Monday, August 29, 2011

Gokulashtami

Last year when Rahulee was barely 2 months old and I was at my parents’ place post delivery, I vowed that for the next Gokulashtami (pozachukadandhu – my paati says this word whenever we make big plans for a future event. I think its something like one shouldn’t plan in advance for anything as only the almighty knows what will happen. So its like saying if everything goes on well which we all hope it would, I would do this and that) I would dress up Rahulee like kutty Krishnan and celebrate. Luckily this year Krishna jayanthi fell on a Sunday and I was happy that I didn’t have to take a day off or compromise on the celebrations ‘cos it was a working day. Post lunch, I Instructed Dee to ensure that Rahulee had an uninterrupted second nap session cos if this doesn’t happen, he will get all cranky and grumpy and I thought he wouldn’t let us dress him up. With Rahulee in Dee’s care, I went to a fancy store to pick up a tiara and saandhu (a coloured liquid which can be worn on the forehead instead of a stick-on bindi) to make the Naamam. I plucked a couple of peacock feathers from the hand fan which was there at my parent’s place. After I came home, I started doing the Krishnan paadams (small feet of Lord Krishna). I made a mana kolam and completely surrounded it with small paadams. I then made the paadams from the front door till the Pooja room. The belief is that Lord Krishna will come to our house, accept our offerings and bless us. I got all other stuff ready for the Pooja just in time when Rahul got up. After that Dee and I dressed him in a blue pattu veshti, made him wear all his gold chains (in tiers) and also placed the tiara on his forehead. I was really doubtful about Rahulee keeping this on till the end of Puja. But surprisingly he was being such a sport and wore it till the end of the Pooja. I always thought that since I had a baby boy I wouldn’t have too much fun dressing him up but I was so wrong! Also I guess I never appreciated the concept of Gokulashtami till now. I mean hogging all those batchanams was the main highlight when I was a kid myself. After all, my mom and granny would do most of the kitchen stuff and we would wait till evening to lay our hands on them. But this time when I did the Krishnan padams, it was like doing it for Rahulee. It was like his day – he even touched all the batchanams and tried eating it before the neivedyam but he was the Krishna after all!!! We were all convinced that kutty Krishnan had already come and blessed our family!

Happy Gokulashtami!

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