Among my earliest memories are accompanying my parents to the bustling Shivajinagar bazaar in Bengaluru for my birthday shopping – the countdown beginning weeks in advance. The clutter of small shops on Old Poor House (OPH) Road displayed a colourful array of fabrics and textiles and was always chock-a-block. Since I fancied clothes bearing colourful prints of birds and animals, my parents would home in on one that best suited my taste.
The shopping would be followed by a trip to our family tailor, BS Rao and sons, on Wheelers Road, Cox Town, to have the clothes stitched. I stood erect as the tailor took down the measurements with a tape and recorded them in a long, dog-eared notebook. He would then snip a small piece of the fabric and pin it into the notebook for easy identification. People seldom donned readymade garments, and tailors flourished. However, they rarely met deadlines, and tensions became palpable as the birthday approached.
Birthday celebrations were a simple family affair, sans cake cutting or blowing candles. I recall being stirred out of my slumber early on my special day by the family elders, greeted and blessed. “May you have the best day and year, and may the heavens shower their choicest blessings on you”, would be the usual refrain. Then, following a refreshing hot-water bath, I would slip into my new outfit. The parents would then lead me into the puja room to thank the Almighty for safely steering me through another year.
Since my birthday fell on January 15, a Pongal holiday, I missed celebrating it with my classmates. The birthday spread usually included some non-vegetarian fare (lovingly rustled up by mother, Pamakumari), desserts, crisps and assorted dry fruits and nuts. A relative or neighbour would surprise me with a gift of a geometry box, piggy bank, toy or money. Finally, after sunset, my parents would whisk me away to the nearby shrine to offer special puja.
Few possessed a landline telephone those days; one had never heard of the internet, saving the bother of responding to the scores of calls or text messages. Only close family members knew your birth date. One seldom-used a birthday card to wish the birthday boy/girl, and postcards were the only card we knew!
Schoolmates from affluent families arrived with boxes of goodies and chocolate bars – the latter reserved for teachers and best friends. The birthday child stood facing the class as the students rose to the chorus, ‘Happy birthday to you,’ and sang along with the teacher. The beaming birthday child, smartly attired in sparkling new clothes, stood out in the crowd of uniformed students. The grandest birthday celebrations are after turning one, fifty, or a hundred. However, we also mark milestones when a person enters the teen years, turns sweet sixteen, comes of age, or turns into an adult. The completion of each decade after turning 30 also grabs attention. But while birthdays are a day to enjoy good food, gifts and the company of your loved ones, people could make their special days more meaningful by opening their hearts and giving generously to the underprivileged.
There are thousands of people who are deprived of basic needs like food and shelter. Instead of needless splurging of money on personal celebrations, the same money can be used to feed large sections of the society and even fund for the education of these children. This will not only help the unfortunate souls but also give lot of satisfaction for helping them out.
