Kodambakkam Area

No! No! Naan inga Kavignar and Kalaimamamamani Perarasu'vin ponn varigaL konda Sivakasi (classic) padathu 'melody' pathi solla varalla.

It is by birthplace (err.. I was actually born in a nursing-home in Nungambakkam and after discharge from there, was put up in my Uncle's house in T.Nagar for a week or so for 'obvious' reasons... we shall discount all that). It may be surprising for many on how could a place which is sandwiched amongst commercial chaos be so peaceful, so peaceful that sometimes you can hear the trains running, from good 200 meters away from the tracks!. I spent good 20 years in Rangarajapuram, and would relate every stage of my growth to it. If only I was as creative as "Sujatha" Rangarajan, I could have written down my version of "Devathaigal" about the place.

Some to remember are: the first time I was asked to go to a store to buy stuff, first day I came down to play(cricket, ofcourse!) with other apartment kids, watching mid-day horror movie with slightly senior kids with a pitch dark setting in the house, New year celebrations in the apartment, learning to cycle, going to Sahasranaamam classes, brief stint at a sanskrit class, 'graduating' to street cricket, a jogging routine in the circular road - which started and ended the same day, scooty lessons to amma in UI colony, Weekly temple routines, Margazhi maasam at Chakrapani street Sannidhi, going for a walk through Duraiswamy subway (perhaps the busiest place on a saturday evening, in the entire city), waiting for 12C and 11D which never come, 'migrating' from my apartment to another set of cricket mates, trying to learn stotrams with Hemu akka - but managed to attend only one class, while my mom was building dreams of me learning Raghuveeragadyam!!, and many many many more.

I now feel, I must document them down - not that I will forget any, but to read them for myself. Rangarajapuram perhaps was the most complete road, with every commodity just at our doorstep. A pharmacy, bakery, pawn shop (:P), electrician, a nadar shop (provisions) all across the road, with a general physician a couple of doors farther; to our side of the road - a flour mill next door, laundry, waste paper mart, bicycle shop (puncture kadai), potti kadai, tea stall, tailor, another doctor, another nadar kadai, a barber, coffee mill and a internet browsing shop that came up later, along with a tasmac (:&).

I remember I was 6, when my mom dared to send me out shopping by myself, that too to go to Murugan stores, which is across the road. Mind you, I was allowed to cross the road alone, carry money and buy stuff in a provision store - all for the first time!. Items in the list were 1 kg table salt and 1 kg kall uppu and the total cash in hand was a Rs 5 note. Back then, I was always apprehensive about keeping anything in my touser pockets. I took the money in my shirt pocket, touching the pocket every other minute from the moment I stepped out of the door.

I looked back to see mom watching me over from the verandah. I got nervous when I crossed the first block, beyond which I was all by myself, for having walked sufficiently beyond blind limit from my mom's perspective; Spent a good minute watching over, before I crossed the road; reached the store. I managed to find one familiar face, one of the store boys - Sekar, who almost always comes home for the monthly provisions delivery, spotted and came to attend me. I choked first, then swallowed, gathered myself and asked for the items in a single breath while neetifying the money. Many towering figures around me looked at me with amusement, and also was Sekar anna. Fortunately, the shopping expedition did go through well.

A few years later, a 5 or 6 year old kid came to the store, stretching his arm with the money while asking for 3-4 items in a single breath. Now I was one of those towering figures for him. I was sure, he should have rehearsed on what he should be doing, atleast 10 times since he left home. Good job kid! you made it!

On a side note, I remember an incident stated in Srimad Bhagawatham, when Vamana moorthy leaves his ashramam to Mahabali's yagna saalai, with hands in a seeking posture. He walked all the way with His hands in that posture, because, He who is always used to giving, and was seeking for the first time ever. He managed to take it a level farther, when He entered the yagna saalai, walked straight to the King, and went about asking "I want three footsteps of land", without any formal salutations and introduction.

Moral: Shop-keepers should treat any kid coming to shop the first time without being "used" to "their ways", as a ThirukuraLappan Himself. But what if they get scared of losing everything soon after? ;-)