ULSOOR

 Mention of the name Ulsoor, now Halasuru, excites me very much, because it is my birth place and I have spent my childhood in this locality. This is one of the oldest localities in Bangalore. A serene place with a blend of all religions and languages. The city has witnessed many civil disturbances for various reasons, but one never heard of Ulsoor not being in the thick of things. It is one of the friendly neighbourhoods of the city. The locality got its name from jack fruit, "Halasina Hannu" in Kannada. It appears there were many jack fruit gardens in the area and hence the name Halasuru, which became Ulsoor after the advent of the British.

 It is a very busy place with all kinds of activities throughout the year. Bazaar street, Jogupalayam, Murphy town and Guntroop are the most crowded areas now, were crowded even during the 1950s. Almost all the youngsters including myself would like to test their cycling skills in these crowded areas. A play ground called "Gundappa Ground", which now houses the Corporation Maternity Hospital, was always active with youngsters and elders indulging in some sports. Many international footballers like Kempaiah, Arumainayagam, Ethiraj and Thangaraj to mention a few, have played in this ground. Annual Republic Day sports conducted on this ground is another colorful event.

Busy Bazaar Street in Ulsoor

 As far as religious festivals are concerned, the people of the locality used celebrate festivals of all religions with equal enthusiasm and joy. To mention a few of them, Oorhabha performed at Sri Kempamma Devi Temple is still fresh in my memories. Ladies mostly from Jogupalayam will come neatly and colourfully dressed in groups. Each of them will be carrying "Belaku Mavu" on their heads. Local musicians playing devotional songs would lead the procession. This will be followed by animal sacrifice and feeding the evil spirits with blood soaked rice in the middle of the night. The event will be very fearsome one. All the children of the area will not allowed to come out of the house after dusk, even the elders will not leave the house on any account after night.  Annual car and Pallaki festivals of Sri Someswara Swamy Temple is another beautiful and colorful event of the locality. St Lourd's Church on Cambridge Road also bursts with activities, when St Lourd Mary's statue taken on a decorated cart on procession was the only activity on the otherwise very serene Cambridge Road.

Sri Someswara Swamy Temple

 Ulsoor Lake is another great spot where many colourful events are held. Ulsoor lake is only surviving lake constructed by Kempe Gowda II. It is spread over an area of approximately 124 acres. The lake was remodeled and it got the present shape during the Britishers' regime. People would gather around the lake to watch the conclusion events of Moharam festival.  Army authorities used to conduct two important events which was watched by many, one is Regatta boat race among the army units, a day long event. Another one is annual Theppam festival of Odukathur Mutt located right behind Thiruvalluvar statue. This is conducted on the full moon day during the Maga month, called Thai Poosam in tamil. The Theppam decorated with colourful lights on a float, the statue of Lord Muruga is placed on the theppam and theppam would go in small circles. Devotees would offer poojas. This practice has been stopped now. The lake consists of as many as five islands, and boating is allowed in the lake. During 1950s the lake was completely dried, baring one island near MEG and Centre, all islands were accessible by foot. It was a wonderful sight. All of us school going children took this opportunity and visited the islands by foot. A small hill-lock with Kempe Gowda Tower was a great picnic spot in those days. Watching the movements of traffic from the tower was a wonderful sight. 

Ulsoor Lake

Tower near the Lake

 During those days Army establishments and Police stations will have gong hung at the entrance where the guard stands and every half an hour the guard would strike the gong to indicate the time. This was very useful especially during the night times. Ulsoor police station and 515 Army Workshop had this arrangement. It will be a great injustice, if I do not mention that many war veterans of two the Great Wars lived in the locality and their families still live there.

It was a very exciting news for me when the first Metro Rail passed through this wonderful  locality. It is needless to say that I hopped on to the Metro Rail on the very first opportunity and enjoyed the ride.

PLAGUE MARIAMMA TEMPLE

Temples have been dedicated to Goddess of small-pox in many places in the country, but Bangalore is the only place in the whole world which have temples dedicated to  the Goddess of plague called "PLAGUE MARIAMMA or PLAGUE AMM".
During September 1898, Bangalore City was hit by the most disastrous epidemic called Plague. It is believed that the disease was transmitted by a butler of a railway officer who brought the infection from Hubli. It became an epedemic and the areas worst affected were Balepet, Mamulpet, Old Tharagupet, Lalbagh, Ulsoor and Shivajinagar. It is learnt that the death toll peaked in November 1898, resulting in a decline in the population by 25 per cent. Over 30,000 people left the city during this period. Old Tharagupet, the chief grain market in whole of South India was deserted and the business came to stand-still. The British Officers in the cantonment area sent back their families to England.
Then the government took over. A new business area called New Tharagupet was formed and traders were pursuaded to shift their business to the new locality. A chief plague officer was appointed for the effective implementation of anti plague operations. Segregation camps were established, people with normal mhealth were asked to vacate their homes and live in segregation camps. Disinfection was undertaken. The houses where deaths occured due to the epidemic were demolished. Check-Posts were created and people entering the city were disinfected. The city also witnessed many changes during the period. Telephone lines were laid for the effective implementation of anti plague programme. New amenities like sanitation and health facilities were provided. New localities Malleswaram and Basavangudi were created. European  style of hotels were opened for the benefit of the British officers who had sent back their families to England. Regulations were issued for constructing new houses with proper nfacilities for sanitation and ventilation. Victoria Hospital was inaugurated with better medical facilities.The  disease was brought under control. The government announced a bonus of one month's salary for those whose salary was Rs 10 or less and died of plague while on duty.

While the government was taking all measures to combat the epidemic, elders of the localities afftected by the disease which resulted in heavy death toll, thought that the spread of deadly disease was acurse of Goddess Plague Mariamma and decided to build a temple dedicated to Goddess Plaguie Mariamma to ward of the evil. Temples were built in the name of Goddess and offerings were made. The residents of these localities also found another way to dirvert the attention of goddess, they wrote on the doors of their houses " PLAGUE AMMA, ALE BAA (PLAGUE AMMA, COME TOMORROW)".

The Plague Mariamma temples are than a century old, still  continue to perform Pooja without a break even today. The temple are periodically renovated and in some places some more dieties have been added and in some cases names have been changed. These temples are the only mute witnesses to the disastrous epidemic that struck the Great City of Bangalore.

This temple located at Bowee Lane, Ulsoor, still retains the name "Plague Mariamma Temple". Other temples have changed their names.

MASHANA KOLLAI

The day after MAHA SHIVARATHRI, is the day on which most of the hindu families who have buried their dead, visit the graves of their near and dear ones in the burial grounds. This happens once a year. Be a Hindu or a Christian or a Muslim, a day is earmarked in their calendar to visit the graves of the dead ones in their families. In the case of Christians, it is called All souls day, I do not know what the muslims call it, but I have seen them visiting Kabristan on the day of Eid after the prayers. In Tamil, it is called ‘Mashana Kollai’ and in Kannada, it is ‘Hiriyara Habba’. I do not know the significance of these visits. My efforts to know about Mashana Kollai have been proved futile. However, I am sure a day has been earmarked in our life to remember our dead ones. Mashana Kollai literally means, looting in mashana. Perhaps, that is the reason, the moment you leave the graves after performing the pooja, all the items you left on the graves vanish without a trace.

I am observing from young age, that my parents visiting the graves of our grandparents and other close relatives. And when my father died in the year 1966, I have also become a part of the group and visit the grave of my father along with my mother. A lot of importance is given to this festival and I remember very well that my mother never missed visiting the grave of my father and other relatives even once, till her passing away in 2005.

People visit the burial grounds some fifteen to twenty days before the festival, reconstruct the graves. Our Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike have also employed people with quarters to assist the people who bring their dead for burial. There are about some ten families live in the burial ground. They not only assist in burial, but also maintain the graves, for a small price. These people though they have limited education, each family maintain around two hundred graves. They possess amazing memory and they remember all the graves they maintain by heart. These people construct the graves every year for Mashana Kollai, and either white wash or smear them with cow dung. This is done according to the family practice. Some people, who do not wish to pay, do it for themselves and paint the graves with all kinds of colours. The burial ground becomes colourful.

On Maha Shivarathri night, Goddess Kali is decorated and taken on a procession inside the burial ground. Animal sacrifice is made and the poor are fed on the following day.

On Mashana Kollai day, thousands of families visit the burial ground with pooja articles and lots of eatables, generally liked by the dead when they were alive. The area around the graves are swept, water sprinkled and colourful rangolis are drawn on and around the graves. Paper plates are spread on the graves, pooja articles and eatables are placed. Pooja is performed for the dead. A portion of the eatables along with coconuts together with the price for renovating the graves are given to the person who has done it. These days the burial grounds are so much crowded, full police protection is provided from morning to evening. No vehicles allowed inside the burial ground. On this day, the entire burial ground becomes colourful and burst with activities that last from dawn to dusk. I just wonder about our culture which earmarked a day even for the people who are dead and long gone. It is indeed amazing!

THIRUVANNAMALAI

I have heard a lot about ARUNACHALESWAR TEMPLE in the temple town, Thiruvannamalai, in Tamilnadu. However, I did not get a chance to visit this famous temple. After my retirement I started visiting temples and places of worships not only in India but also in Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States. Of all the temples I visited, the temple at Thiruvannamalai attracted me a lot. People from all over the world visit this temple throughout the year. This town which lies on the state highway between Bangalore and Pondicherry, is built around the Annamalai hill. A montain raising some 4000 meters from the ground.

Spiritual gurus Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Ramana Maharishi, Arabindo, Seshadri Swamigal, Muniyandi Swamigal and many more saints and sadhus lived and attained eternity in this place.

The ancient and vast Arunachaleswar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the result of several centuries of building, alterations and additions. The temple spreads over twenty four acres. The temple has four gopurams, Rajagopuram in the east is 217 feet high. A thousand pillared hall and the temple pond were built by Sri Krishna Devaraya of Vijayanagar. Every full moon day people walk around the Annamalai hill and offer special prayers called 'Girivalam', a 14 kilometers walk on a neatly laid and well lit road. Ashtalingams namely Indiralingam, Agnilingam, Yamalingam, Niruthilingam, Varunalingam, Kuberalingam and Esanialingam greet the pilgrims on their girivalam route.

'Karthigai Deepam' in the month of November - December is the main festival which marks the end of ten days Brahmotsavam. To mark the occasion a lamp is lit on top of Annamalai hill using a couldron. Sarees and dothis are used as wick to light the lamp. On that particular day, it is estimated that around ten million people witness the lighting of the lamp. The whole town wears a festive look. Everyone irrespective of their religion decorate their houses with mango leaves and colourful rangolis. Most of the people in and around the town fast from dawn to dusk. The town will remain silent from five to six in the evening. Public transport buses would be stopped at the outskirts of the town and start moving after the deepam. One can feel the town coming to a grinding halt. Exactly at six in the evening the lamp on top of the hill will be lit amid chants of "Annamalaiku Arogarah". The lamp will be visible from a distance of thirty kilometers and will be kept burning for ten days. During these days the temple remains open from early morning till late night without a break. Devotees continue to visit till the last day in great numbers.

(This was published in Deccan Chronicle - Sunday on 13-09-2009)

KITE FLYING

Kite flying was a very popular and amusing sport in Bangalore in the 50s. This sport was enjoyed not only by children and teenagers but also by grown-up elders. In those days peKite flying ople used to rate Bangalore next to Mumbai in kite flying. Localities like Ulsoor, Shivajinagar, Fraser Town and Shoolay present Ashoknagar were well known for the sport.
Old Market near the present Russel market in Shivajinagarwas famous for kite making and special strong thread manja threads. Manja is prepared by nicely powdering glass pieces and mixing them with a paste like material taken from Kathazhai - a plant with big thorns all over. This plant is used for fencing the fields. White portion of the egg and gum crystals are added to the mixture. Of course, any colour can be added to make the manja threads attractive. Manja thus prepared smeared on white thread and allowed to dry in sun light. When completely dried, the thread will be rubbed with a piece of cloth, to make it smooth, so that it will not hurt the fingers while flying kites. The dried manja thread will be rolled on a small wooden apparatus called "Lottai".
Lottai is a very handy tool used in the sport. It is made of two roundly cut ply-wood sheets with some six holes uniformly spaced with one another. Another hole in the centre of the sheet is also made. Circular shaped wooden sticks of four to five inches length fixed to the ply-wood sheets. One more stick longer than the sticks already fixed will be fixed to the hole in the middle in such a way the ends of the stick protrude on either sides equally. Protruding portion of the lottai used for rolling the thread fast.
A person by name KARIM in old market was famous for making kites and manja threads. His kites and threads were in great demand. The kite lovers from city area used to come to him. Especially the threads prepared by him called " Karim manja".
When season reaches peak, lot of competitions will be held with bettings. The present Bangalore Football Stadium will be the venue for the competition, the place was an open play ground. All kite flyers used to arrive at the venue with loads of threads and kites. Famous Karim used to be the star attraction with heavy stakes on his kites. Kites with different colours and sizes all over the sky will be a wonderful sight.
While the competition picks-up, a group of youngsters with cycles watching the competition from Brigade Road and their job was to retrieve the "kati patang". All the actions, languages (mostly abusive), sometimes resulting in fights will be so amusing, they cannot be expressed in words.

SRI SOMESHWARASWAMY TEMPLE

In my younger days I used to live in Ulsoor now Halasuru, and one of my favorite place in the area is Sri Someshwaraswamy Temple. This one thousand year old imposing temple give peace of mind to its visitors. I still remember the days when I used to play hide and seek with my friends during the festival seasons. This place is lively on any day of the year. The chariot festival of the temple is celebrated on the full-moon of Chaithra month, which depicts the marriage of Lord Shiva with Godess Parvathi. The ten days special celebrations preceding the chariot festival are unforgettable. Pallaki festival, sending the bride to the bridegroom's place, follows the chariot festival. It starts around midnight and goes on till the following afternoon. It is the most beautiful one with around some fifty chariots both big and small from other temples in and around Ulsoor taking part in the procession. One can smell the fragrance of the Mallige Hoova when the pallaki passes through the streets of Jogupalya. Even though I am living far away from Ulsoor now, I make it a point to visit this temple at least once a month along with my family members. I performed the marriages of both my sons at this wonderful temple. I also make it a point to take my guests to this beautiful place.