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Monsoon murmurs 23
Mr. Balakrishna Iyengar, uncle of Nandu was fondly called by the village folks as Kicchu Iyer as he was well known on his astrologicall predictions. People of all castes and creed come to him for consulation. He knew the ancient astrology taught by his ancestors. However, he never depends on astrology alone.
He was the local psychiatrist. He has ears to listen. His sessions were interesting to watch. If you ask a frustrated female to address her grievance, she will verbally attack you assuming you are the accused. You should learn to appreciate that otherwise you will be hurt. Nandu in the beginning was bewildered as his uncle being accused of so many complaints. Later Athamma explained to him that it was not his uncle's fault but that was a way of addressing a problem.
In modern psychiatry, if you are frustrated with your manager, the company will provide you with a human size doll of the manager in a private room where you can scold him, hit him, even urinate on him. Nobody bothers as you need to release your frustration. In his uncle's case he will be the doll. Every one will punch on him. He would not react but simply listen. After her frustrations are poured out she would be cool enough to listen to his advice. Kicchu Iyer will put the blame on a distant planet for all her suffering and ask her to visit the near by temple and do some parikar or prayasittam. She would be perfectly cured after this session. The fees will not be much, a rupee or two. Some times, they offer only a bunch of bananas or betel leaves and nuts. Kicchu Iyer will accept whatever offered to him.
Because of his good nature, God has given him some boons. He has the power to see things. A client will come desperately loosing his house key. How on earth an astrologer can predict on a lost key with his horoscope? You need extra arts on such occasions. Kicchu Iyer would tell him precisely where the keys were lost. How?
Uncle told Nandu a story. One of his ancestors was the court astrologer of Ramnad Sethupathi. The raja wanted to test the astrologer. So he gave him the date and time of a calf born that morning in his Kosala. Astrologers predict horoscope only for human beings and not for animals and so the raja wanted to surprise his forefather. But the smart astrologer understood the situation through his extra powers (mind reading?) and surprised the raja by saying that he could predict only for humans, especially his royal subjects and not for calf even if it is born in the royal palace. Raja was very pleased and offered him gifts.
Kicchu Iyer is a born nomad. He survived every where as he had his tricks on his sleeves. To give an example of his quixotic behaviour, he called Nandu to accompany him on a short trip to Madurai, the near by city. Nandu was jubilant to accompany him. They were in the bus stand and there was no bus on the way. Kicchu Iyer is a very impatient man and he can't wait for anything too long. So he took a bus going on the opposite side. Nandu was a bit hesitant and asked him why do we travel on the opposite side? Kicchu Iyer answered him like Columbus, 'well the world is round, even if we go on the opposite side we will reach the destination. Probably, it may take a bit longer'. Nandu liked his approach and went with him. Hardly he knew that this nomadism will inflict him so much that he will be a global nomad one day. Strange places and strange people keep you alive by provoking your curiosity. It is this excitement that makes you happy and alive.
Kicchu Iyer's consultation will be in the front portion of the house facing the street. The crowd will have predominantly Hindus but will have Christianns and Muslims as well. It is the hope that he gives kept religions away. Every one wants answers to his problems, that's all.
Nandu's father calls it Jamabandhi a Urdu word for such gathering. He will have his jamabandhi at the same place at home but in late evenings. So Kicchu Iyer shifted his place of consultation at the Perumal (Krishna) temple which he maintained after his North Indian sojourn. Nandu and Sethu will visit him when they wanted to have some snacks at Krishna Bhavan, the local vegetarian restaurant. They will stand quietly in the assembly until he notices them. Uncle will throw a rupee or two at them from his collection. He never treated money as an entity and paid extra value to it. It is just an utility. He was so detached that he won't even sleep at home. He will sleep in the 'thinnai' of his pujari friend in front of the Siva temple. No body knows where he moves in the village at a particular time or moves out of town.
His unpredictable nature puts him in trouble as well. The temple that he maintained had an issue. Some body has stolen Krishna's statue. Uncle was totally heart broken. He wanted to find out who did that. His magical powers did not work as it is his personal loss and he was grieving. So he called a local magician who could see things using an ancient black magic. It goes like this. The magician has a black paste made from carbon soot which he applied on a betel leaf and started looking at it. Nandu expected that a cinema will roll on the black screen showing the thieves. But nothing like that happened. Probably, only the magician could see. He told Iyer that the statue has been stolen in order to take it away to a foreign land for sale. However, he said that the statue will be recovered before it leaves the shores of India. Police was informed and a case was filed. After several months of mental torture the police recovered the statue and it was reinstated at the temple. However, that shock devasted him permanently.
© nanu
He was the local psychiatrist. He has ears to listen. His sessions were interesting to watch. If you ask a frustrated female to address her grievance, she will verbally attack you assuming you are the accused. You should learn to appreciate that otherwise you will be hurt. Nandu in the beginning was bewildered as his uncle being accused of so many complaints. Later Athamma explained to him that it was not his uncle's fault but that was a way of addressing a problem.
In modern psychiatry, if you are frustrated with your manager, the company will provide you with a human size doll of the manager in a private room where you can scold him, hit him, even urinate on him. Nobody bothers as you need to release your frustration. In his uncle's case he will be the doll. Every one will punch on him. He would not react but simply listen. After her frustrations are poured out she would be cool enough to listen to his advice. Kicchu Iyer will put the blame on a distant planet for all her suffering and ask her to visit the near by temple and do some parikar or prayasittam. She would be perfectly cured after this session. The fees will not be much, a rupee or two. Some times, they offer only a bunch of bananas or betel leaves and nuts. Kicchu Iyer will accept whatever offered to him.
Because of his good nature, God has given him some boons. He has the power to see things. A client will come desperately loosing his house key. How on earth an astrologer can predict on a lost key with his horoscope? You need extra arts on such occasions. Kicchu Iyer would tell him precisely where the keys were lost. How?
Uncle told Nandu a story. One of his ancestors was the court astrologer of Ramnad Sethupathi. The raja wanted to test the astrologer. So he gave him the date and time of a calf born that morning in his Kosala. Astrologers predict horoscope only for human beings and not for animals and so the raja wanted to surprise his forefather. But the smart astrologer understood the situation through his extra powers (mind reading?) and surprised the raja by saying that he could predict only for humans, especially his royal subjects and not for calf even if it is born in the royal palace. Raja was very pleased and offered him gifts.
Kicchu Iyer is a born nomad. He survived every where as he had his tricks on his sleeves. To give an example of his quixotic behaviour, he called Nandu to accompany him on a short trip to Madurai, the near by city. Nandu was jubilant to accompany him. They were in the bus stand and there was no bus on the way. Kicchu Iyer is a very impatient man and he can't wait for anything too long. So he took a bus going on the opposite side. Nandu was a bit hesitant and asked him why do we travel on the opposite side? Kicchu Iyer answered him like Columbus, 'well the world is round, even if we go on the opposite side we will reach the destination. Probably, it may take a bit longer'. Nandu liked his approach and went with him. Hardly he knew that this nomadism will inflict him so much that he will be a global nomad one day. Strange places and strange people keep you alive by provoking your curiosity. It is this excitement that makes you happy and alive.
Kicchu Iyer's consultation will be in the front portion of the house facing the street. The crowd will have predominantly Hindus but will have Christianns and Muslims as well. It is the hope that he gives kept religions away. Every one wants answers to his problems, that's all.
Nandu's father calls it Jamabandhi a Urdu word for such gathering. He will have his jamabandhi at the same place at home but in late evenings. So Kicchu Iyer shifted his place of consultation at the Perumal (Krishna) temple which he maintained after his North Indian sojourn. Nandu and Sethu will visit him when they wanted to have some snacks at Krishna Bhavan, the local vegetarian restaurant. They will stand quietly in the assembly until he notices them. Uncle will throw a rupee or two at them from his collection. He never treated money as an entity and paid extra value to it. It is just an utility. He was so detached that he won't even sleep at home. He will sleep in the 'thinnai' of his pujari friend in front of the Siva temple. No body knows where he moves in the village at a particular time or moves out of town.
His unpredictable nature puts him in trouble as well. The temple that he maintained had an issue. Some body has stolen Krishna's statue. Uncle was totally heart broken. He wanted to find out who did that. His magical powers did not work as it is his personal loss and he was grieving. So he called a local magician who could see things using an ancient black magic. It goes like this. The magician has a black paste made from carbon soot which he applied on a betel leaf and started looking at it. Nandu expected that a cinema will roll on the black screen showing the thieves. But nothing like that happened. Probably, only the magician could see. He told Iyer that the statue has been stolen in order to take it away to a foreign land for sale. However, he said that the statue will be recovered before it leaves the shores of India. Police was informed and a case was filed. After several months of mental torture the police recovered the statue and it was reinstated at the temple. However, that shock devasted him permanently.
© nanu
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