Welcome to the September edition of the COMA newsletter. A week after the COMA grand Onam celebrations, I am still feeling a sense of excitement and exhilaration. It was an absolute success, and a testament to the meticulous planning by the COMA Executive Committee and the enthusiasm of the event volunteers. The celebrations embodied the true spirit of Onam – bringing people together to celebrate traditions and camaraderie.
The athapookkalams were a sight to behold, and transformed the venue into a visual delight. Members adorned in traditional attire like kasavu sarees and mundu enhanced the visual spectacle of the celebrations. The sadhya was a culinary treat with an array of authentic dishes including delectable payasams and boli, all served in fresh banana leaves.
Our chief guest Prof. Gopinath Muthukad truly shone as a beacon of altruism and selflessness. His ability to rally people together for his cause is extraordinary, and his unwavering commitment to the cause of differently abled children in Kerala is an inspiration to all of us.
The chenda melam team from Detroit drummed up a storm and kept us on the edge of our seats. The performance was nothing short of extraordinary and left us all in awe and deeply proud of our rich Malayalee cultural heritage. The event’s entertainment selection was a blend of traditional and contemporary music and dance performances, ensuring everyone had an enjoyable experience. The MC team did a great job ensuring the event ran smoothly, and most importantly keeping the audience fully engaged.
The Onam event was a roaring success encapsulating the spirit and tradition of Onam, and creating an opportunity for charitable giving, raising an incredible amount for a very worthy cause. Thank you COMA EC 2023 for the dedication and passion that made this Onam an unforgettable celebration for all of us.
COMA officials handing over the first check to Prof. Muthukad.
ഓർമ്മിക്കാൻ ഒരു അമേരിക്കൻ ഓണം – Suprabha Arimbassery
(Suprabha hails from Valayanchirangara, Ernakulam. She is currently in Columbus, Ohio visiting her daughter Anjana Nair and family.)
എക്കാലത്തെയും നല്ല ഓർമ്മയായി മനസ്സിൽ സൂക്ഷിക്കാൻ ഒരോണവും കൂടി. നാട്ടിലെ ഓണപ്പരിപാടികൾ നഷ്ടമായെന്നോർത്ത് അമേരിക്കയിലെത്തിയ ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് ഇവിടുത്തെ ഓണാഘോഷങ്ങളിൽ പങ്കെടുക്കുവാൻ ഭാഗ്യമുണ്ടായി. വളരെ സന്തോഷകരമായ കാര്യം തന്നെ. ആഘോഷപരിപാടികൾ കാണുവാനായി ഒരു സ്കൂളിൻടെ ഓഡിറ്റോറിയത്തിൽ എത്തിയപ്പോൾ കേരളത്തിലെ ഒരു ആഘോഷത്തിലെത്തിയ പ്രതീതി. എല്ലായിടത്തും മലയാളത്തനിമയാർന്ന വേഷവിധാനങ്ങളും സംഭാഷണ ശകലങ്ങളും, പരിചയപ്പെടലുകളും പരിചയപ്പെടുത്തലുകളുമായി സ്നേഹബന്ധങ്ങൾ പരിപോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്ന നമ്മുടെ കൂട്ടുകാർ. അല്പസ്വല്പം പരിചയപ്പെടലുകൾക്കു ശേഷം കണ്ട പൂക്കളം വർണവിസ്മയം തീർത്തു. പ്രകൃതിദത്തമായ പൂക്കളാൽ അണിയിച്ചൊരുക്കിയ രണ്ട് വലിയ പൂക്കളങ്ങൾ വളരെ മനോഹരം.
അതു കഴിഞ്ഞ് ഒന്നാന്തരം ഓണസദ്യ. കേരളീയ സമ്പ്രദായത്തിൽ വാഴയിലയിൽ പപ്പടം, പഴം, പായസം ഇവ കൂട്ടി ഓണസദ്യ കഴിച്ച ശേഷം ഓഡിറ്റോറിയത്തിനകത്തേയ്ക്കു കയറിയപ്പോൾ കണ്ടത് – ഉത്സവപ്പറമ്പിലാണോ എന്ന് തോന്നുമാറ് ഒരാന. നെറ്റിപ്പട്ടം കെട്ടി, കോലം വച്ച് – വളരെ നന്നായിരുന്നു ആ കാഴ്ച. തുടർന്ന് ചെണ്ടമേളത്തിന്റെയും പുലികളിയുടെയും അകമ്പടിയോടെ മാവേലിത്തമ്പുരാൻടെ എഴുന്നള്ളത്ത്. മാവേലിത്തമ്പുരാൻടെ വരവും എതിരേല്പ്പും താളാത്മകമായി കൊട്ടിക്കയറിയ ചെണ്ടമേളവും സദസ്സിനെ ഗൃഹാതുരത്വത്തിന്റെ തലത്തിലേക്കുയർത്തി.
വിശിഷ്ടാതിഥിയായെത്തിയ ശ്രീ ഗോപിനാഥ് മുതുകാടിനൻടെ ഉത്ഘാടനപ്രസംഗം ഗതകാല സ്മരണകളെ ഉണർത്തുന്ന ഒന്നായിരുന്നു. തുടർന്ന്, കലാപരിപാടികളുടെ ഒരു വേലിയേറ്റം തന്നെയായിരുന്നു. ഓണപ്പാട്ടും, തിരുവാതിരകളിയും, കൊച്ചുകുരുന്നുകളുടെ ഫാഷൻ ഷോയും, ക്ലാസിക്കൽ, സിനിമാറ്റിക് ഡാൻസ്, മ്യൂസിക് ബാൻഡ് ഫ്യൂഷൻ, കവിതാലാപനം തുടങ്ങിയവ കൊണ്ട് കുറേ സമയം വേറൊരു ലോകത്ത് എല്ലാം മറന്നിരുന്നുപോയി. ഓണോത്സവത്തെ ശ്ലാഖിച്ചുകൊണ്ടുള്ള ഒഹായോ സ്റ്റേറ്റ് സെക്രട്ടറിയുടെ സന്ദേശം കേട്ടപ്പോൾ വളരെ സന്തോഷം തോന്നി.
ഇത്ര ഭംഗിയായി ഇതവതരിപ്പിക്കാൻ ചുക്കാൻ പിടിച്ച COMA ഭാരവാഹികൾക്കും, അർപ്പണബോധത്തോടെ ചിട്ടയായ പരിശീലനവും, പരിശീലിപ്പിക്കലും നടത്തിയ അംഗങ്ങൾക്കും കുട്ടികൾക്കും, എല്ലാത്തിനും എല്ലാ പിന്തുണയുമായി നിൽക്കുന്ന എല്ലാ കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങൾക്കും എത്ര നന്ദി പറഞ്ഞാലും മതിയാകില്ല. കൂട്ടായ പ്രവർത്തനത്തിൻടെ പ്രതിഫലനമാണ് ഇത്രയും നല്ലൊരു ദൃശ്യ ശ്രാവ്യ വിസ്മയ കാഴ്ച. ഇതാസ്വദിക്കാൻ അവസരം ലഭിച്ചതിന് വളരെ അധികം നന്ദി, സന്തോഷം.
My trek to the Annapurna Base Camp – Deepa Jayabalan Menon
(Deepa Menon among her friends and family is best known for someone who is always living on the edge, loves travel, adventure sports, trekking, and diving (underwater and sky). On a sunny nice day she can be found hiking, and is always working on her next bucket list item.)
Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp… it was indeed one of the beautiful decisions of my life.
I leave a part of myself to the Himalayas every time I visit her. Himalayan ranges are my all time high; it gives a unique energy to reach and to be around her in spite of all the difficulties, tough terrains, and multiple days of walking.
It was an amazing experience to walk through the distinct landscape full of rich mountains, terraced fields, peculiar Gurung and Thakali villages, and the diverse variety of flora and fauna. The trail goes with gradual and steep ascents and descents alongside terraced rice paddies, lush rhododendron forests, and high altitude landscapes.
Nearly all of the villages to Annapurna Base Camp are the ethnic communities of Gurung and Thakali. We were able to find a few tea houses spread through the villages. These tea houses are the go to places to discuss and exchange notes with local villagers and tourists from other countries. Interacting with the staff, guides, and porters on the trail gave us a glimpse into their way of life and above all enjoy the traditional Nepalese style local dishes and tea.
As we were gradually moving towards the base camp through the villages, the vegetation shifted from tropical forests to alpine terrain with grasslands on rocky mountains. It was monsoon season so the sky was never clear and it rained daily. I would call it a monsoon and waterfall trek. I had multiple leeches biting me and we were always drenched in rain.
The last stretch to the Annapurna Base Camp was a walk on moraines. The evening we reached Machapuchare (base camp), the sky was not clear and we couldn’t see the mountain range, and we were disappointed. The locals said that this time of the year the sky is never clear and we may not be able to see anything.
And then the miracle happened. At 3:30 AM the next day, we woke up looking at the clear sky, visible galaxies, and the vast Annapurna mountain ranges. No words could do justice to her serenity. She is majestic, magnificent, yet looks calm and beautiful. We were surrounded by the various peaks of Annapurna as well as other mountains like Gandharvachuli and Machapuchhre.
The knee pain, leech bites (blood loss), getting drenched, lack of sleep, high altitude sickness… everything just magically disappeared. The journey might have been strenuous and silent but in the end, I always have a beautiful story to narrate. 🙂
Onam Meals-on-Wheels Marathon
On Sep 3rd, Sunday, COMA coordinated a Meals on Wheels marathon by delivering 5 routes in tandem, including 16 volunteers, both adults and youth. This is the 9th year since COMA started doing Meals on Wheels as a regular community activity, and given that this year’s Onam was primarily a fundraiser for Prof. Gopinath Muthukad’s charitable causes, it was proposed to kick off the Onam celebrations by doing a Meals on Wheels marathon. The invitations were sent out with very little notice but all 5 route slots were filled up within an hour of the announcement. Thank you to the volunteers who stepped up so very quickly.
Check out this short 2-minute video for a slideshow of photos from past route deliveries as well as brief interview clips with some of our youth volunteers from the marathon.
As the warm sunshine envelops us and the scent of blooming flowers fills the air, we welcome you to our June newsletter. With the arrival of summer, we embark on a journey of new beginnings and exciting adventures. In this edition, we have curated a collection of captivating stories and exclusive updates that will undoubtedly enrich your experience.
We invite you to dive into the captivating stories of remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark in their respective fields. Their journeys of perseverance and success will surely inspire and motivate us all.
Thank you for being part of our community, and we hope this newsletter brings you joy, inspiration, and a renewed sense of enthusiasm as we embrace the summer months ahead.
(The above introduction was generated by ChatGPT – wanted to give that a try this month)
Father’s Day falls on June 18th this year. Happy Father’s Day, dads! A big shout out to all the dads, uncles, grandfathers, brothers and all father figures who make our lives so much better by being there for us.
— Smitha Nishant
Sreejith Chandran’s Random Ramblings
(One half of his brain has gone nomad and the other has gone in search of the first. Glorifying his random ramblings and packaging it is his main hobby! Otherwise sane and grounded.)
ഐഡന്റിറ്റി ക്രൈസിസ്
വായിക്കാതെ പോകരുത് പ്ളീസ്… കടുത്ത ഐഡന്റിറ്റി ക്രൈസിസ്, ഡിപ്രെഷനിലേക്കു പോയേക്കാവുന്ന തരത്തിൽ ഉള്ളത്…. പറ്റിയാൽ ഷെയറും ചെയ്യണം. ആരെങ്കിലും രെക്ഷപെട്ടാലോ. ഒരു തരത്തിലും പച്ച പിടിക്കുന്നില്ല. പല വഴിയും പയറ്റിനോക്കിയിട്ടും ഒരു കരക്കടുക്കുന്നില്ല! ഒരു ആത്മീയ ലൈൻ പിടിച്ചു നോക്കി, ഭാരതത്തെ കുറിച്ചും സംസ്കാരത്തെക്കുറിച്ചും ഒക്കെ ഘോരം ഘോരം പ്രസംഗിച്ചു. എന്ത് ഗുണം, ചാണകം ചാണകം എന്നുള്ള വിളികേട്ടു മനസുമടുത്തു!
എന്നാൽ പിന്നെ ഒരു ഗാന്ധിയൻ കോൺഗ്രസ് ലൈൻ നോക്കാമെന്നു വെച്ച് ഫേസ്ബുക്കിൽ കേറിയപ്പോൾ പഴയ പല കട്ട യൂത്തന്മാരു പോലും ഇപ്പോൾ അണ്ണാ ഡിഎംകെ ലേബലിൽ ആണ് പോസ്റ്റുകൾ ഇടുന്നതു! ഒടുവിൽ തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞു, കേരളത്തിൽ സോഷ്യൽ മീഡിയയിൽ പച്ചപിടിക്കണമെങ്കിൽ ഒരു യുക്തി, ഫെമിനിസ്റ്റിക്, ബുദ്ധിജീവി ആൻഡ് കമ്മി ലൈൻ തന്നെ വേണം എന്ന്. നേരെ പോയി ഒരു ചുവന്ന ഷെഡ്ഡിയും മേടിച്ചു ഇട്ടു. എവിടെ തുടങ്ങണം എന്നതായി അടുത്ത ചോദ്യം. അമ്മൂമ്മയിൽ നിന്ന് തന്നെ ആകട്ടെ എന്ന് തീരുമാനിച്ചു.
അടുത്ത ദിവസം തന്നെ ഫെഡെക്സിൽ പോയി അമ്മൂമ്മയുടെ പാട്രിയാർക്കിക്കൽ അനാർക്കിയെ (എന്തിരോ എന്തോ?) കുറിച്ച് സംസാരിച്ചു. എനിക്ക് തരേണ്ട ഒണക്കമീൻ വീട്ടിലെ പൂച്ചക്ക് കൊടുത്തത്തിലെ വിവേചനം ചോദ്യം ചെയ്തു. ആളുകൾ കൂവി തള്ളി (അതിലൊരുത്തൻ പറയുവാ, തള്ള ജീവിച്ചിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ വന്നു നിന്റെ ചെവിക്കല്ല് മൂളിച്ചേനെ എന്ന്). കവിത, സാഹിത്യം അങ്ങനെ അങ്ങനെ നോക്കിയാലോ എന്ന് വിചാരിച്ചു ദർബാർ രാഗത്തിൽ ഒരു കവിതയങ്ങു എഴുതി പബ്ലിഷ് ചെയ്തു, കുഞ്ഞമ്മ വിളിച്ചു പെറ്റ തള്ള സഹിക്കാത്ത തെറി! അവരുടെ മോള് രണ്ടാം ക്ലാസ്സിൽ എഴുതിയ കവിതയാത്രെ!
എന്നാൽ പിന്നെ കലയിലൂടെ നവോദ്ധാനം ഉണ്ടാക്കാം എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ ഒരു കാക്കാരിശ്ശി നാടക നിശ സംഘടിപ്പിച്ചു. പോസ്റ്ററിൽ പേരും വെച്ചു. അത് അടപടലം മൂഞ്ചി! എന്ന് മാത്രമല്ല അണ്ണാ എന്ന് വിളിച്ച പല തെണ്ടികളും അക്ഷരം മാറ്റി *%#ണ്ണ വിളിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി. താടിയും മുടിയുമൊക്കെ വളർത്തി നോക്കി, എല്ലാര്ക്കും ഒരു ലോഡ് പുച്ച്ചം മാത്രം! ഒരു അവസാന ശ്രമം എന്ന നിലയിൽ പേരിലെ നായർ, മേനോൻ, പിള്ള ഒക്കെ എടുത്തുകളഞ്ഞാലോ എന്നാലോചിച്ചു ഒരു ആത്മ മിത്രത്തിനോട് അഭിപ്രായം ചോദിച്ചു. അവൻ പറയുവാ “അളിയാ സംഭവം പൊളിക്കും, നീയായതു കൊണ്ട് ഒരു കിണ്ണൻ പേരും ഉണ്ട്”! “എന്ത് അളിയാ അത്” എന്ന് ആവേശത്തോടെ ചോദിച്ചു. അവൻ പറഞ്ഞു “ശ്രീജിത്ത് കോണോത്”!!!
Our Epic Grand Canyon Hike – Austin Pereira
(Austin Pereira is a native of Kannur, Kerala and lives in Powell with his wife Deepa and three kids. He has been part of the Central Ohio Malayalee community since 1995. Austin is an avid runner, hiker, and enjoys playing soccer as well as traveling to new and exciting destinations.)
Each year, over 6 million visitors arrive to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Fewer than 1 percent of them take the hike down to the bottom of the canyon, termed the Grand Canyon Rim to River to Rim hike. Last summer, myself and 12 other members of our community (Prabhu & Aarti Kumar, Jay & Deepa Menon, Ashish & Sangeetha Muthiraparambath, Shibu & Vidya Nair, Valsan & Vijaya Palika, Binoy Rappai, and Yoga Venugopal) decided to take up this challenge.
The Rim to River to Rim is a 17.5 mile hike completed in one day. The elevation drop to the bottom is approximately 5000 ft. It is an extremely challenging hike, since you have to hike down 5000 ft, and then hike back up 5000 ft when you are already tired. You must endure blistering heat of 100+ degrees F while hiking under direct sun. If a hiker is hurt or unable to walk further, the only way to be rescued from the canyon is through helicopter rescue. Thus the saying goes, “Going down is optional, but coming up is mandatory”. A lot is at stake taking a hike like this. In the ensuing months, we prepared for the hike physically, mentally, logistically, and gear wise.
On June 3rd, 2023, we embarked on this epic hike at 4:20 AM in the morning. As we went down the South Kaibab trail, the views were magnificent, with the early morning sun glistening the rocks, showing the majestic grandeur of the canyon. After 7 miles of hiking, we reached the forcefully gushing Colorado river at the bottom of the canyon and saw the famous Phantom Ranch. Many of us sent postcards from the ranch to family and friends, then ate our lunch, devoured the delicious lemonade at the Phantom Ranch Store, and rested.
As we started our climb back up, the canyon had already reached 100 degrees F, and the sun was blazing at our backs. The climb became strenuous, our bodies were running out of hydration, and the elevation was daunting. We took breaks to rest and hydrate. As we went further, it became even steeper. Looking up was demoralizing, since we saw how much more we had left to climb. It was a brutal and strenuous hike, but we took one step at a time, enjoyed the views in between, and the comradery of the team and the jokes made the hike easier.
Finally, at 6 PM, we reached the top. We were physically beat up and drained. The canyon is unforgiving and it has surely humbled us, but we are awed by the beauty of nature’s art, and at the end, the feeling of finishing the hike was exhilarating. This has been a once in a lifetime experience for all of us!
Columbus Tuskers Cricket Team are the Champions of Ohio! – Arun Chand
(Arun Chand hails from Trivandrum and has been living in Dublin, OH since 2010. He is a sports enthusiast, and loves playing sports and games. He currently works for Cardinal Health.)
The Tuskers cricket team (the Malayali cricket team of Columbus) has won the inaugural Kairali Cincinnati Cricket Tournament 2023! The tournament was organized by Kairali Cincinnati, the Malayali organization serving Cincinnati and nearby areas. They have a very strong Malayali cricket community, and have a beautiful facility to conduct cricket tournaments.
Background – Tuskers team was thrilled when our incumbent COMA president and Tuskers comrade, Shibu Nair, told us about the invitation we received to participate in the Cincy cricket tournament. We were a bit concerned when we found out that many of the Tuskers players had already made vacation plans to India during the time. Hence, we reached out to a few of our fellow Malayali players (who play with other teams in Columbus), and all who were available eagerly committed to join us.
Venue – The tournament was well organized in the sprawling Miami Meadows Park cricket grounds near Cincinnati, Ohio. The facility is fascinating, and has four full cricket grounds with prepared pitches. It’s also the home ground of the Cincinnati Malayali teams. The tournament comprised teams from various cities in Ohio.
Tournament day – Columbus Tuskers made travel plans to reach the ground (Miami Meadows) on time for our match. It was bright, sunny, and not too hot – a perfect day for cricket. We were greeted by the host team and spent the initial hour socializing and doing some practice, after our long drive early in the morning.
The tournament bracket was not favorable to the Columbus Tuskers team. Our first game was with the ‘Cincinnati Tuskers’ team (the best Malayali team in Cincy and also the host team). If we were to lose against them, we would have to beat the mighty ‘Cleveland Arikombans’ team next by a big margin to reach the finals.
First match: When the match was about to start, the Cincy captain came to us and introduced himself. He was pleasing and confident, and casually advised us (in Malayalam) – ‘Our team has all professional players, and it’s going to be very tough out there (for you), don’t sweat it’! We were bewildered by that statement and laughed it off; but it indeed provoked us to give our best! The Cincy team won the toss and elected to bowl first. Our team has a strong and deep batting line up, and we made plans to score big. But things didn’t go as planned. The Cincy bowlers were really good (coupled with home conditions), and our batting collapsed. We managed to score a meager 61 runs in 10 overs, which we knew was well below par. We were dreading a humiliating defeat.
The Cincy team started off well by scoring 18 for no loss in 3 overs. Our bowlers fought back very hard, and they lost a few quick wickets. They started to crumble under the pressure. We won the close match by just 4 runs, and got boosted by the result.
Second match: We faced the losers of the other pool in the next round since we won our first match. It was an easy game for us since the opponent team was no match to our strength. We won by a huge margin and stormed into the finals.
Other teams: ‘Cleveland Arikombans’ was a good team and had won their first match by a very big margin. The host, Cincy team, needed a big win over them to qualify for the finals. Their decider match was exciting, and the Cincy team managed to pull off a huge win to face us in the finals.
The FINALS: We had understood the pitch and ground conditions by then, and were well prepared for the finals. The host team tested our grit by serving us with a delicious biryani for lunch, which was hard to resist! We all started a bit dizzy after the break. The Cincy team won the toss and opted to bat first. They scored a decent total of 85 runs in 12 overs, thanks to some power hitting from their middle order batsmen. Our batsmen were better prepared, and chased down the total with a few balls to spare, and were never in any concern.
We had a lot of fun and enjoyment playing the tournament, and also made a few friends. We celebrated the victory after the prize distribution, and came back to Columbus with pride and satisfaction. A day well spent indeed!
About the Tuskers cricket team – The Tuskers cricket team was formed in 2021 after a few years of concerted effort in bringing together Malayali cricket players in the Columbus area who were earlier playing for various other teams. The Tuskers team is now a regular participant in the Columbus area cricket tournaments, and has proven its prowess by reaching the finals of many tournaments, and has already beaten some of the top teams in Columbus!
Char Dham trip – Visit to Yamunotri – Venu Nair
(Venugopalan (Venu) Nair, a native of Kottarakara, Kerala migrated to the USA in 1975. He is currently retired (from American Electric Power in 2009), and lives in Westerville, Ohio with his wife Komalam. He has two sons and four grand children. Both sons along with their families live in Indianapolis.)
After a day of visits to some holi places in Haridwar (Dakheswara Mahadeva temple, Swami Abhedananda ashram, glass temple complex, to name a few) and puja at Kankhal, we started the Himalayan tour on four buses. Our tour manager Mr. Krishnan Nair and tour guide Mr. Rajan gave us the protocols to be followed throughout the tour. Each bus could seat 30 people. Big buses can’t handle the narrow roads in the Himalayas. Rajan read the names allocated in each bus. All seven of us were in the same bus so we could be together for the rest of the trip.
We started the journey after a brief prayer. We found roads through the Himalayas were much improved compared to the last time we traveled through there a few years ago. We would stay in Barkot, which is 190 km away from Haridwar. We were following the Yamuna river most of the time.
On the way, we stopped a couple of times to stretch our legs and have breakfast and lunch. These were prepared by the kitchen staff early morning.
We passed through Dehradun, the capital city of the state of Utharkhand. On our way, we saw so many small shops carrying fresh fruits and vegetables on the road side. The beauty of the mountains started to show from there on, and we felt we were really in Devabhumi which is what the place was called. Since we started early morning, it was still dark outside. As sun started to show, the green foliage and deep valleys started to show. The river Yamuna could be seen as a silver tape at the bottom of the valley. We would cross it a few times as the road takes us from one hill to the next.
We reached Barkot in the evening around 5 pm. Barkot is a popular hill station near Uttarkashi, about 4000 feet above sea level. This is a town in the middle of thick forest and is a tourist place. This place is known for its natural beauty and challenging trekking trails. We stayed at a hotel in Barkot for the night.
The next day we started for Yamunotri. We traveled by bus up to a place called Janki Chatti. It’s elevation is 8700 feet. This place provides a panoramic view of the Himalayas with snow capped mountains. This place is 6 km form the Yamunotri temple.
From here, we were to go to the temple by either walking, on horse back, or some one carrying us. As soon as the bus stooped, a throng of people surrounded us. They were trying to get us to go with their horses. It was all chaotic, I wish they had a better way. After some bargains, we selected a person who seemed very reasonable and friendly. He brought seven horses for the seven of us and four people to handle the seven horses. The pictures show us on horseback going up to the Yamunotri temple from Janki Chatti. It is 6 kms each way.
After a long climb on the horseback, we reached the temple by noon. The ride on the horseback was very uncomfortable, more when we were coming down. It becomes more so when there are steps. There are two hot water pools, one for ladies and the other for men. We took a bath in the pool and got refreshed.
There is also a small pool near the temple where the water is much hotter. One can cook potatoes and rice in it and offer to the Devi and receive it back as prasad. The picture below shows us in front of the temple. It was taken after Darshan.
On the way back, we got down near a restaurant on the roadside and partook the packed lunch we carried with us. We also got down from the horse in between and walked some distance, which was good for both us as well as the poor horse. We came back to Barkot by evening and stayed there for the night.
Community News
Yashoda Murali wins National Gold Medal
Congratulations to New Albany High School Junior and COMA Youth Wing member Yashoda Murali for winning a National Gold Medal in the 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her colored pencil drawing “Lady Hazel”. She is the daughter of Brinda and Murali, members of COMA since 2013.
The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers is the nonprofit organization that presents the Scholastic Awards. More than 100,000 students submitted more than 260,000 works of art and writing to the 2023 Scholastic Awards. Yashoda’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Less than 2,000 works received a National Medal, which places Yashoda within the top 1% of all submissions!
There will be a National Awards Week from June 7-9 in New York City with a National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall on June 8th. Her work will be published both virtually in the Scholastic Art Online Galleries at artandwriting.org as well as physically in a gallery space in New York City.
Yashoda’s digital art work titled “Shattered” recently got published in the “Celebrating Art” magazine (see artwork below).
Sumitra Thampy-Norton wins medals in Jujitsu
Sumitra won two bronze medals at the Fuji Jiujitsu championship in Brownsville, Indiana. She is the daughter of Chris Norton and Gayatri Thampy. She is in 7th grade and goes to Metro Early College Middle School. Her teacher is Coach Travis from Matlab, Reynoldsburg.
Nandana Presanth wins Bautista Memorial 2023
Nandana Presanth won the finals of the 2023 Bautista Memorial Youth – Foil & Saber in Columbus, Ohio. This is her last Y14 match as she is turning 15 this August, and from next season, she will be playing Junior and Divisional matches. She is a 9th grader at Dublin Coffman High School and the daughter of former COMA President Presanth Krishnan.
For Malayalees who grew up in Kerala, March brings back bucket-loads of childhood memories. Among those, the much dreaded final examinations and the much awaited end of school year, the beginning of venalavadhi, and the ushering in of our very own March Madness – the nostalgic maambazhakkaalam.
March in the United States is the start of longer and warmer days. With spring breaks for schools and colleges, parents and children begin to realize the end of academic year is nearing. For families who are planning on spring break vacations, I hope you enjoy a carefree and relaxed schedule and come back refreshed and renewed!
COMA has been supporting the Meals on Wheels program for several years now, helping with their mission to deliver meals and friendly greetings to homebound seniors. Gayatri Thampy, one of our volunteers, has very graciously contributed a detailed writeup of her experience. If you were curious about what is involved in Meals on Wheels volunteering, her writeup gives you every little detail you will ever need to know.
I hope all of our families have a safe and relaxing time during the upcoming spring break. For my friends who are observing Lent or Ramadan, I wish you all a blessed and fulfilling fasting season.
Sreejith Chandran’s Random Ramblings
(One half of his brain has gone nomad and the other has gone in search of the first. Glorifying his random ramblings and packaging it is his main hobby! Otherwise sane and grounded.)
എന്തിനോ വേണ്ടി തിളയ്ക്കുന്ന സാമ്പാർ
പിന്നിട്ടവഴികളിലൂടെ തിരിച്ചുപോകുമ്പോൾ … പുനർജനിക്കുന്ന പുൽക്കൊടികൾ … വീണ്ടും വിരിയുന്ന പൂക്കൾ … പതിയെ തളിർക്കുന്ന ഇലകൾ… പറയാൻ മറന്ന വാക്കുകൾ… നിസ്സംഗമായ നിന്റെ മന്ദഹാസം …. നഷ്ടസ്വപ്നങ്ങൾ … ഒരു ജന്മത്തിന്റെ കാത്തിരുപ്പു … വരുമോ നിന്റെ നിശ്വാസം.
Volunteering for Meals on Wheels – Gayatri Thampy
(Dr. Gayatri Thampy is a former economic anthropologist and taught at Denison university until 2020.)
My family and I decided to volunteer for Meals on Wheels after Nish Nishant created a WhatsApp group to organize volunteers. Our daughter Sumitra needed volunteer hours for her school service record. We thought this would be a great opportunity to cover this school requirement.
We drove our first route on 25th of December, 2022. It took about 4.5 hours as the weather and driving conditions were really bad. Because of our experience in December, we decided to volunteer again in February. This time, it only took about 3.5 hours.
The task is quite simple. COMA delivers Meals on Wheels two Sundays per month. The volunteering family goes to the Meals on Wheels pick-up location at 670 Harmon Ave around 10:30 am. You drive into the farther parking lot and pick up a folder that lists your route number. Inside this folder, you will find sheets with addresses of the clients, along with details of meals each client is supposed to get. You then pick up two cases that have the same route number listed on them. One of them contains hot lunches and the other contains cold lunches, snacks, juice, and milk. These cases easily fit into the trunk of a sedan. It is a good idea to do a quick count of the lunches, juices, and milk and make sure they tally with what you expect based on your list. Both the times we volunteered, we found that there was a mismatch.
Now, you follow the order of the list from the beginning and drive to the corresponding addresses and deliver the appropriate items. Make sure you knock loudly and wait for 5-7 minutes as many individuals have mobility and hearing issues. If no one comes to the door, try to call the listed phone number. If no one answers, mark the entry as “undelivered”. You will need to fill out an online form at the end of your route for these individuals.
Deliveries may be to houses or to apartments. If the door was visible from our car, we allowed our kids to deliver to the house. For apartments, we went in with one of the kids. In some cases, either my husband or I delivered to an apartment. At the end of the route, you return the cases and folder back to the MoW location. I recommend taking some snacks and drinks along with you in case you get hungry or tired. You may need to use nearby gas stations if kids need a bathroom break.
This was an eye-opening experience. Most of the individuals in both our routes were white. I had read and watched documentaries about white poverty in USA. This was the first time I confronted it. Some of the cold lunches we delivered only had a couple of slices of bread and some cheese in it. We were astonished by this, but realized that basic groceries like a loaf of bread and bags of cheese were inaccessible to many people. Due to the nature of urban development and dominance of cars for transportation, these areas are food deserts for people who are poor, unwell, and living alone.
People in apartments seemed worse off than those in houses. In some apartments, the building windows were broken and was covered with a thin sheet of plastic wrap. The inside of some of the buildings were dank and dark, and several apartments had eviction notices posted on the doors. Note that the temperatures in December were less than 5 degrees with strong winds.
I felt that more than volunteer hours, it was really important for our kids to understand their privileges and be exposed to the lives of less fortunate people. Volunteering for Meals on Wheels helped them become curious about the causes of such poverty and isolation in our society. They now avidly watch John Oliver’s segments on various issues in “Last Week Tonight” and express an interest in reading more about some of these topics. After covering our routes, I decided to research this program a bit more.
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is a program based on public-private partnership. It is designed to deliver meals to senior individuals who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. It is largely funded through community contributions, though it does receive some federal support through the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program of 1972, Medicaid, and USDA grants. They sometimes also commission studies on hunger and other needs among seniors.
According to these studies, before the pandemic, 9.7 million seniors were threatened by hunger and 25% of seniors lived alone. A volunteer delivering a meal is often the only person an individual in this program may see over the course of the day. Thus, a Meals on Wheels volunteer does the added function of serving as a wellness check on a senior and alerting the organization if they were unable to deliver the meal to the person. So this program also helps reduce the public costs of hospitalizations from falls and illnesses.
In 2017, federal funding for the program was cut by 1.5 million dollars and the Community Services, Community Development and Social Services Block Grants, upon which some Meals on Wheels programs rely for funding were also eliminated. It is therefore imperative to support this program through volunteering and donations. If you are undecided about whether this activity is for you and your family, I recommend riding along with a volunteer family so you can see for yourself what it’s like. It is a small time commitment, without much strenuous physical activity, and you would be contributing to making our society caring and compassionate.
My experience travelling with Tuskers – Anoop Nair
(Anoop Nair is a Software Engineer living in Delaware Ohio. He loves to scribble, paint, and travel when he is away from coding. Following cricket and experimenting with his culinary skills are other pastimes.)
One fine evening during a fireside chat, after being a little jingled, Pradeesh told me about Columbus Tuskers travelling to Miami, Florida for their next Malayalee Soccer league. He casually asked me if I am interested to join them, of course only to cheer and support. My first reaction was “what the heck will I be doing there; I am nowhere into soccer”? But then for a moment, I was carried away by thoughts of sunshine, beaches and delicious sea food (touchings), away from the pesters of gloomy Ohioan winter and most importantly with no strings attached. When I told my wife about this conversation I had with Pradeesh, to my surprise she told me I should go (I saw in her eyes as if she is getting a blank cheque to be cashed later). Whatever it be, I booked my airplane tickets along with other folks. Team’s itinerary was – A day of soccer (leagues, knockouts and the finale) and a day and half to recover (don’t think too much into the recovery, poor guys are fighting out the scorching heat of Miami!).
It is the day of travel and my phone hooted at 3 AM (economic flights always come with a price), got dressed up and reached the CMH airport. Met other team members of Columbus Tuskers, led by our own dynamic president Shibu Nair. Most of them were familiar faces in COMA, except for couple of guys whom I was meeting for the first time. All of them ardent lovers of soccer and passionate for playing. Their body language, enthusiasm and zeal said it all. I forgot to mention that there were couple of other guys too travelling with the team like I was, to cheer and boost. The excitement started building up and I recollected my last guys-only trip I had with a such big group – may be in my college! Huh!!
After exchanging all pleasantries, Tuskers flew out of Columbus and landed in Orlando. We took some pictures with the cabin crew and went to rent the cars (thanks to Aslam Ikka, preferred customer of Avis for taking care of all bookings even though wait time for the preferred customer was more than the flight time to Orlando). Finally, we drove to Miami and checked into an Airbnb property. It was a decent house that could accommodate all 15 of us, with a beautiful patio looking into a sprawling swimming pool. For a moment, it felt like I landed in Kerala – warm and beautiful weather, Palm and Coconut trees lining the horizon, Mango trees in the backyard adorned in their flowers and all tropical fauna you habitually see in Kerala.
After sprucing up into their summer attire, Tuskers headed for some game day eve practice. As the team was busy fine tuning their skills, we cheerleaders slugged some drinks. It is truly an amazing mood gulping some cold beer in the month of February roaming around in your shorts – something you can just dream about in Columbus. But hats off to the dedication and passion of Tuskers for restraining themselves and just focusing and thinking about the game next day. They were engaged in making game plans and strategies, rectifying mistakes, helping each other in correcting their game, practicing their shots and what not. I was completely moved by their sincerity and devotion for the game.
It’s the Game Day! Guys woke up as early as 5 AM and geared up for the D-day, adorned in their Tuskers yellow and black jerseys. We reached Flamingo Park, Cooper City where 12 Malayalee teams from different parts of the US had assembled to fight for the MASC (Malayalee Arts and Sports Club) Miami Soccer trophy. What a festive atmosphere it was; like an Ulsavam (temple fest) back in Kerala. The hospitality by MASC Miami was paramount. Boiled organic Kozhi Mutta and Tharavu Mutta straight from the MASC president’s farm were the highlights of the breakfast.
Getting into the game, Tuskers were facing the hosts, MASC Miami, in the event opener. Our boys were keen to conquer the home team and announce their arrival to the other soccer giants of US Malayalee leagues. Being an early morning game, we were surprised to see a lot of dew. Ref blew his whistle, and the ball was set into motion. The game progressed and soon our striker Subash struck the first goal of the tournament. It was a moment in the tournament, and I must admire MASC commentators for their superb Malayalam commentary laced with all kinds of wits and humors throughout the tournament. Though Tuskers had an initial lead, there seemed to be a lack of coordination and communication between the players which was quite evident. Wet ground was certainly a factor resulting in some misjudgments. Soon the home team struck back, and we lost our lead, but somehow, we did manage to score a second goal and maintain the lead. It was just 20 seconds for the final hooter and some of us among the spectators had already started blowing the victory bugle. Alas, Miami scored an equalizer! Tuskers had to settle for a draw against the home team who were never at par with us. We could see a lull in our side, dropped shoulders and agony on their faces summed it up.
Soon, Tuskers were back to the strategy table analyzing what went wrong and how they can do better; after all it was not a defeat, and the first game is always a lesson in learning. Luckily, we had a break of 3 hours before our next group game and that was enough to rejuvenate and revive. On the other side, more group games were in progress, I was thrilled to see some fantastic game of soccer by teams like New York, Philly, Atlanta etc. while I was scouting around. Florida sun was now sweltering, and we could see other teams getting tired out, cramping and all. Hydration was the mantra and again MASC had done a great job with supplying more than adequate water and other sports drinks to all teams. Me and my fellow spectators ensured we too kept ourselves hydrated and chilled with some beer and cocktails in our car bar. Meanwhile, in the other group match Miami was thrashed by Minnal Charlotte 5-2 and the Tuskers were next up against Minnals on a turf blistered by the noon sun.
Tuskers were now facing an upbeat Minnals, there was a better coordination between our players this time and within 10 minutes into the play, we were able to draw first blood with a superb strike by Geeno. We maintained our lead until after the half time but were equalized by Minnals in the second half. The equation was simple – a draw or a win will take us to the Quarter Finals and our defenders stood like a wall. Game had moved into its final minute when Basil Jacob hit the ball into the top left corner of Minnals’ post from a lobbied corner kick, giving Tuskers their first victory. It was not just a victory for Tuskers, they emerged as the group toppers. That was a terrific game with a right finishing touch, helping Tuskers to get back into their rhythm.
Mood was high and lively in our camp, and we had a sumptuous lunch provided by MASC. The overall event management by MASC was commendable – from the grand opening ceremony by the city mayor to the food, the medical services, timeliness and the closing ceremony – everything was well planned.
Tuskers moved into their Quarterfinal battle against Houston United, who were a reputed side playing as an organized team for the last 10 years in various US leagues. We could now feel the heat on the field and of course Florida’s sun triggering frequent dehydration and cramps to our players. Houston had a tough goalkeeper taking down all chances that our strikers fancied. Tuskers fought their heart out and our defenders along with the Goalkeeper Anil sealed our post and we ended up with a goal-less draw. The game moved into a penalty shootout, which was a first for the tournament and attracted a lot of spectators. Soon, 5 strikers lined up from each team ready to take a hit on the post. Houston with their super skilled goalie had an upper hand and were the favorites. The first bout of 5 penalty shoots ended in 3-3, thanks to a flying save by our goalie Anil. It looked like neither team was ready to budge. Another set of 3 penalty shoots began and the final shot by a Houston player went over the post and we stormed into the semifinal. By the end of this game, Tuskers who looked rookie in their opening game were posing serious threats to some of the Malayalee soccer giants. They were thrilled but at the same time remained calm and composed for the semifinal.
Tuskers in Miami
Tuskers entered their semifinal bout against Arsenal Philadelphia who were a much younger side and had already stamped their authority in the tournament by thrashing their opponents by huge margins in group stages and Quarters. Apart from young legs, they seemed to be a bit rough too and as a result we were soon at the receiving end of a tough penalty call by the ref which was a surprise to the opponents too. They converted the penalty and took a lead. It was a fiery game, and we were at the receiving end again with another penalty which was nicely saved by our goalie. Our players started getting cramps and medical staff were frequently seen on the field. Battling all odds, our striker Geeno breached Philly’s defense and levelled the scores, but he himself went down with a muscle cramp. There were some intense battles of shots before Philly struck again, taking a lead and eventually Tuskers went down 2-1 fighting valiantly. We lost the semifinal, but the effort we put in, the coordination and skill we displayed were supreme.
We stayed up in the park to watch the thrilling Finale between the defending champions New York and Arsenal Philadelphia. Eventually New York were crowned as the champions yet again. MASC put a tremendous effort organizing this event and it was nothing less than a pooram with a festive Malayali atmosphere and Chendamelam.
Next day and a half were a much-needed break for the team when we all enjoyed some wonderful time together exploring beaches, sunshine and cocktails before boarding back to reality in Columbus!
Columbus Tuskers is not just a soccer team, it’s a bonding of individuals playing out their passion, displaying dedication and sincerity on the field, and outside of the field they are a bunch of jovial, fun loving, buoyant individuals with never ending jokes and banters, who are the best to hang out with. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip with Tuskers and wish them success in all their future leagues!
Member Achievements and Milestones
Dr. Soumya Mary Kurian
Congratulations to Dr. Soumya Mary Kurian for earning her doctorate in Nursing Practice from Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN.
Dr. Kurian has been practicing as a Nurse Practitioner in an outpatient opioid treatment clinic for over six years. She started her career as a registered nurse . She immigrated to United States in 2005. She earned her Masters in Nursing from Indiana State University, and is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is also certified through SAMHSA to provide substance use disorder treatment. She completed her BSN degree from MG University, Kerala.
While working as a nurse practitioner at an urgent care clinic in Mansfield, she discovered that her true passion is to fight the opioid crisis, and to serve a population that is so vulnerable to opioid misuse and risk for overdose related mortality. Opioid overdose epidemic is a public health concern. Her Doctoral dissertation was titled “Overdose Response Education and Take- Home Naloxone“. The objective of this project was to analyze the effectiveness of overdose response education and distributed take-home naloxone kits on improving knowledge and attitude among opioid dependent individuals towards the utilization of Naloxone while witnessing opioid overdoses.
She finds great satisfaction in serving patients with substance use disorders and leading them to a path of recovery. Her interests include eliminating the stigma of addiction, and raising awareness that drug addiction is not a moral issue and rather a chronic disease of the brain causing impairment in judgment.
Dr. Kurian is a resident of Powell, and lives with her husband Anup Kurian and their two sons Alex and Ben.
Vindhya Cultural Association – Karaoke Competition 2023
Vindhya Cultural Association conducted their annual Karaoke Competition on March 4th Saturday at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, Ohio. COMA members won the top prizes in the adult and junior competitions.
Ravi Hariharan and Ramya Janaki won the first prize for their beautiful rendition of Tu Hi Re from the movie Bombay, composed by A.R.Rahman. Arun Davis and Anup Kurian won the second prize for their energetic rendition of Raja Raja Sozhan from the movie Rettai Vaal Kuruvi, composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. COMA youth members Shreya Girish and Sahana Ravi won the first prize in the junior competition, for singing Kannodu Kaanbadhellam from the movie Jeans (music by A.R.Rahman). This is a very proud moment for COMA Malayalees and lovers of karaoke singing!
There was a grand finale band performance directed by COMA’s very own musical virtuoso Lloyd George, which included four young members from COMA – Aanjali Maria John (vocals), Alex Kurian (guitar), Ben Kurian (keyboard), and Rohan Nishant (drums). They were supported by their friends from outside COMA – Prateek Kunchala (viola) and Arnav Edamadaka (saxophone and backing vocals).
Welcome to 2023! I hope everyone enjoyed holiday celebrations with family and friends. As I reflect on 2022, I feel grateful for all the fun experiences COMA created for all of us. It was incredible to watch the outpouring of participation and support from our community in COMA events, and it was pure joy to observe the remarkable growth our organization has achieved in recent years.
This year’s Executive Committee is already busy at work, planning for some great things for us. Our 2023 President Shibu Nair has shared below his vision for our organization this year.
As we enter the new year with renewed hopes and plans, I am looking forward to a new year of continued community service, lasting memories, new friendships, fun celebrations, and most of all, the connection that we make with each other. Let’s make 2023 our best year yet.
Wishing everyone a happy and successful new year!
Smitha Nishant
Presidential Address – Shibu Nair
I am happy to take up this second stint in the COMA Executive Committee in 2023. I feel it is a much-needed give-back to the Malayalee community in Columbus that has been a significant part of my immigrant Malayalee life in the United States, my home away from home. I am very excited to share that my team has a myriad of events and ideas planned for this year.
In addition to bringing you cultural, sport, and entertainment events, my team would like to take the opportunity to reassess COMA as a cultural organization, the values we uphold and its relevance to the Columbus Malayalee diaspora. We have made leaps and bounds since our formative years. However, as an organization, there is room for further growth, including but not limited to better managing the upkeep of our organization’s assets, promoting youth member participation, enhanced use of our website and social media presence to better engage and communicate with our members. A lot of thought is being put on those lines and you will see some major steps being initiated on these fronts.
Coming back to the planned events this year, in addition to our annual Picnic, Onam, and Christmas events, we plan to have a Valentine’s Day event and several sporting tournaments (Cricket, Soccer, Shuttle Badminton, also involving other Indian association members). Weather permitting, we plan to have an outdoor entertainment event as well. Also in the works are the development of communities for outdoor activities such as hiking and biking.
We hope to seed initiatives that the community can take advantage of not just this year but in the coming years too. I trust that each and every one of you will support us in achieving our goals as one big family. I wish you all a happy, prosperous, and healthy 2023.
Know your EC Team
All of our Executive Committee members have been associated with COMA for the past several years and hardly need an introduction. Here is some fun trivia they shared with me that highlights how we are all in for a fun ride with them this year.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Pilot.
If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Kochi.
What would your superhero power be?
Superman.
If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
Family and friends, but if someone famous, maybe Sashi Tharoor.
What will people say at your funeral?
Kurachukoodi nerathe avaayirunnu!!!
What’s something you think everyone should try at least once?
Don’t plan your vacation, just hit the road.
Save the dates
Here is a preliminary list of events being planned this year and their dates. Mark your calendars so you don’t miss any.
Feb 11 – “Thuruppu Gulan” cards tournament and Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Apr 22 – Shuttle Badminton tournament.
May 20 – Cricket tournament.
June 18 – Outdoor Gaanamela (Franco).
July 4 – COMA Float for FIA.
July 22 – Annual Picnic: Vinodayathra, Vallamkali, Idli eating competition, and other fun events.
Sep 9 – Onam (with Shingari melam and onsite live cooking).
Sep 30 / Oct 7 – Soccer tournament.
Dec 2 – Christmas.
We have more activities where dates are not finalized so stay tuned for more information:
Live cooking sessions (multiple, including one with chef Suresh Pillai)
Bicycle Challenge – TBD
Trekking Challenge – TBD
Youth club activities
The COMA Youth Club will be conducting monthly meet ups. Plans are underway for TV station visits, OSU airport tower visit, fire-station visit, and camp-outs as well as charitable events including cloth drives and blood donation drives.
Membership
January is a great time to take your COMA Membership if you haven’t already. The current membership for 2022 will be valid until June 30th, 2023.
Membership benefits include:
Early access to event tickets
Discounted tickets for regular COMA events
Also, certain benefits are exclusive to COMA members:
Malayalam class for adults and kids
Opportunity to participate in charity/volunteering events
