A Morning With My Mom

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It was a chilly winter morning; a thin layer of morning fog enshrouded and made the morning even duller and despondent. I was struggling with my willpower as whether I should detach myself from the bed or not. The clock was showing exactly 6.30 am and being a Saturday, there was no hurry. I double-checked the time and about to make another attempt to slip inside the cozy quilt when my mom entered the room. Mom has arrived a few days back to spend a month with us and since then she was on a spree to wake me up before 7.00 am!

“Get up, get up, I’m going to the Kalighat Kali Temple and you’re going with me”.

(Mothers are like this. They always prefer to take decisions on behalf of their children, in this case, a grown-up lady) 

“Oh NO! Maa, have you seen the weather outside? It’ll start drizzling anytime!”

“Really? Since when you’ve started working with the Alipore Meteorological Centre?” she rolled her eyes. “Let’s go dear, you’ll enjoy the weather outside, trust me.”

Though I had no inclination to trust her about ‘enjoying’  that shabby, gray weather outside, but I didn’t want to disappoint her and after about half an hour we were on our way to the temple. I always think that the taxi wallahs of Kolkata are direct descendants of  Muhammad-bin-Tughluq, who generally care a fig for the passengers and live by their own whims. The basic rule is, you’ve to find out that particular driver, who for some reasons, fortunately, is destined to go to the exact place you’re heading to. On that day, perhaps by Maa Kali’s grace, we managed to find our savior at the second attempt.

I’ve been to the temple umpteenth times so I decided to wait outside. Kalighat is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and thousands of disciples including tourists visit the temple every day. The crowd is heaviest on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It’s not at all advisable to take elders to this temple if you don’t have a personal connection with the pandas or the priests. We’ve family relation with one of the priests, and he took the responsibility to guide Maa all through as usual.

As I sat on the bench of a local tea-stall and watched the moving lifeline that was making the morning throbbing slowly, suddenly I realized that it’s not bricks-cement-stone that build up a temple, a temple is built by faith and fasting and is sanctified by sacrifices of devotees. The heavy fragrance of incense sticks, flowers, leaves, mingled with the garbages producing a mixed smell.  But the smell that was  driving me crazy, was the smell of hot kachuris and singaras (samosa). I was feeling ravenous as we hadn’t had our breakfast, and the heavenly smell seemed to be more alluring than the most expensive French perfume!

In order to divert my olfactory lobes, I took out my Zenfone 6 and started clicking random photos. #MyAsusZenFone proved to be quite effective as I momentarily forgot my hunger. After a few minutes, Maa returned and without exchanging a single word, I ordered three plates of  kachuris. 

” Why three?” Maa wondered.

“Two plates for me, I’m famished.”

After the kachuri meal, a cup of  milk tea totally refreshed  me up. It was almost 10.00 am by then and, meek rays of the sun were trying in vain to establish their supremacy as we started our way back home.

T

That Life Saving Tea 😀

ASUS 6

Coconuts, Bananas, Flowers and Diyas, Waiting for Devotees.

Asus 6

Taken With HDR Mode

Asus 6 Asus 6
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82 responses to “A Morning With My Mom”

  2. A morning spent with mom after a long time can never go wrong 🙂 … You must have thanked her later in your mind. Loved your depiction of Kolkata taxi drivers. I think they are ‘devils in disguise’ especially when you are going to or coming from Howrah… 😀 enjoyed the post very much like you enjoyed your kachuris that morning … 😛 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I loved this post as it is so atmospheric- loved the photos. Your stream of consciousness writing is so appropriate for a trip out with your mum. Mine died a couple of years ago and I miss her a lot. Thanks for describing your world, so different from mine yet so comforting to read x

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  10. You just brought back my memories. I spent 2 years from 2007-09 for my MBA at IIFT in Salk Lake City and have been to Kali Temple a few times…I loved each time i went there.
    I also spent an evening at Ganga Sagar, which is a few hours from Kolkata.

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  12. Our mothers are quite similar in their behavior about these rituals and thing. haha 😀
    “it’s not bricks-cement-stone that build up a temple, a temple is built by faith and fasting and is sanctified by sacrifices of devotees.” well said didi. 🙂
    I love singara too 😀 and your clicks are driving me crazy to get a Zen

    Liked by 1 person

  20. He he looks like the best part of the trip was the Samosa :). Or maybe it is just my inclination towards the samosas speaking 😀 ..

    I loved this statement : The basic rule is, you’ve to find out that particular driver, who for some reasons, fortunately, is destined to go to the exact place you’re heading to. 😀 😀 ..

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  25. well you may be grown up but you will always be a child for her 🙂

    lovely pictures you have shared mam.. thank you ..

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  26. Can relate to your visit to Kalighat with your mom Maniparna, more so as I am just back after a week’s trip to Kolkata. Could feel the morning chill a few times. The tea is tempting, so are the samosas 🙂

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  29. Lol, my mom is obsessed with temple too. I will have to fight my battle again, resisting. At least this time I hope to win, after umpteen number of failures 😛

    Loved your description, Why didn’t you click the temple? Is it against the rules?

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  31. I shared the same equation with ma, i woke up at 2,30 am and couldnt sleep, was trying to when she pings me, I see you online and guess what wanted he to hear the latest episode of some TV series Trisha something. a lovely read babe, the pics are super…Kachuri ka bhi pic chahiye tha 🙂 I have nominated you for the Sisterhood of the world award and The versatile award. http://www.sunshineandzephyr.com/2015/02/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award/

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  33. Sure Maniparna .. as soon as I read ‘a morning with my mom’ i was expecting something of this kind .. 😛
    Felt with you that morning chill, the tughlaq-ish drivers, that languor and that ‘peaceful’ chaos which is common to such famous temples.
    loved the post ..and the way you made a post out of nothing -a sure sign of a person who eats,lives and breathes writing…
    Am sure you know what I mean 🙂

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  34. Nothing can ever beat kolkatta, as soon as i read about kalighat, rickshaws or the yellow taxis, the howra, vidyasagar setu, i immediately get transported there 🙂

    With such beautiful nostalgia invoking sites, its true in being called the city of joy! 🙂

    Like

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