While we speak about festivals ,we definitely knew that they all are radiant colours of lights.We can't imagine even a festival, without lights. Thus ,Onam will come to our mind.Onam is our national festival. What is the legend behind Onam in Kerala? Granaries will be stored completely with grains during Onam. Every people will buy Onakkodi (NEW DRESSES BUYING ON THE OCCASION OF ONAM).
The legend story behind Onam is that demon king Mahabali will come to visit his mob( people) of Kerala. Keralites celebrate Onam,in the first month of Chingam every year.
Everywhere and anywhere in Kerala ,will be surrounded by prosperity.
Aaradhana's father was very loving.He was Retired Senior Tahsildar. Aaradhana's father's name was N.K.Chendamarakshan Menon. He retired in 1990 from his official position .He was B.A.B.L( BACHELOR OF ARTS & BACHELOR OF LAW). N.C.GOPAL Menon was the God father of N.K Chendamarakshan Menon, M.P GOPINATHA PILLA & K.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR(nephews).
On that occasion of Onam in 1993, Aaradhana got a beautiful new dress .It was a Gagra Choli (NORTH INDIAN TYPE MIDI).
The Gagra Choli was embedded with beautiful cream coloured golden shawl and midi with golden black gagra blouse.All were happy in that particular,Onam occasion.
N.C GOPAL MENON and N.K Chendamarakshan
Menon were sitting infront of the house,reading newspaper.
Aaradhana's father asked her funny loving question " IS , IT PURE GOLD?" Aaradhana smiled and went to the temple with her sister. Her father was an Advocate also. N.C GOPAL MENON was Aaradhana's grandfather. N.V Bhasura was Aaradhana's grandmother.
N.K Chendamarakshan Menon had an elder sister.Her name was K.Padmaja. And his brother in law's ( Padmaja's husband) name was M.Vibhakara Menon. They were situated in Ponnurunni in Ernakulam district. Ponnurunni is a semi - urban village. Although ,it is in Cochin city, it has a striking similarity to rural area. Aaradhana studied in St.Rose English Medium school nearby Ponnurunni,untill 1st standard.
Then Aaradhana's family went back to her grandmother's house in Desamangalam in Kochi city after 3 years of studying in Thammanam St.Rose school.
Nearby Aradhana's house , KunnathVeedu in Desamangalam village , are surrounded by temples. Idol worship of Goddesses and God's are there in the temples in Desamangalam.
Aaradhana's house was a two- storeyed house in the village. And the legend ,she heard about her house was that ,no flood would flow enter into the top of the house. There is an old antique ,ancestoral row in her house.
Aaradhana's father N.K Chendamarakshan Menon was at that time,Ernakulam Tahsildar. Now Kochi is SMART CITY & BINALE CITY.
Aaradhana's father took her to the COCHIN AIRPORT in the morning and show her inside the Aeroplane.
And atonce the smart,tall airhostess came running to her and asked her " WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"
"MY NAME IS AARADHANA N.K" The small girl answered.
Airhostess became very happy and gave the little girl a packet of chocolates. She was wearing a red frilled frock with five layers. It was a foreign cloth.
Then they were on their way to Desamangalam.While they reached in the house in the village ,Aaradhana gave the packet of chocolates to her aunt Jaya.
Aaradhana's best friend's name was Geeta in the school. Both of them used to eat a lot of scramberries (loobikka in Kerala slangs') in their 10th standard in the high school.They got scramberries from the house nearby the school who used to sell them for ( 5 paise per scramberry).
National Highway 17 is passing nearby their school.
Aaradhana had " OPEN SCHOOL " system sometimes in their L.P school and High school in Parur.
"OPEN SCHOOL"" system is followed by Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan. Shantiniketan is one of the world famous methods of teaching and accepted by everyone.
Aaradhana and her family returned to Desamangalam in 1987 from Ponnurunni.Padma sat beside Aaradhana in the L.P. School. Padma's father worked somewhere in a foreign country.That was the information about her. She wore peculiar clothes ( Padma likewise told) made in foreign country. Aaradhana was a small child then and she saw variety clothes worn by her friend. In Aaradhana's small and tiny mind,it created a competition mentality. Still,it was a school and studying atmosphere existed there. Aaradhana had got new dresses( in the occasion of Onam).The tiny girl wore new dresses brought to her one by one ,to the school on the prescribed holidays.Aaradhana defeated Padma in that competition arised in her mind and became very happy. In that new dresses ,there was a beautiful ( black and white) gypsy type long beautiful midi,red midi and a beautiful foreign red frock with five frills of layers in it.
In the 1987,she was studying in 2nd standard.Her teacher was Molly. Why Aaradhana liked Molly ? Because ,it was in Molly's class ,she was honoured first rank and awarded beautiful MEDAL for it.
In her school,there was dance class.The playground contained swings ,see-saw ,round swings, slides etc.The school authorities showed the children the film Lord Jesus Christ.Aaradhana saw the film curiously and she still remembers all the parts of the film ,which praised Jesus Christ.
Aaradhana and her sister chose autorikshaw for going to school.That was very comfort.Because it is a very pleasing journey in autorikshaw from the village, Desamangalam to nearby L.P. school in the town.
Nearby temple in Aaradhana's house is a big idol worship of figurine of Lord Mahavishnu.
The wall of the temple contains some paintings. One of them is the picture of Narasimha Moorthy( HALF LION ,HALF MAN).
Lots of Goddesses,sages,God's are praising him during that moment.Which moment? The moment which he killed Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu was the cruel,demon king. Lord saved his great devotee ,Prahlada by killing Hiranyakashipu. In the end of the month November ,the festival starts in the temple.
Aaradhana's school uniform's colour was a particular type.It was cream top and Navy navyblue skirt with belt,buckle and shoes.
Aaradhana brought her books to the school in a steel case..She sat on the edge of the bench in 1987, beside Padma.Variety types of pupils from various places were there in the school.
Aaradhana's friend Geeta Lakshmi, told about her about a trip to Karnataka temples.Geeta told Aaradhana that her maternal uncle died in Vembanad lake tragedy.
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