an agraharamite can understand..
Some people talk of ostensibly simple lifestyle especially when it involves expenditure to the public treasury.
I remember of one Sastrigal (brahmin priest) whom we used to refer to as chukkuvellam sastrigal.
( chukkuvellam.ചുക്കുവെള്ളം is drinking water made aromatic and tasty by adding powdered dried ginger and our mama would have got that name because of his penchant to drink such liquid off and on)..
If he is invited for snacks.. first he will decline leaving just enough room to renew the invitation.
Once he sits to eat, he will say that he is on very frugal diet and that he requires only half a idly (the most enduring food item of South India.. usually no one takes less than two of these at a time)
So he will insist on such a small piece of food being served.
He will make a lot of fuss about eating, but in time he will persuade himself and the host also would have to serve another half idly more...
And this process of persuasion, bargaining, fake protests and all will go on ...
and by the time the sastrigal leaves his plantain leaf, he would have eaten at least a dozen idlies healthily soaked in chutney, sambar and other condiments,
and if there are a few Vadas and Dosas , would have eaten them them too, and if some naivedya payasam is available..that also would not have been rejected...
the rigmarole will go on..
That is a typical agraharamite.. yes.. you and me..
Long live chukkuvella sastry and his half idlies.
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