the morning charm !! ~ a Peacock in Triplicane !!!

 

Do you believe in luck ? well, I had some good luck this morning !    – getting up early, seeing our own palms, or image of God, getting up reciting a sloka -  are considered extremely good and auspicious morning practice or belief, then there are superstitions that some fully believe !!

Slightly moving away, have seen posters of donkey with words ‘see me – luck will come to you!’ .. .. in the last paras you will read about one such superstition that a friend fell prey.

Luck means an event or outcome that happens partly by chance and is outside your complete control. Good luck means that the chance event produces a favourable or beneficial result for you.

The readymade examples that come to mind are :  finding money on the road or getting money from an unexpected; going late to railway station, coming to know that the train is delayed and just arriving on the platform;  find a very important document that you had given up after many searches – seeing it  at a very odd place; preparing well for an interview is mainly effort and ability, though meeting the right interviewer or receiving the opportunity may involve luck.

Researchers describe luck in everyday life as an unexpected outcome that is unlikely, outside one’s control, and emotionally important.  Whether it is real may become a bigger debate. From a scientific viewpoint, luck is generally not treated as a mysterious force. It is a way of describing the personal experience of probability and chance—sometimes called “probability taken personally.”

Richard Wiseman’s four principles of luck explain that people can often increase their experience of good fortune through their attitudes and behaviour, rather than simply waiting for fate. 1. Maximise chance opportunities;  2. Listen to lucky hunches (gut feeling); 3. Expect good fortune - Try even when success is uncertain; 4. Turn bad luck into good. Lucky people do not deny misfortune, but they try to manage it constructively.  

Wiseman’s idea is: Create more opportunities, listen thoughtfully to intuition, expect favourable possibilities, and respond to misfortune with resilience. He is  not claiming that people can control every random event. Rather, these principles help people notice more possibilities, act more effectively, and convert some apparently unlucky situations into better outcomes.

Moving away in Chennai and perhaps in many other cities too – it is not uncommon to   see vagabonds/ itinerant vendors moving around selling some items of forest. Have seen some buy so called aphrodisiacs too !! but mostly items are bought for wearing inside talisman that are expected to bring charm and luck and they include – skin of deer, fox skin, hair of fox / horse / elephant; nails of lion / fox / tiger  ..; and horns of animals. 

On that day back in early 1980s – a man with so many parts of indescribable trees – roots, dried leaves and more .. .. and some skins, nails, horns,  body parts of animals – came along.  He came near sat near the mechanic who ran a shop in TP Koil Street and started analyzing him – saying that he is having a turbulent life, a troubled  past and tough times ahead – enough to unsettle / shake the  man to ask what he should do  .. ..   

Then he started reeling out solutions of atonement that will work as sure remedy !  .. .. and .. .. and slowly – opening many of the small packs, he showed a small thing claiming it to have great expiatory properties of warding of ill-luck – can you imagine what ?  - it was touted to be the ‘horn of a wily fox’ ! – never ask whether a fox has horn ? – this man had already fallen into the trap and eventually a deal of Rs.450 was struck – understand that Rs.500 was more than the monthly income of most of people walking around on the road at that particular moment !!

I knew what happened to that man later in life – and that is not part of the story !! – any way we believe in good luck charms and getting up to see a good one is always our wish.  This morning my wife woke me up telling that there is a beautiful visitor – we rushed to our terrace to see this beautiful peacock perched high on the water tank – it remained nonchalant for nearly 20 mins and posed still and as it flew away in a jiffy, could take one neat good photo too. Taken at Vasavi Parthas Apartment complex, Venkatrangam Street, Triplicane, Chennai 600 005

That made my day – more than seeing a Peacock in the morning – for me it is photographing a rare visitor to the concrete jungle of Triplicane !!   luck is what happens by chance; good luck is chance that benefits you.

Good morning Peacock – you made my day !! lucky that you waited long enough posing for some photos  and then gave one chance in  flight too !!

Regards – S Sampathkumar
30.8.2026

SYMA ~ Independence Day 'Cataract' eye camp

 

On 14.8 – SYMA enters its 50 !  .. .. the  facade of our   Srinivas Youngmens Association (SYMA) as it was till 2019.

For couple of decades and more,  Celebrating our Independence Day, we organise 'Cataract eye detection camp'   - here is a banner in front of Peyalwar Koil St office in 2o18 seen fisheye effect !!

looking back to Oriental days !!

 

"Some meetings remind us that careers are built not only on efforts, experience, age,  knowledge,  but also on the people who shape us. 

Today, after   decades, I had the joy of meeting the gentleman to whom I first reported when I joined the insurance industry on 9 January 1985 – Mr Sundararaman at Oriental Insurance, DO3 VDS House.

 

Time has moved on, but gratitude has not."

22.7.2026

Jhanvasa car oorvalam ~ தள்ளு மாடல் வண்டி இது தள்ளி விடுங்க

 

When was your marriage !!  1970s/ 80s  or before !!

did you enjoy  'mappillai azhaippu' in Jhanvasa car ?!?!

1.     Q no. 1  is above

2.     Do you remember this song !!

3.     Watched English movie – Yours, Mine and Ours !!!

 

தள்ளு மாடல் வண்டி இது தள்ளி விடுங்க

எண்ணெய்  வெல ஏறிப்போச்சு மாட்ட பூட்டுங்க

கோபாலா பூபாலா வேலப்பா வாடாப்பா

போற எடம் எங்கப்பா போனப்புறம் சொல்றேன்ப்பா

ஆள எண்ணிப்பாரப்பா ...ஆறு புள்ளதானப்பா

அட சரபோஜி மஹராஜா விளையாட்டுப் பருவத்தில்

இதிலேதான் போனாங்களாம்

Something that was too common a few decades ago ! most sought after … not in vogue now … today saw this bedecked, topless car bringing back memories of Chevrolet, Morris Minor, Plymouth cars that were in business !!!  those were the days when the travel was one of pride !!! 

The day before marriage (remember there was no reception or if there was one, it was on the day of marriage !) – bride groom and family (both sides) would visit the Temple, offer prayers and then the groom would be taken on a special ride known as ‘Jhanvasam’ in a open car.  Relatives would happily push their little kids inside leaving the space cramped … .. .. and in some development, the bride would be taken in another car, on the opposite side, somewhere along the procession, the cars would stop – allowing each to have a glimpse !!!!!!!

This song ‘Poomazhai thoovi vasanthangal vaaztha – oorvalam nadakinrathu’ – was a hit  - MGR would play instrument and sing this in ‘Ninaithathai Mudippavan’ (the man who concludes what he thinks) had MG Ramachandran in dual roles – this released in 1970s was a remake of blockbuster Hindi Film ‘Sachaa Jhutha’ starring Rajesh Khanna and Vinod Khanna. Years later, came ‘Mazhalai pattalam’ – a nice movie of Mouli came, it was directed by Lakshmi ….it was a story of persons with children marrying and the problems of  bringing up so many children… a car played a significant role in that film…….

 

All that about ‘Jhanvasam’ ……. Popular ritualistic occurrence in South Indian (or is that restricted to Tamilians only !) - equivalent of a North Indian Baraat. Understand that in good olden days, marriage alliance would often outside village – bridegroom would be taken around in a chariot in procession from the place of his stay to the marriage hall………… by some accounts, it was an introduction of groom to the elders of the village and also by parading, people could voice their opinion on the groom … which many a times lead to trouble too… 

Even in later days where the families knew each other; love-marriages; arranged marriages between known people and more – in the city atmosphere too, this blissfully continued. While it is to be a horse-ride in Northern parts of India – it slowly became an open car over here…. Bridegroom wearing a suit or Safari dress, sitting in the open car along with many children became regular sight…. then started the practice of bringing the bride in another car in the opposite direction, allowing her to have a vision of that wonderful jhanvasam…… many a mapillais (grooms) who had their Suits stitched for that occasion, would find no next chance to wear that ! 

Slowly it faded from spectacular to bizarre and ridiculed ….there were some who owned ‘jhanvasa cars’ old Morris, Plymouth and more – open hooded – in striking colours, hired for the jhanvasam function alone.  There would be host of relatives (especially women draped in pattu saris wearing gold jewellery of their choice) accompanying that slow moving jhanvasa car.  

You no longer see those Chevy Impala convertibles decked with flowers and cute children sitting literally on the lap of groom …  people had time and enjoyed every little chance being happy … now a days, everyone seems to be in a hurry – and makes a flying visit even for the marriage of close relatives.  Gone are those days, when the groom or people from his side made big issues at the time of marriage – the host of issues included the car not arriving in time, stopping, people having to push and in some few cases, the car being a closed one and the groom not able to see the whole outside or rather not to be seen by everyone else on Street. 

Sri Vaidvudai Amman Stores, next to Sri Raghavendra Mutt in Thulasinga Perumal Kovil Street, Triplicane, Chennai 600 005 is a famous shop known for quality butter and ghee.  This shop has been there for more than 70 years and regular customers make a beeline for buying ghee and butter, especially for Pooja and for submitting to God. 

Remember that they provided ‘janvasa car’ services – and their Morris minor car acted in the Mazhalai pattalam movie and in a few others as well. Nostalgic for those who have bought ghee from this shop and for others who had the privilege of jhanvasam – the song at the start - தள்ளு மாடல் வண்டி இது  is from  Mazhalai Pattalam, think that car was owned by the Ghee store of Triplicane. 

 

The movie Mazhalai Pattalam (lit. Army of children) was a directorial debut for actress Lakshmi – starring Vishnuvardhan, Sumithra, dialogues by Visu – music of MS Viswanathan hit the screens in 1980; film simultaneously filmed in Kannada as Makkala Sainya & remade in Telugu as Ramadandu.   

The movie was based on ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’    American family comedy drama film directed by Melville Shavelson, starring Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda and Van Johnson that hit the screens in 1968.  

Frank Beardsley is a Navy Chief Warrant Officer, recently detached from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and assigned as project officer for the Fresnel lens glide-slope indicator, or "meatball", that would eventually become standard equipment on all carriers. Helen North is a civilian nurse working in the dispensary at NAS Alameda, the California U.S. Navy base to which Frank is assigned.  Frank meets Helen, first by chance in the commissary on the base and again when Frank brings his distraught teenage daughter for treatment at the dispensary, where Helen informs him that the young lady is simply growing up in a crowded house which lacks a mother's guidance. They immediately hit it off and go on a date, all the while shying away from admitting their respective secrets: Frank has ten children and Helen has eight, from previous marriages ended by their spouses' deaths.

 
Interesting !  but do answer the Q 1 please !!
 
 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
24.6.2026

 

old chathiram in Kumbakonam near Mahamahakulam

 

Adumanai Raman Chettiyar annadhana chathiram 1887 @ Kumbakonam

Building stands new renovated – photo edited with software !

the priced furniture of yore - Pirambu Moda !!

It was early 1990s and our group of Officers of PSU Insurers had just boarded – Tamil Nadu Express bound for Madras Central  at New Delhi Railway station,   – we had around half an hour and found that at least 4 members were missing .. .. those were no mobile days ! – as we waited anxiously, those persons who had gone to nearby Panchkuian Road came with handful of ____________!!! 

What is your priced possession of furniture at home ? – cosy sofa, easy-chairs, bubble baskets, teakwood / rosewood chairs or simple plastic chairs !  - not many would like to sit on stools (without back support) and younger generation may not know that ‘cane modas’ were part of middle income households ! – cousins would fight for right to sit on chair, stating that they could study well only when sitting on it and et al. 

முன்ன ஒரு காலத்துல வீடுகளில 'பிரம்பு மோடா' எனும் ஒரு பொருள் வாழ்ந்து வந்தது.  மணல் சார்ந்த நீர்நிலைகளின் அருகே வளரும் பிரம்புச்செடி, மிகப் பழமையான ஒரு தாவரமாகும். lபிரம்பு உலகெங்கும் வளரும் போவேசியே குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்த நெகிழ்ச்சித்தன்மையான வன்தண்டைக் கொண்ட பல்லாண்டுத் தாவரமாகும். 

இன்றைய மில்லினியம் கிட்ஸ் அறியாதது ... .. அன்றைய பள்ளி நாட்களில், ஆசிரியர்களின் கையில் ஒரு ஆயுதம் - பிரம்பு .. ..  ஆசிரியர்களும், பெற்றோரும்  சில சமயங்களில் பின்னி பெடல் எடுப்பார்கள்.  சமயத்தில் பிரம்பு பிய்ய பிய்ய நண்பர்கள் (நாம் !!) அடி  வாங்கிய நினைவுகளும் உண்டு !!!   

பிரம்பு மூங்கில் பொருட்கள் சொகுசு பங்களாக்களையும், வி.ஐ.பி., வீடுகளின் வரவேற்பு அறைகளை மட்டும் அழகுப் படுத்தி வந்ததோடல்லாமல் -   அன்றைய நாட்களில்,   நடுத்தர, சாதாரண வகுப்பு மக்களின் இல்லங்களில்  அமர அரியாசனம் 'பிரம்பு மோடா' தான்.  

Partially reposted from my earlier article

S Sampathkumar