The tasting umachchi

August 9 2014

Another snippet that I better put down before it is "lost"
Rummaging in the kitchen, while racking my brains over what to make for the kids, my thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a very disturbed Sharanya. Mommy, I do not like this tasting umachchi!!, was what she said in between shaking from sobs, tears flowing freely.
What on earth could have affected her this way? Usually, my mommy intuition would lead me to guess pretty accurately about what had disturbed her, but this time, I was entirely puzzled. Leading me by the hand she led to the living room couch where a page from a children's book (Tenali Raman, Panchatantra) lay open. Look, Mommy, Look, tasting umachchi!!
"On it was a picture of Kali, the fearsome goddess with her tongue out. The illustration was from a story about Tenali Raman and his encounter with the goddess.
Ah, mystery solved so that is the tasting umachchi!
Both her dad and I wondered at the three year old's ability to correctly identify the picture as that of an umachchi when we do not have any pictures at home of Kali.
Another name for Goddess Kali given by Sharanya, "The tasting umachchi"