Sidharth is 3

Our grandson Sidharth is three (on Dec.16). The picture (above) was taken in July. Would share with you here his latest when we get from Meera and Ravi photos of a puja they held in Phoenix Sunday last, in celebration of Nikhil's first birthday. Phoenix is where his grandparents - Jagannaths - live. And they did it by the book - puja, homa and a feast . Nikhil turned one on November 16.

Advantage with having two sets of grandparents - one in Phoenix and the other, Mysore - is that you get to have your birthdays celebrated at three different places. Sidharth cut a birthday cake while at his grandpas place at Phoenix on Sunday. Coming Sunday, his parents have lined up a birthday meet at San Ramon, to which a neighbourhood Santa Claus is a special invitee.

At Mysore, Sidharth's grandma did the usual temple rounds, and even took in the dargha close to our place. Incidentally, this was the first place of worship we happened to visit soon after we learnt of Sidharth's birth at a California hospital three year back.Sidhath at birth, Dec.2005.

We spent last evening at Chamundi Children's Home. Raghu, a locally influential friend, relation and Sidharth's chota grandpa, had made arrangements for serving evening meals to the 17 children at the orphanage. On our way back we dropped in at Diya's place at Gokulam. Diya is Raghu's grand-daughter and Sidharth's favourite in Mysore.

Earlier, at the orphanage children greeted us with folded hands and a knowing smile, as if we were old friends. They conveyed their birthday greetings with a message on the blackboard. Notice the bouquet they have drawn on the blackboard. What was touching was the children singing 'happy birthday' in unrehearsed chorus.


Saraswathi, a senior, guides younger children with their maths while doing her own home-work. All children go to Brindhavan school in their neighbourhood.
It was an interaction with Saraswathi about her schooling that prompted Sidharth's grandma to decide on visiting Chamundi Children's Home on a regular basis, say twice weekly, to help the children with their Hindi lessons.