After the hearty lunch, we had a good nap for two hours. The place where we slept was a big hall and no fans were there . But the hall was open on the sides and the ceiling was at a good height , so the hot air was escaping up. Also the hall was surrounded by trees on all sides and the re was a good breeze and it was so refreshing that we could get a good sleep. We were just thinking about the city where we lived, where in spite of spending money on luxuries like Airconditioning, etc , we could not get peaceful time to sleep , due to various factors like , the pollution, the power cut , , the big amount to be paid for electricity bill etc.
evening again we had hot tea with bajjis of different types viz potatao , banana, onion, cauli flower etc and again chutneys as with idli of various tastes viz coconut, pudina, coconut, coriander, onion, chill etc.
Then we went for the evening program to the hall after freshening up. The function was engagement of the boy and girl . The prohit again came, decorated with flowers, cocnut, brass puja items like sombu etc. The bride's father first performed the rituals. He was wearing the pancha kacham ( particular way of wearing the dhoti/vashti). both the parents of the boy and the girl sat opposite each other. the girls; father first greeted the boys parents by offering sandal paste, kalkandu (sugar candy) . then they give the dress (called sambandi saree and vashti )for the parents of the boy. Also they gave dress for the boy. Then the boys best man ( here it was the bride's brother ) took the dress and escorted the boy to help in changing the dress.
My friend told that a month in advance both the parents of the boy and the girl along with the boy and the girl would have gone to the shop and choose dress according to the custom and as per the taste of the person. They then get it stitched , if they are buying a cloth ,; else they buy readymade dress and alter height etc if needed. The process is started well in time , so that much before the ceremony date, saree, blouse, shirts, pants , vashti, angavastram ( vashti -small worn around the top in place of shitrt. Blouse stitching itself is a lengthy and long process with the persons involved slecting the design to be applied on the blouse, whether it will be seen while wearing , as the saree should not obstruct the view of the design on the blouse..
Now coming back , the girls parents and the girl are given the dress , kept ready , for the function with the guidance of the prohit, with the prohit reciting the necessary mantras and the boy's parents repeating the mantras. The boy's sister accompanys the girl to carry the dress and help the bride change over to the new dress.
The bride/girl is decked up fully from hip to neck to face to the forehead and head , that the removal of dress has to be done effectively so as not to disturb the beauty of the decorated arrangement in the head particularly, while changing the dress. The girl is also decorated in the hands with mehandi, a herbal paste applied for an hour and then left soking in the hand for eight hours. then sugar syrup is applied and left for an hour. Then the paste is washed with water , and then left to dry. the skin becomes red in colour in the places applied and the design is visible ion the hands.
AFter the boy and the girl get dressed up in the new attire, they come again to the dias and postrate before the elders.
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good day ;; good read