Source::::dinamalar.com
Natarajan
Interesting read
A Potter’s Prayer to Pillaiyar….
From Clay to Idol: Giving finishing touches. Photo: S. James
Clay-idol makers and the tradition of the eco-friendly pacha-mann pillayar are on the wane
Kasturi amma’s Ganeshas are simple, earthy, eco-friendly and hand-made with love and bhakti. A month before Ganesh Chaturthi, 80-year-old Kasturi observesviratham and starts collecting mud and sand for making the Ganesha idols. “The clay is a mixture of half-a-dozen ingredients such as elephant poop, sieved river sand, karambai mann and sometimes hay. It takes a fortnight to get ready,” says Kasturi. Once the clay gets mixed into a homogenous paste, she sits day and night making the murtis. With her deft hands, Kasturi moulds, rolls and shapes the clay into two-feet-tall little Ganeshas. They all look plump, cute and perfect. “It’s difficult to get the trunk,” says Kasturi while swirling her fingers over a lump of clay to make the trunk. She quietly murmurs a prayer and closes her eyes in VENERATION
and the trunk comes out just right. For over 40 years after the death of her potter husband, Kasturi and her son eldest son Srinivasan have kept tradition alive. Tucked inside a narrow lane off the Arapalayam road is their small house stacked with mud pots.
“Earlier we used to sell hundreds of idols. There were over 300 potter families in Arapalayam. The demand used to be so high that most times, we fell short of hands to cater to orders,” recalls Srinivasan. “This year, we have got orders for just 10 idols.” Once, it was the tradition to worship a pacha-mann pillayar which was later immersed into ponds or lakes. As the water bodies have dried up, the takers for the eco-friendly pure-clay idols have come down in the past few years. Potters also feel that the invasion of plaster-of-paris has taken away the charm of clay idols.
Idols made of clay are of two kinds – one in which the idol is baked and the other which is left to dry in the sun. While the baked idols are painted and used as a showcase item, the kaccha murtis are traditionally kept in pujas. In certain techniques, potters also mix hay dust instead of elephant dung and the idols made like that are called Sandu pillayar. “Only if the customer wants, we paint it with watercolours. Else, our idols are mostly in the colour of the earth,” says Kasturi. “The authorities call for eco-friendly idols every year, but sadly people only buy those big chemical-paint ones.”
The making of a two-feet-tall pacha-mann pillayar can take a week. It’s hand-built from the bottom without any mould. Kasturi finishes making the feet and legs first and leaves it for drying for a day or two. Then, she starts making the tummy and the body of the idol and proceeds step-wise. “Idol making is sacred. It involves a number of rituals and strict adherence to purity,” explains Mahalingam, another potter. “Only on the early morning before Chaturthi, the eyes of the idol are made.”
Most of Kasturi’s orders come from the kids in the area, who fondly call her paati. Groups of kids get together, pool in their pocket MONEY to buy a small idol. “They usually ask for discounts and I give idols to them even at half the price,” says Kasturi, who sells the two-feet idols for Rs.200 and bigger ones for Rs.300 or Rs.400. Srinivasan has also made a six-feet idol for this year, which he has priced at Rs.5,000.
Clay-idol makers also rue the lack of mud and sand. Earlier, they used to collect sand from the Vaigai and the karambai mann was easily available in the kanmois surrounding Arapalayam. Half of those kanmois have vanished under encroachments and the others don’t have any mud left in their beds. “Now we buy clay from Thurvariman and Kochadai. The costs have gone up. It’s not a lucrative business. Yet I do it to keep up the tradition. I consider myself gifted to be able to make such beautiful murtis of the Lord,” says Kasturi. “I only pray to Ganesha that we get more rains and our natural resources remain plentiful.”
Keywords: Clay-idol makers, Ganesha idols, Ganesh Chaturthi, eco-friendly idols,
Source:::The Hindu
Natarajan
Quotable Quotes… ” What is Success” ?
Everything is valuable only at 2 times:
1. Before getting it; and
2. After losing it !!
Two things bring happiness & success in life:
1. The way you MANAGE when you have nothing, and
2. The way you BEHAVE when you have everything !
Two places are MOST VALUABLE in the world:
1. The NICEST place is to be in someone’s Thoughts, and
2. The SAFEST place is to be in someone’s Prayers.
One of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness.
Faith is taking the 1st step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Keep your face to the Sun,
And you will not see the shadow!
A Deaf child says: “For all of you, I am deaf;
But for me, all of you are dumb…”
Moral: Life differs in each perspective. Live the way you want to.
It is always good to check once in a while,
And make sure that
You haven’t lost the things that money cannot buy..!!
Attitude at its best:
My BACK is not a VOICE MAIL..
Kindly say on my FACE.
Ego is the only requirement to destroy any relationship.
Be a bigger person; skip the “E”, and let it “go”..!!
One good thing about Egoists:
They don’t talk about other people!
What is SUCCESS?
It is when your photos are uploaded on GOOGLE,
Instead of FACEBOOK..!!
Do you know why God didn’t give us the gift to read others’ minds?
So that,
We could have the chance to “TRUST”,
And privilege to be “TRUSTED”!
As long as we don’t forgive people who have hurt us,
They occupy a RENT-FREE SPACE IN OUR MIND!
Always keep hoping for good.
Keep a green tree in your heart.
The singing birds will automatically come..!
God always likes to know again and again what you want…
It is not that He forgets your Dreams & Prayers;
But He loves to check your passion towards your desire..!
I asked God: “If everything is already written in Destiny, then WHY should I pray?”
God smiled and said: “I have also written- CONDITIONS APPLY…”!!!
Empty pockets teach millions of things in life…
But full pockets spoil us in million ways !!!
No one in the world is afraid to speak the truth.
Everybody is afraid to face the consequences after the truth is told!
Getting angry is punishing yourself for the mistakes of others!
Trust is like a STICKER.
Once it is removed, it may stick again,
But NOT as strong as it holds when you first
applied it..!
Always take care of relations.
Everything about the future is uncertain,
But one thing is sure:
God has already arranged all our tomorrows…
We just have to TRUST HIM TODAY !!
NEVER win people with Arguments, rather defeat with your Smile!
Because people who always wish to Argue with you, cannot bear your Silence !!!
The search for happiness is one of the main source of unhappiness.
Diplomacy is an art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that
they tend to ask you for directions..!!
If a drop of water falls on a Lake, its identity is lost;
If it falls on Lotus leaf, it shines like a Pearl.
Drop is the same; but the company matters.
Our HOPES should be like Hair & Nails.
No matter how many times they get cut,
But they never stop growing.
“F-E-A-R” has two meanings:
1. Forget Everything And Run…
2. Face Everything And Rejoice..!
Choice is ours..!!
If you walk the way guided by humans, you will find hopeless end;
& if you walk the way guided by God, you will find endless hope.
Memories are always special…
Sometimes we laugh by remembering the days we cried;
And we cry by remembering the days we laughed…!!!
That’s Life!
Sea is common for all…
Some take pearls,
Some take fishes,
Some come out just with just wet legs!
World is common to all; what we get, is what
we try for!
To smile without condition,
To walk without intention,
To give without reason, &
To care without expectation,
Are the beauties of any Relation!
Life is very complicated…
When you have standards, people call it ATTITUDE;
When you are simple, people try to CHEAT you; &
When you cheat others, people call you SMART!
All communication problems are because
We don’t listen to understand;
We listen to reply…!!!
Source::: unknown….Input from a friend of mine
Natarajan
” Modern Modaks For Maha Ganapathy…”
The festival of the jolliest, most adorable God is finally here! Yes, it’s Ganesh Chaturthi. Personally, it is my favorite festival of all. Areas in the city are mushroomed with pandals, and are decorated beautifully with Ganpati Bappa’s idols in different sizes and poses. There’s so much merriment, happiness, and smell of freshly made modaks in the air!
While the classic modaks are enough to drive anyone crazy, here are a few easy recipes you can try this festive season, just to make Bappa (and all your family members) happier.
1. Peanut & Coconut Modak
This yummy modak is made by mixing roasted peanuts with grated fresh coconut and jaggery. You can find the recipe here.
2. Peppermint & Dark Chocolate Modak
Made from ricotta cheese, peppermint and chocolate, this is a delicious remake of the traditional modak. Here’s the recipe.
3. Malai Modak
A tasty hack for Modaks with ricotta cheese and heavy cream. Get the recipe here.
4. Cashew Modak
Made by grinding cashew nuts and mixing them with jaggery, these modaks are an absolute delight. Find the recipe here.
5. Dry fruit Modak
A delectable mixture of all the dry fruits into yummy modaks. Find the recipe here.
6. Paneer Modak
This is made using minced paneer, milk, ghee, and saffron strands. Find the recipe here.
7. Coconut Rose Modak
A yummy mixture of coconuts, dry fruits and rose petal preserves. Find the recipe here.
8. Choco-walnut Modak
Two awesome things-chocolate and walnut-getting together for Bappa. Find the recipe here.
9. Fried Modak
A mixture of two kinds of flour along with coconut and jaggery, and deep fried. Find the recipe here.
10. Baklava Modak
Influenced by the Mediterranean Baklava, this modak has a slight twist. Find the recipe here.
So, what are you waiting for? Bappa’s here, and he’s hungry. 
Ganpati Bappa, Moraya!
Source::::Storypick .com
Natarajan
Ammani or Mani Kozhhukkattai for Ganesh Chaturthi …
Source:::: Srivalli in http://www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.in/ …Site referred to me by My wife Mrs. Bhavani Natarajan
Natarajan
Ammani or Mani Kozhukattai is the last of the recipes I prepared for Ganesh Chaturthi, This was part of the third neivedyams, I had made Fried Modak, coconut jaggary Kozhukattai and Mani Kozhukattai. Typically Mani Kozhukattai is made with the excess rice flour dough you have and the excess Ulundu filling. Though I made it specially for prasadam, one can make this as an evening snack for kids if your kids happen to enjoy this.
My kids didn’t touch any of the prasadams. As I said they don’t like sweet dishes much. Konda eats Coconut Jaggary Kozhukattai, and most times remembers her text book lesson in Tamil she had couple of years back. In the story, the kid loves Kozhukattai and said the kozhukattais would melt in the mouth types. So ever since she read that lesson, she was all eager to taste it. When Konda ate it for the first time, she was disappointed that the Kozhukattais were not melting.
Coming back to the RECIPE, when you make it, be sure to increase the chili else it might tend to be bland when compared to Ulundu Kozhukattai.
, when you make it, be sure to increase the chili else it might tend to be bland when compared to Ulundu Kozhukattai.
Step By Step Picture Recipe for Mani Kozhukattai
Ingredients Needed
For the outer Rice flour dough, make as I showed in the Fried Modak.
For the Urad Dal filling.
Urad Dal / Ulundhu – 1 cup
Green Chilies – 2 -3 medium
Red Chili – 2
Curry leaves few
Hing / Asafetida a pinch
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
OIL – 1 tsp
Grated Coconut for garnish – 2 tsp
For the Mani Kozhukattai,
Make the Rice flour dough and pinch out small dough and roll as a ball.
Steam for 10 – 15 mins. Allow to cool. When it’s still hot it will not hold it’s shape, once it’s cooled it will retain it’s ball shape, so don’t handle it before.
How to make Mani (Ammani Kozhukattai):
Soak Urad dal for 2 hrs. Drain and grind along with green chilies, red chilies, salt, hing, curry leaves to a coarse mix
Once ground, make flat discs and steam for 10 mins. Grate to a fine powder.
Heat a non stick pan with 1 tsp oil. Add mustard, Urad dal, curry leaves, red chilies and fry,
Then add the grated Urad dal filling. add turmeric powder.
Once done, add the steamed mani kozhukattai, mix well. Finally garnish with grated coconut and OFFER as prasadam.
Natarajan
“ஓம்கார நாயகன் விநாயகனே போற்றி …”
In Response to my blog post ” விநாயகப் பெருமான் 108 போற்றி ” . , my Friend Shri . A.V. Ramanathan has penned the following lines as comment to my post.
I am glad to share those lines with my followers and viewers .
Natarajan
( தங்கள் மின்னஞ்சலில் வந்த இனிய மந்திரங்களின் தூண்டுதலால் விளைந்த என் கவிதை இது!)
“விஞ்ஞானம் அதிசயிக்கும் மெய்ஞானம்”
அறிவியல் கண்டறிந்த பரமாணுவே போற்றி
பரமாணுவின் வடிவாம் மின்னணுவே போற்றி
மின்னணுவின் கொடை மின்னஞ்சலே போற்றி
மின்னஞ்சல் தாலாட்டும் பக்தி ஊஞ்சலே போற்றி
பக்தி ஊஞ்சல் சுமக்கின்ற மந்திரங்களே போற்றி
மந்திரங்களின் நாயகன் விநாயகனே போற்றி
அஞ்ஞானம் அகற்றும் விஞ்ஞானம் போற்றி
விஞ்ஞானம் அதிசயிக்கும் மெய்ஞானம் போற்றி
மெய்ஞானம் போற்றும் ஓம்காரம் போற்றி
ஒம்கார நாயகன் விநாயகனே போற்றி,போற்றி!
நன்றி.
-ஏ.வி.ராமநாதன்
Message For the Day…”To Turn your Life towards Divinity, Associate yourself with Truth …”
The stream of life is marked by different stages – in each stage you fall a prey to vices like egoism, jealousy and falsehood instead of cultivating truth, righteousness and humility. During your childhood, you lead an innocent life without being aware of the distinction between the worldly and sacred paths (Preyo and Sreyo Marga). But as age advances, you take to the worldly path, rather than to the sublime path. Plunging into the river of desire, tossed by the waves of delusion, getting immersed in the waters of family life, and submerged by peacelessness and strife, you are swallowed by the whale of discontentment. To turn human life from this mundane existence towards the Divine it is essential to have association with Truth, Sath sangam. Sath refers to that which remains the same regardless of time, place or circumstance. One should associate oneself with this Truth. Merging the consciousness with this Truth you should experience the bliss of such association.
Joke of the day… ” You Know what Day This is… ” !!!
Over breakfast one morning, a woman said to her husband, “I bet you don’t know what day this is.”
“Of course I do,” he indignantly answered, going out the door on his way the office.
At 10 AM, the doorbell rang, and when the woman opens the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long-stemmed red roses. At 1 PM, a foil-wrapped, two pound box of her favorite chocolates arrive. Later, a boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman shouldn’t wait for her husband to come home. “First the flowers, then the candy, and then the dress!” she exclaimed. “I’ve never spent a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my whole life!’
Source:::: Joke a day.com
Natarajan
படித்ததில் பிடித்தது…” ரொம்ப நல்லா வருவப்பா…”
திருமண வீட்டில் சமையலை முடித்துவிட்டு அலுத்துப்போய் வீட்டுக்குள் அடியெடுத்து வைத்தார் கனகசபை. அப்பாடா என்று சேரில் அமர்ந்தவர் மனைவியிடம் கூறினார், “கனகா! இந்த சமையல்காரப் பொழைப்பு என்னோட போகட்டும், நம்ம பையனை பெரிய இன்ஜினீயர் ஆக்கணும்.”
“ஆமாங்க நீங்க சொல்றது சரிதான். இப்படி அடுப்புல வெந்து சாகிற பொழைப்பு உங்க பரம்பரையில உங்களோட முடியட்டும்” என்றாள் கனகா.
நாட்கள் ஓடின. மகன் சிவராமன் பிளஸ்2-வில் நல்ல மதிப்பெண் எடுத்து தேர்வாகியிருந்தான்.
“ஏம்பா எந்த காலேஜ்ல இன்ஜினீயரிங் அப்ளிகேஷன் வாங்கியிருக்க?” என்று கேட்டார் கனகசபை.
“மன்னிச்சிருங்கப்பா. நான் இன்ஜினீயரிங் படிக்க விரும்பலை.”
மகன் கூறியதும் பதறிப் போனார் கனகசபை. தன் கனவை மகன் சிதைத்துவிடுவானோ என்று பதறியது அவர் மனம்.
“சிவராமா! நீ இன்ஜினீயரிங் படிக்கணும்கறது அப்பாவோட கனவுப்பா. அதை கலைச்சிடாதடா கண்ணா” மகனிடம் வாஞ்சையுடன் கூறினார்.
தாழ்ந்த குரலில் தந்தைக்கு பதில் கூறினான் சிவராமன்.. “அப்பா.. இன்ஜினீயர் படிப்பு ஒரு காலத்துல பெரிய படிப்புதான். இல்லைன்னு சொல்லல. ஆனா இப்ப தெருவுக்குத் தெரு இன்ஜினீயரிங் காலேஜ் மலிஞ்சு போச்சு. இன்ஜினீயர்களுக்கு வேலை கிடைக்கிறது குதிரைக் கொம்பா ஆயிடுச்சுப்பா.”
“சரி, வேற என்ன படிக்கலாம்னு இருக்க?”
“கேட்டரிங் டெக்னாலஜி.”
மகன் சொன்னதும் தூக்கி வாரிப் போட்டது கனகசபைக்கு.
“ஏம்பா இந்த சமையல் வேலை என்னோட போகட்டும்னு நானும் உங்க அம்மாவும் நெனைக்கிறோம், நீ என்னடான்னா வாழையடி வாழையா இந்தப் பொழைப்புக்கே வரணும்னு துடிக்கிறியே?”
“அப்பா சமையல்னா கேவலமாப்பா? ஊருல கேட்டுப் பாருங்க கனகசபை சமையலப் பத்தி. உங்க சமையல்னா ஊர் சனம் ஒன்பது பந்தி கழிஞ்சும் காத்திருந்து சாப்பிட்டுட்டு போகும். ருசியா சமைக்க உங்களைப்போல ஒண்ணு ரெண்டு பேர்தாம்பா ஊர்ல இருக்காங்க. உங்க சமையல் கலை உங்களோட அழிஞ்சுபோயிடக் கூடாது.அதுக்கு வாரிசா நான் வரணும். அதுக்காகத்தான் கேட்டரிங் டெக்னாலஜி படிக்கறேன். ஏட்டுப் படிப்போட உங்க அனுபவ பாடமும் சேர்ந்தா நாட்டிலேயே நான் பெரிய சமையல் கலைஞனா ஆயிடுவேன். ஆயிரம் இன்ஜினீ யர்கள் எளிதா உருவாகிடுவாங்க. ஆனா வாய்க்கு ருசியா சமைக்க ஒரு கனகசபை உருவாகிறது ரொம்ப கஷ்டம்பா. நான் ஒரு கனகசபையா உருவாக விரும்புறேன்” என்றவாறு கேட்டரிங் படிப்புக்கான விண்ணப்ப படிவத்தை தந்தையின் காலில் வைத்து வணங்கினான் சிவராமன்.
“ரொம்ப நல்லா வருவப்பா” என்று கண்ணீர் மல்க மகனை ஆசீர்வதித்தார் கனகசபை.
Source::: வி. சகிதாமுருகன் in The Hindu…Tamil
Natarajan
” பிள்ளையார் போற்றுவோம் ….”
அனைவருக்கும் இனிய பிள்ளையார் சதுர்த்தி வாழ்த்துக்கள்.
பிள்ளையார் போற்றுவோம்
(அறுசீர் விருத்தம்: காய் மா விளம் காய் காய் காய்)
ஆனைமுகம் பார்த்தால் தடையெலாம் .. காலடியில் மூஞ்சூறாய் ஓடிவிடும்
பானைவயின் பார்த்தால் பகையெலாம் .. ஆதவன்முன் பனியெனவே ஓடிவிடும்
கானமதைக் கேட்டால் பிள்ளையார் .. காதுகளில் தேனருவி வந்துவிழும்
நானவனை இன்றே போற்றுவேன் .. பானகமும் மோதகமும் முன்வைத்தே.
மாணவரின் கல்வி யோங்குமே .. காணவரின் பிள்ளையாரின் உருவினையே
கோணலெலாம் மாறிச் சீர்ப்படும் .. கோலவிழிக் கோமகனை வழிபடவே
சாணேறில் மீண்டும் சறுக்கிடும் .. சாதனைகள் கொடிமரமாய் உயர்ந்திடுமே
நாணமுறும் மாதர் வாழ்வினில் .. நாலுவகைப் பேறுகளும் கூடிடுமே.
கணபதியை நாளும் போற்றுவோம் .. காலமெலாம் கவலையின்றி வாழ்வோமே
குணநலன்கள் யாவும் சேருமே .. கூப்பிட்டுத் துதிசெய்து பாடிடவே
கணப்பொழுதில் நீங்கும் தடையெலாம் .. கணபதியே சுற்றமெனக் கொண்டாலே
வணங்கிடுவோம் சென்னி நிலம்பட .. மணமெல்லாம் வாழ்வினிலே பெற்றிடவே.
–ரமணி, in http://www.periva.proboards.com
Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/thread/5111/#ixzz3Bb3wxY98
Natarajan
Take off with Natarajan 