Mother

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

I asked my lovely 84 year old mother "Amma, you must have seen the world changed much, what are the different technologies that you have seen in your lifetime ?"

Her answer made me speechless. 

She said :

Generation-1 : When I was 8 years old , we used to cook in earthen stove with firewood. My mom used to put rice pot and took few rice grains and pray to fire god and rotate 3 times around the pot and put it in the fire, and proceeded to cook rice. I could see the pride and tears in my mom's eyes when she said "That was my mom". Then came the twin earthen stove, where we used to put some firewood straight, and some firewood in an angle. In one stove we put rice, and in another we used cook daal or sambhar. We were 10 people in house, and we used to cook for them. I used to cook, serve them, clean the place and then go to school.

Generation-2 : Then came the 'Kumpati' - the coal stove. We used to cook rice on coal stove on a 'Parigha' (Brass utensil). It was heavy. we used to cook rice for some time and then the extra water is strained off into another vessel. We used to put a ladle below and across the tilted Utensil so that it does not fall off, and we can be hands-free. And then , the daal / sambhar was cooked on the earthen stove. Then there used be two coal stoves, where on one stove we used to cook rice and on another we used to cook daal / sambhar.  The utensils were made of many different types of metals. There used to be a 'Seesam' coated utensil. It should not be put directly on fire. Atleast some water or oil has to be put inside that vessel, only then it needs to be put on fire. That utensil gets soot all over its bottom. There is  a special way to clean that vessel. First put the ash on it and put it on fire. Then remove and then using coconut peechu we used to scrub it. Then the utensil used to shine.

Generation-3 : Then came Kerosene stove. Then the Janata stove. There used to be 12 wicks in that and there is a central place. All the wicks has to be cut to same height, otherwise, the flame will not be even and then the rice will not cook properly. On kerosene stove, we used to cook rice first and then daal / sambhar and some curry. Those days Kerosene was rationed. We used to stand in ration queue to get the kerosene. Then game the 'Pump stove'. It also runs on kerosene, but there used to be a pump to be pumped, which will increase the pressure and make kerosene into gaseous state and the gas used to come out of a small nozzle. We used to poke the nozzle with a fine needle, then the gas will come out with force. Then we light it, then the fire will burn bright. We used to cook rice on 'pump stove', and then the daal / sambhar was cooked on the Janata stove. 

Generation-4 : Then came the 'Gas stove'. Getting a Gas cylinder connection was a BIG thing in those days. Even if you get a gas connection, getting a gas cylinder is rationed. We used to use the gas sparingly and constantly worried what will happen if gas cylinder becomes empty. We were at the mercy of the person who used to deliver the gas cylinder to our house every month. The gas stove used to have two fire-places. We used to cook rice on one, and daal / sambhar on another and curry too. Later there used to be three burners. Now a days there are 4 burners.

Generation-5 : There used to be electric stove. There were two varieties in electric stove. One that comes with a coil, and one with a plate. I used both varieties. We used to cook rice first and then followed by daal / sambhar followed by curry. 

Generation-6 : Induction stove. Due to the recent Gulf war and gas prices shooting up, we bought 'Induction stove' in addition to the 'Gas stove' we had. She cooks rice in Induction stove, and daal / sambhar in the gas stove and then curry. 

Then she explained about various utensils she has seen. Then she explained that she has seen various types of lights. She didnt mention automobiles, television, internet, computers, or mobile technologies or AI, even though she uses  all of them. 

She uses mobile to watch various YouTube channels regarding how to cook different types of dishes to make for us.

She translated Bhagavad Gita pravachan of some swamiji , which was in Hindi, to Tamil. She learnt how to type in tamil on laptop, and then she typed her entire translation. She guided data entry operator, and proof readers, and then the printing press to print few copies of that.

She traveled in aeroplane, and car. She visited USA, Australia, New zealand, Singapore.

However, all these technologies doesnt come to her mind when I asked this question.

Her mind was centered around 'How do I cook rice and daal / sambhar and curry, and feed my family members' in her entire life.

I bow down to her and the Mother in her. 

I love my Mom. 

She cooked rice, daal / sambhar, curry , chutney her entire life on various types of stoves, first to her parents, brothers and sisters in her maternal home, then to her husband, mother-in-law and in-laws, sons and daughters, then to her grand children, and then to her great grand children. 

In which ever home she cooked, on whichever stove she cooked, which ever utensils she used, the unbelievable taste of the rice, daal / sambhar , curry and chutney was same and the unconditional love with which she filled all our stomachs over 76 years is same.