On Boots and Vadai Maalais
Sunday, June 22, 2008 at 9:57AM Last week saw us visiting the Livermore temple on our wedding day. The little one, who is now asking approximately 20 questions per conversation, started:
LO : Daddy, what ummaachi(god) is this?
Me : That is Krishna ummachi
LO : Daddy, what ummaachi is this?
Me : This is Ramar, Lakshmanar, Sita and Aanjaneyar Ummachi?
LO : This ummachi look like Boots the Monkey daddy! (and she puffed up her cheeks to make a monkey face)
Me : Yes, he is a monkey god Kuttyma. He does look like a monkey.
LO : (a few seconds later we are standing in a dedicated shrine for the Monkey god) Daddy, this Ummaachi also look a like monkey! (it was the same god, except in the previous shrine the idol was made of white marble and this idol was made of black stone!).
Me : It is the same ummaachi, kannamma!
LO : Why have they put all white stuff on him and put all cheries and nuts on him? and what is all those things?
Me : They have decorated him, to make him look nice. And he has a maalai(garland) of vadai's!
LO : Why didn't they give him a banana?
Me : He likes "vadai maalais"!
LO : Monkeys like only bananas. Not Vadais! Boots favorite food is Bananas, daddy!
I have never associated Hanuman aka aanjaneyar ummaachi exclusively as a Banana head!
Can someone tell me why a monkey god should prefer vadai maalais over bananas? Could come in handy to explain to the Little one.
.