The Blue Eyed Boy has come home – my new Wagon-R

Last Thursday, the 27th of May 2010, I drove home my new Wagon-R. This is Suzuki's revamped Wagon-R model, which is seeing changes in the interiors, the exteriors and also the mechanicals. Yet, it still retains enough identity to be recognized as a Wagon-R, thanks to its height, which is supposedly the tallest in its class.

Maruti Suzuki has launched this car in April 2010 with the tag line "The Blue Eyed Boy" and have gone ahead and placed a small blue colored glass above the new and bold headlamps, giving the image of an eyebrow above the eye. I bought the top-end VXi model and it has left me lighter in the bank balance by around INR 4.28 Lakhs. For other details on the car, you can visit Maruti Suzuki's website.

While we were waiting for the car to be registered and in fact, for the car to reach the dealer, we went through the usual routine of identifying an auspicious day. We requested the salesperson to ensure that the car was registered only on the day we indicated. However, due to some issues in the shipment, there was a delay by 2 days and we were left with a situation of having to postpone the registration by almost a week. That would have also meant an additional cost of 8K INR, because the TN government had passed a bill to hike the registration cost of new vehicles by 2% effective 1st June.

So, after much breaking of head, we finally decided to take delivery of the car on Thursday, the 27th of May and then get it registered the next day. But luckily, the dealer was able to get even the registration done on the 27th itself. So, that evening, I went to pick up the car, along with my father.

As part of handing over the car, the guys at the dealer actually do a poojai first and then hand over the keys to you. They put a garland, apply sandal-kungumam spots at various strategic locations on the glass and do a full-fledged karpooram lighting. We are then asked to drive out by squeezing out lemons placed in front of each wheel.

But, this above poojai was by the dealer. The car owners also have to do a poojai at the temple of their choice. Ours, was the Varasiddhi Vinayagar temple. I went and parked the car there and one of the priests who was right at the entrance, came forward. We told him that we wanted to do the car poojai and he said in the most nonchalant manner possible, "pannalaamae".

He then asked me to pop the hood. I went back and started feeling the usual place where the hood release is available. But I just couldn't locate it. A frantic search, accompanied by attempts to throw some light from my mobile phone in the area, was launched, but to no avail. The priest seeing my predicament, asked me to step aside. And in a matter of barely 1.63 seconds, he located the lever to release the trunk. The worst part after this was the "smirky" look he gave me. I don't think I have felt so much shame in the recent past.

He then went about his duty doing all the archanais at the various sannidhis and also came up and did the karpoora aaradhanai in and around the car. I finally came home by 8 PM in the new car.

I haven't driven much in the last 5 days that it has come here. I went out with my parents to the local temples on Saturday and I met up with few friends on Sunday evening. But I find the car to be quite good in the 40 odd Kms that I have driven so far.

2 months after we bought our first car, I went off to the US for 3 years. Barely 2 weeks after the second car was bought, I was shuttled out to Zurich for 2 weeks and in the following year, I was packed off to Bangalore and Melbourne for almost 6 months. Let's wait and see if that "luck" would continue with this one as well.

The mini pilgrimage in March 2010 – Day 1 Part 1

contd. from previous post

We reached our Hotel - Hotel Dayalan - by 5:10 AM by walking from the bus stop. After we checked in, all 3 of us caught up with some pending sleep till about 6 AM. Afterwards, we started getting ready to visit the main temple on the agenda - Thirumananchery.

With the help of the Hotel guys, we hired a taxi and set out by 9ish AM. The main thing to note is that, for the first time in my life, on a day other than Aavani Avittam, I ventured out in public in a vaeshti. I had planned this even while packing my stuff for the trip.

We reached the temple by 9:40 or so. I may have mentioned this earlier, but doesnt hurt to repeat it. The temple at Tirumananchery is reknowned for having special powers that cater to the needs of the people who are having trouble getting married. Like me! And the popularity of this temple has apparently increased manifold in the last 50-60 years only.

The rituals to be followed in the temple are quite simple actually. You just need to buy a flower garland and get an archanai performed to the uthsava moorthies of the deities Sundareshwarar and Kokilambaall. During the course of this archanai, the priests first place the aforementioend garland near the deity and then they give it to you for wearing for a short while before the ritual comes to an end.

Once the prayers are all done, the head priest gave directions on what needed to be done with the prasadams. The prasadams are essentially a garland (referenced recently), viboothi, kungumam, manjal and a lemon. The viboothi and kungumam have to applied daily. The lemon is supposed to be extracted into a concentrate and that has to be consumed first thing in the morning of the day we return home. The manjal is to be used by women. And the garland has to be kept at home and the belief is that by the time it decomposes, a wedding would be fixed. And after the wedding is done, the couple is expected to visit the temple and then throw off the garland (or whatever is left of it) into a pond adjoining the temple.

Anyways, after completing the prayers, lighting of lamps at a couple of places and taking few mandatory pictures, we were out of the temple. Our next stop was Vaitheeshwaran Kovil. There was no big agenda at the temple and so it was a very business-like visit there. Once we were done with the prayers at the sannidhis of Vaitheeshwaran and Thaiyalnaayagi, we headed out for a much needed lunch.

Lunch was at a place called Hotel Sadabhishekam and we had a pretty good meal. We resumed our trip back to the Hotel and just as we left the Hotel, the driver said he was going to fill up fuel at the station next door. He asked us for 50% of the agreed amount and during the process of handing over the cash to him, my mother found out that she was missing a "loaded" purse that she had brought along from Chennai.

To be continued....

A thief entered my parents' bedroom

On Tuesday, the 21st of April, a thief gained entry into my parents' bedroom. We are not very sure as to when he actually came in. But, the fact of the matter is that he was lying down under the bed, right below the side where my mother sleeps.

She had gone to sleep around just after 10:30 PM and within 5 minutes or so, she felt something move below the cot. She got up and looked underneath the bed expecting to see a squirrel or even a rat. But she ended up making eye-contact with a man stretched out in a supine position.

She immediately raised an alarm. I was downstairs at that time and by the time I understood that it was my mother calling for me, I also hear some footsteps from the floor above. I still thought that perhaps it was my mother having some kind of health related issue and ran upstairs.

On reaching the first floor, my first thought was to go towards her bedroom. But I saw her on the floor near the main door of the hall and she was shouting that a thief ran away towards the balcony. I rushed out to the balcony, but found no one there.

I gave a general "daei" shout from there. Then called the watchmen on duty in the house diagonally opposite ours. My mother joined me in the balcony by then and told me that a thief ran away from under her bed and out of the balcony.

She was, quite naturally, in a total state of shock. I was mildly shocked myself and checked with her if she had been hurt. She had tripped on her own when she tried to follow the thief on his way out and a tooth had moved out of its place and cut the lip. There was some minor bleeding.

The watchmen who were now at my gates kept asking as to what happened. I gave them a brief narration and asked them to look around the compound to see if anyone was there. After their quick search, I asked them to wait and went downstairs with my parents (my father was also in the ground floor when my mother shouted for help, but he was in the loo and joined us upstairs a minute or two later).

I let the watchmen inside. I left my mother with my father and went with the watchmen to the first floor. We looked around the house. All rooms. Shelves. Cupboards. Lofts. Just to ensure that there was no one else. After they gave us the "all clear" signal, we decided to call the Police.

My next door neighbor Mahesh who also came in by then, insisted that we inform the Police. I called up 100 and passed on this information. But it was almost 11:20 by the time I made this call and so a Patrol van came by around 11:35.

A lady S.I and a constable came in. We narrated the incident. Took them to the scene and gave a detailed narration there too. They asked us to relax and gave us a lot of assurance. The lady was especially very supportive. She gave us her mobile number and asked us to call her for anything anytime.

After all this dust settled, we all retired back to the confines of my room where all of us have been sleeping since that night (Thursday night is going to be third straight night).

I have just narrated the incident so far. The impact it has left on our collective psyche is unimaginable. My mother is very much in a state of shock/fear and so is my father. I want to write a lot of things, but I first need to calm myself. I thought it would be easy for me to write it, but I got goose pimples while typing some of the lines here.

It is just the prayers and good karma that has helped us come through this incident without any loss or impact, except the psychological one of course. We can only thank the almighty for saving us in this time and also my gratitude to all our friends and neighbors who have dropped in from last evening, once the news spread through the local grapevine.

ஆத்தா நான் pass ஆயிட்டேன்

That was the name of a movie that was released many years ago. It was one of those village themed ones that were quite popular and almost mandated by every movie producer in the late 80s.

The phrase has been used exceedingly by students over the years, when they return home after seeing their exam results in school or college. And I have used it many times myself, the last occasion being this evening.

As I may have ranted in these earlier posts of mine, my employer warrants that all employees must take up a few certification exams every year, failing which their promotions and increments are impacted. I cleared only 1 out of the 2 mandated for last year and I had to clear 2 this year.

I had already given a few attempts at one of these certifications, but the result was always the same - Failed. It didn't help that the pass percentage was set as 70% whereas in my student life, I managed to cross that number only in my practical exams.

Anyways, this morning, I took up one of the certifications for this year. This was relatively an easy one considering that it involved a lot of banking knowledge. Any person who has been following the recent economic crisis would be able to quickly relate to mortgages, second liens etc. And that was basically the syllabus for the exam I took up today.

And the best thing was that I actually studied the material for this exam on Sunday evening. I resisted the urge to watch movies and surf the net and instead, studied for this exam. Even this morning while driving to work, I asked my friend to question me on some of the topics from the material!

I said many a prayer before I left home and my mother also did her exam ritual of applying viboothi on my forehead. At the exam centre at work, I logged into the system and before clicking the confirm button to take the test, I said another round of prayers.

I started answering the questions and found that the paper was relatively easy. There were 60 questions in all and I could say that I was unsure of at least 8 questions. And since I am bound to make mistakes due to my tendency to read fast, I must have screwed up another 4-5 more.

I submitted the paper and once again prayed for a good result and Voila!!! The screen said that I had score 72%. The sick sadist who designed this online exam system has tried to play a neutral tone and the result never announces whether one has passed or not. It only shows the score you obtained.

I came out and checked with my friends who all unanimously said that 70% was the pass-mark. One person even said that it was 65%. In any case, it was clear that I had passed this exam.

When I came home and announced to my mother "ஆத்தா நான் pass ஆயிட்டேன்", she was quite ecstatic. I don't think she was this happy even when I cleared a career altering certification in my previous employment. She was quite eager that I pass this one and has been saying her share of prayers. Guess all that worked in my favor today.

In terms of illogical reasons of why I passed, I can also include the fact that the material that I studied from was originally printed by a friend of mine and it was then passed on to me by another friend. Both these people clear their exams quite effortlessly and I guess their luck rubbed on to me a little.

Any which way, I am one happy man considering that one of my 3 exams are done. The next lot is on the 16th and I am actually going to be writing 2 in a single day. God bless me!