Wed, 8 Feb at 4:07 pm

A WEDDING AND A SADABHISHEKAM

For a long time now, I had sworn off weddings and any traditional family or friendly event, but I have realised that I am going that route willy nilly. 

When friend's children are getting married I need to attend at least one of the events and so prefer only the sangeet, which is colourful, has good eats and always has booze. 

But even here I have to dress up. I cannot ever compare notes with the others in this area, but seriously it is such an effort that I actually am doffing my hat at all the well dressed ladies, and that is practically all the women I know and I do not know. 

In recent times it is like a little revolution, where all women dress well, look good and are putting in a lot of effort in this area. 

I also seem to be attending family events, because I am now representing my parents, who are no more. And good Lord! There are a lot of events, functions, some religious, some deaths, some births, etc. 

Earlier I always thought a good perfume and a pair of flashy earrings would do the trick, but even that hack has grown old. I am now tired of mixing and matching. Having said that I landed up in Chennai to attend a friend's daughter's reception. With all the women wearing their pattu podavais, I decidedly looked like the poor cousin. It is another issue that I have a sunny disposition and therefore breeze through any event. But I am now tired. I would like to be the proverbial fly on the wall. Just for my ruminations. And then I can look any which way and who cares

After the wedding at Chennai I went to Coimbatore and had a wonderful two days with my cousins Lakshmi, her brother Ramesh and his wife Kalpana (the last two are my neighbours in Hyderabad and so the relationship is a tad bit more familiar). 

Lakshmi, an icon from my childhood retired as a Reader from the SIET college. Then she and her ailing (late) husband decided to move to Coimbatore into a senior citizen facility. 

This was my first ever visit and I liked what I saw and what I ate. But that could be because I visited and had two meals only. The ladies and gents we met were friendly, curious and extremely talkative. But it was good time spent. 

I was here to attend the Sadabhishekam of SD Bala, husband of Sridevi, Lakshmi's sister and my cousin. 

Sadabhishekam, the 80th Birthday puja is celebrated by the relatives by getting together and performing homam, abhishekam and other rituals for the couple. In this case the entire event was organised by the couple's children Shruti and Anand. Though one lives abroad and the other away from Coimbatore, the entire event went off well. 

In the bygone times, reaching 80 years,  with good health was a great achievement. This ceremony is like conducting a marriage ceremony, except for the lack of giggles emanating from breathless expectation of the young bride and groom. 

Though Devi and Bala are quite the romantic couple and took the tiring ceremonies in their stride and were also creating comic moments. 

The story behind sathabhishekam is that  the man has seen 1000 full moons by this point and should be truly on the spiritual path. Having said that Bala did his CA after turning 60. And then further he wrote six books on this subject, which is even used in colleges. A spirited path and quite the inspiration for all of us mundane human beings. 

Lakshmi, Devi and Ramesh are the children of the illustrious Dr C R Krishnamurthi (to me Murthi periappa). He retired as the Director CSIR IITR Lucknow. He was further appointed as Chairman Scientific Commision Bhopal Gas Leakage and also as Chairman Ganga Action Plan   Deptt of Environment. 

He was also the recipient of the prestigious Pitambar Pant in 1983.

An old fashioned, well read, highly intellectual and a questioner, Murthi periappa is no more. I attended this function his memory.