The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

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SivaRamanathan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30

The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#1 Post by SivaRamanathan » 26 Sep 2019, 11:13

When the cattle left in four wheelers from Pondicherry , they came to T-Nagar in Mambalam,
straight to their sheds at the back of the house where partitions were made
for the cows and buffalos which settled not so slowly, wagging off the flies.
The trough soon filled with kitchen waste, all the edible uncooked peel
and rice-washed-water filled the fodder trough. Daughter-in-law no 1,
did puja; she habitually took Arthi with camphor and incense, worshipped
the behind where the tail started, the dung shitting place, goddess Lakshmi
resides there. How she loved it, to feed it Agathi Keerai and to circum-ambulate.
The dung was used to make Cobal Gas which reached the kitchen in pipes.

Harvest festival of Pongal, was for worshipping the cows, buffaloes and goats
and the cows were brought to the courtyard, with painted horns and mock-silver anklets,
Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated the wood-brick-stove, cooked jaggery rice
was given as prasad first. Pampered. Prior to the festival, cowdung gods flaunted flowers
early dawn. The courtyard was prepared for the festival, topography with special pointers
marked for the girl of the house, the hierarchy of daughters-in-law vied with her
to draw the kolam, a rice flour art work with loops and dots marking the Sun Lord’s chariot.

Grandma and little uncle had four chicken coops for growing broiler chickens.
When the floods came the chickens drowned, but the cattle were walked to a higher plane.
Servants and vendors dared walk in only through the side gate. The long queue
was for buying thick butter-milk. Drumstick-trees, mangoes, giant limes, guavas,
chicki, were on the inner side of the compound. Parijatha, Ixora, Nandiayvatta, Arali,
Harshinga were for the gods.


Gradma had a farm, a few furlongs away, where the well was full, always.
Beans and guards, intertwined and every two or three days
we had lady’s finger and brinjal; I tagged along with her to this ‘Karamb.’

Inside the house was an inner courtyard, where uncles sat in short-shorts
while their wives (respective) rubbed gingilli oil on their bodies for the ritual oil bath.
I vowed never to get married if this was one of the wife’s duties , little realizing
they enjoyed it.


Now there are flats here and the well is never full.

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#2 Post by Kenneth2816 » 26 Sep 2019, 12:10

I had to read this a few times, but I love everything in it.

SivaRamanathan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#3 Post by SivaRamanathan » 26 Sep 2019, 15:59

It is a draft, though I have worked on it.This spreads all over the page. I wish I could get the gist of it for a poem.

FranktheFrank
Posts: 1983
Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
Location: Between the mountains and the sea

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#4 Post by FranktheFrank » 26 Sep 2019, 18:01

This reads as a rich tapestry of Indian village life.

SivaRamanathan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#5 Post by SivaRamanathan » 26 Sep 2019, 19:01

Frank
This is the city life, when I was young.The poem is for Climate change.

S

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#6 Post by BobBradshaw » 26 Sep 2019, 21:28

I am with Ken on this... love the dey

User avatar
Billy
Posts: 1384
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 10:56

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#7 Post by Billy » 27 Sep 2019, 00:10

Well done. I’m sure I’m missing a lot since there are cultural allusions I’m not familiar wit as probably happens to you when you read. My poems.

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#8 Post by Kenneth2816 » 30 Sep 2019, 15:02

Nominated Siva

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#9 Post by Kenneth2816 » 30 Sep 2019, 15:20

When the cattle left in four wheelers from Pondicherry , they came to T-Nagar in Mambalam,
straight to their sheds at the back of the house where partitions were made for the cows and buffalos
which settled not so slowly, wagging off the flies.

The trough soon filled with kitchen waste, all the edible uncooked peel, and rice-washed-water filled the trough.
Daughter-in-law no 1 did puja;she habitually took
Arthi with camphor and incense, worshipped
the behind where the tail started, the dung shitting place, where the goddess Lakshmi resides.


. How she loved it, to feed it Agathi Keerai and to circum-ambulate.
The dung was used to make Cobal Gas which reached the kitchen in pipes.

Harvest festival of Pongal, was for worshipping the cows, buffaloes and goats, and the cows were brought to the courtyard, with painted horns and mock-silver anklets,Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated the wood-brick-stove cooked January rice
Hara Rama beads, circum-ambulated,the wood-brick-stove, cooked jaggery rice was given as parsad.

. Pampered. Prior to the festival, cowdung gods flaunted flowers.
Early dawn,the courtyard was prepared for the festival, topography with special pointers marked for the girl
of the house, the hierarchy of daughters-in-law vied with her to draw the kolam; a rice flour art work
with loops and dots marking the Sun Lord’s chariot.

Grandma and little uncle had four chicken coops for raisiing broiler chickens.
When the floods came the chickens drowned, but the cattle were walked to a higher place.
Servants and vendors dared walk in only through the side gate. The long queue was for buying thick butter-milk. Drumstick-trees, mangoes, giant limes, guavas,
chicki, were on the inner side of the compound. Parijatha, Ixora, Nandiayvatta, Arali,
Harshinga were for the gods.


Gradma had a farm, a few furlongs away, where the well was full, always.
Beans and guords, intertwined and every two or three days, we had lady's finger and brinjal;
I tagged along with her to this ‘Karamb.’

Inside the house was an inner courtyard, where uncles sat in short-shorts while their wives (respective)
rubbed gingilli oil on their bodies for the ritual oil bath.
I vowed never to marry if this was one of the wife’s duties , little realizing they enjoyed it.

Now there are flats here and the well is never full.

I formatted and did minor edits of spelling and syntax

SivaRamanathan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#10 Post by SivaRamanathan » 30 Sep 2019, 19:16

Kenneth
Thanks for working on the poem. This poem is not yet ready for nomination and much work has to be done. I will take your workshopping as base and work on it privately,and when I am ready I will post it on the forum.

Siva

SivaRamanathan
Posts: 1168
Joined: 14 May 2011, 20:30

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#11 Post by SivaRamanathan » 30 Sep 2019, 21:01

Kenneth

Maybe I will repost in November.But thank you for your interest,which has made me stick to it.

Siva

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: The Courtyard of the Big House, Mambalam

#12 Post by Kenneth2816 » 01 Oct 2019, 07:56

Ok

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