Kerala Iyer Women-Then and now

Originally Posted by kanaka

Dear Sunkan
I got a reply from a person that it is a small community progressing asking no more dowry etc. Good. They have subtle ways of finding out the economic status. On many occasions I know people saying" As long as my daughter will have peace of mind I don't mind som financial burden.
Do the iyer community allow women to do any karma meant for iyers? Let us be honest. No. Don't they consider thread ceremony their monoply? YES.
A person becomes brahmin by action and not by birth alone.
An uneducated brahmin lady divorced by her husband was in Gulf for some years as a cook. All the iyer relatives accepted all the gifts brought by her with open hands. But during one Sumangali prarthana she was denied all those privileges usually given to iyer ladies and she cried bitterly. I asked her to be truthful . She said" In gulf I used to cook in Arabhi families non veg on Fridays to earn a little extra money. (She was given holiday by her Indian master on Fridays). This is not a story but a fact . ( She happens to be one of the students of my mother. She was never good in studies nor capable of being running the family like any other smart girl.). We are intelligent but can never come out of our shell Please comment. The incident still haunts me whenever I see our ladies hypocricy. kanaka

yes very true kanaka,
the woman of the house are too strong and influence the father a lot, and there by u r projected as what they see you and never you, life is like that every where but this treatment is very harrowing for years even after a man dies...sunkan