Agraharam I Lived In Poem by Indira Renganathan
Agraharam I Lived In
Sun broke the night five decades ago
Sanctified the cow dung soil to glow
An Agraharam woke up
Fabulous brahminical kolams rounded up
Prototypic in two rows adjoined
Houses erected, front and rear entered, exited
Uniform with a semi open porch
Unique style spoken on a stone bench
My train of memoirs unfurls...
Flips off a feather; pass by walking Iyers
Ahead to Balasubramanya temple devout Maamaas
Back from river ablution some Maamis
Throne on me their blessed smiles
An exquisite feather down drops
Lo, the western ghats
A tiny cut trident over the ranges
Farther though glitters; hurrying up pupils
Footing on further, mm...tomato rasam
Meenakshi maami's mess; gastronomy awesome
In goes one cup; then Mess Mahadevaiyer's home
Fill up my belly soft idlis some
Now seeing a bullock cart
Lub-dub lub-dub pats my heart
Papa to the civil court
A day I join him up to the spot
Back in the Agraharam...
Women fuss over a 'nine yards' theorem
Iridescent; Yet an unlikable tradition-syndrome
All for a wedding tantrum
A wedding I'm invited too
Vratham, Kasiyathra, Oonjal...ooh
Nagaswara band and mantras boost
Finally a new lif's debut; Tying the sacred knot
Modernisation, untouchable to our 'Vaadhyaar'
Remains tufted within his vedic structure
Move on I to 'Bhajanai Madam' a prayer-culture
And a school of triumph over there
Flaps a butterfly on my dancing train
Watches lawyers, doctors, teachers..a changing brain
Waltzs around 'Pavalamalli' trees
Flips away enjoing the Agraharam fragrance
By now feathers recollected dusk
Radiating Kalahasthisa and Varadharaja temples prismatic
Night-break, kolattam and karakattam aesthetic
Agraharam then closed, poetic
Extinct and absent some say
In mind mine does stay
Fresh and extant
Agraharam now and again unfurling out
a picture shown i words takes me to kallidaikurichi adjoining my home town ambassamudram.the bridge, the river the paddy fields, the sivan koil amidst the paddy field then the mountains, this poem was a picture in words- idly's and rasam such simple delicacies -thank you mam
Hi Indira, Thanks a lot for your valuable comments. They are valuable to me because you are a seasoned poet. You write more about Agraharam. What you mentioned is a fascinating world apart that I always want to peep in. what a life is that!
Sister, a nice poem on the life style of Agraharam. Which Agraharam that you are referring to? I live in the New Kalpathy, Palakkad Agraharam area (Ambikapuram) for the last twenty five years. No doubt, Agraharam life has its own style and this life style is the inner and outer strength of Brahmins - there is enough for spiritual evolution for all people. Your poem is enough to bring back those old winds. Thanks.
Agraharam I lived in is a poem that is breezy drive along a traditional style of living that was so enjoyed by the Brahmins of South india. In my village in Palakkad, there still exists 'Gramam', Dear Indira Madam, you have beautifully traced the little details like kolam, the mamas and maamis, the tasty rasam, and the golden memories of your living in the Agraharam A beautiful poem, i so enjoyed reading..........10
A happy golden jubilee of conjugal life, a relationship of seven Janams, so nicely and emotionally described.
Sounds lovely! I am one of those who do not have the luck to like in an agraharam....well, except an occassional sojourn in Sri Rangam!
VaNAKKAM......... maaami! Am new here and to read these lines, was like reading thoses tales from MALGUDI in verse format! The bank of memory in you is CRYSTAL CLEAR, and the rural scene so prestinely depicted, was a delight to the deepest recesses of my heart. with earnest regards, -shree
A vivid description of the Agraharam with the distinctive life style brought out gracefully. Very nice verse.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
4/25/2024 9:51:37 AM # 1.0.0.1119
a beautiful, picturesque live show in lines of a typical agraharam life...your poetic ability plays kolattam here...my ten idlis