RASAMO RASAM

The origin of the liquid dish called rasam is told from Mysore. Normally rasam is served before katti thayir/ butter milk serving in feasts after serving payasam. Though a large papad is served before sambar and parippu, either smaller ones or another large one is surely served just after rasam. Papad is the combination with rasam rice.

Some people like rasam and papad heated over fire called chuttappadam in Malayalam for night light meals along with porridge. Nothing more.

Probably the varieties of rasam like pepper rasam, ginger rasam, lemon rasam are later additions from different states, most probably pepper rasam from Kerala. Consuming small quantity of pepper rasam added in porridge and consuming is found effective during fever. Not too much.

Especially iyers consume more rasam, some like to have in tumbler ordinary rasam.

The addition of vadai socking in rasam and serving would have come later. Somehow rasa vadai has become a snack in many Tulu potti restaurants. Either thoordal vadai or black gram vadai are socked and served in large cups along with rasam. The vadai with absorbed rasam has special taste. Many take rasavadai and coffee as evening snack.

Either it has any truth or not, some say the thelivu (liquid rising up after boiling thoordal for sambar) is taken to prepare rasam rather than boiling thoordal separately during feasts. I am also told thoordal will not cook quickly if salt is added in the boiling time.

All people are not in favour of rasam. Some skip it and straight away go to curd and rice with side dish pickle

All said about dish rasam,  there is a  harmful metal in liquid form called Pada rasam (Mercury). Mercury should not be handled bare hand, should not be consumed even a drop. Mercury is used in Gold works and making mirrors. Other uses are also there. Why the word pada rasam is given to it in Malayalam is not clear to me.

The third rasam is by seeing, hearing and feeling. Anything beautiful to see attract people. Including calves, cute dogs and cats. Beautiful flowers, fruits, handsome people, well arranged things etc. Feeling created by good musical sounds is also a rasam

Itching can occur due to many reasons. But we get a feeling by scratching the itching area. If wounds are drying, we get itching. In spite of doctor’s advice most of us are uncontrollable and at least do limited scratch. Everybody knows on more scratching blood may ooze, still, while scratching starts, most people are uncontrollable.

Initially scratch items used to scratch itching on back was hand fans or rough walls of the home. Now with fine finishing of homes, for scratching itching, scratching hand has come in wood and plastic. It reaches to any area on back where hand cannot go.

Long back I read in kid’s health two uses of nails are for grip holding and scratching itching. Everybody is first tempted to scratch with hand nails - nature’s provision.

Most dreams give a pleasure feeling. Important, before it end, we wake up and whatever we try, we cannot continue the dream to continue the pleasure of that feeling.

The feelings of rasam can be felt  by watching a movie scene, reading a well written novel, poem, story and even an  article. An interesting story about young nampoothiri repeatedly watching a movie I have read long back.

Seeing a poster of a young lady about to take bath in a river, nampoothri went to see the movie. Just the lady entered in to the water, a moving train hiding the bath scene was shown passing slowly.  The scene came after the train finished crossing river was the lady coming dressed  in new cloths with wet cloths in hand.

Nampoothiri took ticket for next  show also. Same thing repeated. Nampoothiri came to take  ticket next day also for  seeing the film.

Just like that the counter man asked- why sir, you are continuously taking ticket 3^rd time now. Nampoothri replied- See last two times while bathing scene of heroine  came, a train passed obstructing  the bathing scene. I want to see at least this time, possibly train will not pass. 

Counter man replied- Sir, it is film taken like that. All shows  while the bath scene comes,  train will be moving. Nampoothri said- Enna pinnae venta- Oru rasom illa. ( Then no interest – Ticket not required)

Though the story is about nampoothri, many youngsters   watch movie for the beauty and appearance of actress/actor, conversation style , dress style,  humour and jokes etc.

But many people watch films for the touching feeling of the story and action also of the films also which is another way of rasam. 

Yesterday I was watching programme Rangoli in Doordarshan Malayalam. The different songs displayed gave me different feelings. Songs from film Ammayae kanan was first film I have seen with my teacher friends. Song from kannezhuthi pottum thottu reminded me keeping the dead in plantain leaf in North Malabar area. Songs from Ami made me to think of Madhavi kutti the poet and story writer. Different feelings created by song. A reference to MS Subbalakshmi and mention of the song Kurayethumillai kanna made me to wander my memories. I could not get sleep after seeing Rangoli because of the different feelings, some of them giving rasam on recollection.