An Indian Sprinkle!

A friends mother stands in for my mom and does the honors.

Modern day obstetrics guides the medical model of childbirth yet ancient traditions, intriguing rituals and cultural beliefs follow mothers-to-be and with good intent too. Every country approaches motherhood and the arrival of a new life uniquely.  The contrasting beliefs, taboos, rituals, the art of gifting and naming the baby across the globe makes for an interesting read. 

Cultural and social norms play into many of these beliefs and yet they are all unified by a common goal – safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Hello and welcome and incase you missed our previous post, I suggest you start there. Last time, I shared our big news with you – the birth of our little girl. In anticipation of her arrival we celebrated with two showers this past summer and in today’s post I bring you images from the Indian version of the baby shower or as it is known in our neck of the woods (bale shastra).  Although, Indian customs do not necessarily call for a ceremony for 2^nd births – I say don’t let the etiquette sticklers change your plans. If you want to celebrate your second, third or even your fourth child – I say, go for it! If an actual second shower seems a bit excessive, you could trim the celebration and downsize to a “Sprinkle” instead of a shower!

Supriya lovingly packages sweets and savories with other goodies in this beautifully adorned basket!

Also referred to as Godh Bharai, Seemantham, Valaikaapu or Shaad in different parts of India – this ceremony essentially celebrates motherhood and showers mom and the unborn baby with many blessings via simple rituals. For me, celebrating baby A’s maiden voyage with traditions as old as the hills not only created a sense of festivity but the symbolism was a great way to keep tradition alive and reconnect with my roots.

The girls create an adorned space for a simple backyard  Sprinkle

While I sorely missed the presence of my family, my dear friends once again stepped up and made sure that everything was planned and executed to perfection. In a small, serene and private event at home, my girl friends showered me with affection and I am grateful for their love and support. While there are territorial variations in the actual ritual itself, the central idea remains the same. Our Indian sprinkle was inspired by traditional customs but tailored for a simple backyard celebration and resonated with my own personal beliefs without being overtly ritualistic. 
The girls created an adorned outdoor space for all of us to gather.

Haldi, Kumkum and flowers - ceremonial essentials!

 The ideas presented here can easily be incorporated for other Indian/ethnic celebrations especially with Dussehra and Diwali on the horizon!

An unquenchable pregnancy longing- bale yele oota (banana leaf meal). Thank you Ma for making it happen!

I have enjoyed sharing these celebrations with you. Giving birth to a baby is a fiercely gratifying personal experience and I never felt more excuberant than I did immediately after the birth of my two children (and I know every mom feels that way) and yet for many of us the pregnancy itself can be a difficult journey. I want to use this post as an opportunity to remind any expectant moms among our readers to enjoy your journey and to take care of yourself as your prepare for the arrival of your li’l one.  Of course, once the baby comes your life is going to revolve around the baby! Have some fun during your pregnancy and create your own beautiful memories that you can one day share with your child.

Dear Aalayam family – the going has been a bit slow at Aalayam these last few months and now you know why – we have had our hands full. But we are now stepping into our most favorite time of the year and we are looking forward to bringing you some great seasonal posts! Are you ready for some fun??

Supriya is up next with her signature Dasara post and you don’t want to miss that!

And before I sign off, here is one final image as always!

Cheers!

~Deepa

Spotlight on Kanjeevaram

Welcome to our feature on Kanjeevaram sarees!

2013. Feliz Ano Nuevo! 

Hope you enjoyed the holiday season as much as we did. Aalayam has an interesting line-up of posts for the New Year and we are excited to have you back!
And today, we will kick-off  of our 2013 series with a post from Incredible India. We are a few days away from Sankranthi, India's harvest festival and Supriya and I want to enable our readers to  transition from Christmas to Sankranthi smoothly. Let's talk attire, food and festivities!

 

India is known for its fabulous fabrics and undoubtedly, the finest of them all is the Kanjeevaram pattu (pure silk). I love Kanjeevaram saris! The sheen, the richness, the texture, the grandeur, the motifs and the luscious colors – really, what’s not to like about it? 

The slate grey kanchi saree makes a beautiful backdrop for the  scattered letters!

The kanjeevaram sari is a piece of art and I have remained a diehard Kanjeevaram loyalist till date. Every South Indian girl holds the Kanchi pattu close to her heart. After all, it is a part of her bridal trousseau! And for me, the kanjeevaram sari has been de rigueur at every other celebration as well! My fondness for the sari is well known!

A gorgeous aubergine kanchi pattu as I pay obeisance!

  Rightly so, the Kanjeevaram sari is referred to as the  “Queen of silks.” It’s timeless distinction makes it an attractive buy even in this day and age where the sartorial elegance of the sari has seen a paradigm shift thanks to the fashion industry. The kanchi pattu is unparalleled in traditional splendor with the gold zari borders and the exquisite brocaded pallus . A product of skilled craftsmanship, the kanjeevaram sari is a masterpiece of hand-woven heritage! And the silken grace the sari lends truly makes you feel like a queen!

Lustrous appeal of the kanjeevaram saree is to die for!

The fashion possibilities are endless too! I can ingeniously dress it up to suit the need of the hour. A piece of statement jewelry, a kundan accented blouse or a bejeweled potli/batua are easy ways to add to the ceremonial look.  Don’t you love how yesteryear divas like Rekha, Hema Malini and Kirron Kher (she deserves a post of her own) wear their kanchi saris with panache? These ladies have stayed loyal to the Kanjeevaram sari for years. It is a safe yet striking choice! 

Dress it up!

OR

Tone it down with metal bangles for folksy affability!

 There was an article in the Hindu a few months ago highlighting the issues surrounding the weaving industry in Kanchipuram. 

Here is an excerpt from the article on the Korvai weaving technique and the history of the saris

“A korvai sari’s border and pallu are the same color, he says. They are in bright contrast to the “body” which is in a single or a family (shades) of colors with tonal contrasts. Weavers use the ancient craft of three-shuttle weaving and interlocking weft to get this effect. The sari is ornamented with pure gold zari. The motifs are from temple sculptures — religion, architecture or nature-based. The Petni technique changes colors, extracted from leaves, barks and seeds. The sari weighs 500g to1kg, 2/3-ply threads help increase the weight. Weaving a “Kanjeevaram” is tedious but korvai stamps it with splendor and durability.

“These were being woven during the time of Pallava kings,” Panneerselvam says, touching the sari’s history. “Artisans from Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra and Karnataka, possibly invited by the king, congregated here to pursue their art.” The pattu-nool (thread) came from Karnataka, zari from Surat. Families wove together, as several hands were needed to wind the thread in the beam. Temples bought saris to drape goddesses, and kings for the boudoir. Temple tourists bought them as blessed memento. The saris later went to Madras, the wealthy trading centre close by. Production and marketing combined seamlessly.”

A fiery maroon! Art work by my friend Sahana.

  So, there you go… that explains the sense of aristocracy that the kanjeevaram sari brings with it. Next time you want to add some regal chic to your appearance effortlessly  - grab a kanjeevaram sari and let it work for you! And if you already own a pattu sari or two – pat yourself on the back for your chic sari fashion sense!

Aqua blue paired with a malli mottu (jasmine bud haaram) - wedding chic!

 

Hope you enjoyed this set of pictures and our feature on the kanjeevaram sari?

As you put away those holiday dresses and ponder over your atttire for Sankranthi - I hope you have your answer!

Cheers!

Deepa

 All images for this post were taken by my husband and as always, our images are copyrighted!