Cyclone Montha !!! ~ காடெல்லாம் பிச்சிப் பூவூ

..  in front of Hindu High School in mid 1970s there would be a small handcart selling mango, goose berries (aria-nellikkai), puliyankai and more ..  and couple of ice carts – one was Rita and another … I remember to be ‘Magnolia’ !!!!

 

"காடெல்லாம் பிச்சிப் பூவூ , கரையெல்லாம் செண்பகப் பூவூ"  - படித்த உடனே உங்களது உதடும் சேர்ந்து பாடியிருந்தால் உங்களுக்கு 50 வயது இருக்கலாம்.  செண்பகமே செண்பகமே, தென்பொதிகை சந்தனமே - தேடி வரும் என் மனமே - ஆஷா போன்ஸ்லே பாடியது என உதிரி தகவலையும் தெரிந்தவராயின், நீங்கள் இசைஞானி இளையராஜாவின் பித்தர் !!

 

செண்பகப்பூ மணமான பூ ! - மதுரைக்கார ராமராஜன் எங்க ஊரு பாட்டுக்காரனில் அனைவரையும் மணக்க வைத்தான்.  “பிச்சிப்பூ” - என்ன பூ ?  - தெரியுமா? பார்த்து இருக்கீங்களா?  மதுரை-தூத்துக்குடி, தெக்கத்திப் பக்கம் பலருக்கும் தெரியும்! நமக்கு அறிமுகப்படுத்தியவர் மறுபடி இசைஞானி தான்.   உச்சி வகுந்தெடுத்துப், “பிச்சிப் பூ” வைச்ச கிளி… என்கிற காவியப் பாடலின் வாயிலாக ! - படம் 'ரோசாப்பூ ரவிக்கைக்காரி--  வாணி ஜெயராம் குரலில் என்னுள்ளில் எங்கோ ஏங்கும் கீதம் பட்டி தொட்டிகளில் எல்லாம் ஒலித்தது. 

 

செண்பகம்  (Magnolia champaca)  என்பது என்றும் பசுமையான பெரிய தாவரம் ஒன்றாகும். இது தெற்காசியா, தென்கிழக்காசியா, சீனாவின் சில பகுதிகள் என்பவற்றை உள்ளடக்கிய இந்தோமலாயா சூழலியல் வலயத்தைத் தாயகமாகக் கொண்டது. மிகுந்த நறுமணம் கொண்ட மஞ்சள் அல்லது வெண்ணிறப் பூக்களுக்காக இது வெகுவாக அறியப்படுகிறது.  'கரையெல்லாம் செண்பகப்பூ' ஆனந்த விகடனில் தொடர்கதையாக வெளியான சுஜாதா கதை - அக்காலங்களில் சுஜாதா எழுதும் தொடர்கதைகளுக்காகவே புத்தகங்கள் அதிகம் பிரதிகள் விற்றன. 

 

Magnolia is a premium brand owned and operated by the Ramar Foods* brand family. All Magnolia premium frozen food products are made to match the palate of Filipino families in the diaspora. Eat Magnolia prides itself to keep the culture alive through cultivating Filipino food culture among Filipino families all over the world.  

Away,  Magnolia is a large genus of   flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae.  Magnolias are evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs known for their large, fragrant, bowl- or star-shaped flowers with numerous spirally arranged reproductive parts, producing cone-like fruits in autumn that open to reveal seeds. The genus Magnolia was first named in 1703 by Charles Plumier, honoring Pierre Magnol, with early taxonomy refined by Linnaeus in the 18th century based on American and later Asian species.  

Cyclone Montha is a severe cyclonic storm currently active in the Bay of Bengal, and is expected to make landfall on the coast of Andhra Pradesh, India, on the evening or night of Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The name "Montha" (pronounced as Mōn-thā) was contributed by Thailand and means a "fragrant flower" in Thai.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a rainfall alert in many cities in Tamil Nadu, including Chennai and Tiruvallur, on Tuesday. The weather department has issued an ‘orange’ alert in coastal areas across Tamil Nadu as Cyclone Montha is set to transform into a severe cyclonic storm today.  “Cyclone Montha is expected to move north-north westerly and cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh as a severe cyclonic storm on the evening or the night of October 28,” Director of Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC)   said. The cyclone is expected to cross the coast of Tamil Nadu today,  authorities have said that no major damage is expected and all precautions are in place.

According to Weather Bulletin, the Cyclonic Storm “Montha” [Pronunciation: Mon-Tha] over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 0230 hrs IST of today, the 28th October 2025, over the same region, near latitude 14.4°N & longitude 83.3°E, about 230 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 310 km south-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 370 km south of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 570 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha). It is likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by morning of 28th October. Continuing to move further north-northwestwards, it is very likely to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during evening/night of 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

Following the IMD warning, flights from Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Rajahmundry to Chennai have been affected. The cancelled services include the IndiGo flight from Visakhapatnam scheduled at 9.45 am, the one from Rajahmundry at 1.35 pm, the Vijayawada–Chennai flight at 1.40 pm, and another Visakhapatnam–Chennai flight at 1.45 pm. Officials at Chennai airport said that flights from Chennai to various destinations in Andhra Pradesh may also be cancelled or delayed later in the day. A formal announcement regarding the same is expected soon.

Thai name for a fragrant flower is often Jasmine (Dok Mali), which is a national symbol of maternal love. Other fragrant flowers include Leelawadee (Frangipani), Pikun (Mimusops elengi), and Ylang-Ylang (Cananga odorata).  Montha is the Thai name for the Magnolia flower, specifically the Magnolia liliifera.

                  Ramar Foods*® International, claims to  bring the flavour  of the Philippines to people all over the world.  Founded in 1969, Ramar’s quest is to provide authentic, high-quality Filipino flavors to 1st and 2nd generation Filipino households and friends together with products that remind them of home. We believe that food has the power to connect people and create memories. From its roots in the San Jose, California swap meet, Ramar Foods® has grown to become a leading manufacturer of Filipino food, with a range of products that includes ice cream, meats, dim sum snacks, and more.  

Interesting !!

Regards – S Sampathkumar
28.10.2025