Peace prevailed everywhere! If there was any breach, it was at nature's own accord. Torrential rains and land slides were the only reasons to keep peace aside for a while. People were always at peace. This is the Kodai I remember.
At Kodai, we had more festivels to celebrate than any religious group. Be it New Year or Pongal or Ramadhan or Diwali or Christmas or Bakrid, the entire town would celebrate. It was not a town belonging to any nation, but a commune embracing all faiths and respecting people of all faiths. For us, the world beyond Kodai never existed.
But for the marriages, the entire population seemed related. Hindus and Muslims calling each other rightfully as cousins (mama - mappillai) and same goes with Christians. This relationship spanned across generations. We lived as families. Infact, my dad and my uncle were named with a proper hindu names by a muslim. To this day, even after four generations we maintain and respects the bonding our forefathers had established.
In Kodai, no matter which belief you follow, you are sure to devour Biryani on the Ramadan day, enjoy a pastry and hoist a star on your roof on the christmas day and burst some fireworks with a sumptuous feast on the Diwali Day. No matter what happens elsewhere, the town with its people was in perfect harmony.
This had been the case till Kodai was turned into a tourist destination and started accomodating more settlers from the plains. Then, the Ganesh Pooja processions, Babri Masjid Agitations and the impact of all that happens beyond its borders started creeping in. Politics took an upperhand over peace.
At Kodai, we had more festivels to celebrate than any religious group. Be it New Year or Pongal or Ramadhan or Diwali or Christmas or Bakrid, the entire town would celebrate. It was not a town belonging to any nation, but a commune embracing all faiths and respecting people of all faiths. For us, the world beyond Kodai never existed.
But for the marriages, the entire population seemed related. Hindus and Muslims calling each other rightfully as cousins (mama - mappillai) and same goes with Christians. This relationship spanned across generations. We lived as families. Infact, my dad and my uncle were named with a proper hindu names by a muslim. To this day, even after four generations we maintain and respects the bonding our forefathers had established.
In Kodai, no matter which belief you follow, you are sure to devour Biryani on the Ramadan day, enjoy a pastry and hoist a star on your roof on the christmas day and burst some fireworks with a sumptuous feast on the Diwali Day. No matter what happens elsewhere, the town with its people was in perfect harmony.
This had been the case till Kodai was turned into a tourist destination and started accomodating more settlers from the plains. Then, the Ganesh Pooja processions, Babri Masjid Agitations and the impact of all that happens beyond its borders started creeping in. Politics took an upperhand over peace.
In spite of these effects, I'm sure they still continue to live as families, in our old ways. Though Kodai and I have abandoned each other for nearly a decade, the reason I rememberd her today is because of my muslim friends and their Ramadan Day's scrumptious Biryani.
Image Note: A Mosque sits brotherly next to a Church and an Amman Temple
