23-07-18
Dear doddamma,
We went to Khandige (my father-in-law’s elder brother’s house, it is the ancestral house of my husband’s family) yesterday morning to take part in Trikala puje. [Trikala means three times. Goddess Durga in her different forms is worshipped. In our community certain pujas (prayers with certain rituals) are performed in the ancestral house of the family or in the family home. All members of the family and extended family gather for the function]
( this house was built in the early 1930s by my father-in-law’s father. There had been a small house in its place. My father-in-law’s grandfather and family lived there from the turn of the 20th century. Changes were made over the years.)
Due to various reasons trikala puje could not be performed for the last three years. We left at home 6.45 and were in my father-in-law’s place by 8.45. During his younger days and for many years after his wedding he and his family lived in this ancestral house. In the early seventies he built a separate home not far away and shifted there. An areca and cocoa garden separates the two houses. I wanted to go through the garden but it was raining and it becomes slippery.
In the morning puja the leaves of the bel tree (Bilva patre) are offered along with other flowers. In the afternoon basil leaves (tulasi) and other flowers. In the night ixora flowers (kiskaara) . Members of the family and extended families had come. The flowers and the leaves to be offered during the puja were brought by the family members. Everyone sat together to sort the flowers and leaves. It is nice to be together. These days we cannot meet each other in person.
( My father-in-law lived in this house from the day it was built till 1979 when he built a house on one end of the areca garden from the old house. He is 93 and remembers the this house being built.)
It was a good get together. Amma had come with us and she enjoyed meeting so many people. She knew my father-in-law’s cousin’s wife from her childhood days. After lunch , we went back to Maikuri to leave mava there. He was little tired and wanted to rest. We left at 3 o’clock for Manipal. For night we had boiled rice conjee with curds and mango pickles. It is very refreshing and wholesome.
We are all fine here doddamma. I will write about our trip to Uttarakhand in my next letter.
Advaith and Kavya are fine. Kavya has started going on all fours and she loves to stand holding the sofa. Advaith is having two weeks holiday from next week. On Sunday Gayatri invited six of his friends for his birthday. His birthday was on the 16th but Sunday was convenient for everyone. We are having a small break from the rains. Today evening we were getting ready to go for a walk and it started raining !
With love,
Lakshmi
[My mails are to my father’s elder brother’s wife. I call her doddamma which literally means elder mother. She is my favourite relative. From her I have learnt to take life as it comes. She is 87 now and due to her health condition she has not been able to go out from her home for many years. I started writing to her in October. Her son or daughter-in-law read it out to her and she enjoys the photos. When posting to Slice of Life I have edited and added little more to what I have written as it will be difficult to understand the situation without knowing the context. The internet has really changed our lives. It has helped us to keep in contact with our friends and relatives.]
Bilva Tree | Aegle Marmelos – itslife.in
http://www.itslife.in/gardening/trees/bilva-tree
Ocimum tenuiflorum – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocimum_tenuiflorum
Ixora – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixora
Mukhamani 
Comments are welcome :)