For the Manjula’s Mysore team who helped create the event on Manjula’s Birthday
And a reunion of our holiday in Kannur
And our chance to celebrate MAnjula together.
An evening out
Category: Manjula still with me
It’s that day of the year …
… when the warriors ask the gods to bless their weapons
In our case the scooter, Enfield and Ambassador
Carefully washed beforehand, so that’s at least once a year.
In the midst of the puja, horned beasts invaded, we have no weapons and in any case they are goddesses . So we peacefully asked them to move along.
On completing the puja, my role was to ride each vehicle to squash the limes, the goddesses returned to eat the offerings.
All the local traders (Hindus anyway) and neighbours got in on the act.
Feeding her spirit
On Manjula’s death anniversary in March and at this time of year we especially remember MAnjula and feed her spirit. Others will remember their own relatives.
It’s the equivalent of All Hallows’ or the Mexican Day of the Dead. Here’s a bit about the Hindu version.
Close friends who could fit it in amongst their own rituals helped by preparing food and joining the puja.
Vasanth and his family and Satish together with Sowbaghya made all the preparations: the food and puja.
Then waited outside to give her time and space to enter the house and feed.
Making plenty of noise as we re-entered so she could quietly retreat.
Only then could we eat with our Special guests Ina, Rhadika and Kaveri.
Then it was time to relax and remember, sharing Manjula’s trademark happiness.
Why I’m so lucky
I first shared ‘why?, in a posting in 2015
I’ve just rediscovered and want to share a recording that Manjula made that year. It’s quite long but you’ll get the gist pretty quickly.
I’ve had difficulties uploading it so please follow the link to see the video, it’s one of the best
I share this gift from Manjula — as a follow up to Why? — as we approach what would have been her 49th birthday. On her birthday itself we hope to make a few other friends. Please check back to find out what happens.
In the meantime, if you’re interested, there’s more of our story here.
Camping
I’m remembering last years visit and thinking through what I’ll do this time. All rather last minute.
I’ll definitely go camping again this trip, hopefully with my son Oliver and Rachel.
In 2022 I revisited Dorset where we had a family camp on Manjula’s second holiday in England.
Should I be Retracing steps?
After meeting up with our mysore BnB family at WOMAD and knocking on a few of their doors I went camping.
I shouldn’t have been.
It proved to be a tonic.
over to bee-man Stephen to drop our beautiful tent, return the fancy hire car and prepare to return home
In my experience, when grieving, we regularly get ambushed by memories of magical times together. They make me both happy and sad. I’ve learned not to run away but to face them, even create them, so it was ok to retrace my steps.
Thank you for joining my journey and your support.
Durdle Dor in Dorset England
A wonderful place to visit in south of England.
I’ve been here before with ‘you know who’.
This time it’s not raining
There are always one or two other people but not on the scale of India
While sitting in a cave reminding me of my teenage trip Crete and Joni Mitchell but it’s the family camping visit here to commemorate my eldest son’s wedding and my 60th birthday and with my beautiful wife-to-be makes me happiest.
It was our second big trip together in the U.K.
Baby Dor
above all adding to my magical memories of time spent with my MAnjula
How lucky am I?
Obviously, I am so grateful because MAnjula and I found each other,.
But as highlighted in one of Oliver Jeffers wonderful books a little girl, in my case two help bring light and joy.
It’s my granddaughter Poppy who lives in London and my ‘adopted’ granddaughter Kaveri who lives in Mysore.
and how fab, that they are both into cycling.
Managing grief
The lifelong friend becomes more manageable through diversion and building more around the grief bubble
Two new friends and an older one have made the biggest difference.
Eleven plus an Englishman and a dog go mad in Kerala
On MAnjula’s death anniversary, we came up with a great idea to celebrate her— even more — by going on holiday to one of her favourite places.
Kannur is where Manjula and I first went on holiday together after our engagement in 2015.
It’ll be a great adventure with MAnjula giggling from the antics of the loosely formed team.
It’s a challenge, anywhere, to bring together fragments of four families with two additions of an Englishman and his dog but this is India. It’ll be OK.
It’s a great way to thank Sowbaghya, Tanuja and Satish for the help they’ve been in so many ways, including setting up the new business.
It’s also an opportunity to spend fun time with Kaveri and her young auntie Rhadika.
We’ve got the go ahead from Kaveri’s mum, Satish has worked it out with the school and Jo will definitely have completed her term.
So we’re good to go…
Wonderful
So which amazing place is going to host this motley crew?
Me and MYCycle 