Hi guys I know it has been a long while since last. Just some unpredictable stuff came up lately, and all those bank holidays and mini vacations has made it difficult to being able to post anything....... A lot of friends of mine are pregnant at the moment, and is all duo this year..... That also means that I/we have to plan different types of celebrations for the future mother..... It has been quite common to do something nowadays...... Suddenly it's all so trendy..... The American baby shower, the southindian valaikappu, the southindian seemantham and the list goes on...... In this blogpost I am gonna dive into the the different types of functions, that can be celebrated for the pregnant girl as Tamil. First of all, we all know the traditional baby shower..... The reason why it's called a baby shower, is because the future mother will be showered with gifts and presents. Normally the baby shower is only being held for the first child, and only female guests were invited. It is typically arranged and hosted by a close friend, rather than a family member, since it's often considered rude and weird for a family to arrange a function where the mother will be showered with gifts. The baby shower is often held in the 7-9th month of the pregnancy, but some people also celebrate it after the baby is born, and is often combined with a baby announcement. At the baby shower, the mother is often not aware that the baby shower will take place, so it is more like a surprise celebration. The guests brings gifts that's either related to the baby, or they bring pampering gifts to the mother. It will normally last a couple of hours, and during the time, the gifts will be opened in front of all the guests. Small games and entertainment features will take place. The games will often have something to do with the job as a future mother, or something related to the baby. Often cake, sweets, short dish and small snacks are provided together with non alcoholic beverages. All together this is a good way to celebrate a day with the future mothers friends and family, and have a nice afternoon to remember. The baby shower is celebrated in many ways around the world. Another tradition that many Tamil people in the foreign countries have adopted are the Valaikappu or seemantham. The tradition is South Indian and is only celebrated by South Indians. The celebration itself is quite colorful and brings the family together, so many srilankan Tamils have adopted the idea as well. The valaikappu is not a religious function and is celebrated by, Hindus, Muslim and Christian women. It is a blessing of the pregnant woman, celebrating her fertility and to ensure a safe birth. Normally the pregnant mother to be, will spent her last trimester at her own mothers house, and therefore the valaikappu is also hosted by the pregnant woman's family. The hindu woman will be worn with bangles on both hands in odd numbers. The bangles are not suppose to be taken off until the baby is born. They say the sound of the bangles will induce the child's senses. Normally the bangles will be either red or green and often in glass. Vegetarien food will be served and all together a nice celebration. The purpose of the ceremony is to honour and protect the pregnant woman, who is seen as vulnerable to the evil eye, malign spirits and ghosts, and to ensure the birth of a healthy child. Valaikaapu was originally a simple ceremony, mainly limited to the exchange of bangles, but with the time the celebration has become bigger and bigger. The guest will bring gifts, such as jewellery, saris, household appliances and gold ornaments. There is a lot of ideas of how to celebrate a baby shower and how to celebrate a valaikappu. A lot of western srilankan also combine the both and have a more grand celebration, but it really depends on the mother to be and her family. Ideas for what can be served, what kind of entertainment the celebration can include, can all be found online. Anyways, I hope this post was interesting for some of the future mothers out there. It is now time for me to start planning some of the babyshowers for my close friends, so let's see how that goes :)
Until next time
Hey guys
It's me again this week. First of all. THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH for the response from last weeks post !!!! I didn't expect it to be received this well..... THANK YOU !!
We have in our little team decided a few things that I would like to tell you guys. We tried blogging in German, since most of you guys are from Germany. Although we did that for half a year, we just realized that having blogs in English is preffered by many, so all my posts will in the future be in English. Arlene will continue writing in German. Another thing - we are looking for a third blogger..... Do we have anyone who is interested in writing for us and become a member of our small team, please contact us through our Facebook page and we will get back to you..... Everyone with a good writing skill is welcome :)
So to this weeks post...... Hmmm.... First of all, sorry for the repeating Hindu cultural aspect on the post.... But it has been a topic that has been on my mind constantly for the last week..... It all started by, me attending a Puberty Ceremony, for the first time with my partner among our family...... We have been going out for years, but only recently got official to "the public" and extended family as well. So ya our first family function to attend. As I also wrote in my last post, I am not a big fan of the poddu. Basically, I do not think it suits my face...... When that is said..... In my young young ages.... I used to wear poddu, but was trying to find the explanation behind it back then.... And I remembered I decided that I was not going to wear it anymore..... There is a lot of scientifically reasons why we should wear a poddu, which I all admire. But that little tiny other reason just makes me, not want to wear it, unless I really really have to....... So at this function I was not wearing a poddu...... And I had soooooooooo many people asking me why.... I simply just answered, I don't like wearing a poddu, it doesn't suit me....... Some of the older ladies were like..... WTH...... But no one said anything directly to me..... I have heard later, that it was a discussion subject for some of the aunties after we left.
So yesterday I was talking with a friend about this, and she asked me again, why I didn't wanted to wear a poddu. Many Tamil and Hindu people simply thinks u are "naked" without it, and it fulfill your outfit.... So I explained to her why I don't like it..... She was discussing with me and saying it was not true.... So I started to do my research last night..... Just to prove her wrong :) and here it is:
Our society has always been categorizing people in groups. Caste system is still a very important thing in India and SriLanka. And in order to clarify the 4 different casts, the poddu was a remark of which cast you belonged to. This is a very very very old fact, but was the reason why we hindues started wearing the poddu.
So thee you go...... This is the reason why I can justify not wearing the poddu. Thank god, we don't wear the poddu according to our cast anymore..... But simply as an accessory to the Indian outfit, black when you are unmarried and red if you are. It has always been fashionable to wear matching poddu, which people also do..... But the oldest fact about why the poddu was introduced in the explained reason above..... So this is the explanation, for why I don't want to wear it.... And also, I don't think it suits me :) ....... But of cause there are many other scientific reasons why we should wear a poddu, which comes here......
Poddu, or Bindi, which is the Sanskrit name, means dot in Sanskrit. A dot that's placed between you eyes on the forehead. All females normally wear poddu every day, and even men wear poddu when it comes to religious days, when they visit the temples etc. The woman always wears a red one, that shows that she is married and signifies true love and prosperity. A widow female does not wear a poddu, but is allowed to wear a black one, that shows their lost of their husband.
The religious reason behind the poddu is one of the most important in the Hinduism. Every morning a Hindu takes a bath and sits in prayer just to seek the absolute truth through every prayer. However, it is true that one cannot sit in prayer the whole day. So when you leave the prayer room, you are expected to put some mark on your forehead, to remind you throughout the day about all the activities and the purpose of life. It is obvious you cannot see the mark on your own forehead every time so whenever you see it on another face, you will get a chance to recall the purpose of your life. The idea is to remember that all the things you are doing are dedicated towards the achievement of this supreme goal of self realization.
From a health point of view, the poddu is worn between the eyebrows where the pineal gland lies. This is an important nerve center and applying sandalwood or ash keeps the nerves cool and so keeps one cool and conserves energy. In the past the poddu was made from the yellow and red sandalwood, red and yellow turmeric, saffron, various flowers, ash, zinc oxide. All these had cooling properties in nature. Today people wear bindis made with glue or glass and doesn’t benefit in any way but is more of an accessory.
The Ajna Chakra is considered to be the place of the “Third Eye” where one applies the poddu. The Ajna Chakra is the site where one finally loses Ahamkara (ego or sense of individuality) when one achieves self-realization or reaches a higher level of spirituality. It is a way to remind one another in the society to see through the mind’s eye and see the bigger picture of the “Universe as One”
So there is a lot of reasons to why wear a poddu...... But for me, the society fact is enough a reason, not to wear it :)
Have a lovely friday guys and enjoy your weekend. My brother in law is coming home from india, and i told hin to bring Indian sweets, so gonna visit them and eat it all ..... Indian milk sweets is the best thing in the world !!!
Until next time
Hello People
Hope you are all doing good and enjoyed the Easter holiday.
I feel it has been so long since I have written the last blogpost. We chose not to post anything last week since it was good Friday, and wanted to respect that. I know that we both have been a bit lazy with the writing lately. I promise you guys that we will do everything in order to make sure to post something for you every week.
This weeks post is actually quite interesting. At least I find it very interesting. I am not sure, if you guys have experiences that we do something, which we claim is either religious or cultural, and we ask our parents, why we actually do that, and they just answer.... "Athu appadi tharn". I have gathered some facts that's I found really interesting, and wanted to share with you. Hope you guys enjoy as much as I did :)
In our culture, we greet each other by joining their palms – termed as “Namaskar.” The general reason behind this tradition is that greeting by joining both the palms means respect. However, scientifically speaking, joining both hands ensures joining the tips of all the fingers together; which are denoted to the pressure points of eyes, ears, and mind. Pressing them together is said to activate the pressure points which helps us remember that person for a long time. And, no germs since we don’t make any physical contact! Hmmm, that's interesting. I must admit that I never do that anymore. I used to dance bharatha naadiyam, and back then, namaskar was something very special to me. When I stopped dancing, I don't really feel I need to do it to anyone anymore. For me its only something I do for highly respected people.
When we travel back to Sri Lanka for holidays, some of the families that we visit makes us sit on the floor and eat. For us, who is used to sit by the table on a chair, it seems weird sometimes. But....This tradition is not just about sitting on floor and eating, it is regarding sitting in the “Sukhasan”, which we know as sammadi koddi irukeekulla, position and then eating. Sukhasan is the position we normally use for Yoga asanas. When you sit on the floor, you usually sit cross legged – In sukhasana or a half padmasana (half lotus), which are poses that instantly bring a sense of calm and help in digestion, it is believed to automatically trigger the signals to your brain to prepare the stomach for digestion. I am not sure that those old ladies know the meaning behind, but maybe only that it's good for you.
When there is loyal thiruvilar, I fast. I used to be vegetarian every Friday for the last 15 years. Not anymore though. It's too difficult when you are only 2, and one of them is an atheist. So yea, it's not that I am trying to be vegetarian, but if I have the choice between veg and nonveg, I choose veg on s Friday. When I don't have the option, I don't make a deal out of it. Anyways, why do we fast, and what does it do to you?
The underlying principle behind fasting is to be found in Ayurveda. This ancient Indian medical system sees the basic cause of many diseases as the accumulation of toxic materials in the digestive system. Regular cleansing of toxic materials keeps one healthy. By fasting, the digestive organs get rest and all body mechanisms are cleansed and corrected. A complete fast is good for heath, and the occasional intake of warm lemon juice during the period of fasting prevents the flatulence. Since the human body, as explained by Ayurveda, is composed of 80% liquid and 20% solid, like the earth, the gravitational force of the moon affects the fluid contents of the body. It causes emotional imbalances in the body, making some people tense, irritable and violent. Fasting acts as antidote, for it lowers the acid content in the body which helps people to retain their sanity. Research suggests there are major health benefits to caloric restriction like reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, immune disorders etc.... I know s lot of my white friends have started to add a meat free day.... The reasons behind this, is that we somehow cleanse the body by eating only veg, it actually makes sense then....
I am one of those people who will never say no to dessert. I eat sugar and sweets everyday. Nothing I am proud of, but I just can't help it. It has been a habit for many many years, and it's just hard to give up on. Our ancestors have stressed on the fact that our meals should be started off with something spicy and sweet dishes should be taken towards the end. The significance of this eating practice is that while spicy things activate the digestive juices and acids and ensure that the digestion process goes on smoothly and efficiently, sweets or carbohydrates pulls down the digestive process. Hence, sweets were always recommended to be taken as a last item.... Hm, maybe I should make it a tradition to eat sweet after every meal..... (I guess I am already doing it)
I love visiting temples. There is some kind of peace and I simply just love the architecture. I love architecture in general, but the Hindu temples are absolutely amazing, and just the fact that they were able to build such amazing temples back in the days. There is other reasons why we should go to the temple. Temples are located strategically at a place where the positive energy is abundantly available from the magnetic and electric wave distributions of north/south pole thrust. The main idol is placed in the core center of the temple, known as “*Garbhagriha*” or *Moolasthanam*. In fact, the temple structure is built after the idol has been placed. This *Moolasthanam* is where earth’s magnetic waves are found to be maximum. We know that there are some copper plates, inscribed with Vedic scripts, buried beneath the Main Idol. What are they really? No, they are not God’s / priests’ flash cards when they forget the *shlokas*. The copper plate absorbs earth’s magnetic waves and radiates it to the surroundings. Thus a person regularly visiting a temple and walking clockwise around the Main Idol receives the beamed magnetic waves and his body absorbs it. This is a very slow process and a regular visit will let him absorb more of this positive energy. Scientifically, it is the positive energy that we all require to have a healthy life.
To be honest, I am almost 32 years old, I have never ever touched anyone's feets. Which means I have never Karl vilunthu kumpiddathu illai. I don't know why, just never appeared for me to do it. Not my parents, not my in-laws, nobody. Apparently there is a reason why we do that. Usually, the person of whose feet you are touching is either old or pious. When they accept your respect which came from your reduced ego (and is called your shraddha) their hearts emit positive thoughts and energy (which is called their karuna) which reaches you through their hands and toes. In essence, the completed circuit enables flow of energy and increases cosmic energy, switching on a quick connect between two minds and hearts. To an extent, the same is achieved through handshakes and hugs. The nerves that start from our brain spread across all your body. These nerves or wires end in the fingertips of your hand and feet. When you join the fingertips of your hand to those of their opposite feet, a circuit is immediately formed and the energies of two bodies are connected. Your fingers and palms become the ‘receptor’ of energy and the feet of other person become the ‘giver’ of energy.
When it's thiruvilar, and the Puusai is about to finish, we have the mani sound. It continues and at the end we actually just wants it to stop. It's loud, and makes me stressing. People who are visiting the temple should and will Ring the bell before entering the inner sanctum (Garbhagudi or Garbha Gruha or womb-chamber) where the main idol is placed. According to Agama Sastra, the bell is used to give sound for keeping evil forces away and the ring of the bell is pleasant to God. However, the scientific reason behind bells is that their ring clears our mind and helps us stay sharp and keep our full concentration on devotional purpose. These bells are made in such a way that when they produce a sound it creates a unity in the Left and Right parts of our brains. The moment we ring the bell, it produces a sharp and enduring sound which lasts for minimum of 7 seconds in echo mode. The duration of echo is good enough to activate all the seven healing centres in our body. This results in emptying our brain from all negative thoughts.
In my previous apartments I always asked my dad how I should place the bed. He is really religious and very much into traditions. I didn't do it when I moved the last time, because practically there was only 1 way to place the bed. I always wondered why it was so important. Myth is that it invites ghost or death but science says that it is because human body has its own magnetic field (Also known as hearts magnetic field, because the flow of blood) and Earth is a giant magnet. When we sleep with head towards north, our body’s magnetic field become completely asymmetrical to the Earth’s Magnetic field. That cause problems related to blood pressure and our heart needs to work harder in order to overcome this asymmetry of Magnetic fields. Apart from this another reason is that Our body have significant amount of iron in our blood. When we sleep in this position, iron from the whole body starts to congregate in brain. This can cause headache, Alzheimer’s Disease, Cognitive Decline, Parkinson disease and brain degeneration.
When the brides get married, she gets a toe ring on. My parents always told me, it was only virgin girls who does that. But wearing toe rings is not just the significance of married women but there is science behind it. Normally toe rings are worn on the second toe. A particular nerve from the second toe connects the uterus and passes to heart. Wearing toe ring on this finger strengthens the uterus. It will keep it healthy by regulating the blood flow to it and menstrual cycle will be regularized. As Silver is a good conductor, it also absorbs polar energies from the earth and pass
Haha, writing this post makes me realize how little Hindu I am. I am not an atheist, I believe in all gods. I believe they are all the same, but with different names..... Al though I do not follow the traditions at all. I am not sure if it's because I have been working abroad for the last 10 years and lost the roots to my culture, or if it simply doesn't make sense to me. Anyway the reason why I don't wear poddu is because I simply don't think it suits me. I had arguments with my parents back then, but they understands that I don't really like it. The reason behind the poddu is quite interesting, although it will not make me use it anyway. On the forehead, between the two eyebrows, is a spot that is considered as a major nerve point in human body since ancient times. The Tilak is believed to prevent the loss of “energy”, the red ‘kumkum’ between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. While applying kumkum the points on the mid-brow region and Adnya-chakra are automatically pressed. This also facilitates the blood supply to the face muscles.
I got my ears pierced before I even knew it. That was how we used to do back then. My niece who is 7, got her ears pierced when she was 6, and only because she really really wanted to. Piercing the ears has a great importance in Indian ethos. Indian physicians and philosophers believe that piercing the ears helps in the development of intellect, power of thinking and decision making faculties. Talkativeness fritters away life energy. Ear piercing helps in speech-restraint. It helps to reduce impertinent behavior and the ear-channels become free from disorders. This idea appeals to the Western world as well, and so they are getting their ears pierced to wear fancy earrings as a mark of fashion.
There is even a scientific reason for why we wear bangles. Normally the wrist portion is in constant activation on any human. Also the pulse beat in this portion is mostly checked for all sorts of ailments. The Bangles used by women are normally in the wrist part of ones hand and its constant friction increases the blood circulation level. Further more the electricity passing out through outer skin is again reverted to one’s own body because of the ring shaped bangles, which has no ends to pass the energy outside but to send it back to the body.
I hope you guys learned something new today. So next time we ask our parents or other, why do we do this? Why do we do that. Trust me their stories which we sometimes find redicilous, might actually not be that stupid at all. There is scientific reasons behind many of our actions, traditions and culture, and I think it's important to respect those.
Until next time
Happy Friday meine Lieben!!!
Ich hoffe ihr habt eine erfolgreiche und angenehme Woche.
Der heutige Blog dreht sich um ein sehr wichtiges Bestandteil jeder Hochzeit!
Er gehört mit zur Grundausstattung jeder Braut: Der Brautstrauß! Was gibt es bei den Brautsträußen eigentlich alles zu beachten? Und was hat es mit dem Zweitstrauß auf sich? Ich bin für euch mal auf die Suche gegangen :)
Traditionell sucht der Bräutigam die Blumen aus und bringt den Brautstrauß mit zur Hochzeit. Kleines Hintertürchen für Bräute, die Angst vor einer bösen Überraschung haben ganz genau erklären, was für einen Brautstrauß Ihr euch wünscht, den Rest wird der Florist dann schon richten! Gute Floristen nutzen sogar noch einen zweiten "Rettungsanker" bei der Wahl des Brautstraußes. So wird vermieden, dass der Brautstrauß so gar nicht den Vorstellungen der Braut entspricht.
Egal, wer den Brautstrauß kauft, der Brautstrauß sollte immer in Farbe, Form und Stil auf jeden Fall zum Brautkleid, möglichst auch zum Anzug des Bräutigams, passen. Um das zu garantieren, kann man z.B. beim Kauf des Brautstraußes eine Stoffprobe des Brautkleides mitnehmen oder auch des geplanten Make-ups und der Hochzeitsfrisur. Bei der Wahl der Blumen für den Brautstrauß gelten vor allem zwei Sachen:
Erstens sollten die Blumen jahreszeitlich passen. Nicht alles ist jederzeit möglich und wenn doch, ist mit hohen Mehrkosten zu rechnen. Es macht z.B. keinen Sinn im tiefsten Winter unbedingt auf Maiglöckchen zu bestehen :) Im Hochsommer hingegen sind manche Blumensorten ungeeignet, weil sie die Hitze nicht vertragen. Wenn man sich unsicher ist, kann man immer gerne einen Floristen fragen. Auch wenn es die eigenen Lieblingsblumen vielleicht gerade nicht gibt, gibt es immer tolle Alternativen für den Brautstrauß!
Zweitens sollte man keine gefärbten Elemente verwenden, wie z.B. blaue Rosen. Auch Blumen mit Staubgefäßen sind für den Brautstrauß eher ungeeignet, da sie unschöne Flecken auf dem Brautkleid hinterlassen können (alternativ kann man die Staubgefäße auch abschneiden). Falls ihr aber in Sarees heiratet, würde dies wiederum doch klappen. Natürlich nur bei dunkleren Saree Farben:)
Die besondere Aufmerksamkeit der Gäste, speziell der ledigen, weiblichen gilt dem Brautstrauß. Der wird nämlich am Ende der Feier traditionell von der Braut rückwärts über die Schulter in die Menge der unverheirateten Frauen geworfen. Die glückliche Fängerin darf den Strauß behalten und wird - was noch viel wichtiger ist - die nächste Braut sein, so die Prophezeiung. Weil viele Bräute Ihren Brautstrauß lieber selbst als Erinnerung an ihren Hochzeitstag behalten möchten, hat sich in jüngerer Zeit der Trend zum Zweitstrauß entwickelt. Zusammen mit dem eigentlichen Brautstrauß, besorgt der Bräutigam ein zweites, meist etwas kleineres Exemplar, das die Braut am Abend in die Runde der Jungesellinnen wirft, während sie ihren "echten" behält. Während der Hochzeitszeremonie kann dieser auch als Strauß für die Trauzeugin oder die Brautjungfern verwendet werden.
Aber wie soll er denn nun aussehen, der heißbegehrte Blumenstrauß? Bei der Auswahl sind im Wesentlichen drei Entscheidungen zu treffen:
* Welche Blume(n) für den Brautstrauß?
* In welcher Farbe?
* Und welche Form des Brautstraußes?
Aber was passiert mit dem wunderschönen Strauß nach der Hochzeit ??
Wenn man den Brautstrauß behalten möchte, sollte man ihn so schnell wie möglich trocknen und auf keinen Fall mehr ins Wasser stellen!!! Man kann den Brautstrauß an einem kühlen, trockenen und dunklen Ort aufhängen und und ihn so langsam trocknen lassen.
So meine Lieben, ich hoffe ihr konntet den einen oder anderen Tipp gebrauchen.
Ich wünsche euch ein schönes und frühlingshaftes Wochenende. Bis zum nächsten Mal :)
Xoxo Arlene
Hi everyone.
hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the spring vibes that has finally arrived. The weather has changed and sun is shining. Yesterday I was wearing my balarinas and no jacket until 21 in the evening. I can't wait for the temperature to increase, more sunshine, deliciously ice cream, dinner outside, dresses and all the functions that comes up very soon. Most of all Tamil people will be super busy from now on, attending all the weddings, puberty ceremonies and other parties, not to mention all the temple festivals.
When going to a function we always have so many attires to chose from. Saree, lengha, Punjabi suits and list is long. Traditionally we will wear the saree, colorful amazingly designed Sarees. This blog post is about the saree. So I hope you guys enjoy it, and maybe will think about the saree and the history and tradition behind it next time you wear it.
The saree is the female clothing from india. In the history the saree is tracked back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which was 2800-1800 BC. In the beginning the Sarees were made of cotton, and silk Sarees were woven around 2450 and 2000 BC. The dye that they used to color the Sarees back then, are still used the day today: indigo, lac, red madder and turmeric. The saree is associated with grace and is widely regarded as a symbol of grace in cultures of the Indian subcontinent.
The word sari is described in Sanskrit, and means: "strip of clothes". It's a long drape that's usually 4,5 to 8 meters, which is draped around the waits, with one end draped around the shoulder, baring the midriff. The saree is worn over a petticoat, or a underskirt that we would call it. Also a fitted upper garment, that we call blouse is neccasary when wearing a saree. This blouse is usually cropped at the midriff. There is a lot of different styles to wear the saree. The "correct" and most common way to wear it is the way we srilankan and South Indian wear it. Nowadays it is very common among our young generation to try to wear it different style. Use different styles of blouses as well. My favorite way to wear a saree is to wear a silk saree in the traditional way, with pleated border, and 3/4 long sleeve blouse, when its for wedding and puberty ceremony. When it's birthdays I like to experiment a little bit, both with the blouse and the way to wear the saree. The pant style saree is definitely one of my favorites. Please have a look at the post i already wrote about the pant style saree.
There is also scientific reasons for why it's healthy to wear a saree. The picture shows how you can control the decreasing and increasing insulation, just by the way you wear the saree. This was discovered by a Indian researcher after several studies made. Another very interesting post was written by Manoj Saboo who describes the energies that we all have, and how the saree affects those energies. It might not be useful for many to read this, and might be a bit sceptical. But if you believe en energies and how they can affect us, his theory is quite interesting.
We all human beings are broadly made of two kinds of elements, Energy and Consciousness. First one is female in nature and the second is considered male. A woman has predominantly female energy and the man has male elements. The healthy energy movement in our body, and in Earth and in the Universe is all in the same way, it moves in circles. That’s is why a woman body is more curvy. To remain healthy, energies in our body should keep moving in circular motion. Any energy coming towards our body first touches our clothes and then it enters into the body and its energy channels and then to the internal organs . Sari is worn in circular motion around body. It keeps circling until almost until the end. So it is easy to understand that when an energy touches the sari, it travels in circles around the body, helping the energy move in the correct way, which makes the saree a winner in clothing. It helps to keep our mind, body and soul healthy. Another, good part is that, while energy traveling in 5-6 yards of cloth, the negative energies coming inside gets stuck in the cloth and it then cleans up with washing. These kind of heavy energies are lazy and cannot move a lot. In the atmosphere it travels with air. However, a cloth with lot of stitches, actually confuses the energy and is harmful for health. There is one very important thing to remember that the clothing should be made with natural fabrics like cotton. Synthetics are big energy blockers and quite harmful for overall health. The mid part of the body is left uncovered in Sari, for which some feel that it exposes the skin. Actually, there is a big reason behind that too. The stomach area which is left uncovered, is the "Brahmasthan" of the body. Body receives a lot of life force energy from this area. This should be left open always. Even in Vaastu Science, the centre part of the house called "Brahmasthan", and is left open to sky
I am one of those people who don't really believe in the stuff that Mr. Saboo describes, but it still floats around in my mind after reading it. And somehow I have respect for those kinds of theories. No matter what I find the saree absolutely amazing. I think it's a very classy, decent, charming and yet sexual attire to wear. I myself, own way too many Sarees, not that I wear them a lot, but I like to have a selection :)
Nothing makes a woman look more beautiful like a saree does !!
Until next time
Happy Friday!!! Mein erster Blog 2017!
Ich bin sehr gespannt auf das neue Jahr und aufgeregt auf die neuen Projekte die bei uns anstehen. Hoffentlich kann ich euch bald mehr davon erzählen.
Morgen ist einer der wichtigsten hinduistischen Feiertage für Tamilen - Das tamilische Erntedankfest! Es findet nicht jedes Jahr am selben Tag statt, ähnlich wie die meisten unserer Feiertage. Das Datum wird immer vom Solar Kalendar bestimmt und ist demnach entweder am 14. oder 15. Januar. Das erste Fest des Jahres, beginnend im Januar is Pongal. Bitte nicht mit dem Tamil Neujahr in Chitirai (April) zu verwechseln. Also fängt das tamilische Neujahr, mitten im bekannten Jahr an. Im heutigen Blog geht es um Pongal, oder auch wie ich es in meiner Kindheit nannte - Thai Pongal.
Wenn man nach dem Wort Pongal googlet, findet man fast nur Bilder von einem Tontopf der überschwellt mit Pongal. Ja aus irgendwelchem Grund, muss der Pongal überschwellen, damit die kommende Ernte auch so erfolgreich wird wie die letzte. Der Pongal muss stets in einem neuen Tontopf gekocht werden, sogar auch hier in Europa wird diese Tradition beibehalten und neue Töpfe gekauft, um die Sakkarai Pongals zu kochen.
Pongal, die Zeit nach der Erntezeit, ist sehr wichtig für die Landwirte. Eine Weise um Gott für die erfolgreiche Ernte zu danken und für die kommende Ernte zu beten. Eigentlich sind es 4 Feiertage hintereinander, die an Pongal gefeiert werden. Als erstes kommt der Bogi, welches am Vortag von Pongal ist. Also heute. An diesem Tag werden alte Kleider und Gegenstände beseitigt und aufgeräumt (eine gute Ausrede, um den Januar Sale auszunutzen). Dann haben wir morgen das eigentliche Pongal Fest, Maadu Pongal am Sonntag und Thiruvallar Tag am Montag.
Eigentlich fängt man den Tag morgens damit an, frische Milch zu kochen und sie überschwellen zu lassen. Wir bereiten auch tamilische Köstlichkeiten zu, besuchen Verwandte und Bekannte. Meistens gehen viele auch auf kleine Reisen, besuchen Tempel und beginnen das neue Jahr mit ihren Liebsten.
Am 3. Tag, dem sogenanntem Maadu Pongal, dankt man dem Vieh für die Ernte.
Der 4. Tag ist der Kaanum Pongal und an diesem Tag, gehen die meisten aus. Pongal ist eine art Thanksgiving in unserer Kultur. Bogi, ist ein Dank an den Gott Indra, der König der Himmel. An Pongal wird der Gott Surya, der Sonnengott, verehrt und gedankt. Ursprünglich wurde Pongal nur von Landwirten und deren Familien gefeiert, mittlerweile wird er von allen celebriert. Im Süden Indiens werden alle 4 Tage gefeiert.
Zuletzt möchte ich euch gerne über JalliKattu erzählen, JalliKattu wird überwiegend in Madurai, Thanjavur und Thiruchy veranstaltet. Es ist ein Bullenkampf. An den Hörner werden Geldscheine befestigt und die Teilnemer versuchen an das Geld zu kommen. Viele nehmen daran teil und schauen auch zu. Im Vergleich zu dem spanischen Bullenkampf, stirbt das Tier nicht. Dennoch ist es seit diesem Jahr, augrund des Tierschutzes verboten. Die große Debatte darum habt ihr sicherlich auch mitbekommen.
Ich bin mir noch nicht ganz so sicher, was ich an diesem Pongal unternehmen werde. Zur Zeit befinde ich mich im Umzugsstress und miste aus... von daher gehe ich davon aus, an Pongal einige Möbelhäuser zu besuchen und mich inspirieren zu lassen. Viele neue Filme kommen auch an Pongal, vielleicht gehe ich als eigentlicher Nicht-Vijay Fan ins Kino und schaue mir Bhairava an. Bezüglich des Pukkais, bin ich mir nicht ganz so sicher, ob ich ihn machen werde. Ich bin nicht so ein großer Fan davon und noch weniger habe ich Lust auf die Suche nach den Zutaten zu gehen... aber ich werde einen Milchreis essen... in aller Ehre ;)
Ich wünsche euch allen ein frohes Pongalfest mit euren Liebsten!
Bis zum näschten Mal
Hey ihr Lieben,
Ich hoffe es geht euch allen gut und ihr seid gut auf die bevorstehenden Weihnachtstage vorbereitet. Oder falls ihr solche Last-Minute-Geschenke-Besorger seid wie ich, dann seid ihr jetzt im absoluten Weihnachtsstress!!! LOL Jedes Jahr nehme ich mir aufs Neue vor früher anzufangen und scheitere doch immer wieder daran. So langsam glaube ich, dass es einfach zu meiner eigenen Weihnachtstradition gehört!
Ich habe lange überlegt, für welches Thema ich mich diese Woche entscheide und letztendlich habe ich mich gegen etwas Weihnachtliches entschieden.
Und zwar geht es diese Woche um Hochzeitsbräuche. Selten wird man mit so viel Brauchtum und Ritualen konfrontiert, wie bei einer Hochzeit. Was steckt den so hinter den Bräuchen? Ich bin dem ganzen mal auf die Spur gegangen und habe für euch, 7 Hochzeitbräuche und deren Hintergründe zusammengestellt.
{adselite}
1. Leere Blechdosen - Wir alle kennen diesen Brauch aus Filmen. Nach der Hochzeit steigt das frisch getraute Ehepaar in ein Auto und fährt davon. Dabei deutlich zu hören, der Lärm der Blechdosen die hinten am Auto befestigt werden. Das Scheppern soll böse Geister vertreiben.
2. Hochzeitstorte - Wenn das Brautpaar die Hochzeitstorte gemeinsam anschneidet, soll damit der Zusammenhalt und die Einigkeit in einer harmonischen Ehe symbolisiert werden. Wer dabei seine Hand oben hat, soll das Sagen in der Ehe haben. Also Ladies, nicht vergessen!! LOL
3. Reis werfen - Beim Verlassen des Standesamt oder der Kirche wird oftmals mit Reis auf das Brautpaar geworfen. Dies symbolisiert die Fruchtbarkeit. Mittlerweile ist es allerdings nicht mehr überall erlaubt.
4. Brautstrauß - Aus den USA kommt ursprünglich der Brauch, dass die Braut ihren Strauß in die Menge der unverheirateten und weiblichen Gäste wirft. Man sagt, wer die Blumen fängt, wird die nächste Hochzeit feiern. Auch in Deutschland ist dieses Ritual inzwischen weit verbreitet und viele Bräute sind heute gut darauf vorbereitet und haben eine kleine Kopie ihres Brautstraußes zum Werfen parat. So kann das große Original zum Trocknen aufbewahrt werden.
5. Mehndi - Das Verzierungsritual kann bis zu 3 Tage dauern, bis es letztendlich fertig ist. Je dunkler das Mehndi der Braut ist, desto mehr soll ihre Schwiegermutter sie angeblich mögen. Solange das Mehndi auf der Haut der Braut nicht vollständig verblasst ist (ca. 2 Wochen), muss diese nicht bei der Hausarbeit helfen. Das Mehndi wird der Braut häufig bei einer Mehndi-Feier aufgetragen. Die Frauen der Familie treffen sich und verzieren die Haut von sich und der Braut mit Henna-Tattoos. Die Verzierungen der Braut sind jedoch am aufwendigsten und benötigen häufig einige Stunden zum Trocken. Der Hintergrund ist, der Braut vor der anstehenden Hochzeit ein paar Stunden Erholung zu gönnen :)
6. Hochzeitskerze - Schon im Mittelalter war die Hochzeitskerze fester Bestandteil einer Trauungszeremonie, denn sie soll die Gebete für das Brautpaar hoch in den Himmel tragen. Wird sie von der Braut oder einem Blumenmädchen in die Kirche hineingetragen, ist sie dazu da, böse Geister abzuhalten. Genau wie die Kerze, soll auch die Liebe der frisch Vermählten sein und zwar soll sie strahlend leuchten und die Mitmenschen erwärmen.
7. Blumenkinder - Die Blumen, die von den Blumenkinder beim Auszug des Brautpaares aus der Kirche streuen, sollen mit ihrem Duft die Fruchtbarkeitsgötter anlocken und dem Brautpaar auf diese Weise einen reichen Kindersegen schenken. Allerdings stehen die ursprünglichen Gründe heute weitgehend im Hintergrund. Heutzutage sind die Blumenkinder für eine festliche Atmosphäre da.
Welche weiteren Hochzeitsbräuche kennt ihr? Schreibt in den Kommentaren!
Ich wünsche euch allen ein gesegnetes Weihnachtsfest im Kreise eurer Liebsten!
Xoxo
Arlene
Hello guys
Oh my Lord, i have a lot of excuses :( First of all, so sorry for the very late post....... Second of all sorry for the English post...... As you all know, we are two bloggers now..... The amazing Arlene and myself...... We write the post biweekly, and this week was my turn.... I have been super busy with some stuff, traveling and lack of sleep...... It all ended up with me being sick and yea..... I haven't been myself lately, which is the reason why I haven't been able to write before now.... Sorry !!
Now the topic for this week is a little part 2 of the post from last week....... So Arlene wrote about the wedding ring and the meaning behind that, Arlene is a Christian girl, so I thought I could write about the Thaali ..... The Mangala Sutra as it's also called in Sanskrit. Mangala means holy or auspicious and sutra means thread. Normally the thali is a Hindu thing, where the groom ties it around the brides neck at the wedding. The ritual is the indication for a Hindu wedding, and it means that now the couple is married.
The original and traditional thali is a thread prepared with turmeric (manjal thool). Nowadays people make the thali is gold, and typically we Tamil people makes a thali the size of the brides age. So if the bride is 21 years old, the thali is 21 pavin. We Tamil people will usually do the "ponn urukkal", which means that the gold from the thali will me melted and the jeweler will then create the thali. The brides family and grooms family will be present at the ponn urukkal. As soon as the ceremony is over, the bride and groom are not allowed to see each other before the wedding day. At the wedding day, the thali will be sent around the hall, to get blessings from everyone attending, and only after that, the brides goes in to change into her Kurai, and thereafter the groom will tie the knot.
The 3 knots symbolize Brahma, Vishnu and Rudhra. The 3 knots symbolize 3 different aspects of a married woman. The first knot represent her obedience to her husband, the second to his parents and the third represent her respect to God. They also say that the three knots represent that 1. The father protect her childhood, 2. The husband protect her youth and 3. The sons protect her in old age. A woman can never be unprotected. In the internet there is so many other reasons for the 3 knots as well, but there is no "right" or "wrong" here. Most often the groom ties the first knot and then his sister (the tholi) ties the remaining 2 knots. When a woman wears the manjal thali, or gold thali, it indicates the woman is now married. The woman wearing the thali does also mean that the husband will be healthy and a good well-being. The thali is always bought by the grooms family {adselite}
The thali has different names and different colors according to the state in india. Our typical Tamil thali is a gold Pillayar thali, if the bride and groom have checked the kurippu or the wedding is arranged. And Amman thali if it is a love marriage and therefor the families decides not to check the kurippu. It often follows with 2 gold coins on each side of the thali.
They say that the thali will regulize the womans blood circulation. They say it will have the ability to control the level of pressure in a woman's body. This is why they say the the woman has to wear the thali all the time, by touching the body.
Nowadays our Tamil people wear very heavy gold thali, and therefore they put the thali in the bank of together with all their other gold. Most often they only use it at functions and stuff, and now they don't even use the real thali, but a imitation look alike in stead.
I know several couple who do not even have a thali anymore, and only change rings. although the thali actually has a nice meaning and symbolic.
Until next time
Hallo liebe Leser,
ich hoffe ihr hattet alle ein tolles Halloween. Diejenigen von euch, die es gefeiert haben :)
Mir selbst wurde es erst dieses Jahr so richtig bewusst, wie bekannt Halloween schon bei uns in Europa geworden ist. Die Kinder lernen schon im Kindergarten oder der Schule über Halloween. Gruselige Kürbisschnitzereien, Halloween Dekorationen überall und nicht zu vergessen natürlich das Halloween inspirierte Essen. Auf Instagram zeigt jeder sein Halloween Make up und teilt es mit seinen Followern. Ich muss gestehen, Halloween ist nicht mein Ding. Vielleicht weil so ein mega hype drum gemacht wird...oder vielleicht, weil ich selbst noch keine Kinder habe und es nicht verstehe, wie sehr es die Kleine erfreut. Auf jeden Fall bin ich froh darüber, dass nicht bei jedem Instagram Login ein Zombie Gesicht auf meinem Display auftaucht ;-)
Eine ganz andere Art von Feier, die z.B auch wir Tamilen gerade gefeiert haben ist Diwali. Darum geht es auch in unserem heutigen Blog. Wieso feiern wir überhaupt Diwali? Wie feiert man eigentlich Diwali?
Diwali, oder von einigen auch Deepavali genannt, gehört zu den Hinduistischen Festen. Es wird aber auch nicht nur von Hindus gefeiert. Ich war vor kurzem in New York, wo ich eine große Diwali Feier am Times Sqaure besuchte. Diwali wurde mittlerweile vom Westen adoptiert, ebenso wie Holi. Holi Festivals gibt’s ja auch überall zur Zeit... auch kombiniert mit dem bekanntem Color Run und vieles mehr. Viele Hindus glauben daran, dass Diwali wegen der Rückkehr Ramas gefeiert wird. Er kehrt nach 14 Jahren Exile zurück nach Ayodha. Andere glauben daran, dass Diwali der Geburt von Lakshmi gewidmet ist. Lakshmi ist die Frau von Vishnu. Das Wort Diwali an sich bedeutet im Sanskrit "Lichterkette". Jedes Jahr feiern wir Diwali an einem anderen Tag, so ist es meistens üblich mit den Hinduistischen Feiertagen. Sie werden nie am gleichen Tag gefeiert. Es richtet sich immer nach dem Hindu Kalender und beginnt immer am 15. Tag des Hindumonats Kartik (Ende Oktober / Anfang November), 20 Jahre nach Dasahra zu Neumond.
Wie feiern wir Diwali und wie feiern die Inder Diwali? {adselite}
Wenn ich an meine Kindheit und an Diwali zurück denke, bekamen wir immer neue Kleidung an Diwali. Meine Mutter verbrachte Stunden in der Küche, um traditionelle, vegetarische Köstlichkeiten zu kochen. Ich erinnere mich auch daran, kleine Päckchen mit Essen und Snacks zu packen und an Bekannte zu verteilen.
Seit dem ich nicht mehr zuhause wohne, feiere ich Diwali nicht mehr so richtig um ehrlich zu sein. Welches sich vielleicht in der Zukunft verändern könnte. Ich gehe aber immer an Diwali shoppen und kaufe mir was schönes. Einfach um Diwali als gute Begründung zu nehmen, um neue Outfits zu kaufen. Vor 2 Jahren war ich über Diwali in London, es war sehr überragend. Überall gab es Lichter, Feuerwerk, Musik und die Atmosphäre war einfach wunderbar!!
Ich werde auf jeden Fall noch einmal nach London fliegen, um Diwali zu feiern.
Für Inder ist Diwali zu vergleichen mit Weihnachten für die Christen.
Es ist ein massives Fest vereint mit vielen Traditionen. Schon sehr früh am morgen stehen die Frauen auf, um die erste Tonlampe anzuzünden. Dazu machen sie die schönsten Kolams vor ihrer Haustür. Meistens bestehen die Kolams aus einer Lotus Blüte. Danach verteilen die Kinder Snacks an ihre Freunde und Familienmitglieder. Im Anschluss gehen alle zusammen zum Tempel in ihren neuen Outfits, um den Gottes Segen zu bekommen. Abends verbringen sie den Tag wieder mit der Familie, essen miteinander und warten bis das Feuerwerk anfängt. Jeder feiert draußen gemeinsam miteinander.
Diwali ist etwas sehr großes für Inder, ich werde auf jeden Fall eines Tages auch nach Indien fliegen über Diwali. Einfach um es einmal direkt vor Ort erlebt zu haben.
Wie habt ihr dieses Jahr Diwali verbracht? Teilt eure (Familien-)Tradition mit uns!
Bis zum nächsten Mal
