SOMAARI KATTE
(Published in weekly supplement, Star of Mysore, November, 2006)
(Published in weekly supplement, Star of Mysore, November, 2006)
Same also featured here: http://www.ourkarnataka.com/Articles/starofmysore/katte1.htm
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By nature, man is a social animal. It is this natural instinct that pushes him to be with other people as and when he can almost all of his waking hours, be it with family or friends. Mysore's salubrious atmosphere has been typically most suitable for lazing and relaxing. The Maharajas have even arranged lovely stone platforms and benches, called kattes in convenient places which has bred so many somaaris!
All the somaaris (lazybones) need is such kattes to sit. They usually are in convenient locations usually in their houses' vicinity. It has been a popular practice, almost a sacred tradition in our city, to spend time that way, usually after the day's college/work. A small group of people of differing wavelengths (otherwise it will be dull!) somehow get together and a somaari katte is thus formed. Its formation almost goes unnoticed. The simple qualification is that all have to be somaaris. Sometimes attending the katte sessions gets priority over other works on hand, even studies! There can be danger of shortage of attendance too! Somehow, time is squeezed in for this. Such is its force of attraction.
Many somaari kattes are in vogue for many decades! Age or status is no bar (gender is!). Somaari kattes function usually from dusk and extend as late as 10 or 11pm (Sundays, there can be morning sessions) depending the hotness of the topics. Topics are not set. They keep diverting as they branch about. All subjects under the sun come up. Members voice their views in their own style, freely. At times, leading to healthy arguments and also unhealthy, leading to quarrels. The next session, they are friends again, even if the controversy resurfaces.
New ideas crop up in free discussions at the katte, unlike probably at formal meetings. One remarkable discussion was the cause of the formation of The Mysore Gymkhana in 1936. It happened in one such session on the stone steps in front of the then University Union building facing the Maharaja's College ground where a group of youngsters were chatting in the evening. Sri M.Ananthaswami Rau, now 90, is a living witness. There must surely have been many such starting points at many other kattes too.
There was one somaari katte in the 60s on Gita Road that was quite popular - among the members, but not the neighbourhood for obvious reasons like eve-teasing, loud speaking...... Of course now it is dead, since they have got their own responsibilities or have moved away. There is another, much dignified, still in vogue, almost a next generation, close to this where yours truly is a 'member' for almost 3 decades. Most of us are connected to The Mysore Gymkhana and Javagal Srinath also makes it a point to attend whenever he is in the city even now. As I have noticed, this somaari katte culture has been partly responsible in building team spirit which has helped us win many cricket matches! Another now extinct katte was quite notorious to the same neighbourhood where even the police had to be called in to pull them up more than twice.
Older group of men choose bus shelters, closed-shop steps, stone benchs under trees, even on the road's kerb stones (now heavy traffic disallows this). Often, sentimental attachments grow towards the katte. Younger members that have moved away and visiting after a long while crave to see the spot where a lot of their happy evening hours were spent while his knowledge expanded.
Time spent at the somaari katte could be rejuvenating, inspiring, entertaining and enriching experiences, each evening having its own charm. A katte culture is unthinkable outside India where many from the city have traveled for greener pastures. Loneliness is a common ailment for them as they don't get to experience this katte culture and this is one thing they miss badly. The somaaris may be doing physically nothing at the katte but then those that know first hand its fun, beauty and real value, can say with pride that they are indeed the lucky ones! It is better than any TV channel and you need not click any button! Long live somaari kattes!
K.R.DINAKAR
Mysore
~~~~~~
By nature, man is a social animal. It is this natural instinct that pushes him to be with other people as and when he can almost all of his waking hours, be it with family or friends. Mysore's salubrious atmosphere has been typically most suitable for lazing and relaxing. The Maharajas have even arranged lovely stone platforms and benches, called kattes in convenient places which has bred so many somaaris!
All the somaaris (lazybones) need is such kattes to sit. They usually are in convenient locations usually in their houses' vicinity. It has been a popular practice, almost a sacred tradition in our city, to spend time that way, usually after the day's college/work. A small group of people of differing wavelengths (otherwise it will be dull!) somehow get together and a somaari katte is thus formed. Its formation almost goes unnoticed. The simple qualification is that all have to be somaaris. Sometimes attending the katte sessions gets priority over other works on hand, even studies! There can be danger of shortage of attendance too! Somehow, time is squeezed in for this. Such is its force of attraction.
Many somaari kattes are in vogue for many decades! Age or status is no bar (gender is!). Somaari kattes function usually from dusk and extend as late as 10 or 11pm (Sundays, there can be morning sessions) depending the hotness of the topics. Topics are not set. They keep diverting as they branch about. All subjects under the sun come up. Members voice their views in their own style, freely. At times, leading to healthy arguments and also unhealthy, leading to quarrels. The next session, they are friends again, even if the controversy resurfaces.
New ideas crop up in free discussions at the katte, unlike probably at formal meetings. One remarkable discussion was the cause of the formation of The Mysore Gymkhana in 1936. It happened in one such session on the stone steps in front of the then University Union building facing the Maharaja's College ground where a group of youngsters were chatting in the evening. Sri M.Ananthaswami Rau, now 90, is a living witness. There must surely have been many such starting points at many other kattes too.
There was one somaari katte in the 60s on Gita Road that was quite popular - among the members, but not the neighbourhood for obvious reasons like eve-teasing, loud speaking...... Of course now it is dead, since they have got their own responsibilities or have moved away. There is another, much dignified, still in vogue, almost a next generation, close to this where yours truly is a 'member' for almost 3 decades. Most of us are connected to The Mysore Gymkhana and Javagal Srinath also makes it a point to attend whenever he is in the city even now. As I have noticed, this somaari katte culture has been partly responsible in building team spirit which has helped us win many cricket matches! Another now extinct katte was quite notorious to the same neighbourhood where even the police had to be called in to pull them up more than twice.
Older group of men choose bus shelters, closed-shop steps, stone benchs under trees, even on the road's kerb stones (now heavy traffic disallows this). Often, sentimental attachments grow towards the katte. Younger members that have moved away and visiting after a long while crave to see the spot where a lot of their happy evening hours were spent while his knowledge expanded.
Time spent at the somaari katte could be rejuvenating, inspiring, entertaining and enriching experiences, each evening having its own charm. A katte culture is unthinkable outside India where many from the city have traveled for greener pastures. Loneliness is a common ailment for them as they don't get to experience this katte culture and this is one thing they miss badly. The somaaris may be doing physically nothing at the katte but then those that know first hand its fun, beauty and real value, can say with pride that they are indeed the lucky ones! It is better than any TV channel and you need not click any button! Long live somaari kattes!
K.R.DINAKAR
Mysore
1 comment:
I stubled across this blog while googling and believe me, it took my breath away ! I am a mysorean of about the same vintage as you and hence can very clearly visualise, smell and feel the things you write about ! Thanx for the heavy dose of nostalgia !
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