Chithra Pournami

‘Pournami’ in Tamil is poornima, the full moon day. The full moon is supposed to be the largest on this day, and the most beautiful.

My parents, my brother Santhosh and I had gone on a trip to Kerala in April-May 2000. As part of the package, we were to spend a whole day on a houseboat that is ‘driven’ using long bamboo poles – the boat is literally pushed along the riverbed!

Kerala passed along on the banks of the backwaters, slowly and peacefully. Farmland almost up to the water – rolling fields forming a green carpet with coconut trees dotting the place occasionally. It was serene, peaceful. Not a sound but the water lapping against the boat, the rhythmic sounds of the oars hitting the water, an occasional shout from the people on the banks.

The afternoon was hot and still, with not a leaf moving. Evening started, and a cool breeze started, bringing with it the scent of salt and fish mingled with rice being cooked for the evening meal in the houses along the backwaters.

Sunset!!
It rained golden radiance.

The sun seemed to be bidding a fond adieu to the world he loved – he enveloped her in the most special of his rays and she smiled and simpered and looked her absolute best in return. Twilight always makes me romantic! The most beautiful part of the day indeed. We were totally taken by the sun, and we never noticed that out boat had swung into the estuary where the backwaters joined the sea. We watched with bated breath as the sun went down in a fiery ball into a line of coconut trees in the distance.

Then we turned.

We had not noticed that till now; so the moon shone with a vengeance. It took us some time to realize that the silver orb suspended (almost unrealistically) in the distance behind a coconut tree was actually the moon, in all its glory. We had coincidentally chosen the Chitra pournami day to be on the houseboat! We had totally lost count of days and dates once our tour started, and then we land up in a houseboat anchored in such a place.

WHAT a place.

From where we stood, 180 degrees was water – a vast expanse of water, grand, indescribable, almost intimidating. A line of greenery on the other half of the vision. And of course, the hero of the night (!!), the moon.

Everything was hued in silver and black. What a deadly combination! Stars aplenty, but nothing looked bright because they were completely overshadowed by the moon. A few clouds in the sky all outlined in a silvery sheen. The sea around us, wreathed in shimmering strands of silvery moonlight, mystic, wonderful; the backwater – leading away from the sea, with trees meeting overhead, looking tantalizing and needling and dark, spots of silver dotting the channel where there were gaps in the canopy.

It was unbelievable!!