An Attempt at Dissecting the Mallu Landscape

I just could not help taking a crack at it. The interpretation of course might work for some while others I am sure can throw a lot more insight into the above picture. The one above (with the red arrows) show the exhibits that I try to explain while if you click the below (unmarked) photo it will show the finer details of the same.

The setting is the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum. A truly great architectural wonder. And just as you step inside there is a board which goes something like “entry restricted to those who profess Hinduism”. Strictly speaking I should not have been allowed anywhere near the temple but the implicit assumption seems to be that appearances and skin color profess one’s religion. And so I entered.

As for the picture, let’s see. (If it’s too small just click on the below picture and it will blow up enough)

A. An attempt at modernization. Some genius official must have had the brainwave of computerizing the temple and put this utterly useless appendage of technology here.

B. And just in case you think the computer is wrong you can always clarify it with the person there:-). So who is redundant, man or machine?

C. A DYFI (Democratic Youth Federation of India, a communist party) red flag. Notice the buildings on the side of the roadway have political flags sticking out. Some communist. Some secular. And some right wing. But mind you only Hindus allowed inside the temple.

D. The ubiquitous mallu chetans. They are part of the landscape. Always.:-)

E. Cars owned by the new wave info tech / gulf return/ US nursing people.

All in all a very gently jostling of a lot of ideologies. And if you were there in person, you can also smell the curd rice and pappadums emanating from the agraharas (dwellings where the Brahmins live) around.