Ripple Effects - a reply…

http://www.lakshmusings.com/musings/2008/05/01/ripple-effect/#comments

Hey Laksh….Replying to your post here instead of as a comment…

I was never asked to do the weekly enna kuliyal…though I loved the way amma used the sambrani, the smell…miss that actually (and loved it when amma used to make chutta appalam on the coal adupu after …yummy!!!)
To the hairstyling bit; again I was left to myself and my ideas as long as I did not cut my hair I did when I was in twelfth, and amma actually called my father to let him know I did that!!! An international call in those days just for this!! Huge hungamma, my dance teacher also flipped with a dance programme in the offing

Have definitely tried different lengths since then… Have my hair shoulder length right now; can let it loose; still put in a band because of the oppressive heat! Realised then, that maybe that is why letting hair loose is frowned upon apart from hair falling all over the place!

There sure is some wisdom behind all those rules most of the time which I am learning. May be some have lost their essence over time; like not using a needle after sun down…

Does it matter?

I have purchased a bike. Paid the money on a day when the star is “barani” and will be receiving the delivery on “ashtami”. Both days are supposedly inauspicious according to traditions. In accordance, nothing new is ventured upon on those days and a few other days (even some lunar months).
Now that I have done this now…how will it affect anyone? When my mother pointed these days out to me, I was telling her that today is yesterday in some part of the world and tomorrow in another….so, how does it matter??? Am I justifying myself that well…I have done it, maybe I should have checked up?!
Don’t really know…does anyone know what is in store? I certainly don’t and should say did not! Have been told to face life as it has been thrown to me; just accept it and move on. So, I should just take it as it comes with my new vehicle too, right?

Opinions aplenty!

Well, the title goes for anything and everything. This entry though is about traditional beliefs…I recently read about someone who was disillusioned in the whole kolu for Navrathri and was talking about politely refusing invites to the same.
This made me think of many of the traditions that we have that are slowly disappearing. Kolu is to pray to the Goddesses…the slokas/pujas happen in the morning; while evening is a means to socialising. People coming home for sundal, singing songs and chatting to catch up. Coming back home to compare the taste of one sundal from another, enjoying some rare songs that one gets to hear or encourage the learners who use this as a practice session. Just the decorations are a challenge to the artist in each person. Most of the dolls in each house might be repetitions; but not how they arrange them…themes are big things. Yes, there are those who do all for show…but in this case; it is one festival where it is permissible :)Well, atleast one can come home and talk about those that are so artificial too right? A topic for conversation at home.
When one thinks about traditions, one can realise how each one has some thought into it…for example, the margazhi tradition of waking up early to put the kolam is to get the laziness out. One would love to snuggle up under sheets and sleep in the colder weather. Making seedai for Krishnashtami is to have something crunchy when it is generally raining outside; or neer more for Ramanavami which is in summer!
Accepted that there are some which are outdated in this age…like don’t stitch after sun down. That was to avoid strain to the eyes when the lights are out and is outdated now thanks to electricity…Probably there are many more that can be listed.
One should see the merits and demerits of each and take what appears right instead of writing off all saying it is being old fashioned or to say that you are disillusioned. For my part, I try follow traditions as much as I can and hope I can transfer this thought to my son too!
Well that is my take on this….of course opinions aplenty!

Navarathri

It is navarathri time. Now that I am in India on my really extended vacation, my son gets to see the kolu at home. He enjoyed setting it up, doing the namaskarams…now gets upset when we ask him not to touch the dolls!! lol!! Luckily though, he obeys.
Amma reminiscing about how she started keeping this kolu ages back when I was little girl. Seems I was spending time at my neighbours’ homes and got too keen about this, came home and cried. My mother sent my father to the shop(days when we depended on public transport and the shop was about at least an hour away driving our own vehicle!!) after he got home from work. He had to get the dolls, come home and made the steps out of crate boxes and set the whole thing up. Yes…I was asleep even before he returned from the shop it seems. I was so excited by the little kolu, I went to invite the whole neighbourhood…amma got to know a lot of our neighbours that way it seems! Years went by, tradition of keeping the kolu continued, and seems I got choosy about when and whom I would invite Amma enjoyed dressing me up in various costumes when I was younger. Even I remember those various costumes!!The kolu became bigger with dolls inherited from both grandparents. Still enjoy taking the dolls out, taking care, arranging them on the steps and when it is all over, repacking them carefully and storing them till next year! Am glad that my son could see this….and am now enthused to get some basic dolls back home when I go. Hope I can keep the tradition alive. God help me