Crazy about Madurai and New to Madurai everytime!

Every time I go out of Madurai and come back to Madurai, I feel that I have missed Madurai for so much time and I feel Madurai back.

I would have only left Madurai in the morning and I will be returning from Trichy in the evening to Madurai and I feel happy that it is my home and it is my city.

It is not that I am just home sick, but I think it is much more than that.

But, I do not see the same thing with other people from other cities. This happens only with Madurai folks. Do you agree?

The "Madurai Junction" name board in the platform, "Madurai Sandhippu" name board in the entrance of Railway Junction. "Madurai Mattuthavani Integrated Bus Stand", "Meenakshi Mission Hospital", Madurai High Court, Melur, Thirumangalam, Autos, Tea shops, Periyar Bus stand, Thallakulam, Therkuvasal...

I can keep on saying the things one by one, and the list will never end.

Last but not least, it is just 3-4 days that I am from Madurai and I am already feeling home sick.

Old Plays (Vilayaattu) getting lost in Madurai and rest of tamil nadu

I remember in my child hood days, we used to play various games - about not just run around and play, but sit-and-play kind of plays.

Some of them to list are - Paramapadham, Chottan kallu, pallaan kuzhi etc., I could remember only few, but there are more I am sure.

Paramapadham is a game which has a chart or a map kind of sheet which is laid on the ground. Based on the dice's rotation and its number the coin is moved above in the chart. If there is a ladder, the coin climbs up. If there is a snake in the slot, then the coin comes down to the tail. Have you played this? Well, if you have played - you will realize how many of the children are playing today?

Chottan Kallu is played with few stones. It is again a sit and play play. The players throw a stone and catch bunch of stones etc., It is kind of tricky and nice to play - after you are skilled to do the same.

Pallaam Kuzhi is a game with a vessel which has 12 slots I think (correct me, if I am wrong). Tamarind seeds are filled in it and moved around. In fact, I am not able to recollect the game exactly.

Othayaa Rettayaa game is a game where you hide and ask a bunch of items in hand (usually tamarind seeds) and once the partner claims if it is othayaa rettayaa, then you declare and win or loose lot of tamarind seeds.

There are other plays outdoor, which are lost are - Kitti Pullu (Small stick and a longer stick), playing with marbles (Goli Kundu) and 7 Stones (Game played with seven stones).

Well, though I have covered a lot, I might have missed many. Hope this article took many of us back to the good olden days, when we spent childhood and never can be taken back.

Emotionally attached to Madurai

Compared to other cities in Tamil Nadu, Madurai is the only town which has Madurai Makkal to be emotionally attached to the Madurai city itself.

If you ask any one from Madurai - he/she would be proud to be from Madurai and they are always emotionally attached to Madurai.

There is association to the city with themselves for the innocence in people, Madurai non-industrialization and being an emotional village. Any one from Madurai would be interested to see improvements to Madurai and there would be interest to contribute to anything good for Madurai.

Recently, choreographer turned actor Harikumar - "Madurai Sambavam movie" pugazh..said in an interview that he is emotionally attached to Madurai town and he loves the Madurai city for the innocence of people there in Madurai.

Madurai and my Nostalgia - A pessimistic to an optimistic outlook!!

I was living in Madurai from my birth to my 12th standard. I had to go out of the city around 130 kms for my BE under graduation. That is where my nostalgia started. That is where my sickness started. When I said 130 kms - it was Trichy. I used to come to Madurai every one week or at the most 2 weeks. I thought it was long.

Though I got lot of things outside my city Madurai, I started missing lot of things, as soon I went out of my city. I was a book worm and academics guy until my 12th standard, but when I went to trichy for my Bachelors, I became a free person.

I got independence from what was told to do. I got independence, but I started to miss lot of things in my life. I could not get the same stuff and feel in any other city, as I get in my city. I missed my Madurai from that time. I missed my mom's food. I didn't see any match to that. I started eating outside. I started to smoke, drink, friends, night show movies, but still I missed my place.

I got placed in a bangalore company and still worse. It is a good thing to get a job, but still I was going slowly away from my place Madurai. As I grow in my career and improve myself in my life, I started to go outside my city Madurai. Is it always like that - to go away from my city, when we grow and improve? Is it like that for everyone?

I had to move to Hyderabad from Bangalore, which is now further away from Madurai. In fact, I was able to come to Madurai from Bangalore atleast by an overnight journey. I used to visit Madurai from Bangalore once in a month - that is to kill my nostalgia and still I was happy to do that.

This hyderabad thing was much worse. I cannot come to Madurai just like that. I had to come to Chennai first by an overnight train and then from Chennai I had to come to Madurai in another train. How painful journey?!

First I was just 3-4 hours journey, then it became 10-12 hours journey and then it became 20-24 hours journey by train/bus. So far fair enough!!

After that came an important opportunity in my life. I got an opportunity in United States! Well - it is again the same journey time as my last thing, but this one frequency of travel would differ right?, because this is expensive.

Initially I thought it was only 4 months trip, but that became a longer term stay in America and I could not forego any opportunity in America and that took me far away from my dear city Madurai!!

From that time, I have been in US for quite a while - I have lived in Kansas, NY/NJ, Virginia (Washington DC) and now in California! It is been 5 years I am in US!

Another problem I foresee is - if I get more and more opportunity in America and my child gets better future here in America, will I still go deep into the mess of nostalgia by going further away from my city and country?

Can I still be in a great position, by staying in Madurai only? If my daughter stays in United States and then I take my family back to Madurai - will my daughter get into this mess of nostalgia because of me - by thinking about America, when we move to India?

I am sure lot of people are going through this!!

Anyway - all of the above is more pessimistic outlook - I see that it is all for good. I would drive this negative energy into a positive energy for Madurai's improvement, my effectives, to fulfill my entrepreneurial dreams.

My Madurai Brother

My Madurai Brother

While I was in the reminiscent mood, I thought of one more incident, which happenned when I was 5 years old and I was studying in first standard in a Big school in Madurai. My brother was studying second standard in the same school. His age was ofcourse 6(six). There was one guy in my class always disturbing me and torturing me. I was so pissed off. Remember I am 5 years old:).

I informed my brother about this and he had few friends. Remember - his age was 6 years. My brother - my madurai brother got frustrated and got together his friends in a lunch session. These lunch sessions in school are the real play time for many of us, if you remember your days. There will be two much running around by all boys and girls and no one would notice what is going on. That was the correct timing by my brother and his friends.

They got together and nailed and sketched "this guy(my classmate)" and brought him to a building wall. two guys caught this classmate and one guy kept punching at his stomach:). I keep on smiling when I think about this incident.

Lunch session was over. When I was in my first session, post lunch. My brother was called to my class and my class teacher was pinching my brother's stomach.:)

You see what has happenned? My brother is unfortunately caught and he is getting his punishment for what he did to help me:):)
Quite interesting!! I usually don't have a great memory and remember everything, bu this incident is fresh in my mind, even though it happenned at my age 5.

Rememering my Madurai Village Vadivelkarai - satti karugiya smell - Madurai Experience

While I was preparing dosa yesterday at my home kitchen, due to my vessel darkening(satti karugivittathu), I experienced a "satti karugiya smell" and I got remembered of Madurai and my sontha ooru Vadivelkarai.

My grandma gets excited when we visit the village. I am referring to "we", to my brother, cousin and myself. We go near the nearest railway tracks and do the required and get cleaned in a running water creek nearby - I am sure you know what I mean!! My Grandpa and us take bath in the lotus pond near this village(karuppu kovil) and come back to home to have nice tiffin(breakfast). The special breakfast items include panniyaaram, idly, dosa, idiyappam. All these are never equivalent in quality to what my mother makes, but definitely it has its own speciality of the rustiness and country side smell.

At this point, I smell all the "satti karugiya smell"!!:)

I love those days, where in we enjoy each and every moment and there are no responsibilities:)!
Even reminescence is FUN. I wish I close my eyes and get more remindings like this.