Author: Preeti Patnaik

Achamma or my father's mother had a large presence in my life and has a larger presence in my memory. She was that person who does not lose innocence at any age in life and always had an impish, childlike quality about her. I spent my summer vacations with her because my mother would have… Continue reading Achhamma

I always have knwon Chempakam aunty as "aunty". She was a constant presence and comfort during my childhood and she was there for small and big events of my growing up years. She was Raghu's amma if I needed to reference her to my parents and for them she was Mrs. Raghavan, for my sister… Continue reading Chempakam Aunty

Summer holidays, in the 1970s and 1980s, meant a 3 days train journey from Delhi to Thrissur or to Ernakulam and spending 2 blissful months in God's own country. It meant carefree days in the sun in Guruvayur, my mother's home or in Ernakulam with my cousins Sunil, Nandini, Laksmi and Sankar. For all of… Continue reading A vacation at Vadakkath

The school courtyard is filled with children, sitting in lines like little shrimps, there is a murmuring silence as the place is chiming with Christmas carols playing from tape recorder in the Principals office. There is the nativity scene recreated on the stage, the stable, Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus, the three wise men… Continue reading A Christmas Pageant, 1970s

My father was an advocate (for all who are unfamiliar with the word advocate it means attorney) and a fiery one at that! He practiced as an advocate in the Supreme Court of India and worked through fascinating times as India was growing up and was all set to become glowing. As a child I… Continue reading An advocate’s daughter

What a milestone, from Guruvayur to Gurgaon, via Ernakulam, Delhi, Bangalore and an occasional trip tp the US, this amazing lady turns 80. Even today she can be as assertive and as gentle as she was while I and my sister Deepti were being brought up by her in the 70s and the 80s. Even… Continue reading Amma@80.com

Today my friend Meenakshi, has been appointed as the Minister for External Affairs! Joy, pride and elation are my feelings at her success. She is also married to my classmate and friend Aman. She has helped a couple of my friends from work in legal matters and because they went with my reference she would… Continue reading Shining in reflected glory

As the morning sounds and light penetrate, the feeling of a new day, new work, newbooks to read wakes me up. Spiritual in a way that I thank my creator for the birds thatsing, the flowers that bloom and my family. Most days its a sense of well being andhappiness. My little phone looks at… Continue reading Emotions ….. All in a day’s work

Part 1 - The Thayakkat Tharavadu is my home and it is here that I first sensed the tastes of the cuisine of Kerala. The first four years of my life was spent in Ernakulam and Guruvayur with an occasional trip to Vadakkath in Annakara near Guruvayur and then we moved to Delhi. Wood-fire smoke… Continue reading From the wood-fired kitchen at Thayakkat Tharavadu, Guruvayur)

Thinking of a title for this, I felt lost. I thought and put it down and erased it, nothing fits well and so I left it at "Damu". I met Damu for the first time in Nandanachechi's home after we moved to Bangalore, in 2002. What attracted me most to him was his gentle style,… Continue reading Damu