A house warming picture post

After Diwali I got busy with the house warming preparation and finally the D day arrived. We organized for a Ganapathi Homam on the 31st of October. On the whole the function took place smoothly with out any glitches. 

Take a look at some of the pictures.

We received this beautiful lamp as a gift for the house warming. Check out the cool  flower arrangement around the lamp.

She was the presiding deity of the day

The deity adorned with flowers

Yummy breakfast that was served with hot filter coffee

During the homam Appam, Ashta dravyam and cooked rice were offered as an oblation

       Ashta Dravyam

          Ghee  Appam

                                           Havis- Cooked rice for homam

This was the lunch spread

The Kalash that I carried into the house.

Paruppu Thengai- These cones were filled with manoharam and tasted so good. 

Waiting to be distributed to the guests.

                              Preparations for the Havan

                              Snapshot of the building

It was a pleasant day with good memories and we had to rush off to attend another engagement party on the same day.

Of Peacocks and Paisleys

Well,last weekend was Diwali shopping.I told my parents not to get me a silk saree.I do not use it regularly and nor do I know how to tie one!!.They just did not listen to me and this is what they got me a pure kanchipuram silk saree.It has a blue green tinge with paisleys all over.So thanx to my mom and dad for this lovely gift.This happened on a Saturday.

On Friday since it happened to be a full moon I set off to go and see a temple with my folks.I visited this ancient temple called Pancheshti,(I have already made a post of this temple here).The lingam here was completed covered with white cooked rice.This decoration is known as Anna(rice) Abhishegam.It was a sight to see.Do check out some of the picture of the temple here.

Cute sculpture of a five headed Ganesh

Another form of Lord Shiva Dakshinamoorthy-The Lord of all knowledge

 I also made some friends in the temple.These girls were so curious about my digital camera.It was so refreshing to talk to them.Their innocence and spontaneity was a delight to watch.

The rice used to adorn the deity was made into sambar sadam.Check out the pic.

Temple Sambar Saadam

 On sunday it was food again.Went to Shri Rajashtani Dabha.Their rotis are amazing,plus wallet friendly.They are located at Anna nagar

Thali at Rajasthani Dabha

It was great weekend with a mix of Temples,food and Diwali shopping.Of course this post is going to Patty's Weekend Wrap up-3.

Mom's SEPT 11-2010 Birthday

Mom's Sept11-2010 Birthday

My mom's birthday coincided with Ganesh Chaturthi this year. So it was kozhukattai's in the morning and yummy egg less fresh pineapple cake in the evening.I have been putting a lot of posts in the back burner,thanks to my back. So I wanted to do this post before October began!Well, one word that comes to my mind when I think of her is selfless.Despite her ill health,she does the best she can for me.What more can I ask.She is one of the primary reasons for this blog.It was her interest in temples that led me to blog about it.She is also a great cook. I still have not put up her recipes,which I will from now on.God bless her with good health and prosperity.

Lamps everywhere

In chennai its Karthigai season and there are lamps a plenty on the pavements.This seasons special are lamps made of ceramic.Take a look at the pavement selling these cuties of different varieties.

MRI-NIRVANA

This morning went for an MRI scan of my back.It was such a lousy experience.For starters it was claustrophobic and it was so noisy.I had to stay still without moving.What an awful experience.That moment in the dungeon,I recalled the icon of Vaitheeshwaran linga,located at Poonamalee.I pushed my brain to convert the constant drone of the machine into sounding like ram ram.I recalled the icon of Veera Anjaneyar at Mylapore.These icons gave me the strength to pull through the tedium.So I guess faith and the externalization of faith the icons are there for us to tap our inner preserves of strength.Well,I know all I'm talking about is just an MRI,but I did not like it one bit.So thanx to all the icons my mind had to draw from to steady itself.

Beware the Ides of March

Long time no blog.I was down and out with a bad back.Doctors say what I have is a mild disc prolapse.!!The only way out is to strengthen my back muscles.I hope get my back fixed soon.Shall post shortly.

My Nonagenarian Grand dad

Annapurna

Lord Ganesh in his pooja room

A quaint corner in my granddad's

Recently, I visited my grandad who resides at Palavanthangal,which is close to the Chennai Airport.He is ninety and you can call him a nonagenarian.He lives all by himself in the house which you can see above.This house is called Annapurna,this used to be my summer paradise in my younger days.I am very fond of this house.This house will pave way to the modern day requirements very soon.I don't think I can see it in this form again.This really saddens me. This house has served its purpose and has accomodated a whole host of people,truly living up to its name. Hats off to your spirit,Annapurna you have been a mother to the multitudes who have knocked on your door.Thank you for making me truly happy in your presence. He has passed on to another plane as of March 21,2011.

12 steps before you own a house

Came across this useful info on Times of India today.

Chennai Night Sky

This was captured on Saturday and I was on cloud 9 , thanx to Vidhya

ANTZ carrying a paddy flake

HAPPY HO HO DEADHEADS

I came across this interesting way of wishing Grateful Dead fans for Christmas at http://gratefulbeans.com. Happy Holidays and Merry Xmas to everybody.

Biggest and Brightest Full moon of 2008 in 15 years

Loon the moon!!

This was the full moon on DEC 12 2008. And I luckily captured it!!

According to a report in National Geographic News, although a full moon happens every month, the one that rises on 12 dec 2008 will appear about 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than the other full moons seen so far this year.This will happen because the moon will be much closer than usual. It will be at its closest perigee, which is the nearest that it can get to Earth during its egg-shaped orbit around our planet. At its farthest from Earth, the moon is said to be at apogee.Perigee and apogee each happen generally once a month, but the moon's wobbly orbit means that its exact distance at each of those events varies over the year. The moon's phase can also be different during each apogee and perigee. "Typically, we don't have the full moon phase and perigee coinciding at the same time, so that makes this event particularly special," said Ed Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.What's more, today's event will be the closest lunar perigee since 1993, at 221,560 miles (356,566 kilometers) from Earth.Because this unusually close perigee is happening during a full moon, it is expected to have an effect on Earth's tides

Crow friend

I had an early morning visitor today , my friend the common crow(Corvus splendens). She/he comes to balcony calls for me and actually asks for food. Crows are extremely intelligent creatures. They are scavengers and help keep are environment clean.I feed him/her a raisin everyday. In our hindu culture they are venerated and the first thing we do is feed the crow with some fresh rice. Only then do we partake our food. Our ancestors rock!!

Team Health Shoppe Disaster

My mum and me recently visited an ecostore called Team Health Shoppe whose address I have provided below. They claim to be a "wellness shop". My mum wanted to buy Palm jaggery from this shop. We even got two packs of this. Once I got home small cockroaches started falling out of this pack.My mum was enraged,she promptly called the shop and blasted the girl who was managing the shop. It seemed to me that the shop lacked maintenance.I actually saw huge cobwebs even on the managers desk. I have sent an email through their site. I have not got any reply. My mum promptly threw the product in the bin. There ended my quest for buying things organic.

Team Health Shoppe @ ANNA NAGAR
Plot 1200, Z Block, 6th Avenue Chennai – 600 040,
Opp. Kokino Karate School) Phone : 4269 3332

Ode to the Peepal Tree

Thou art in rythm with the universe,
Abounding in nobility, compassion and wisdom.
You live true to your mission,
the mission of helping others.

We use every moral fibre of your soul,
Still you stand tall grazing the azure sky.
What an original creation,
You personify the Buddha Nature

Thou art insentient full of divine consciousness!!

Truth about Soy

Definitely soy is not soul food. I was recommended by a doctor to eat soy and give up rice to steady my hormones. I do know that eating polished white rice is useless. Iam sure our ancestors ate rice with its husks intact.The point im trying to make is Soy is not good for you. Pls check this site out especially women http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/03soymyths.htm. It is an endocrine disrupter and just 4 tbsp of it will ensure that you get hypothyroidism. I actually had this for a year God save me.Pls stay away from soy these days they are adding this ingredient in chocolates and biscuits pls do read the labels.Health is wealth indeed.

Sunday Thoughts

Back to my log after a break.The mumbai terror attacks has immensely disturbed me. The political apathy is appalling.Cliched as it may sound.I salute the spirit of mumbai and it denizens for braving such an ordeal. The last time I visited Mumbai, i had hot chocolate at the Taj.Life is indeed fragile. My sincere condolences to the victims of the terror attacks.

Waterproofing by Landmark,Lifestyle and Nalli!!

The rains have decimated my drawing room.My dad came up with this simple and genuine rescue plan.He stuck a landmark cover on to the window and directed the water into the tub.Why didnt I ask my dad before.??