Yogakshemam Bangalore is an organisation for Namboodiris in Bangalore. As any other organisation, we have office bearers. We had an election 3 months ago which elected new members to the office for the next two years. I was elected the Secretary, which I feel am so fortunate and proud to be.

For easier management of the vast Bangalore region, the whole of Bangalore was divided into 5 regions, according to the number of people in each area and the number of executive members we had, to manage the regions.

One month ago, Mr Dilip Paveri (who is also the treasurer of Yogakshemam Bangalore) and Mr Unni Kalleli who were in charge of the Jalahalli, Vidyaranyapura and Mathikere region came up with an idea of having an Ona-sadya for all the namboodiris in Bangalore. The executive members of Malleshwaram, Rajaji Nagar and Vijaya Nagar - Mr. Rajan Mundanad (The vice president), Mr. Surendran Perumangat and Mr. AN Vasudevan asked whether their areas could also be considered for this event. Executive members of Sanjay Nagar, Banaswadi, RT Nagar and Yelahanka - Mr. CN Namboodiri, Mr. Ramachandran Vadakkedath Perumbadap, Mr. Sathyan Vazhakunnam also came forward to make the event even more bigger by including their area. They talked to the management of Sreesabari school, Jalahalli. The management was more than happy to give space to us. The manager, Mrs Devaki Andarjanam was thrilled when she heard about the event. Her husband, Sri N Narayanan Namboodiri, who is a priest in the famous Jalahalli Ayyappa temple also offered full support for the event.

We had to decide upon a date for the event and after some discussion, we thought of conducting the event on Atham day, the first day of Onam. (Onam is a 10 day festival starting on Atham and ending on Thiruvonam.). Atham day happened to be on Aug 27, Sunday. Now we had to decide whether we should go for a caterer who would prepare the items in his kitchen and then bring them for lunch (which is the most common practice and the headache free one), or to hire a cook to prepare the items at the school premises. Most of us, who were missing the dahannam (cooking) events which were common for any event in Namboodiri families in Kerala opted for the latter. Mr Vasudevan Karuthedam who is a very famous cook in Bangalore who resides at Bommanahalli was contacted and he agreed to take up this task. We told him that we just need supervision, and we ourselves wanted to do the not-so-easy task of preparing for the dishes like buying items, cutting of vegetables, helping them with dahannam etc. The feeling of togetherness when we do these things will never be obtained if we order food as such and then part after enjoying (?) some stage programs. Its the interactions, the vediparachil (casual talk) and the dahannam (the night long cooking) that everyone was interested in.

Next, we prepared a list of Yogakshemam members from each area and started contacting them one by one. We had 151 memberships from all the areas combined and it was a tough time calling each person. Mr KTD Namboodiri who is the president of Yogakshemam Bangalore who stays at RT Nagar knew most of the people residing in that area, and so he called a lot of people in that area to ensure participation.

Now the vessels, stove, gas connection and a tarpaulin were to be booked. They were booked by Mr Sachin Perundalakkad, Mr Dilip Pavery, Mr Ramachandran Perumbadap and Mr Unni Kalleli from a nearby place. They agreed to reach the school by 26th noon. Plantain leaves for serving the dishes and milk were also booked by Unni Kalleli. We had to get milk on Friday noon to prepare curd. That also was taken care of.

All the executive members started calling the yogakshemam members in the above mentioned areas. A very limited members who were residing in other areas, who heard about this area and enquired more about the event were invited for the event. The main reason why we didnt invite members from other areas is Jalahalli would be a very distant place for them, and we were planning to conduct a gettogether for those areas very soon - a place where it would be convenient for all the members of that area to come. But nevertheless, this get together was open to any Yogakshemam Bangalore member.

Karuthedam Vasudevettan was in constant touch with us for finalising the dishes that would be prepared that day, and the things that need to be bought for the preparation. Some of the items, like pazhaya puli for puleenji and vella kaayam, that were not available in Bangalore were to be brought from Kerala. Some of us who went home in the meantime brought them.

My room mate, Mr Muthurshi Dilip was too excited about this. He was in the forefront calling and inviting a lot of people for the event. Unfortunately, he fell sick two days before the event. So he had to drop the plan of being there for the Saturday night preparations. It was one of his dreams to be a part of such an event. I feel sorry for him.

Aug 26th. I reached Jalahalli Sree Sabari school by about 11:30 am (taking a lot of wrong routes, as usual). Unni Kalleli was there near the school. Soon we were accompanied by Satyettan and MS Ettan (father in law of Sathyettan). MS Ettan is a person who is in his 60s, but who is too young at heart. He is always very active and energetic, much more energetic that many of us, and that might be the reason why he was there with Sathyettan. Vasudevettan called us and asked us where he should come for buying the vegetables and grocery items. We asked him to come to Dasarahalli Vegetable Market. Soon we were in the market buying vegetables. We carried the vegetables which were packed in huge jute bags (chaakku) on our backs. The scene was too humorous. Guys in very good expensive dhothi, jeans pants, jubba, wearing expensive shoe etc were carrying the bags just as koolis. Any way, I enjoyed the walk, even though the people there also enjoyed it in another way. We kept everything in my car and had lunch from Preethi Sagar at Jalahalli Cross. It was 2:30 pm by that time.

We dumped everything in one of the class rooms, and started off to buy the grocery items. MS Ettan was with me. By the time we returned with the grocery items, the plantain leaves and the gas; the vessels, stove and the tarpaulin had come. They also made a temporary roof with the tarpaulin. A few of us had already started cutting the vegetables. Ramanunni ettan, Mr Dhanesh Panikkam, Ramachandrettan, Majnappatta Sreedath, Arun.. and a few others were also there. They were all so happy to be there. I felt as if we had gathered there for a very happy occassion like marriage or something. Hyper-active members like Sankar Palasery, Mahesh Mannanikkad, Anoop Kizhakkedam also reached there by 5 pm. We bought some milk for making tea for the people who gathered there, and there was a problem. The Gas was taken from a vendor and the stove from a different one. Compatibility, which we speak about always in the software world, was now before us. The regulator would not fit into the gas cylinder. We went to the Gas vendor whose office was quite near and he was very helpful. He repaired the gas stove and connected the regulators that fits to the cylinder. Now was the next problem. We didnt have a light source to the dahanna pura (the place where we were going to prepare the food). Mahesh and myself went to buy some wire and a bulb. We also bought broken rice for payasam (kheer).

By 8 pm, I changed my dress to a vest and lungi, which made me a hell lot more comfortable. By then, we were all in full swing, preparing various items, or rather preparing various things for the preparation. We put two tables together and seated ourselves all around the table and started cutting vegetables. The instructions of what is to be cut, and how (different dishes require us to cut vegetables in diferent ways) to cut them were given to us. There were very talented guys like Sankar Palassery, Dhanesh Panikkam, Mahesh Mannanikkad, Anoop Kizhakkedam, Ramachandrettan, Sathyettan, Vinod Arithottam, Dilip Vairassery, Aravind Kalleli, Sreedath Manjappatta, Bhasmathil Narayanan, Arun.. etc who could sing so good that we didnt know how time flew. By 10:30, we had the dinner ready for us. The menu was small with just rice, moru kari (curry made out of curd), pappadam, pickles and curd. After dinner, we continued cutting vegetables, and helping Vasudevettan with preparing items. Some items needed constant attention, and we had to continuously blend the items while on the stove. We had volunteers in large and any one could be called for such difficult tasks - the only thing a few requested was to take a photo of them while they were blending. We had 3 digi-cams which kept on blinking every now and then.



By 9:30 pm I really needed to take a bath. I had sweat a lot in the morning, as I was not very used to be in the sunlight for quite some time. Similar was the condition with a few of us and we went to Unni's house to take a quick bath. How refreshing the bath was!!

We all returned and started our work, with good malayalam songs by the singers among us. At times we felt that we were exeeding the dB levels prescribed for a harmonious life. We were singing loud, and supporting the songs with something which resembled jhankar beats using knives and the wooden block used to cut items. By 1:30 am, Unni brought the milk for Payasam and Vasudevettan started the Payasam work. It was by 3 in the night that we finished cutting everything. Not a single person was sleeping even at that time. Such was the enthusiasm, such was the craze everyone had for such an event, such was the passion that everyone had for music. By 3:30 am some people went to take a short nap. I was particularly interested in the Payasam work, and so went to Vasudevettan to learn more about it. Dileep ettan who was working as a manager in Accenture BPO operations was also with me. For him, this is the real working time, as BPOs work during the night.

Another interesting thing was coconuts. We had 26 coconuts to break and grate. We had 4 or 5 cheravas (coconut graters) which had a wooden platform on which we will sit and then grate the cocount halves. There is a peculiar pattern in which we had to grate them, to make the process faster and to avoid accidents - the edges of the cherava were too sharp. We had a grinder which constantly kept grinding the coconut and various other items. By 4 am, the payasam was ready. After giving a portion to Ganapathi (which is the stove itself) we all had a taste of the payasam. It was awesome!! Cant think of having such a sweet thing in empty stomach at such early hours of the day.. but this thing.. I could not resist. I kept on tasting it until Dileepettan felt the risk and stopped me. After that we started cutting the ripe bananas for pazha nurukku (steamed banana pieces). We had around 250 pieces. By 5:30 am, MS Ettan, Rajettan and Dilieepettan went to their homes to refresh themselves and also to bring their better halves to the event. By 6 am we started the work for Aviyal, and Upperi. Coffee and Uppumavu (Salt Mango Tree - a dish prepared from Rava which tastes something like Kara Bath) was ready. By 7:30 am, Vinod Arithottam and Sankar Palassery woke up. I wanted to have some sleep. So went to a class room where some people were already sleeping. Now dont ask me what happened from 7:30 to 9 am... coz I was in deep sleep. Vasudevettan and Narayanettan didnt sleep at all.

By 9 am I woke up and already there were a few people there for the event. After having bath, I had breakfast and changed my dress to a slighter more formal one.




By 10 am, people started coming in large numbers. Ladies started to prepare for a very big pookkalam.




Parallelly, we started a game of "Vattu" which is very common among girls. The game was to traverse through 8 boxes drawn side by side in a single leg. We have to kick a small flat stone with that leg and make it to the end. Kids were very happy to see the game - a game which they rarely see outside Kerala, a game without the boring rules as cricket or football. Even I tried my luck and was able to complete the full round.





Then we had potting the ball game for children and adults which also attracted a lot of competitors.







By 12:30 we had the Vadamvali (tug-of-war). We had 6 teams and it was an exciting competition. By 1:15 we started our lunch session. Ladies had Kaikottikali during that time. The total number of participants were well over 170. Every one were in praise for the tasty food that they were served. Hats off to Karuthedam Vasudevettan and Narayanettan.
















By 3 pm, the whole lunch session was over and we had the lunch in the final round of serving. There were some items like 1 packet of Tea powder, 1 packet of coffee powder, 1 litre coconut oil etc that were extra. We arranged an auction for the items. The participants were so enthusiastic that all the items were sold out, and that too in profit.

By 5:30 pm, we cleaned the rooms and gave back the stove, vessels etc. We sat for a while to list down the expenses and contributions. By 6:15 pm we parted. My eyes were burning, and as soon as I came home, I described the events that happened to Dilip, who really missed it, and whom we missed a lot. By 7:30 pm, I was in deep sleep, mind full of satisfaction and peace... looking forward for the next get together!

In short, this was the reaction I was able to see on the face of everyone who attended the function!

[This is malootty, daughter of Nandettan and Ambily Oppol]