7-06-2022
In and around our town there are many ancient temples. The temple to Goddess Mahishamardini ( one form of Goddess Durga) is very near our home. Renovations were started before 2020 but things got delayed due to the pandemic. But now most of the work has been completed and many rites and rituals started on the 1st and will go on till the 10th. There are talks and cultural activities every evening. Lunch and dinner are served free to all. People donate rice, coconuts, oil, fruits and everything that is needed to prepare food for hundreds of people. We too donated hundred coconuts on 4th evening and went inside the temple to offer prayers. The temple looks beautiful but was so crowded ! We decided we will go again after all the excitement is over. 😊
The monsoon was supposed to start on the 2nd but has not really rained. Last two days have been dry and hot. Most people here believe that it will rain after the 10th due to the temple functions. I wonder how God decides ! It is now 5 in the evening and it has been raining heavily from 4.15, with thunder and lightning.
Sunday night we went to the temple premises to attend a music concert by Dr Vidyabhushan. He is a wonderful singer who sings devotional songs. We were there till 9.30, came back home and listened to rest of the concert on TV. By car the temple is less than ten minutes away. There is a live telecast. But being at the place, listening to music is a different experience altogether. There was a very long queue to go inside the temple. We told the volunteers that we were attending the concert. We did not have to stand in the queue. Seeing the devotees, I thought that most of us need to believe in God or a superior being or in nature or in anything that helps us to face the difficulties that come our way in life.
On the 1st, my root canal treatment was over. Sitting in the dental chair I was thinking about the long ago days when there was no treatment to dental problems. The pain is to be experienced to be understood. I was happy to see the equipment and the dental chair and it was definitely something to smile about 😊.
On the 31st we had been to my husband’s cousin’s home. They gave us a lot of Kokum fruits. I made juice from them. We have to cut the fruit and separate the peel and the fruit seeds. To the peels we have to add sugar and keep it in the sun for a few days till the sugar melts completely. I got a bottle of juice and I have stored the peels too. I use it in my cooking. This juice does not spoil for a long time. But the juice which we get by adding sugar to the seeds does not last for long.
Romance can happen at any age, suddenly without warning.
Love latent in our hearts comes to surface with a single glance.
That, is the support which helps us to face what life sends our way.
Mukhamani 
This one made me smile, I bet that juice is delicious 😋
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Sounds like a good week with a lot to smile about, particularly surrounding the temple. In ways a root canal doesn’t sound like a big smile, but if it stops the pain, well, yes, modern medicine is great! I hope you have a wonderful week.
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Not a big fan of root canals, but what a relief when one id done and the pain is gone. I definitely agree that being at a concert is so much better than watching one on TV. I think it has something to do with the excitement generated by the crowd.
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You are right about dental pain. During the pandemic over here, people were not allowed to visit a dentist and there were some individuals who were reduced to pulling their own teeth out!
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There’s no comparison to a live concert. I guess it’s the overall energy and the vibe that makes live concerts fulfilling!
I grew up in Jaipur and Delhi but being from the Konkan region my granny would always get us dried kokum from her visits to Maharashtra. We loved devouring the salted skins and used to steal them often from under her watchful eyes during summer afternoons and the cool drink that you made is just too good for the health and the palate. And nothing better than the homemade one. Glad you could make some for yourself!
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A busy, happening week Lakshmi for you all. Enjoy the rain and home made juice. Thanks for including WDYS I n your post.
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I love what you wrote about romance, the line, “Love latent in our hearts comes to surface with a single glance.” That is</em? how love is! (I'm on my way to the dentist myself. I know how you feel!) Thanks for sharing.
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You paint such a vivid picture of this time of year, with the celebrations, the concert, and the coming monsoon. Love the photos you included!
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I commiserate with your painful dental problem, especially since I’m facing the first loss of a tooth — obviously very tired, on the 20th. I hope yours is all over for you, and that mine will go well. Cheers, Muriel
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It is amazing to me to listen to music from different parts of the world. Each culture seems to have a sound it finds pleasing. Others music can seem strange. I remember hearing my first music from India in college and finding it very very different. Thanks for letting us know how the people are fed. I am glad you took your coconuts.
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