05. PRAJAPATHI

           
Year 1943


CONTENTS

Introduction (message from me).................................................. Page 1

Contents............................................................................................Page 2

Routine Life......................................................................................Page 3

Head off to School.......................................................................... .Page 4

Marriage Preparation Continues...................................................Page 4-5

Marriage............................................................................................Page 5-6

Routine Life

I get up in the morning have my filter coffee given by my mother and will be seeing my shelf to arrange books to be carried to the school. My GM who is in the kitchen calls for me. I go immediately to attend her. She gives me 1 Anna coin and asks me to get green vegetables for 3 paise from Kavadiguda along with green chilies and kotmir for  one paise each. There were no vegetable sellers in Jeera Compound. Vegetables were only available at Monda Market. They were available in small quantities in nearby Kavadiguda village. This was very near to Jeera Compound and within walk able distance. I will go to fetch these items and take my younger brother Srinivas along with me. We come back and give the items along with change to my grandmother who cooks the green vegetable for our morning food.

My mother will take us to the bathroom for our bath. we all  brothers one by one will take bath and get dressed up for the school. In winter months the coconut oil  gets frozen. The oil bottle will be kept in a bowl of hot water when it melts we take small quantity and apply to the hair. The dress already kept ready by my mother will be worn by us. Meanwhile my GM will ask to get Karvepak (curry leaves) I go the court yard where the curry  tree exists. I pluck out a few leaves and give it to My GM. She uses this for the cooking. By 9.10 am the food is ready. My GM never allowed my mother to cook food in the mornings. She only will cook food in the mornings and mother is only allowed to cook in the evenings. My mother will attend to all other works except cooking food in the mornings.

Meanwhile our Purohit assistant would have come and completed the pooja of our deity. The pooja room was inside the kitchen itself. He would have prepared the thirtha. By 9:15 am we school going children along with my father sit on floor in a row with our meal plates. After giving us the thirtha by Purohit immediately my GM will serve the food. We finish the meals by 9:30 am.

Head off to School

My mother meanwhile would have kept our afternoon Tiffin carriers ready which I pick up along with my brother and sister and we off to school by walk. I reach my school by 9:50 am and school begins at 10 am.

After morning prayer in the open yard of the school we go to our class rooms. The Head Master of the school was Mr. Ramamurthy who is also the class teacher for Standard 4 . There were four Standards only 1 to 4. I was in Standard 2. The classes were called Standards in those days. The lunch break was from 1 to 2 pm and school ends by 4 pm. The last period would normally be drill period.

Marriage Preparation Continue

The clothes required for the marriage were brought from main shops at General Bazaar where my father knew the shop owners. The Banares sarees were the highlights. The shop owners was asked to send the sarees home for selection. A number of sarees were brought home by shops  representative. My GM ,mother and other relatives gathered in the front portion of the living  Hall and after careful selection selected five sarees for the bride. Other sarees for the members of our relatives were selected. The rep of the shop takes back the remaining sarees.

My father took me and other brothers to our Tailor Bhoomiah whose shop was near Ghasmandi on Kingsway (present R P Road) for giving measurements. This  tailor was our family tailor for gents only.His shop at Ghasmandi on R P Road still exists even today in the year 2014. All tailoring was done by him only. As we were growing boys the measurements were required on every occasion. The we went to the cloth shop Y YELLAPPA on kingsway near BATA shop to purchase the cloth . This shop owner Y YELLAPPA was my father's class mate and gave the cloth on credit. This shop again still exists on R P Road. Having given the cloth back to the tailor we reach home . Interesting point here is the tailor was stitching our shirts, half pants and coats to us.

The other clothing for sisters was arranged separately.

The special Rajasthan cooks were arranged to prepare snacks such as samosas, kachories, Gulab Jamuns and the like for the wedding.

The music for the marriage was of two types. Nadaswaram with main two people two tavils and a sruthi team was for the wedding. A sikh band consisting 16 people for one hour only when the main muhurtham of wedding.

A row of cars was at our disposal during the wedding days specially loaned by my  father's close friends.

The fuel for the cars petrol was a rationed item. For each car a fixed quantity of petrol was given by police department every month in the form of coupons. Customers were not allowed beyond that quantity. These coupons were to be given at petrol pump in exchange for petrol. British Government had imposed this restrictions to save foreign exchange as petrol was imported into India.

MARRIAGE

A week before the exact marriage date the actual important religious functions started with the main pooja for innovation of our family deities. We had mainly three deities Lord Venkateshwara, Lord Lakshmi Narasimha and Amba Bai. In the morning  pooja with rituals etc were done  taking full 4 hours and lunch was served to all invited guests by 12.30 pm.

My GF who was at Shahlibanda came a day before. He usually comes to the ceremony in his traditional dress with a famous Thanjavur round cap. This cap he uses only on important occasion and in other situations use a white khadi Gandhi cap. He commanded a great respect in our family circles. His dynamic figure at nearly 62 was centre of attraction as he had a very good health and his height and weight matched to add to his personality.

A day before the marriage there was a feast in the morning and later on in the evening the bridegroom party arrived. They were received with honor at the door step with Aarathi by senior ladies when the Nadaswaram party were playing welcome music. They escorted to the their lodging arranged in the next house which was taken for the purpose for a few days. They were served with refreshments consisting of snacks and also those prepared by Rajasthan cooks with hot cups of coffee. This was specially served by our ladies in their lodging.

 Meanwhile they got dressed up for the evening ceremonies in their best  clothes with their ladies in their glittering jewellary and silk sarees from Banaras.

Note: The paragraph on Marriage continues in ANGIRASA PAGE 6

Concept : Krishna Rao  Khanapur

Graphics Support: Manu Konnur