.
On the way back, slight detour right outside the city to Gandhipuram to drop off an aunt. A row of cookie cutter luxury homes had been built there on leveled paddy fields. During the heavy rains last month, all of them were flooded till the first floor. Poor non-resident Indians who had been sold these lemons. Real estate value in that area still stay wet and stained.
The 52nd School Youth Festival of Kerala started today in Thrissur, the cultural capital of the state. With close to 10,000 students participating over 7 days in 218 events in 17 stages that have been erected, this is the largest arts festival in Asia. The festival was the idea of Kerala state's first education secretary, Dr. C.S. Venkateswaran. In 1958, the first prize in boys singing competition went to a certain K.J. Yesudas. In second place was a Jayachandran Kutty. Malayalam music scene have been blessed by these two presences ever since. Yesudas inaugurated the fete this evening. Today's Manorama newspaper carried a wonderful photograph from that year showing Yesudas singing with Jayachandran playing the Mridangam. The newspaper has urged a search for the third boy shown in the picture with the harmonium.
Over the decades, the festival has provided numerous stars to the cultural scene and cinema. Manju Warrier, who went on to rule the silverscreen, was the Kalathilakam (individual champion female) in 1992 and 1995. In 2005, the Kalathilakam and Kalaprathibha titles were abolished. In the 90s, the festival achieved notoriety for parental interference in the judging. This year, as usual, the identity of the 1000 judges is being kept secret. They will be revealed only when the curtain rises for a particular event. These judges, shadowed by 'mufti' police have been staying in various hotels under fake names.
Thiruvananthapuram district has won the championship most number of times. The golden trophy of a bangled hand with a right spiraling conch and a book was instituted in 1985 at the suggestion of poet Vylopilli and minister T.M.Jacob. The trophy weighs 117 'pavan' (936 grams).
Mention of thilakam in Kalathilakom reminds of an article about his cinema experience written by Dr. Punnathil Kunjabdullah in this month's Bhashaposhini. He was a jury member for the state awards once when Ashok Kumar, the legendary Hindi actor, was the jury chair. Kunjabdullah says that Dadamuni was most impressed by Malayalam actor Thilakan. Each time Thilakan appeared on the screen, Ashok Kumar would delightfully shout, "Arrey yaar, thilakam aa gaya yaar!"
From the article I learnt that Dr. K was responsible for the story of India' first ever 3-D film, "My Dear Kuttichathan".
The Bhashaposhini had another article treating the use of sepia tone in movies to establish theme. Malayalam media have been routinely translating English usages word for word. "Bottle neck" becoming kuppi-kazhuthu is a common example. In the sepia article, I found the word 'Thakkolpadam' and took me a while to realize that it meant 'keyword'.
I am hoping that I can make it to tomorrow's afternoon session of the Kritya poetry festival that is going on at the Vylopilli Samskriti Bhavan. 2 p.m. onwards the session includes Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, Anvar Ali, Vijayalakshmi, Sugathakumari, D Vinayachandran, Rafeek Ahmed, V Madhusudanan Nair, Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri, Rameshan Nair, Chemmanam Chacko, Balachandran Chullikad, Ezhacheri Ramachandran...too impressive a line up to miss!
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