Quid Pro Quo With The Gods

Yes, I too read this thread regularly because of Iravati.
Iravati : Name and her writings have a intriguing charm.

 

@Cheeniya

Have you seen a mad hatter run past?
A mad hatter carrying pots and pans and hurrying like she is hosting a banquet.
Yes, yes, that mad rabbit slopping her gloop as she skittered.
What happened to her?
She is cleaning up the mess left behind.
She will be back right away.
Does she really have to try her hand at cooking exotica?
Why doesn't she stick to known rasams and sambars?
She is ruthless! She is heady!
She thinks she cracked the alchemy of spices and herbs.
Be right back.

 

Inviting anyone special ?
I see avial, pacchadi, and a donburi* with rice/subji,
What are those green balls ?

*donburi (japanese)= bowl, arrangement-in-a-bowl

 

Sleepy Towns

Post-modern beauty is conditioned and spoon-fed. People are urged to travel to Paris and other glittery places because these cities are ear-marked and splashed as must-see heritage. The deep wilderness or the deep ecology of Arne Naess is neglected in popular consciousness. Tourists follow the herd, and to be a non-conformist traveller means to be curious more than adventurous. I hate Paris, by the way, but for their choux pastry.

Few years ago, a friend and I planned for pilgrimages of India. We outlined a brave itinerary. Then, we settled with just Mahabalipuram as Tamil Nadu mini-hike. She is a devout believer. I am a non-believer but that does not stop me from exploring the grandeur of temples. I was in Chidambaran for a weekend and I was blown away by its architectural mastery. Small town people are amicable and resourceful. Once we were at a Gurudwara and we were prohibited from entering because we didn't cover our heads. A family passing by lent us their scarfs/long handkerchiefs. This is precisely what I like about sleepy townsfolk. They are not hung up or suspicious of outsiders. Handkerchiefs! They casually handed their accessories. In big towns, there would have been a capitalist vendor exclusively selling designer scarves for the uninitiated. I should catch up with Badrinath and Kedarnath as well. Another reason for me to retire by thirty-nine.