Coimbatore Diaries: where “culture” still seeps through the city life

Rangolis are put outside apartment buildings, bungalows and even individual house doors. Daily, after bath by the woman of the house. Or sometimes delegated to the house help, who is also South Indian, and sees value in it. Many will sprinkle the cow-dung mixed yellow (turmeric?) water on the Earth before doing the rangoli.

This is very visible in most South Indian cities including metro cities Chennai and Bangalore.

The women in traditional clothes, plaited hair with oil and flower malas are common-place. Add to that  wearing nighties outside the house and unwaxed hands.

A lot of locals will have bright and obvious vibhuti smeared on their foreheads. The shape, colours and other features of this vibhuti identifies them as per their religious / spiritual inclinations.

As I spend more time in Coimbatore (as a local), more of these cultural aspects make themselves known to me.

In my usual hustle through town, I sometimes give a money note with my left hand. And deftly the person on the receiving end will ask me to change hands. Money notes are only given with the right hand (obviously!).

Little joys.

More to be discovered.

The picture depicts some of these traditional wards on a street side vendor cart. My brother called it voodoo and was freaked to see me taking a pic.

:D

The cultural aspects that seem so wonderful and warm. Become strange and uncanny quickly.

The spiritual fire in the heart, I propound on that in a previous blog, makes it all very interesting. Because such deep spiritual wisdom is embedded in this culture even after these 100s of years of onslaught from external forces followed by the nefarious cultural imperialism of US and UK.

“Soak it all in when you are there”, said a friend.

Yes, that is the plan indeed!