Letter from Home-2 (#SOL-19)

Letter from Home -2
Dear Doddamma,
Aravinda returned from Bombay on the 5th morning. He was very happy to meet you and talk to you. He had a very nice time with his friend and the hotel where he was staying was very good.
On the 5th was my Kuvara’s (my husband) birthday. I had prepared green gram dal payasa. As Aravinda had just returned we decided to go to the temple on the 6th. We wanted to go to a temple to which we had not gone earlier. We searched the internet and read about Sri Durgaparameshwari temple in a place called Belmannu, about 35 kms from Udupi.
On Sunday morning, we left home at 7.30. We had breakfast in a hotel on the highway just a little away from Udupi. It was a busy place and the dosas were good. Belmannu is a hamlet surrounded by forest. This temple was constructed in the 7th century. It is on top of a hillock, we have to climb 70 steps.

We liked the temple though the morning puja was over. We got the prasada and the priest performed ‘hoovina puje’ (flower puja) for us. I had read that the oldest Kannada copper plate inscription was found under the foundation of the temple in 1952.

(paddy fields on the way)

On our way to this temple we had passed the village of Sooda and Sri Vasuki Subrahmanya temple there. On our way back we decided to go there too. This temple too is very ancient. The priest told us that according to local legend the idol of the deity, Shri Vasuki Subrahmanya was consecrated in the ancient times by Rishi Bhargava. It is still believed that the Rishi comes early in the morning to offer prayers. So every day after the night puja the sanctum sanctorum is cleaned and the flowers removed. The tradition continues to this day. In the 14th century Poovayya Hegde constructed the temple. We liked this temple too. There was a lot of good energy in both the temples. We were happy to have gone there. There are so many temples in remote places not very far from our town. I am really grateful to the internet. It had made it possible for us to see these places.

On the 5th evening we went to End Point. Earlier in the week we had been to Venugopala temple park. We meet a lady who comes there for a walk regularly. She is about 74. Her name is Lakshmi too. She lives with her son and family. She says she walks till she feels tired and does not count the number of rounds she does. I believe it is a good idea.

Amma likes to talk to her. In the training college grounds too we meet Mrs Sudha. She is 83 and comes regularly. Both ladies are very nice persons. Today evening we went to the lake for our evening walk. The water level has gone down further. We met a lot of people.
Doddamma, Last week I prepared Coriander leaves flavoured chutney powder and ambate kaayi pickle. We got the ambate kaayi ( Indian hog plum)from Mareel where my parents had lived and we all had stayed in the last week of December. I will continue about our stay in Puttur in my next letter, I wanted to write to you about the temples. I will send photos in WhatsApp.
With lots of love,
Lakshmi

(My letters to my Doddamma, my father’s elder brother’s wife, have made letter writing a part of my life again. Both of us enjoy the letters. Doddamma literally means elder mother. She is my favourite relative. She is 88. She cannot go out and is not able to hear well. So, I started writing to her in November 2017. Earlier I used to send a mail to her daughter-in-law, she used to read it to her. My cousin’s wife told me Doddamma enjoys the feel of letters and re-reads them often. I edit the letters and post them in Slice of Life hosted by Two Teachers. I enjoy SOL. We, bloggers live in different parts of the world. Our lives are so different but there is sameness which is fascinating. The different posts and photos bring the world to my home. Thank you dear friends. 😊 )

Belman Shri Durga Parameshwari Temple | Shivalli Brahmins
shivallibrahmins.com/…/belman-shri-durga-parameshwari-temple

Letter from Home-2 (#SOL-19)