Mallige

Come summer, we Mysoreans can feel the fragrance of jasmine or THE MYSORE MALLIGE all over the city. The Devaraja market or DODDA MARKET as it is popularly called will be filled with different types of mallige. February or March is the best season for this fragrant flower whose fragrance you can feel only, I REPEAT only at mysore. Somehow, I feel eventhough this flower is available at other cities like Bangalore, the fragrance is not at strong as the mysore flowers. My main theme of this blog is about MOOGGINA JADE or the plait decorated with this wonderful flowers. If you are a Mysorean, definately you would have enjoyed this moment atleast once in your life time when an young girl in your family would be decorated with the Jasmine flowers on the plait. Sure, even I in my younger days have gone through this wonderful moment and still cherish the moment with a black and white photo. Remember the doll like looking girl is braided with this Jasmine plait, dressed with zari long skirt, with all jewellary on her!! Ah i forgot about the black spot on the cheek to drive the evil sight on her or the dristi bottu. My aunty used to make us sit for long 2 hours and would braid the hair with the flowers permanently for 2 days. Believe me those flowers never used to move a single inch till 2 days and would droop down after 2 days. Eventually, this custom has a strong bondage with summer. Imagine the hot sun throwing his heat all over the body and you carrying atleast 1 1/2 kgs of jasmine flower on your head?? By the end of the second day trust me u feel like stripping the hair because of its heaviness on your head and ah! you are relieved when the plait is removed. But surely you will wait for the next summer to get it done all over again and again. Thats the magic of Mallige!! MYSORE MALLIGE!!!

marriage

That day morning i happened to read about Mr Arun Nair and Ms(?) Liz halre's marriage in the newspapers. It was quiet an eye catching article in the local paper.The same day I had to attend a relatives marriage at Bangalore/As usual it was a grand reception with lots of jewellary showoffs, silk saree mela and ofcourse lots of eatables. Now a days we south indians have great passion for pani puris, gobi manchurians and all north indian dishes. But the fun about it is that the dustbins will be full more than the plates/ I cant understand whats the fun in filling the plates with all the eatables whether you want it or not?? After the reception i happened to see two boys around 25-30 years just digging the dustbin outside the choultry. one of them got a whole "LADDU" and just imagine his face glittering with joy??I really felt bad for our civilian behaviour. What pleasure do we get in spilling the food when needy people dig the dustbins to fill their stomachs with the leftouts?? Its more hearttouching to see small kids around the dustbins near the choultrys. Cant we put an end to this social evil? Marriage, supposed to be the union of two hearts, two families has become a stage for displaying your wealth, your influence, your place in the society and what not???