Thambis

High rises catch
the morning sun,
make trees, flowers
and birds,
second class citizens,
keep away from humans.
A darkness
streams ...
as Rama and me sat the winter morning on stone benches outside the Shiva temple on LIC Colony. A hugging combo - peepal and banyan - knit a leafy roof above the open house temple without doors and priests. Walkers pause, wish their wishes, pray their prayers... some step in with water wash the Linga ... walk round the combo from which a bell hangs...ring the bell. We sank in the quiet darkness lit up with diyas; noted a squirrel chase on a distant banyan.... love Shiva, not a macho god, loves his wife, relishes a drink, smokes preferring the burning ghat for a living ... always go back to Pandalam Shiva on Achchankovil river near Pathanamtheeta, a short drive from Kurup's Kurumpala. Every god has a presence at the LIC Shiva temple, a buffet, offering a wide choice to citizens. The first Shiva me got familiar was the one at Lake Temple Road, beside the Lakes in south Calcutta; with friends played chor-police hiding behind the Linga; those were warm, incorrect times. Not the cold, correct times of today. At 70 have lost my laughs; afraid to laugh. When two strays came over to rest on the stone bench; we gave them space; how is it that most temples have a strong citizenry of dogs; mostly harmless having no barks and bites to start with. Rama was in a particularly good mood having tanked up with idlis, vadas and dosas from Thampi ahead of setting out for the LIC Colony. Smiling Thambi, in fresh, blue half-pants, white half-shirts with a dash of ash lighting up the forehead, is serene Tamil cut out; his fun-face.... enna saar.... serves food made in Matunga; the food cannot be warm as Matunga is far off; but the autorickshaws, paunchy women and men wait to eat on a broken pavement near Shanti Ashram. This day me had paruppu wadas, dosas with liberal spoons of juicy coconut chutneys while Rama opted for idlis and wadas. Yogi Nagar has a different Thampi; perhaps Thambis share the markets equitably. A three to four hour business. Sipping Bisleri, we started off....

..And
the morning sun
roamed the road,
bare of walkers....