My Akshaya Tridhiyai!

manjukps · Apr 28, 2012

Dear Sri Uncle,

As usual enjoyed reading this snippet. First thought it is about 2012. Didn't read this before AT. If I had at least I would have counted how many lizards I spotted and reported to you expecting an envious reply from you.

Actually never heard of AT 10 years back. Due to commercialism this has been made into big festival kind. There is also a view that on this AT you should be giving dhaanams of various kinds according to their respective capacity. No where and nobody mentioning about this. It is all about what we can bring into our house not what we can give to others in need.

About Grand sweets - Yes, felt rolls in my stomach to see the place partitioned.

Regards
Manjukps

Cheeniya · Apr 30, 2012

My dear Bhargavi
When we write about lizards, it has to have twists and turns at unexpected moments! No lizard is predictable. If its movements are predictable, it would die of starvation.
Thanks a lot for the nice words. You are never stingy with them!
Sri

Cheeniya · Apr 30, 2012

Dear Priya
The old Grand Sweets of yesteryear never barred entry to non-believers and religious minorities but there was a strong belief that non-believers who ate their stuff ended up with acute indigestion! Even orthodox old ladies who would not eat anything not cooked at home made an exception in the case of Grand Sweets. They probably likened it to 'prasadam' from a temple. Such was the power of their advertisements!

I know many old ladies who show great partiality to some of their own children. In fact, my paternal grandmother was reported to be a classic example of 'ora vanjanai'! I believe that while some of her daughters were fed on silver plates, the rest were given aluminium plates! God probably has taken after such people!

You are spot on when you talk of the mind games of lizards. My eyes get automatically riveted on them when they go after their victims. A leopard chasing a deer in National Geographic is nothing compared to the lizard's pursuit of its prey. The former is just one of brute power but the latter is more like a chess game between Anand and Kramnik.

Forget my face. You should have seen the triumphant look on the lizards' faces on the following day!
Sri

Cheeniya · Apr 30, 2012

Dear Manju
If you had given me the head count of lizards that you saw on the AT day, I would have run hither and thither like a balloon that was emptying itself of its air in frustration!

AT is now moving away from gold to Platinum. One Kaliyur Narayanan is quoting from scriptures to say that buying white things on AT day would bring great prosperity and he cites as example, Paal Payasam, Jasmine and Platinum!
Sri

iyerviji · Feb 11, 2013

My dear Anna

It was nice reading your rambling as always and also the fbs. I never knew that lizard sighting on Akshaya Tridhiya is auspicious. But we should be lucky to spot it. I only heard that buying gold is auspicious. But seeing the cost of Gold going up though people who have money will buy gold on that day, everyone cant buy gold , so it is better to see the lizard and make it auspicious. For our family Akshaya Tridhiya is auspicious because my elder daughter got married on that day. I think because of that only she is leading a wealthy life, only unhappiness is that she did not conceive but glad that she could adopt a loving child who attracts everyone by her smiling face and loving acts.

Cheeniya · Feb 11, 2013

My dear Viji
Thank you for digging up this thread! This is the first of my 'Lizard trilogy' I have a particular aversion for the lizards in general and their underside in particular. Yet because of their perceived association with our fate, I do have a fascination for them. You say that sighting a lizard on Akshaya Tridiyai day is a lot easier than buying gold on that day. But my experience is different as I have explained in my OP.

Nice to hear about your daughter and her daughter. I convey my warm and affectionate blessings through you.
Sri

iyerviji · Feb 11, 2013

My dear Anna true it is not easier to sight a lizard

Srama · Feb 14, 2013

Thanks to Viji aunty, I did read this thread and I find myself thinking about it! For the life of me I can't figure out how to do any of the things mentioned and below are the reasons.

Had not heard of this growing up. Found out recently and hear some amusing stories from family in India!

Okay decided to get on the band wagon and turned around to buy gold only to realize it is all 18 K here unless I go searching for Indian gold. Will this work the 18k I mean? I will not go looking for Indian shops!

Okay you speak of a sweet shop that you did not even mention about when I was in Chennai and I am still crying over the missed opportunity of buying those exquisite sweets to good people like yourself and Chitra aunty!

Fine, continued reading only to realise that there are no lizards what so ever here and the only poor lizard that comes to my mind was one in a hotel we had booked in India!

Alright I want to move on and with hope! You speak of Jasmine...where will I get sir? I have the plant but it is just getting warmed up in May to flower when it wants, not readily for Akshaya Trithya day!

Platinum? haven't heard of it yet used so often here but talking about white things I am wondering why didn't this man think of pearls! They are white, shiny and bright and more importantly I love them!

Ok sir, I concede looks like I can only do Paal payasam, and that too thanks to C aunty's recipes. Now finally I am all smiles, just need to figure out when this day falls in 2013 or better still now that I think about it, how about I fill that sink up with some coins on that day hoping it to overflow with money like the akshaya patra it is for the vessels! Do you think it will work sir? And inadvertently, I might have discovered a more easier way of inviting that wealth in every home!

iyerviji · Feb 14, 2013

Sabita dear this year Akshadaya Thrithiyai is coming on 13th May 2013

Cheeniya · Feb 15, 2013

My dear Srama
18 K gold will entitle you only to 18/24 or 75% of the fortunes of buying gold on Akshaya Tridiya day. So you will be able buy gold only for 9 months in a year instead of all through the year! Coming to the sweet shop, eversince they partitioned the shop into two outfits, quality has taken a beating. When the original promoter built this organisation brick by brick, he concentrated mainly on the conventional items of South India which hardly numbered some 20 odd items. Now they have not only opened a large number of branches, a strategy which was against the avowed principle of the original promoter but have started making 100s of items! So we do not feel bad that you did not buy anything for us from there.

Lizards are verily our co-inhabitants here. We revere them so much that we have one in gold in the Kamakshi Temple in Kancheevaram! Jasmine! Tell Chitra aunty and she'll airlift it from her birth place which is famous for these exotic flowers! Platinum jewels are fast catching up in India but a woman does not look as lovely in Platinum jewels as in gold jewels. So say my eyes.

Viji says that this year it falls on 13th May. Make a barrel of Paal Payasam and feed your friends with it. May god bless you and your family with unbounded joy and prosperity!
Sri