Biscuits for Lucie (the shop insisted sugarless is best, let’s not get into the detail that it’s for her spirit), Momo for Ina (her favourite, she has great Tibetan links)
All make their appearance …
But where’s lunch?
Next
Sowbaghya has cooked it, Satish, serves it out. It’ll not be for the crows (sometimes food is placed on the roof or beside the river for the crows to eat ) as they represent the soul of the ‘departed’.
Time for the idler to get dressed in his wedding outfit.
We help their spirits on their journey to whatever’s next.
Stephen. SatishSowbhagyaVasanth
We then leave the house for their spirits to visit, eat and drink, making lots of noise, as we return, so they know to leave and not get caught out.
Only then can we eat.
I’ve told MAnjula we’re moving to a new house. She’ll be with us.
Factoid
It’s now over six years that Manjula continued her spiritual journey. Each year on her birthday and death anniversary we do puja to help her on her way.
From this year we’ve decided to honour all our departed family members on Pitra Paksha, when everyone does the same.
The delicious cake complete with family. Manjula’s Memory Tree decorated with hanging messages and wishes. Delicious cake didn’t last long devoured by, from left : SB, Ina, Stephen, John and Satish.
Not forgetting Lucie being spoilt by Ina.
And then again, not satisfied with one we had to have another.
This time following the theme of the radiant sun that Manjula brought into our lives and still appears exactly when it’s needed.
Ina worrying the sun is about to explode
Gathered today on Manjula’s bench, next to Manjula’s garden, eating Manjula’s radiantness cake and celebrating her wonderfulness on her 51st birthday celebrations that have already gone on for a week. we have Kaveri, Radhika, Maria, John, Ina, Lucie and Stephen.
Please note Ina is naughty, bribing Lucie for affections with cake.
Italian crazy hair accompanies us to deliver Kaveri back to school.
That’s after Mr No experience was coerced into decorating Kaveri’s palm
Next day
SB couldn’t miss out and had to have more cake….
Yes that’s two pieces. One was supposed to be for her son Naveen.
After a busy Saturday providing drink, snacks and art at a Padma farm event as member of a team of students from Kaliyuvamane.
Waking to breakfast with our guests from Switzerland
Even earlier, in the morning, Sarvesh had facilitated a meeting between me and Chandrika, Kaveri’s mum to try get her -back on track- to keep Kaveri at the school.
Fingers crossed we’re getting there.
The absolute helpful stars being Radhika,
Kaveri with grandfather, grandmother and Radhika.
who Kaveri calls her sister (actually Auntie and a wonderful friend to us all), and Sarvesh
Saying farewell to Amanda from Switzerland.
Next grandmother travels by bus across city and takes her shopping.
And finally Anni becomes hair stylist.
It feels like I’ve seen Kaveri for about five minutes this weekend (as she falls asleep again in my lap when we go back to school in the auto) but I’m happy that she’s had a great time.
She joins the pantheon of stars in my life.
The brightest star at our first wedding anniversary.
Ina was already at our house as I returned from the U.K.
The lunatics had taken over the asylum. We have a similar sense of humour but that doesn’t necessarily travel well. 🤔🤭 sorry to Charles, the Canadian giant. He gets it.Self catering BnB
Ina was an early guest who returned to visit every year bar the coronavirus blot on our landscape. She quickly became a close friend of Manjula helping us celebrate our engagement in 2015. They would mostly hang out together and she’s the guest who’s stayed the most and longest.
We’ve also become good friends. She’s also lost her loving partner and been a great support to me.
Ina has seen Kaveri two years running and appreciates how she’s progressed.
Ina has a strong Scottish accent even though she’s lived in Australia for almost seventy years, having escaped Britain, on a ship, to settle there as a young girl with her family.
Part of the team on Manjula’s birthday. Bonding over chai and a phone on Manjula’s birthday. The second celebration of what would have been Manjula’s 50th birthday. Satish is photographer
Ina, is most definitely one of Manjula’s kind. Thoughtfully helping, all around her, emanating a positive energy, appearing to be decades younger than she is but we don’t mention age.
Her initial visit was to meet a Tibetan monk, for the very first time, that she’d sponsored since he was a child.
She regales with stories of her family and her great times looking after her grand kids.
We keep remembering celebrating Manjula’s last birthday. That’s not our cat Visiting Manjula’s bench at the museum garden in Mysore city. Fun together, Ina with Kaveri and Radhika. Aroma Bakery after swimming.
As she says herself
I couldn’t agree more. I’m still learning
Demonstrating the new balancing pod thing, whilst worrying Paul from France Visiting Chandrika and Mani, Kaveri’s mum and dad.
Ina leaves at some ungodly hour for the flybus to Bangalore airport for a week in Singapore en route to home in Australia after our last meal together at Olive Garden
She’s supposed to have gone but I thought I heard her calling out downstairs. Now that’s worrying.
I’ve missed not seeing her for almost six weeks followed by a flurry
On the drive home she spelt words after giving me a series of drawings, at least one for each week we missed seeing each other.
I’ve visited the school twice already this week. As a ‘family’ visit with scotaussie Ina and to attend the Independence Day celebrations with French Paul.
Does anything ever go smoothly, anywhere?
This weekend we’ve started with skating, she worried that she may have forgotten it, (no chance) a monsoon landing and hilarious walk home
Followed by opening the giant parcel I brought on the plane and Kaveri’s first Lego build.
I was so impressed by Kaveri quickly getting into following and implementing the Lego instructions. She clearly has never experienced anything like it before. I must also admit that I’ve cracked it, and have successfully bought clothes for a nine-year old. We all know it’ll not last.
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.
On 21st August 2022 on Manjula’s Birth Anniversary we created a day of activity for visually impaired young women living at the Divya Jyothi Trust in Mysore.
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Here are useful links to those who made it a great success, explaining who we are and why we did it.
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Manjula’s MysoreContinues Manjula’s work including Mysore Bed and Breakfast, MyCycle Tours and working with young people. We organised the event, sang songs, accompanied the young people’s singing and provided cycling. Our team was: Sarvesh, Satish, Sowbaghya, Tushar, Megha, Poornima and Stephen
Satish founder Director of Manjula’s Mysore, finding a useful role.
Our Partners are Manjula’s Kind
Thanks for making this a great success.
Mysore Storyteller’s Network: enables people to revive traditional and modern art forms of India through storytelling. Inspiring and mobilising communities to share their deepest vulnerabilities through stories, using Indian arts(visual, performing and fine arts). They organised games, taught songs, shared stories, played unusual instruments, from Madhavi, Sridevi Iyengar, Gauri Nadig, Shahana, Aditya Swarup
Vishnu Sharma Company: Vishnu Sharma hosted the entertainments, played music, organised the PA, sang songs, and acted as MC
Poornimasang songs and can be contacted via Manjulasmysore
Local businesses, active in their communities, demonstrating their caring shared responsibility.
Faizan Baksh photographed and videoed the event. Photos of the event and Manjula, are available. A video is being prepared. Faizan provides video and photograpphy services for events and promotions. Contact Instagram @faizanbaksh
The bakers SAPA and Aroma donated cookies and cakes.
SAPA started by Dina Weber is an artisan bakery, crafting sourdough breads and fine pastries with patience and love, giving their loaves the distinct flavours of naturally leavened breads.
Aroma is a bakery that offers high quality personalised cakes in its wide range of baked goods, since 1989
MyCycle cycle tours loaned their tandem supported by their volunteers.
The event was hosted by Divya Jyothi Trust Founder Shivaprakash, co-ordinator Kavya, and is the NGO where the young women live.
Why did we organise the event?
To help our community.
Manjula’s kind
Manjula seized the opportunity to set up Mysore Bed and Breakfast with an English guy Stephen and they fell in love. On getting engaged it was her wish to give gifts to people rather than receive them herself. Kindness from the very beginning.They began by gifting bicycles to organisation working in the community a total which has now almost reached 50. Her business has now evolved to become “Manjula’s Mysore’ providing accommodation to tourists through Mysore Bed and Breakfast and MyCycle tours, available for the past ten years. But now with the added extra of working with young people, to help them grow, develop and thrive.
This was a celebration of Manjula who would have been forty-nine on the day. This strong woman created Mysore Bed and Breakfast and is now known throughout the world for welcoming international tourists to Mysore until her untimely death three years ago.
Stephen is Manjula’s husband, always on the look out, for ways to remember Manjula and share her with more people.
“I was riding my Enfield through Mysore city centre. In one of the busiest junctions were two young woman one with a white stick so one at least was visually impaired. They were trying to cross. I couldn’t stop and as far as I could see, no one helped so I wondered what it was like for young recently impaired women in Mysore.
If Manjula was here we would’ve discussed it and she would’ve been keen for us to find out and do something. So I contacted Divya Jyothi Trust and went with Sarvesh to meet the centre staff, the founder and the young women who live there. As a result we’ve organised activity on what would’ve been Manjula’s 49th birthday and who knows where else it might lead.”
What’s Next from Manjula’s Mysore?
“Manjula’s Mysore will continues to do good, continuing Manjula’s kindness, through partnerships of NGOs, business and community volunteers.”
Me and MYCycle 