The Story behind the neem trees at Trichy
The summer post did bring back a lot of memories… and after reading this post.. V remembered this and here’s her post…
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I loved the big garden at my grandparent’s place in Trichy.. growing up that was my haven.. my own corner… I loved the fragrant jasmines, manoranjidams (Artabotrys uncinatus) and shenbagams( Michelia genus) in bloom, I loved the tall coconut trees and the fresh tender coconut they yield, I even loved the spinach (I hate spinach!) beds (the creeping spinach had these purple colored fruits and squeezing them gave a red/pink dye using which I marked every single tree at home with a big V).. I loved climbing the low branches of the mango and guava trees.. Infact I spent the March of 1998 swinging in a hammock in the garden preparing for my all important board exams…I loved the way the thunder lilies opened up after the summer rains; I loved the way the front yard was filled with fragrant mahilam poo (Mimusops elengi); I loved it.. it was home and it was me. I loved the garden fresh after the summer rains.. the fresh smell of flowers, the land, the bright green leaves, the rain droplets clinging to the leaves, big drops dripping down.. splash on the head…I love turning my face to the sky and enjoy the feeling.. fresh and clean!! Nature is amazing.. a great healer!! I loved every inch of the garden…
but there was something I hated…
the two big neem (Melia azadirachta) trees flanking the gates of the house…and the reason I hated the neem trees? Their flowers and fruits messed up the yard in summer and they stink especially after the summer rains… the neem fruits fall all over the driveway and when the cars run-over them they stink and leave a sticky mess behind.. I hate that and the flowers smell.. the neem trees spoiled the fresh garden smell I love and filled the air with the neem smell…and every summer I complained to my grandpa and every summer he patiently used to tell me the benefits of the neem tree.. I knew all about their medicinal value and how they provide shade and blah blah blah… but I still hated them… The neem trees stood next to the compound wall at home and as they grew the roots spread below the wall and started cracking up the wall and the driveway and I started the movement to cut the trees… I put on my ½ civil engineer hat and spoke of IS 456 (the Indian Concrete design guide) rules and whatever trying to win back the garden.. but it never happened.. We always found ways to stabilize the wall… I fought with my grandpa and this was one of the few things he never supported me on.. even the only granddaughter pleadings (the one I reserve for special occasions) never worked…and it made me hate the neem tree even more.. more than the arguments I remember one conversation very clearly.. every year, around Tamil New Year (April 14th), the summer temperatures soaring, the rains providing a much needed respite, my usual ranting about the neem flowers, my grandpa used to reminisce his childhood memories of Tamil New year and it was something I never got bored listening too.. he used to say how his mother used to make the best vepam poo rasam (neem flower spicy tomato soup?) and how much he misses it.. and guess my reaction! Yuck! Well and then my grandmother joins us and every year he'll asked her to make vepam poo rasam and every year granny refuses. No amount of cajoling and convincing will work..
This is will be my 4th summer without listening to the story and I am ready to plant neem trees all over my garden just to have that conversation one more time… to relive the memories…
And yes the neem trees still stand tall and one of the last conversations I had with my grandpa the January before he passed away was ways to stabilize the compound wall yet again.. this that I put on the I am almost a civil engineer airs and said.. the trees need to go before the summer rains start… and like every year he laughed away and went ahead measuring the gap on the wall with a faded yellow ruler that one of my cousins had discarded.. I have that ruler with me today safe… one of my most treasured processions… and yes the breeze from the neem trees still continue to provide us the much needed respite during the hot summer months in Trichy….
** UPDATE** V's mom and granny reminded me that the neem trees are no longer there..the house is flanked by Ashoka trees (Saraca Indica)
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And on that note, wishing everyone a Happy New Year from V, R and Pooh! We hope the சர்வசித்து year will fill everyone with joy and happiness. We are planning to start our சர்வசித்து year with a visit to the Meenakshi Amman temple. And like every year V vows to by-heart the order of Tamil calender months and like every year she'll forget it by April 20th..
I loved the big garden at my grandparent’s place in Trichy.. growing up that was my haven.. my own corner… I loved the fragrant jasmines, manoranjidams (Artabotrys uncinatus) and shenbagams( Michelia genus) in bloom, I loved the tall coconut trees and the fresh tender coconut they yield, I even loved the spinach (I hate spinach!) beds (the creeping spinach had these purple colored fruits and squeezing them gave a red/pink dye using which I marked every single tree at home with a big V).. I loved climbing the low branches of the mango and guava trees.. Infact I spent the March of 1998 swinging in a hammock in the garden preparing for my all important board exams…I loved the way the thunder lilies opened up after the summer rains; I loved the way the front yard was filled with fragrant mahilam poo (Mimusops elengi); I loved it.. it was home and it was me. I loved the garden fresh after the summer rains.. the fresh smell of flowers, the land, the bright green leaves, the rain droplets clinging to the leaves, big drops dripping down.. splash on the head…I love turning my face to the sky and enjoy the feeling.. fresh and clean!! Nature is amazing.. a great healer!! I loved every inch of the garden…
but there was something I hated…
the two big neem (Melia azadirachta) trees flanking the gates of the house…and the reason I hated the neem trees? Their flowers and fruits messed up the yard in summer and they stink especially after the summer rains… the neem fruits fall all over the driveway and when the cars run-over them they stink and leave a sticky mess behind.. I hate that and the flowers smell.. the neem trees spoiled the fresh garden smell I love and filled the air with the neem smell…and every summer I complained to my grandpa and every summer he patiently used to tell me the benefits of the neem tree.. I knew all about their medicinal value and how they provide shade and blah blah blah… but I still hated them… The neem trees stood next to the compound wall at home and as they grew the roots spread below the wall and started cracking up the wall and the driveway and I started the movement to cut the trees… I put on my ½ civil engineer hat and spoke of IS 456 (the Indian Concrete design guide) rules and whatever trying to win back the garden.. but it never happened.. We always found ways to stabilize the wall… I fought with my grandpa and this was one of the few things he never supported me on.. even the only granddaughter pleadings (the one I reserve for special occasions) never worked…and it made me hate the neem tree even more.. more than the arguments I remember one conversation very clearly.. every year, around Tamil New Year (April 14th), the summer temperatures soaring, the rains providing a much needed respite, my usual ranting about the neem flowers, my grandpa used to reminisce his childhood memories of Tamil New year and it was something I never got bored listening too.. he used to say how his mother used to make the best vepam poo rasam (neem flower spicy tomato soup?) and how much he misses it.. and guess my reaction! Yuck! Well and then my grandmother joins us and every year he'll asked her to make vepam poo rasam and every year granny refuses. No amount of cajoling and convincing will work..
This is will be my 4th summer without listening to the story and I am ready to plant neem trees all over my garden just to have that conversation one more time… to relive the memories…
And yes the neem trees still stand tall and one of the last conversations I had with my grandpa the January before he passed away was ways to stabilize the compound wall yet again.. this that I put on the I am almost a civil engineer airs and said.. the trees need to go before the summer rains start… and like every year he laughed away and went ahead measuring the gap on the wall with a faded yellow ruler that one of my cousins had discarded.. I have that ruler with me today safe… one of my most treasured processions… and yes the breeze from the neem trees still continue to provide us the much needed respite during the hot summer months in Trichy….
** UPDATE** V's mom and granny reminded me that the neem trees are no longer there..the house is flanked by Ashoka trees (Saraca Indica)
-----
And on that note, wishing everyone a Happy New Year from V, R and Pooh! We hope the சர்வசித்து year will fill everyone with joy and happiness. We are planning to start our சர்வசித்து year with a visit to the Meenakshi Amman temple. And like every year V vows to by-heart the order of Tamil calender months and like every year she'll forget it by April 20th..
1 Comments:
Your summer post did bring a lot of memories back for me....more so because i used to spend my summer time at srirangam at my grandparents place.I will do a post on it soon.
About neem tree, yes they mess the ground and the fruits get squashed so easily that it is painful to clean the place everyday. Thankfully, I live on the first floor and the smell of neem fruits never go beyond the ground floor.hee hee
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