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Wednesday, March 16, 2005
A River Runs Through It...
A river never flows past a town in silent indifference. She cradles it gently in her arms, folds into the town's lap and taunts it with the effervescent giggle of a teenage lover. On occasion, she erupts in capricious anger... Or suffers in dry anguish with the town during the heartless summer months. The River Cauvery enjoys such a special bond with Trichy... She forks out in a loving embrace as she enters the town, entwines herself with the lives of its people and pauses longingly in one of the nation's oldest dams before rushing out in a white gush towards the hungry paddy fields of Tanjavur.
I grew up at a tantalizing distance from the river - a bit too far to be soothed by the rippling river breeze in the evening, but close enough for the spirit of the river to pull me inexorably for frequent dips. Thus, we know each other – the Cauvery and me. And when I returned after years for a three-hour river bath in December, it was a much-awaited reunion with a special friend.
So much water had flowed through those Chola Period bridges of the Grand Anicut since the last time I visited the Cauvery. So much had changed...But when I dipped my head into the dull water lit dimly by the mid-day sun, time seemed to pause in a mysterious fluid equilibrium and I could feel the timeless caress of the waters of the past fifteen years....
I could see the joyous tumult of the river on an "Aadi Perukku" festival day as a little boy watched fearless divers jump into the river from a moving train... I could see the majestic downriver drift of flowers on a cold January morning during our ceremonial holy-bath to mark the memory of a departed relative... I could hear the whisper of the quiet, friendly waters that faithfully kept secrets of schoolday afternoons spent splashing around... I shuddered at the dark gruesome water that oozed out of bloated bodies of three brothers in the "Saraswati Stores" house... I could feel the playful river that lapped at two pairs of feet near the Hanuman Temple as the promised to walk together for life... I could feel the pain of the dry riverbed of the drought years like a gash in the heart...
Yesterday, I saw her again - whittled down to mere streams by the cruel summer sun... She's a mere hillside rivulet when compared to the mighty Northern Rivers - too seasonal and unpredictable to support agriculture and other riparian livelihoods, too small even for any significant navigation. But she is my river - mother, child, playmate, keeper of secrets, killer, provider of life..! She shall waft through my mind forever – Cauvery, the river of my best memories...!
 | | | PeerlessDeepak
July 13, 2008 02:16 PM PDT
And the common thing is we are from "ACCET"!.. I am from 2006 ECE class | |
| | | Atticus
July 12, 2008 06:38 PM PDT
Many thanks Deepak... Means a lot! | |
| | | PeerlessDeepak
July 11, 2008 11:25 AM PDT
Atticus...!!
I got your blog from one of my friends two days back and now I am all set to start a fans club for you!
Stupendous..I look up to you and we do share something in common:)
Just want to let you know that your writings are having a great impact on my thoughts
Peerless Deepak | |
| | | Maria
November 17, 2007 05:19 PM PST
Hi Atticus, have you stopped writing ? | |
| | | Atticus
August 8, 2006 03:09 PM PDT
@Anjaly:
Guess to know a river is to love it... And beautiful places you have lived in... I've seen the Cauvery in Coorg.. Hiding in cool green valley like a shy teenager... She's beautiful and pristine there :) | |
| | | anjaly
August 6, 2006 06:50 PM PDT
I know your Cauvery right from its birth at Talacauvery, high in the hills of coorg. I also know Cauvery that passes through our sugarcane fields near Nanjangud, Mysore. Nice to know it is the same Cauvery you know!! never saw a river like you described, although much of my poems have been written by the side of some river or the other. Great writing. | |
| | | ATTICUS
May 10, 2006 12:56 AM PDT
That's simple Maria... Just start a blog... Drop into strangers' blogs, leave your link.. Just keep it out of bounds of friends till you are comfortable...
That's much the same way I started this place :) | |
| | | Maria
May 8, 2006 05:11 PM PDT
Thank you for the tip but I have no idea how to do that. | |
| | | ATTICUS
May 5, 2006 02:48 PM PDT
@Maria:
Will definitely keep writing, even though the frequency of posting has come down drastically of late...
You keep writing too... Maybe you should start an anonymous blog just to see how people respond... Helps you sharpen your writing skills... :) | |
| | | Maria Nevis
May 3, 2006 10:46 PM PDT
I understand.
But, I am also very glad that you didn't throw those papers away but put them in here for others to partake of it and enjoy it. I write too, poems mainly but none of them published. I send them to my friends though.
You keep writing. | |
| | | Atticus
May 3, 2006 07:23 PM PDT
@Maria Nevis:
Thanx Maria... And i am glad your friend forwarded you to an old post... This is from my B-School days where I had ample time to write... Corporate-dom doesn't extend the same luxuries :)
If you blog too, please leave a link.. | |
| | | Maria Nevis
May 3, 2006 04:19 PM PDT
Hi, reading your work for the first time. Thanx to a friend who forwarded the link to this site to me.
I think am going to be reading your works forever.
Very classy.....
Keep it going. | |
| | | Atticus
March 24, 2005 07:46 PM PST
@Plasma:
Ah... u r back.... Great to see you after a while :) | |
| | | Atticus
March 24, 2005 07:38 PM PST
@Lopamudra:
Talk about trademark writing-styles ;) | |
| | | pLasma
March 21, 2005 04:04 PM PST
"I am haunted by waters"
Gosh !!! You made me remember one of my favourite movies !!! No haiku this time, just one great quote from the movie:
"Eventually all things merge into one;
And a river runs through it." | |
| | | Lopamudra
March 18, 2005 05:32 PM PST
Yes, I am who you think I am ;) Thanks for dropping by. | |
| | | Atticus
March 18, 2005 03:39 PM PST
@Osty:
Thanx!!!
And attagirl on posting :) | |
| | | Ostrich
March 18, 2005 03:37 PM PST
Beautiful.... :)
... and that's all I can say right now! :) | |
| | | Atticus
March 18, 2005 03:34 PM PST
@Lopamudra:
Welcome back!!! Assuming this is who I am assuming this is :))
If so, real glad to have you back... :)
If not, still glad to have you back ;) | |
| | | Atticus
March 18, 2005 03:25 PM PST
@Vinod:
Yep... Elliots is the part of Chennai that I miss the most... :(
And mea culpa... Eric Clapton it is... Guess this was the song dedicated to his son... Thanx for pointing it out. | |
| | | Lopamudra
March 18, 2005 02:05 PM PST
hi, i'm back...as myself this time. btw, lovely post as always :)
have a grt holiday. | |
| | | vinod
March 17, 2005 09:49 PM PST
hey uve been to elliots..read that in ur prev post..kool man..n good poem ithaca..hey btw in ur top 20 list of songs tears in heaven by elt isnt that eric clap dude..correct me if am wrong..geesh
cheers | |
| | | Nithya Swaminathan
March 17, 2005 07:04 PM PST
Hmm good..:) Looking fwd to the Tamil blog from u..:) | |
| | | Atticus
March 17, 2005 02:14 PM PST
@aDi:
Thanx Buddy... Hope you are around when I return to campus.. | |
| | | Atticus
March 17, 2005 02:12 PM PST
@Nithya:
Thanx Nithya! :)
Unmai thaan... Tamizhil innum nandraga irundhirukkum. :))
Working on a Tamil poetry blog. Will be out by the end of this month :) | |
| | | aDiTyA
March 17, 2005 12:02 PM PST
Atticus returns.. in a style, trully his own.
Wonderful post. | |
| | | Nithya Swaminathan
March 17, 2005 10:47 AM PST
Beautifully written... Lovely lovely memories so vividly brought out in words..
Have always prefered wild seas compared to rivers.. thats bcoz I've lived on the Madras beach all my life! Guess living next to a river has its own charm too...:)
Do you write in tamizh? Indha piece tamizhla ezhudhi irundha innum nalla irukkum is what i feel...:)
Keep writing..
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| | | Bhavya
March 17, 2005 09:54 AM PST
:P | |
| | | Atticus
March 16, 2005 07:18 PM PST
@Bhavya:
Thanx..... :)
And you guys better release enough water into the Cauvery every year.... Ok?
X-( | |
| | | Bhavya
March 16, 2005 07:12 PM PST
Beautiful...:)
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