Tag: ManjulasMysore

Ganesh

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Ganesh the remover of obstacles is an important part of our life in Mysore.

Each year at Ganesh Chaturthi we bring Ganesh into our home for Puja and after a few days take him to the Kaveri river by Srirangapatnam

Thank you to Satish and Naveen for accompanying Ganesh to the river today, as we have every year after setting up home in Mysore

Ganesh is also known to create opportunities which on the surface seem to be obstacles for us to meet, learn, develop and grow.

I’m learning…

We hope he’ll help me return to my home in January.

Thank you Sowbhagya for organising.

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Internet info

paschimavahini

Is where we take him. It’s also featured on our cycle tour.

Paschimavahini is a sacred site near Srirangapatna in Karnataka, India, where the Cauvery River briefly flows westward. 

I immersed Manjula’s ashes here.

Significance and Sacred Rituals

Geography: A westward-flowing stretch of a major river is considered rare and highly auspicious in Hindu tradition.

Ancestral Rites: It is a major pilgrimage destination where families gather to perform final rites and immerse the ashes (shraddha) of deceased loved ones into the holy waters.

Mythology: Puranas mention the site as holy, noting that taking a ritual dip here helps wash away sins and grants spiritual liberation (moksha).

Maïlis

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has left the house.

We should introduce an award for her.

A joint one with Ina

Ina visited every year over ten, Maïlis has created a new record — a total of nine months over two years.

Maïlis was also here in 2025 to say farewell to Lucie on her last day.

Maïlis it’s been an absolute joy having you become part of our Mysore family.

Thank you for being you and being with us and we look forward to your return in 2027.

Byeee

A garden takes work

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Sowbhagya and Mahesh cleared up the garden, roofs and drain.

Our garden provides enjoyment.

I’m sitting out in it now awaiting someone from the MCC to take away the waste.

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It’s not only for sitting out.

It’s also provided hundreds of Mangoes for friends, family and neighbours (plus squirrels, birds including parakeets, and fruit bats) to share.

There’s still the later fruit smashing into the ground around me now. — They were too high to reach and crop.

We already know the MCC horticultural department and the commissioner from our partnership to creating Manjula’s memorial garden (see below).

We hope they can pick it up. We don’t want to see more waste dumped by the roadside.

An adventure

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The three musketeers went into the city to negotiate for a new piece of art we’d seen the day before

Their mission was to get a good discount on the asking price

They were a great success🙂

The winning Musketeers are Kaveri with her two new friends: Naimishambha and Pragathi, lovely, confident girls.. daughters of Deepak who works with our friend Florian.

They’re seen here with Maïlis, Sowbhagya and Stephen

It’s got pride of place in our new lounge, highlighting Manjula with her pals Lucie and Ganesh

Billet-Doux had to get in on the act.

Behold beauty in so many ways.

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The latest wonderful creation has arrived from Aadirika aka —Mostly beautiful Maya— (check Instagram) has now created three fab memory portraits of MAnjula

Our first
Second

All to be found at Manjula’s Mysore.

Out third

Thank you Aadirika, for your intimate understanding of what MAnjula meant to me and representing our wonderful life here in Mysore.

Who can you spot in this latest portrait?

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Manjula (obviously), Lucie our first dog of the family of over 15 years, Kaveri, walking Luca — our latest addition and in the tree. —- Billet-Doux my sweet (love) letter sent by Manjula, a few years ago. Plus the dragonfly and old man with his head in the clouds.

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Did you find them ?

First move.

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Into the new house.

Shifting Manjula’s library to our new house. The team were fab.

Manjula loved the joke

After acknowledging a job well done —— we realised the light switch was trapped behind the shelves.

The gods are nevertheless happy

Celebrating later at home.

Factoid

We opened Manjula’s library after her spirit left for its search.

She’d joked that my constantly bringing books home would lead to her setting up the house as a library when I stop guiding tours at age 75.

So as we never reached there together I set it up in her memory

And now it’s the first bit to establish itself at the new house.

Pitru Paksha arrives

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The team puts it all together….

Photos and flowers all lined up …

Manjula’s image complete with Mangal Sutra (wedding necklace) and anklet,

Lucie with collar

and Ina with Momo.

Favourite sweets, jewels, nuts, crunchie, alcohol (shh), clothing, fruits,

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.
Satish
Sowbhagya
Vasanth

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.

Bring on the Cake.

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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.