Shenbaga vadivu

Shenbaga vadivu was our first woman helper in the house. she came to assist Paatti in household works. Such a devoted person,she will be up and about in very early morning, take care of her own kids and come to our house by 6Am. A small woman of 22 or 23 ,simple and honest caring. we were children of 7,5 and 3 when we landed in Thirumangalam. It was neither a town nor a village. But it was a shades towards city life with many business communities operating from there.
Shenbaga had a little hut near by .she was so clean and neat and she was devoted to Paatti and us. when Ranga mama was having some with his skin she went to the naattu vaidhyar and brought back marunthu from him which immediately took care of his pain.
the same way when M. mama had the same ailment she was ready to help us in anyway she could.
Here i shd record a very funny incident.There was a regular launderer who used to take our clothes to wash in the river there once in a month . when Paatti was checking up the clothes ,she found one shirt missing.It was M.mama's.
Mama was so upset when he found out that Mayan (the launderer's son was wearing the same shirt.
He got so angry that he went all the way to the laundry and demanded that his shirt should be returned to him immediately.I think I also followed him. Now it seems so comical.But Mama got his shirt back and everything was alright.
Shenbagam was instrumental in this too. She had a goodtime laughing about this describing the whole incident to Paatti.

In Thirumangalam ,the city had lots of
gardens of Jasmine and roses panneer roses with a very sweet smell. the roses were sent to Madhurai and then to everywhere in the world.


. Thirumangalam had one high school boys and one for girls. and there was one basic Elementary school for children.Life was easy. Andipatti
Madurai,Usilampatti,vaadipaatti,kallupatti,vathalagundu,
vatharayiruppu virudhunagar are some of the towns I remember. there was a TVS bus route and two or three more transports.
On the street where we lived there was the small kovil of Meenakshi amman.all the towns activities went around the temple.Navarathiri,uthsavams,Panguni uthiram,seasonal festivities like kolaatta javantharai.Vaikathu ashtami.Maargazhi was a special month.
Mornings were reserved for devotional songs and hot pongal viniyogam from Sri Meenakshi temple.