Kodhandan

I had planned to start this blog by introducing some interesting person who has inspired me with thoughts and dreams, innocence and perfection. Like they say, plans never work...

I was walking down the known crowded roads of my childhood. And that's when I saw the face which after so many years had weathered with experience. But behind all those wrinkles was a familiar face from my past. We looked at each other for a matter of seconds and moved past. Impulsively my brain started working, re-registering all the incidences and circumstances.

He was Kodhandan's father. This post is about Kodhandan and not his father whom I saw.

Kodhandan as I remember now, was in his late-teens when I had known him. I don't remember things clearly for I was too small then, but one memory of him has stayed all these years with me.
Its just that, he spoke many languages.
I remember feeling awed as he heroically translated many sentences in all different languages he knew. It highly impressed me and led me thinking of his knowledge of all the places he had been to.
I wondered which school he studied in?
Which teacher taught him all different languages, when mine taught different subjects in the same language?
I simply wondered...

I dedicate the following to childhood memories of Kodhandan...

In English - I am hungry, I am sleepy
In Hindi - Humko bhukh lagi, Humko neend aa rahi hai
In Marathi - Mala bhukh lagli, Mala zop lagli
In Tamil - Yennaku passi karda, Yennaku tukam varada
In Malayalam - Yeniki vesakunnu, Yeniki oorakam varunu
In Kannada - Nangae hasvagthaydae, Nangae nidae barthaydae
In Telugu - Naaku aakali vastundi, Naaku nidrae vastundi
In Bengali - Mor khidae payche, Mor goom payche
In Assamese - Mor bhukh lagse, Mor tuponi lagse

Yess!!!!