Tuesday, May 13, 2014

''Fond memories of my childhood'' [ 5 ]

''Fond memories of my childhood ''[ 5 ]
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 After a few days dad visited the house again to attend a ceremony in connection with the demise of his relative.My mom also accompanied us.We started our journey very early that we reached there in the morning.Then the rites and some other ceremony was going on.While it was going on a number of dark women and men in shabby dresses like lunky, They had  no shirts, women with small towels on their shoulders, crying ;
shrieking ; howling and telling something  but not clear ;and a few of them fell on the  ground and rolled on.I was wondering what and why they were doing so?.Then my brother took me aside and told that they are the tenants and labourers of their farms   and that there was a
custom; they should cry like this telling all good things about the man who died;at the daybreak noon and at the time of sunset...three times a day. They had to stay in the cow shed or the room attached to it for sixteen days ,and do like this until the rites  and ceremony ended.
After the rites we had a very nice brakefast and then dad went out in the pandal[ a spacious temporary shed made of palm leaves].People gathered around him with much respect,and the constable who accompanied him always to obey his orders stood in a corner.After lunch we started our journey back.This time the car did 'not  give us any trouble.
But my brother and myself were expecting  a brake  in the middle of the road ,people gathering around...looking at us ...as if we are somebody great. But nothing happened...except a stray dog ran after our car;barking ...and trying to bite the tyre, for a few yards.The tall  tall trees
and its shades faded away and I slept off...in mom's lap.I opened my eyes ...only ... when the car stopped in front of our house with a jerk.
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1 comment:

  1. പതിനാറ് ദിവസം കുടികിടപ്പുകാര്‍ കരയണമെന്ന ആചാരം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു എന്ന് ഞാന്‍ ഇപ്പോഴാണറിയുന്നത്.

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