I still recall the day so very vividly, it was 25th
May’1985. Just three days after my marriage. We were in Tirupati hills to
perform Kalayana Ustavam( Performance of Celestial marriage function for the
presiding deity and his consort) as per the owes taken by my parents. Jayashree
my better-half was with me by my side, my parents and three younger brothers
were with me too. Those were the days with little communication facilities like
cell phone, e-mail, fax etc. Therefore everything was done through written
letters posted in local post boxes. There would be no acknowledgement for those
letters as before the acknowledgement reached you would reach the destination
for your work!
I had written to our mutt for accommodation, food informing
our itinerary etc. But there was no acknowledgement received. With great hope
in our minds and prayers on our lips landed we in the Mutt’s boarding and
lodging facility. We got one room for all seven of us. We had taken bath and got
dressed for the occasion. These Mutts generally do not provide any breakfast
and generally serve lunch around noon after their scheduled Pooja”s completion.
Therefore we had to skip breakfast and rush to the function. Before leaving my
younger brother approached the cook cum manager and confirmed with him that as
soon as we return from the function we would be served lunch in piping hot
condition. The assurance from my brother was enough for us to forget the hunger
pangs and sit quietly for the Kalyana ustavam.
Tirupati abode of presiding Lord Sri Venkaesa always remains
temple of eternal celebration. With speakers blaring religious songs, TV
screens displaying the events going inside the temple, devotees in their
anxiety and hurry rushing towards the queue complexes, shuttle buses ferrying
devotees from one corner to the other, street vendors nicely lined up in both
sides of the road soliciting customers for their wares, multi- cultural, multi- ethnic crowd speaking different languages, representing different cultures but
all eagerly awaiting a simple glimpse of the main deity add to the divine
atmosphere !
The celestial marriages is performed almost daily in
elaborate style involve by bringing the deities called Ustavar ( In temples
there are two deities Moolavar who is a statue of stone and immobile and
Ustavar smaller statue made up of special alloy who can be moved around for
processions etc.) and decorating them as bride and Groom. After that welcome
ceremony for the groom, garlanding of Bride & groom and all other marriage
ceremonies like tying the mangalya sutra, going around the holy fire etc. all
done with piety and patience elaborately. Accompanying music from Nagaswaram,
Ladies singing, Vedic chanting all add up to the holy atmosphere. It is worth
sitting for such a long duration to get immersed in the holy environment!
The functions finished around 2 PM and we rushed to the Mutt
for the Piping hot lunch. We were welcomed and made to sit on the floor as per
tradition, to be served. We were waiting for the food to be served. By then
another family of five six people landed into the dining hall. The cook came to
my father and asked my father’s name. My father politely told him his short
name “ V T CHARI”. The cook wanted with expanded initials and full name. My
father told him the same politely.
By then the other party who had just landed were getting
impatient and started shouting at the cook. The cook asked the other party to
remain quiet and asked the person’s name and details. He also told his name as
“CHARI” which is a common community surname.
By then we understood the cause of the commotion.
The other party had made arrangements for the lunch etc. but
failed to turn up to confirm the same as they had directly gone to the temple
for the function. The cook had prepared meals only for our family. We were very
hungry and getting terribly disturbed. The other party was roasting the cook
alive and dropping names of all big shots in Chennai to scare the cook. The cook
had by then became too stubborn too and told them to go to hell! This provoked
the patriarch of the family who must be in his seventies. He was becoming
abusive and started shouting and lifted his walking stick and pounced towards
the cook. He hand was raised above his shoulder with the walking stick and he
was about to hit the cook. His wife and other ladies in the family started
crying loudly. His children were dumb stuck!
By then my father who
was watching the whole scene very patiently got up and grabbed the old man’s
hand in time to stop the walking stick from hitting the cook cum manager. He
spoke to him in an authoritarian tone and told him what his problem was. Then
my father politely told him that we would give up having the food in the mutt and
move out immediately. This would help the old man and his family to have the
lunch without any itch. Though they did not confirm the reservation or
arrangement with the mutt in the morning they would be obliged when we moved
out. We were very hungry but did not open our months in front of our father.
The old man felt ashamed of his behavior in the temple town that too in a
sacred Mutt meant for its devotees. He profusely apologized to the Cook cum
manager.
Then a compromise was worked out. All the elders from both families
would dine in the mutt. Youngsters would go out and have food in nearby hotels.
Thus we al youngsters moved to a nearby restaurant for lunch and returned in
time for the elders to a stuck a very close bonding made out of hunger and its
outburst!!
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