THE BOAT-JOURNEY AND THE MOTHER'S HYMN
Pic.: Sherry Haridas
Today is Onam. Tomorrow will be the Feast of
Nativity (Mother Mary’s birthday). Just as the Onam meal is the most special
meal for all Keralites, the meal on the feast of Mother Mary (Mount Mary) –
which, in Konkani, we call Monti Fest,
is a very, very special meal for us, the Mangalorean Catholics. Noven, the new rice, is symbolically
savored on this day – that is tomorrow, on 8th September… Just as
the Onam meal, the Feast of Nativity is a spread of several delicacies… sweet,
sour, spicy, pungent, salty, bland and, even bitter… all offered on the humble
banana leaf… and eaten, sitting on the floor… all together as one family… with
prayer and hymns, remembering the dear-ones who live in far away lands…
Whether
it is the on-going Ganesh utsav or
today’s Onam or tomorrow’s Mother Mary feast, the deepest longing of a faithful
soul is the same: O Lord, keep us safe and happy. All prayers said and done, I
think, this would remain the most fundamental thirst of a longing soul…
Adarsh is the only child of his parents. This
morning, they stopped their car, Adarsh got off, bent down to take my
blessings… His parents were very emotional… Understandably so… Adarsh was
leaving for a Midddle East country to take up his new job…
Well, what must’ve been Adarsh’s parents praying on the way to the airport?
Our
only son lives away and is working, just as millions of other young sons and
daughters do… What must we all be praying?
Not
even a month ago, Raj, my ex-student, had left for the US … and, back home, here, he lost
his younger brother Rishab, again my student, in a tragic accident, just two
days ago! What must’ve been the prayers of their parents… yes, when Raj left
for the US
and Rishab left with his friends for the picnic?
No matter what, where and who… Every time, one
of her sons or grand-sons left for a far away place, for job or studies, my mother would huddle all at home before God’s altar and pray… She would
only plead Him to keep her son or the grandson, who was about to leave home,
yes, safe and happy… That’s all…
I
have these earliest memories of my mother praying for safety while traveling. I
must’ve been only four or five, then. In
those days, a visit to my maternal grand-parents’ place (which, presently takes
barely twenty minutes!) was like a visit to Mecca – so far and tedious it seemed! No
proper connectivity… We had to change a couple of buses… walk a lot of distance
… In between, there was a river… We had to cross it by the local boat…
What
I still remember is, that, through out the silent boat-journey, my mother and
other ladies would sing a popular Konkani hymn and pray to Mother Mary for
mercy… O Mother, we are the travelers – the pilgrims… Please reach us safe!”
This
morning, I called-up my mom, who lives in Mangalore, and reminded her of our boat-journeys
and the hymn they would sing till we crossed the river…From the other end, my
mother began to sing, before I could continue:
’
Namaan tuka sargha raniye,
pardeshanche maye,
asan painaar, magthan upkar,
kanthi dukhi vigna nivar…
Kristha maye dharya sukra
Paaav tu painaryarank paav maka (2)
Glory be to you, O the queen of Heaven,
Mother of all who live on foreign shores,
we are on a travel, we seek your help…
Keep us away from anxiety, sorrow and tragedy…
O Mother of Christ, the protector of sailors of seas…
reach out to us, the travelers… reach out to me…
Today is Onam and
tomorrow will be Monti Fest… and,
yes, Ganesh Utsav is still on…
Old Meal or New Meal, Modak
or Payasam… all that you and me – the
travelers, the Pilgrims – pray is:
“Keep us safe… Keep us happy.”
A happy Nativity Feast in advance. I have, already wished
for Onam and Ganesh Chathurti.
GERALD D’CUNHA
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