Jai "maambaLa ajji", my mother-in-law Saraswathi K, With our dearest Shilpi on 2025 August 23 to 31 == Our Kailar ajji is also under SEVERE BIG STRESS, emotional and mental, because of various happenings over the years, in jobs, in family etc, that has affected all of us ...

[Thirumala Raya Halemane]

Jai "maambaLa ajji", my mother-in-law Saraswathi K, With our dearest Shilpi on 2025 August 23 to 31 ==

Our Kailar ajji is also under SEVERE BIG STRESS, emotional and mental, because of various happenings over the years, in jobs, in family etc, that has affected all of us ...

Me:

So, after all the interactions for last few years, it is king of clear to me now that ajji is also under SEVERE BIG STRESS, emotional and mental, because of various happenings over the years, in jobs, in family etc, that has affected all of us, like causing severe severe severe SHOCKS AND STRESSES. (and, it is not just aging, but that factor is also there).

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Fwd

2025 Aug 23, 8:36 AM

Me: 

2025 Aug 23, 9:06 AM

Me: 

Shilpi, this is photo taken now 2025 August 23 of the maambaLa that ajji and I have made over the past few days, sun=dried on the deck table with a leftover extra piece of the fresh new window screen mesh that I had to cover it for protection from flies. Two mangoes (Kent mango) used, we tried squishing it into pulp by hand first, then used the blender, spread it into the metal pan amma gave (I was about to use one of our dinner plates, in india we were using "hase" etc., same for happaLa also, flat surface, no problem), sun-dried for two days (bring it inside the house in the evening, and put it back out in the sun next day), then we put a second coat layer on it of two mangoes, now dried for three more days I think. It is more or less ready. We will sun dry today also. More layers can be added to make it thicker, but I think it is enough this time, A few days in between were not sunny, rainy, so it was just drying on my table here inside the house. Ajji was also kind of excited, happy, doing it, although reluctant (maavina haNNina thimbalakku ootakke aathu etc). amma and kavi also helped in blending, and sun-drying, photo activity etc, although amma was initially not for us doing it, when I suggested it, but I decided to do it anyways, and, glad that we did it. You may (or may not) remember that some ten to fifteen years ago or so, I had made maambaLa here (at that time I used fans on the deck to keep flies away during sun-drying, also I was sitting there and watching it, for good duration, I remember), and I had taken it to India with me, given to both the ajjis grandmothers, amma's mother, and, my mother as well.

2025 August 25, Mon 10:48 AM

Me: 

2025 Aug 25, Mon 10:56 AM

Me: 

Shilpi, today's photo 2025 August 25 of the maambaLa tray, we sun-dried it for one more day, yesterday also, to make sure it is well done. We will peel it off today or tomorrow, ready for eating. Mohan appachchi visited us briefly, went back to Syracuse this morning (he has to teach class), sleeping over here last night, came like 10 pm or so (I was upstairs, met him this morning), after dinner get together with friends which he had come for.

2025 Aug 29, Fri 4:24 PM

Me: 

2025 Aug 29, Fri 4:30 PM

Me: 

Ajji said let us peel it off and check the other side, having brought it in herself (I think) from the deck, so we did that two days ago on 28th late afternoon, then she said, it is better to dry it for one or two days more with the back side on top, so we planned to fo it next day, and as with other photos I took picture in the morning before putting it outside for sun-drying on 2025 August 28th

2025 August 29, Fri 4:44 PM

Me: 

This is photo this morning, 2025 August 29, after the final day's sun-drying yesterday, flipped with back side on top. Some particles have come off from the layer while peeling it off, rough patches seen on the left, using a knife to separate the edges, and pulling it up with fingers. It is now ready to be cut and eat or for storing, can be used in cooking also, like for saaru etc

2025 Aug 29, Fri 4:59 PM

Me: 

Today morning Ajji cut the maambaLa into pieces (with clean scissors), and tried the first piece herself (said "laaikiddu"), gave a piece to amma, Kavi and I also ate. Aji then moved to the sofa from the dining table to sit and finish the cutting, said several times "laaikiddu", it is good, came out well, and ate more pieces, with mom worrying and saying "saaku thindadu", to stop eating more as it is from sweet mango, but only total four Kant variety mangoes were used, no sugar, nothing added (amma worries too much about sugar). Ajji was very much excited, in this process, she liked it, and the cutting finish was a great climax in that process, with good willing participation throughout from the beginning to finish, despite some slight reluctance while getting started for it. It was an encouraging experience. I am very happy and very pleased that we did this project.

2025 Aug 29, Fri 5:05 PM

Me: 

So, after all the interactions for last few years, it is king of clear to me now that ajji is also under SEVERE BIG STRESS, emotional and mental, because of various happenings over the years, in jobs, in family etc, that has affected all of us, like causing severe severe severe SHOCKS AND STRESSES. (and, it is not just aging, but that factor is also there).

2025 Aug 30, 8:54 AM

Me: 

Once, in mid 1980s it must be, when I came home to Howell in the evening, after work at AT&T Bell Labs, mom said, Kavi and Shilpi are asking her for more and more maambaLa, so she told you that appa will come home and give it to you (she had kept it upstairs in one of my drawers, so could not find it or get it easily, not in kitchen area). Then when I went upstairs (as usual to change clothes), you both also coming up with me, and I gave you some maambaLa we had there. And, we may have done so for two or three days, or so, until no more maambaLa was left. 

It was the famous maambaLa from Kailar ajji in Mangalore, we had brought with us when we visited there or it was sent to us in Howell NJ with someone.
Kavi and Shilpi, we all, liked it very much. The ajji made maambaLa from Mangalore, was special. We even called Kailar ajji as "maambaLa ajji", out of love, appreciation, admiration, respect for it.

2025 Aug 30, 8:59 AM

Me: 

The maambaLa she made there were from Indian forest mangoes, "kaatu maavina haNNu", they call it, that is wild mango fruit. Typically, it has both sweet and sour type tastes in it, smaller in size, and can be used for cooking in various dishes also, and is very tasty, and a big treat for us to eat. They grew on mango trees in the forest area next to our paddy fields in the village in my younger years. Also, available in markets in the towns, in Mangalore also.

2025 Aug 30, 9:24 AM

Me: 

And, I think ajja told me that when Kavi and Shilpi visited India on your own, in 2003 August, and you had travelled to Kerala (Kochi) by train from Mangalore, they (ajji & ajja) had given you some maambaLa to carry on in your bags for the journey, and that's what you ate in the train, and looked like you did not buy any other food on the train on that part of journey. I recall ajja telling me later on, that is next time when I visited them, it was by myself, some months or so later.

2025 August 31

Me: 

Ajji often exhibits, (as before), creativity and free thinking. For example, two days ago, when I came down in the morning, she was applying honey on a pita bread (it was heated / toasted in toaster I think), and ate that for breakfast, (instead of two toasts and peanut butter, which has been her standard) said "laayikiddu", she liked it. These days, she says "Good Morning" by herself first to me, like I was telling her for some days previously. And, sometimes when she toasts bread she may take a third slice and place it flat on top of the other two in the toaster, not wanting to wait and toast it separately after the first two, as she considers it good enough for her (no need for toasting more). etc. == All Amazing, we can say ..!!!

Me: 

Yesterday 2025 August 30, we went to the HATCC Sri Guruvaayoorappan Temple, first had lunch at the cafeteria there, then went to the temple, I had requested at the office while buying the ticket for it, for Archana in front of the shrine for Lord Shree GaNapathi, and we did that (gothra, names, birth stars raashi saying by the priest with mantra, me, amma, kavi, shilpi, ajji, surekha mentioned), after first going around for darshan of all deities, with ajji, amma, and me, And, at end of archana I fully prostrated before the Lord Shree Mahaa GaNapathi chaami dEvaru. Then at 3 pm, in the auditorium,  they had community-together saamoohika Ganesha pooja, several families with pooja tray doing it while priests directed and did pooja for the big Ganesha moorthi idol on the stage in the front. Then, there was a cultural program there, Gulab also came, and later we went to their house for a few hours, some wine, and ate there, uppittu etc, We gave them a few maambaLa pieces we made, alsosome temple laddu. coming home a little before 9 pm. Kavi had stayed back at home, choosing to focus on his other work.  

I am planning to send you, Shilpi & Surekha, tomorrow Monday, some maambaLa pieces ajji / we made, temple laddu, pooje-prasaada

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in the attached here we see our recently done "maambaLa" project photos here, (as in the messages), with ajji my mother-in-law Saraswathi Kailar, my wife Usha, our son Kavi and me.  

[Thirumala Raya Halemane]

13 EAGLES PASS

PRINCETON, NJ 08540