We had a cousins meetup in Pune for celebrating Rakshabandhan.. multiple sisters tied rakhis to brothers (cousins) present, and we had a gala time with conversations that went on, and a slide show of pics from our families.. the two daughters and SILs of the host added another dimension by participating enthusiastically.
It's around the corner, so here are some thoughts.
India has unique thoughts and traditions rooted in those. The brother-sister bond is celebrated at least in two festivals- Rakshabandhan and Diwali-the tail-end of it.
I had a long line of cousins- maternal and paternal- so it was like a large family growing up. Growing up in Hyderabad, visits to Pune, the stronghold where multiple cousins lived, were regular, but so were Mumbai, Nagpur, Indore, and sometimes, while living in the U.S., New York and Ohio to meet them.
More recently, back in India, one regular meeting place was at Shrivardhan on the Konkan coast, usually around New Year. We met with families when possible, and it continued for many years. COVID caused a disruption.
We had a celebration with one elder cousin turning 75 a few years ago- we are certainly not young any more. Will continue meetups as long as possible. Pune continues to be the Head Office, with many cousins settled there now.
This year's rakhi has arrived, so let me pose..
See it, you may enjoy the story.. of a little girl who wants to be a grownup, instantly.. stars two good actors in the lead roles. A tad lo...
