Sadly one person was missing
But we all reminisced and felt her hug and presence in our hearts
A fond farewell
Tag: Mysore
Kaveri and Rhadika
On an action filled day.
Went rounding with Stephen uncle, for a drive around the base of Chamundi Hill, playing in the park (for one of them anyway) , a stop for pani puri
before the grand finale (which wasn’t) ginormous Ice creams.
The ice creams were too much for the girls and they couldn’t finish. Each cost almost a daily wage.
Wrong impression.
At her grandmother’s place Kaveri showed me her school work.
She has exams over the next two days and her English is improving.
I really enjoyed my time with Kaveri and Rhadika
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?
The days after, three years ago
Doing my duty…
When one suffers such loss that forms a trauma and it’s aftermath, it’s an extra challenge to focus on the positive.
It’s especially difficult at anniversary time. There’s a preoccupation with the loss, the guilt, a blaming.
In this month there’s also helpful reminders of good, our wedding ceremonies.
Some might wonder why I follow so ‘religiously’ the traditions. It’s simply my love and devotion for MAnjula.
The day afterwards brings out memories of when she was laid to rest on her bed, outside our house with the tell tale symbols of the smouldering wood informing the neighbourhood what was happening. Next we’d go to the industrial shed-oven aka crematorium and before that a puja by the side led by Manjula’s brother.
A kindly neighbour brought Bhagavad Gita to help emphasise our duty not to become too attached to our loved ones and to help their soul spirit move onto another body.
Here’s me doing precisely that…..
Do follow the link and check the video at the end where I’m at one of the most significant places on Srirangaptnam; visited on every cycle tour over the past ten years.
The day itself.
The third death anniversary of Manjula. We try to do all the right things.
nows? Maybe she’s already found her next body but We play safe and do the ceremonies in case she hasn’t
Ina the Scottish Australian who became a great friend of ours and especially Manjula calls and arranges to visit later in the year.
I have another bright idea, I might regret it.
The evening before
Smileys appear on our street.
I’m reminded of how I’d felt the need to protect my broken heart — like this one in a bottle — while looking around me at the images of my beautiful MAnjula which trigger happy joyful memories of our wonderful but short time together.
Tomorrow we’ll share a meal with MAnjula and a few close friends.
This week
March is a month of significant memories.
It began with our wedding at the city corporation, followed a few days later with a celebration on Srirangaptnam.
Two years running she was admitted to intensive care and sadly and devastatingly died three years ago on the 23rd.
We do Pooja on that anniversary, help her on her way and remember fantastic times with a wonderful woman.
Here’s a video memory created by our good friend Tom, Manjula showing one of her many skills and most importantly her kindness of giving.
Making Connections
Meeting people, making new and celebrating old friends is what it’s about.
We’ve missed that over the past two years but things are changing.
This lovely family who look after a construction site, live over the other side of our park and have become good friends.
Their teenage daughter Radhika is dressed up for ethnic day at school.
Occasionally the bundle of fun, Kaveri, their granddaughter, also visits from the other side of Mysore and brightens our lives.
We look forward to more ….
Philosophical thoughts
India stimulates all sorts of reflections like …. What’s the purpose of the line?
a boundary, a border, between in and out? Here and there? Normal and abnormal? The limen … an important guide, the threshold, between one world and another.
If India is anything to go by, it may have no use, other than helpfully creating ‘purposeful’ work.
On both our trips to England, Manjula was amazed and intrigued at how the traffic stayed within the lines that marked the lanes.
CAVA
Our very local art college had an open day today.
We have great friends from here including Punith, Karan and a couple of the wonderful lecturers.
Me and MYCycle 