De ghumaake

Its back again after four years. As the World Cup battle begins in the sub-continent, the whole world waits with bated breath as to who will get a chance to lift the treasured cup, who will let it slip away and many many other calculations. For a nation where cricket is a religion, the hosting of this edition of the World Cup could not have been a better thing to ask for. A lot of excitement is in the air. Along with the rising summer heat, the cricket temperatures are also risen as the first few overs have already been bowled in this World Cup already. India's first match and the war has begun to get the coveted cup. A lot of change has happened over the years, if i go back to my childhood, in cricket. Colourful uniforms, the number of teams participating, each team having a T shirt of a particular colour, marketing the game in a corporate and professional way, revenues attached to the game, the media publicity and glitz attached to the game, bookies and their own calculations, security and race issues,  anthem, making use of this season to make business, especially TV buying, all of this and more have changed the very look of this popular sport. For those preparing for their board exams, the timing of the Cup creates jitters, as they are caught between staying up late to watch their favorite matches and staying up late to study their (favorite) subjects. Nevertheless, the coming weeks promise a lot of excitement for cricket crazy fans all over the world.
Naturally, we as Indians would like Dhoni's Devils (a.k.a Kapil's Devils of the 1983 World Cup) to lift the cup in victory at Mumbai on the 3rd of April. But surprises are in store always and we need to accept whatever is the result. Bangalore is hosting five matches and every cricket fan of Bangalore is excited about it. It's a big pride for Kumble and Srinath, two gentlemen cricketers from Karnataka, who played for India, as they play a key role, being the office-bearers of the KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) in making all necessary preparations to host these matches.
Anything is possible. Let us all enjoy the sport, tapping our feet to De ghumaake. Let there be love, let there be war----on the cricketing field. May cricket win!!!
GO FOR IT INDIA....

Manjinikkara Pilgrimage

Manjinikkara is a small village near Omallur in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. The place is noted for the tomb of St.Ignatius Elias III Patriarch and is a Christian pilgrim centre. It is believed that this saint visited this place in 1932 and passed away here on 13th February. He was entombed in the church known today as St.Ignatius Dayaro (meaning monastery). The feast of St.Ignatius Elias III is observed in his blessed memory on 13th February every year. Thousands of pilgrims come to the blessed tomb especially during February. Almost all Jacobite churches arrange fofr a pilgrimage to this place during this time.
It is a tradition among pilgrims to walk to Manjinikkara, during the feast of this saint. This walk can last from a minimum of a night to a maximum of five to six days depending on the location of the church from where people walk.People from the northern part of Kerala like Malabar, Wyanad, the High Range areas like Kothamangalam, Adimali, and the 'north-central' (sic) part of Kerala, Ernakulam, Thrissur and the surrounding regions take five to six days to walk to this tomb.
A specially decorated vehicle, the 'chariot' having a huge portrait of the saint, beautifully decorated and well lit, leads the procession. All the faithful walk behind this chariot, that also moves at walking pace, chanting hymns and prayers, holding lit candles, all the way upto Manjinikkara.A minimum of five vehicles from the respective churches accompany the procession. Except for the sick and the aged, who travel seated in vehicles, the rest of the group walk the distance. Priests of the respective churches accompany the faithful of their parish.
People from diverse faiths take part in this procession. All along the way, the pilgrims are treated with great hospitality by strangers. Locals residing in the areas through which the pilgrims walk through, offer all kinds of assistance and help. Serving of coffee/tea, lime water, breakfast, lunch to the weary pilgrims walking from long distances, offering of their homes for the pilgrims to rest for some time, are also the various ways in which people apart from the walking devotees offer their services to God during this season.
I had the blessed fortune of walking with the parishoners of my church, St.Peter's & St.Paul's Jacobite Church, Kunnamthanam, Tiruvalla, last year. The route covered by our group to Manjinikkara is around 45-50 kms, usually covered in one night. It was a unique experience for me, as one born and brought up outside Kerala, to join the thousands thronging the tomb at Manjinikkara.
God willing, I will be joining our parishioners in this walk, this time too. The group leaves the church after the evening prayer, by 7 pm on 10th February. I hope and pray, that I would be enriched by this years experience....MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF US

SCHOOL DAY

Most of us have vivid memories of the annual day at our schools. It's an occasion for children to display their multi-faceted talents to a large gathering comprising their school mates, friends outside school and most importantly, their parents. Looking back to around five years ago, things were different. The styles of having functions and gatherings were different from what it is today. Event management is soon catching up as an independent discipline in the corporate world and the rest of the world follows suit. Songs and music have undergone a drastic change, with a wide variety of music being experimented in movies. Songs becoming popular through the Radio, Television and other forms of media, Lyrics of the songs and the message they profess (if at all they have any), have impacted these celebrations. Students try hard to present the best, be it dance, singing, acting out in a play and so on. For some of them it's the first stage performance of their lives, while for others it's a platform to go full throttle. Nevertheless, it's a treat to watch children perform on stage. We at St.Mary's are gearing up for our Annual School Day, titled ENTHUSIA 2011. Enthusia is defined as 'zeal for activity inspired by God' . Children are God's gift to the world. We pray that God may continue to guide our children as they celebrate their gifts on stage, on 5th Feb 2011.
This is also an occasion when our old students, the ones who continue to make us proud always, make it a point to drop in and cherish fond memories of the time they spent here. Looking forward for another happy day...Welcome