practicing prayer, songs from childhood in the village. I have no idea where the song came from, who wrote it. over years, I must have changed certain parts of the melody. I extend “mandapam” too long, surely. (either this is how they sang it in the village, or I am aching to extend the hall, the sanctuary, for just a second longer). it doesn’t matter. the task is to find the thousand pillared hall everywhere. aayirangal mandapathil annai meenatchi alangara ponoonjalil aadum kankaatchi navamani magudam naatrisaiyum minna navaratna kaigalil naloLi minna in the thousand pillared hall, mother meenatchi in that ornate golden swing she sways, what a sight her nine-jeweled crown, (natrisayum?) it glistens may the Good Light shine forth from her hands, adorned by the Nine Jewels nine jeweled deer on the cave of dunhuang. on my way home to see my own mother for navaratri. may the nine jewels find you these days. may we offer them back to ether once replenished. cc @shiloshivsuleman for being a vessel for the dakini to come here, who brought this song back out of my memory