Valaikappu & Seemantham

Seemantham - 4

Manaiyil vaithu padarathu

Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chithra...

THANKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS....Romba naala naan ungala indha topic-kkada pudungi eduthen and here it comes :)
I just love your write-up....beautiful and 'homely'..I felt as if you are sitting in front of me and describing the rituals :)

Just some questions on the gifting formalities considering modern times and expectations..

a) What are the things which the girls' husband and in-laws are supposed to give the pregnant woman and her father-mother-brother-sister on these occasions?

b) Is it a must for the girl's side to give silk saree to the husband's mom and sister and clothes for his father-brother etc?

c) Is there any 'jewel' expectation on this occasion?

Also, your pics were very pretty...would you have them in a larger size? When I opened, it opened in a very small size..

With love
Pavithra

Dear Pavithra,
Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, it was you, who asked for these two & I started writing them !
The exchanges you have asked for as "gifts" - they all depend on the individual families. There is no hard & fast rule at all. For my V & S, the exchanges were not in sarees at all. Those days, it used to be Rs 101, thats all.
For valaikappu, usually a new bangle besides ponkappu, vellikappu, is made for the girl by her parents.
For the seemandam, no jewels are generally made.
Thanks for the comments on pictures. I scanned them as pdf files & converted to jpg files. I can send you the pdf files if you want - to see me looking funny !
Seemantham photos are my daughter's !
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chithra,
Thanks for the clarification. And pls PM the PDF files :D :D

While our ancestors made all these rituals to invoke the blessings of God and elders and near & dear, I find that it has taken a somewhat materialistic roopam, with expectations of 'silk sarees' and other items from the girl's side even during these ceremonies typically conducted at the boy's side !!!

Romba nanri...waiting for more from you on iyer rituals and events... :) I am copying all your articles religiously...definitely will come in handy in future, I hope so :)

With love
Pavithra

Originally Posted by chitvish

Dear Pavithra,
Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, it was you, who asked for these two & I started writing them !
The exchanges you have asked for as "gifts" - they all depend on the individual families. There is no hard & fast rule at all. For my V & S, the exchanges were not in sarees at all. Those days, it used to be Rs 101, thats all.
For valaikappu, usually a new bangle besides ponkappu, vellikappu, is made for the girl by her parents.
For the seemandam, no jewels are generally made.
Thanks for the comments on pictures. I scanned them as pdf files & converted to jpg files. I can send you the pdf files if you want - to see me looking funny !
Seemantham photos are my daughter's !
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chith,
The write up is wonderfully meticulous and wellwritten. I am also a littlesad that I leftout a couple of steps when w conducted mydaughter's seemantham a couple of years back.THe explanation is neatand heartwarmingshowing again what a perfectionist you are. God be with you.
Regards,
Meenu
Yours ane Ruby's photos are wonderful

Dear Pavithra,
Pdf files cant be PM ed !
Dont think, I am very good at rituals etc !
If you want, I will remove jpg files & post pdf for clear viewing.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by mkthpavi

Dear Chithra,
Thanks for the clarification. And pls PM the PDF files :D :D

While our ancestors made all these rituals to invoke the blessings of God and elders and near & dear, I find that it has taken a somewhat materialistic roopam, with expectations of 'silk sarees' and other items from the girl's side even during these ceremonies typically conducted at the boy's side !!!

Romba nanri...waiting for more from you on iyer rituals and events... :) I am copying all your articles religiously...definitely will come in handy in future, I hope so :)

With love
Pavithra

Dear Meenu,
Thankyou. To get all the details to write took such a long time !
I do not think it matters if you had left a couple of steps - we cant help it !
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by meenu

Dear Chith,
The write up is wonderfully meticulous and wellwritten. I am also a littlesad that I leftout a couple of steps when w conducted mydaughter's seemantham a couple of years back.THe explanation is neatand heartwarmingshowing again what a perfectionist you are. God be with you.
Regards,
Meenu
Yours ane Ruby's photos are wonderful

ok chithra !
PDF-s post pannungo instead of jpg, if that helps..
For some reason, the pics are coming as little bigger than stamp size..so not very clear..

with love
pavithra

Originally Posted by chitvish

Dear Pavithra,
Pdf files cant be PM ed !
Dont think, I am very good at rituals etc !
If you want, I will remove jpg files & post pdf for clear viewing.
Love,
Chithra.

Dear Chitra Mam,
Wow!...Thanks for this detailed post. I should use it when my son grows....!...I never thought I had missed all the valikappu formalities and semantham...After seeing your post made me feel cry that missed this whole part in my life...I am feeling so sad that I was left in a place where I could not get the sastigal and missed it...

I was planning to do seemanthan alone along with my son's ayoushomam, but some how my MIL did not agreet even Rajesh was not willing...
So...I should be helpful atleast to future generations in my family....I will write everyting in my CD to protect it for years..

Thanksf or your wonderful effort.
Love
Birundha

Yes Please C. Can you please post the pdf file for clear viewing?

It is an excellent write-up. I am sure it will be extremely useful to anybody who wants to perform these ceremonies and do not have anybody to guide them. This is one more 'how I wish I knew you earlier and couldn't this write-up have come 2 years before' for me.

Fortunately, I was in India for my Valaikappu. But for my Seemantham, I was in the US with neither my MIL or mother around( the most suitable day in my eighth month came too early and my mom came here close to my delivery ). I tried to make notes of the sequence of events mentioned by my MIL and mother in bits and pieces and was calling home back and forth to clarify and confirm. But the Vadyar here was very good - we also visited him a few times before the cermony to clarify how the rituals are to be performed in order to plan for it. He even made our elderly friends perform Ethi-irakaradhu. So, from my experience, it will prove to be a very very useful post!!!

Also, I remember my folks making me eat a pongal made with tuvar dhal and turmeric on the Valaikappu morning.

-Gayathri.