ayudha puja

October 1, 2025 SFLeave a comment

It’s the ninth day of the ten day Dasara festival, the biggest event in Mysore’s calendar.

Today we follow a hallowed tradition of asking the goddess to bless our weapons for battles over the next year.

Nowadays we put forward our tools, mainly our vehicles.

So after a fair amount of faffing about (careful preparation) we do the required Pūjā.

We had a team of two knowledgeables namely Sowbhagya and Kaveri.

The ‘has-been’ well he’s always been a spare part.

But I’m — Not the only one getting lost.

Complete with lime for squashing as we drive off into the sun.

Big surprise today. The red peril, her highness ‘the radical’ enjoyed her first flyover.

Lucie

February 5, 2025 SFLeave a comment

Lucie departed on Sunday 26th January

That afternoon we buried her in a lovely field

Today we returned to do 11th day puja to help her spirit find its new home

Then lunch back at home

It’s very sad to lose such a wonderful friend, I miss her—-

—-being at home when I return, going on walks together and just being in my life.

Billet-Doux also misses Lucie

She’s such a famous dog with everyone asking about her.

Important Rituals and fun things.

October 24, 2024October 24, 2024 SFLeave a comment

October update.

We have our fair share of things we do … at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.

Here we commemorate MAnjula and help her spirit find its new body.

We’re outside discreetly waiting while her spirit feeds.

Support Kaveri in Manjula’s name and share her sunshine

Go cycling with our guests

Ask the goddess to make our ‘tools’ work for the next year

“There are some people who have sun inside them.
It’s hard to explain.
Their presence just brightens, it’s not about their beautiful smiles.
They have an internal being that sheds light and feels like sun.
It’s a calm energy. Inner peace.
But most importantly; it’s not wanting anything back in return.
It’s sun.”

— Unknown 🎀

As is this …..

We even invented a sun cake.

Asking for help with our tools.

October 12, 2024November 11, 2024 SFLeave a comment

SB came to do Ayudha puja to ask the goddess to look after our tools and help them perform for the next year

Next day is the final event of the annual celebration of the goddess killing the demon, after which our fair city is named!

That’s a stay home and avoid the crowds day.

Gowri-Ganesh-Chaturthi

September 18, 2023September 19, 2023 SFLeave a comment

Each year MAnjula would carefully prepare puja for Ganesh and his mother Gowri

Manjula preparing for puja in 2015 a very significant year, when we got engaged.

Ganesh in 2015 the version on the left was taken to be immersed in the river Kaveri later that week.

…

This year I was invited to Kaveri’s school to join the celebrations.

Afterwards we did our own thing at home

All thanks to Sowbaghya with help from her assistant.

Next we’ll work out which day we can immerse him in the river.

…

Kaveri becoming a sharp English teenager.

… Whatever…

She’s always with us

Who’s taken them?

April 11, 2022 SFLeave a comment

We have a pomegranate thief.

Just as they ripen on the branch someone comes and steals them.

We don’t believe anyone is taking them from our side of the wall or that it’s anyone that works here or relatives of the owner that live on the roof.

No strangers have entered our property. We do have CCTV.

They are however easily reachable from the neighbours path.

It’s a recurring theme. People help themselves to flowers from the public parks. We’ve challenged people with their discreet plastic bags filling them not least from Manjula’s memorial garden.

This morning, Sowbhaghya came across one of the workers in the park who accosted a little girl who was collecting flowers for Pooja. she shouldn’t.

A lesson for Kaveri to learn.

The day itself.

March 23, 2022March 23, 2022 SF2 Comments

The third death anniversary of Manjula. We try to do all the right things.

Signs are posted next to M’s garden to explain that we’ve created it in her memory. (It’s even in the shape of a ‘M’.) A large image of MAnjula is positioned at our gate, Hindu’s recognise immediately what it’s about.

We’re inviting her to come in. We all take it in turns to do puja, a request to the gods and wishes to MAnjula to help her on her way. Who
nows? Maybe she’s already found her next body but We play safe and do the ceremonies in case she hasn’t

I close the hall (lounge) door behind me as we all leave the house. This is to allow Manjula’s soul spirit to eat. We’ll gently knock on re-entering so she knows to go.

Sowbhaghya, who now tries her best to hold it all together is ably assisted by Tanuja and Satish the director’s of the new company: ‘Manjula’s Mysore’ to create a great day, remembering and helping MAnjula on her way.

Over the years friends have created a MAnjula memory tree.

Ina the Scottish Australian who became a great friend of ours and especially Manjula calls and arranges to visit later in the year.

Thank you MAnjula for being the all-embracing you, we all miss and cherish you while continuing to feel your presence.

I have another bright idea, I might regret it.

By the end of the day and unusually for this time of year it rains.

The evening before

March 22, 2022 SF3 Comments

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.