From Deepa's Desk

  Vishu has been my favorite festival right since my childhood. The various rituals associated with this festival make it unique and very, very special. The main ritual is seeing the Vishu kani – the first thing to see when you wake up in the morning. Vishu Kani is an assortment of rice, pulses, coins, notes, jewellery, vegetables and fruits placed in a pattern. A mirror is placed strategically in the center of this assortment, the purpose being that all the objects kept in the Kani are reflected in the mirror. This signifies abundance. An idol or photo of Lord Krishna is usually placed along with the platter of fruits and vegetables. Vishu being the New Year for Keralites, this ritual symbolizes seeing something very auspicious the very first thing in the morning after waking up. This is to set a precedence for the whole year, a hope that every day of the New Year will be blessed and auspicious. My parents would set up the Vishu Kani at night, not allowing me, my sister and ...

I feel blessed to say that I haven't been a stranger to serendipity. Often and unexpectedly, I have been gifted moments of wonder and awe that make me believe in a Higher Power.  Take for instance the picture I have used for this blog. This was taken tonight when I was strolling outside my home after dinner. Actually it all began yesterday. It was the full-moon day and for some reason, I could not go out of the house at all. I lamented late evening that I had missed seeing the pink moon rise immediately after sunset. After dinner, I was strolling as usual on the floor outside my home when I looked up and saw the moon which was pink! The most amazing part is that I never get to see the moon from that end of my home usually. I have to step out of the lane where my building is located to have a view of the moon on most days. That I could see it on a full-moon day especially when I had given up all hopes of seeing it, made the experience much more blissful. Tonight too, I had bee...

  I came across an article recently. It was on climate change and its impact. The article speculated that, given the ongoing trend of sudden and drastic change in the climate, it could be a possibility that the season of spring could completely forgo us, and that it could be possible that summer may follow winter with no opportunity for the spring season. For me, February and March have always been pleasant – a welcome change from the cold weather. The mornings are cool and crisp, the afternoons are warm enough and the evenings and nights are breezy. That someday there won’t be a spring season to experience is something that I dread to think of. Speaking of February, the shortest month of the year feels like the longest month for me. More musings on this will follow, but for now, I would like to share with you, my month reading-wise, writing-wise, movie-wise and lessons-wise! Reading Reflections: This month I went all out when it comes to reading. I devoured books as if my ...

I came across two memes pertaining to January - one defining January as a never-ending Monday and the other stating that out of 365 days of a year, January itself feels 300 days long. While these memes are hilarious, they do drive a point home. There were times during the month when January felt as if it is stretching itself. Then there were some days when I realized that the first month of the new year is speeding by. Whether long or short, January has been eventful for me. Be it books, my write-ups, movies or just personal reflections, January gave me enough time to catch up with all of these. Reading Reflections: Reading-wise, January has been a peaceful and satisfying month. I deliberately chose cozy, comfortable and light reads. I joined an online book-reading group and it has really motivated me to keep up with my reading habit.  Here are the books I read in this month: Books by Carolyn Brown: The Lullaby Sky The Lilac Bouquet The Party Line Books by Sadhguru: Mind Is Your Bu...

Come December, and nostalgia starts setting in. There's something bittersweet about the last month of the year. An impending sense of ending looms ahead, along with the promise of new and probably better beginnings.  I had actually planned to start a sort of an advent calendar, trying to make every day of December special by assigning a fun - activity for each day of the month. I painstakingly prepared a list of activities.  But then, the prospect of doing something new everyday feels daunting. It feels like there is so much pressure to make the day special. It shouldn't be so, right? I mean, what is the point of doing something that is intended for enjoyment but feels like a chore? So I more or less gave up on the list.  But life has a funny way of catching us by surprise. Without any intention or plan, the day indeed felt special. And the best part - I didn't have to go out of my way to make it special. I could wake up early and enjoy the time before morning dawned clou...

This year’s Ganesh Chaturthi was indeed special! Since two years, our apartment complex has been playing host to the Lord Ganesha. A group of boys in the colony and their friends look after all the arrangements – right from collecting funds, to bringing the Ganesha and ensuring daily worship. For one whole week, the evenings went by in attending the Pooja, availing the delicious Prasad offerings and meeting people from the apartment and the lane as well. Some new acquaintances were formed while existing friendships blossomed even more. After a long while, the lane reverberated with the sounds of children playing and having fun. It was a wonderful week – a time to dress up, meet people and strengthen the bonds of a budding community! I started this blog by saying that this year’s festival was special. There’s an interesting story about it. The day when Ganesha is brought home, or to the pandal, is a very special day for me. I have fond memories of rushing out of my home whenev...