Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A day in my life (Coming soon...)

Namaskaaram! Njan(Myself) Muthuswamy....Muthuswamy Nambudiri.

I came to Delhi with a distant cousin last year from Kerala in an attempt to find some odd jobs here and pull my family out of the claws of abject poverty it had got into. My father was a Mel Shanti(Chief Priest) at our local Bhagawathi temple in Krishnapuram. The menfolk of our Illam(home of Brahmins) were experts in Thantric(vedic and astrology bound) rites. It was not long back when our grandfathers used to practice rigid orthodoxy and sense of caste and purity (Shudham). We used to consider ourselves polluted by even the touch of other Brahmins[Embraan Shudham (by the touch of Tulu Brahmins), Eda Shudham (touch of Tamil Brahmins such as Iyer, Iyengar, Pattar which required us to bathe before resuming activities)], leave aside people from other caste. (*Nambudiri:Wikipedia)

Today, I share a shady little room in Mayur Sarai with Ibrahim, a Parsi guy who, like me, had come to the capital from Mangalapurram(Mangalore) in search of some job. You don’t fill your stomach by clinging on to old traditions and rituals. I would have been an outcaste in my Illam had I stayed with someone from the other caste back then. I still would be, provided I inform my father of the same. All kinds of Shuddhi rites will have to be performed before I get to lie down on my cot back home. For him rituals and traditions may precede an empty stomach, but not for me. He wont touch the money I sent back home after slugging it out in a small roadside South Indian restaurant picking up plates and cleaning tables. He would prefer to die and let the family suffer than accept this fate. He is happy to know that I am assisting a Mel Shanti(Chief Priest) at the Ayappa temple here. Let him remain happy. Let my family have two square meals a day, even if it’s on the expense of my lying……a cardinal sin for a Brahmin.

Catch me soon…Right here….As you live a day alongside me sharing my sorrows and happiness. See you soon. Ohhh…Table no. 4 is done with their meal. I have to pick up their plates and clean the table for the couple who is waiting…….Pinne Kaanaam Ketto(Will catch up later, Ok)

15 comments:

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Tara said...

Oh! This would happen in our family too I am told! It's really sad, this social segregation :( We are the Iyers, and talking to anyone from an apparent "lower caste", is a SIN. But it doesn't happen now, there are no restrictions on the new generation. We are free to do what we want :) Liked your post, do you draw your own cartoons? They are very cute :)

Sandeep Balan said...

@priyanka

Hmmmmmm...another first...gosh! He he...photobloggin...hmmm...sounds good...muthuswamy dude hain dude...thanx for luvin my bugs bunny...will update soon...

Sandeep Balan said...

@tara...

Hey...nice to have u back here again...yup the whole society thing n caste bit was strange yaar...thank god its done n dusted away wid...sadly there are a lot of staunch brahmins left still who still practice...bad!
Yaaa...i draw my own cartoons...am able to...by gods grace...just experimenting wid a new genre...glad tht u liked both muthu n the post....means a lot...cheers....

Usha Pisharody said...

This is another reality check... and this still happens, in a lot of places here!

Being in the heartland, almost, of Kerala, I know. Shuddhi is of utmost importance!

The irony is this... how much of that really touches the important places, inside of one??

Great write.. And woah! You caricature well too!!
will be back to read the follow up.

Mona said...

muthu is damn cute, i must say!!!some great drawing out there... i really like muthu n i like the way he thinks too..

a very interesting plot indeed... n more so because its about a mallu... waiting eagerly for the succeeding part... keep writing...!!!

p.s. do nambudris take iyers as untouchables...??? i never knew about it!!

Akanksha Chaudhary said...

heyy.. its so nice to have found your blog :) :) will get back, read and comment .. we miss you at FORE !


Akanksha ..

Sandeep Balan said...

@usha

wow...great to have you back here...and feels so great to get so encouraging comments from someone as talented as you...means a lot...yup..cartoons..stories..n movies(you can catch up one superhero movie i made in my hostel room...its called mussadiman)...he he...cheers! and hope i dont disappoint you ever...

Sandeep Balan said...

@mona

hey hey hey..thanx a ton...i am glad that you found muthu damn cute and adorable...yup..we all admire the way he thinks...i hope i justify the interesting build up..he he...yup dear..some staunch nambudiri's do practice that...pity pity...keep coming back..and long time since u penned warrior yar...waiting for ur next..cheers!

Sandeep Balan said...

@akanksha

oh my god...look whozz here!!! the great akanksha...hmmmm...great to have you here as well...and thank god u found ur way thru all those dark alleys here in blogdom and reached home safely...keep coming back for tea and snacks...he he..well..i have always missed FORE and will always do....i think it was pretty evident...he he..cheers...will be back soon where my heart belongs...

Unknown said...

nice one..

pinneee kannanam ketto..
enikya pavam thonnunu

Sandeep Balan said...

@ani

ha ha ha...u back..he he...shemikyu dear...hadnt seen u in the comments section for a long time hence felt u were not gettin here...have been very infrequent with my net over the past few months coz of which have been unable to catch up on ur updates...will catch up soon...and..pinne kananam..he he...

Unknown said...

yeh yeh..

man that was sooo cheekyy.. lol.. anyways.. hows the weekend going on.. take care.. byee

Sandeep Balan said...

kind of extended weekend with diwali lined up tomm. dear...how are things in scotland?? any plans for india? and how was onam? hope u had a blast...

Rinzu said...

muthuswamy looks cute...pooli is ur creative imagination or someone else made him???

will catch the later posts soon...

:D