Avani Avittam
By Tata Ravi (A/22)

As Krishnamurthy Vadhyar and team take over on Monday, which is Avani Avittam for most of us, this article is just to re-live some of the typical Endeavour scenes on the day (though it is neither Avani month nor Avittam nakshatram) Begin with the rituals at home - Kaamokaarishi 1008 times ......... the discounting drill begins.

Have hot idlis with chatni and sambar and molagaipodi - no discounts here - in between, hear the shouts of "Avani-Avittam Komanam" from guys at the vaashal, some of whom would be wearing fancy raakhis (a dying practice now)

Then, aaraam-se go down for the main batch at 10, 10.30 am, meet some of the faces/contacts from in and around Mulund, whom you can meet only once a year on this day. Crack some usual kadi jokes about some Mamas, shortcut mantrams etc.

Some of them who are not comfy with the veshti, revealing a pant inside. Some securing the veshti with a belt. Not to mention how some people heroically try not to sit on the floor initially but afterwards, kaalu-maraththu ponnathuku apparam resign to sitting on the floor, never mind the wet ground.

Pinney, some people come early morning to catch a place on the stage, some place themselves strategically near one of the entrances so that they can run in when it starts raining, some people continue to sit in the open even when it rains but when it is too much to bear, they too vanish.

Some of them religiously chanting the mantrams initially and then getting bored of this unusual practice. Some making a mess of the new Poonals given to them, not knowing how to dis-entangle them, some not knowing when and how to put the Pavithram - kaadhulaiyaa veralulaiya?

In between, watch how some people rush to office after probably having done then attend the Homam (by which time the crowd is less than 40%, observe how some people quietly escape without waiting for the Homam and as a result, the Vadhyar Dakshinai maybe). Then come home and have a full-fledged saddhi, ellai-la, And finally to top it all, madhyaanam oru first-class thoookkam.......

SOME THINGS JUST DON'T CHANGE!

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