By Harrish Thirukumaran
Over the course of this past year, I have been going through a period of change as I recover from personal grief and loss of my Dad, Kanapathipillai Thirukumaran. This June marks a year as the Monsoon Journal community mourn his loss as one of its co-founders. It was one of many roles that he held throughout his lifetime. The Monsoon Journal was a voice for him to follow his passion for elevating the Tamil and broader South Asian culture. This was accomplished through publications available at physical storefronts across the Greater Toronto Area and in cyberspace.
In the Tamil Hindu tradition typically, the first-year anniversary for a loss is marked by a Thithi. This refers to the day your loved one passed according to the moon phase and the month. Rituals, also known as Thevasam in Tamil, are acts that the children or loved ones perform for the deceased at a Hindu temple or the home in commemorating their departed parent or loved one. Food is also typically distributed to others including close loved ones of the deceased to ensure peace enriches their soul.
Through these rituals, we hope that our loved one attains ‘moksha’ or liberation from the cycle of rebirth after the conclusion of the physical journey that they led on Earth. The practices do vary across families and people in the South Asian community, but their purpose remains clear: to memorialize their loved one and their impact. This ritual also signals the end of their worldly relationship with that person. It serves as a refreshing reminder that any negative feelings or thoughts like shame or regret must not weigh them down. It gives the loved ones a sense of peace.
As a son observing this day of remembrance, I see it as a stage where I can express my gratitude to him for moulding me into the kind of person that I am today. Additionally, it lets me continue to absorb his various lessons to help carry myself forward. As we reach this one-year mark, I notice how I have started to look beyond the mere loss, leading to more introspection and a sense of wonder about the life journey in terms of the big picture as well as the day-to-day.
On this July 4th as I observe my Dad’s Thithi, I hope the readers of this newspaper also get to release deep feelings of negativity. While these rituals are intended to give the soul of our loved one peace, it also is an antidote for the performer of the ritual who shares a deep connection with the person who has now passed away. It is this kind of idea where we look beyond the rituals and understand the true essence of these traditions that, I believe, my Dad was promoting for the Tamil community through the Monsoon Journal.
My Dad’s profound celebration and enthusiasm for Tamil and South Asian culture as well as Hinduism uplifted his fellow peers in the Tamil community and continues to do so. Whether that was his intention or not apart from his fondness for writing and literature, I am not entirely sure at this moment. But I can assure the readers of this paper that his legacy will live on through Monsoon Journal’s contribution to Tamil community storytelling. Both his legacy and the storytelling will continue to be upheld as we celebrate the Monsoon Journal’s 19th year in operation this month since its beginnings in June 2006.
