Calendar and flood of memories
Can a calendar cause a flood of memories ? Yes, it can. Some days ago on a Whatsapp forum, a friend discussed the difficulty in retaining mother tongue skills in the next generation. Since attendance at home is “poor” today, I switched on the Asianet for noise effect and heard the advertisement for Mathrubhumi calendar. It brought up a lump in my throat. The first “brand “ I can recall is “Mathrubhumi” written in a distinct cursive style. This newspaper was very popular in my home district Trichur. Though I learnt to read English much later I can recall Rexona soap, Pond’s powder, Ferrodal tonic, Sybol all purpose cream, Vicks and Sunlight soap. Mathrubhumi calendar was a permanent fixture in all households. All the twenty seven stars and fourteen thithis were listed in it. It had dates as per Saka era, Islamic and Malayalam years as well. We have never used a Tamil calendar. Outside Kerala, this calendar in a house is a telltale sign that the occupant has a Kerala rou...