Week End Visit to Los Angeles

We spent a long week end in Los Angeles. Friday and Saturday can be described in 6 words:

Torrential Rain, Gusty Winds, Tsunami Warning

Sunday attended a Valaikappu-Seemandham ceremony of a Tamil couple. This religious ceremony is performed during the 6th or 8th month of pregnancy of a first child.

This family has been living in USA for more than 25 years. I was very pleased that they follow these customs and perform these ceremonies.

Valaikappu is a bangle ceremony. All women put bangles in the hands of the pregnant woman.

Seemandham is a religious ceremony done for the well being of the mother-to-be and the fetus. The sastrigal (priest) chants the mantras. At the end of the ceremony, the husband drops the banyan tree essence into the pregnant wife’s nose. It is supposed to go all the way to the mother’s womb and becomes like a protective mask for the stem cell.

(Sanjay and Mathruka)

An important part of the seemandham ceremony is that the function should end with a veena recital. The people in Los Angeles followed this tradition also.

No Indian function ends without yummy yummy food.

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Heard this conversation in our host’s house in Los Angeles.

(Patti in Tamil means grandmother. Thatha means grandfather. The child’s name is Lucas. He is 3 years old. Even though he does not speak Tamil, he calls his parents “amma” and “appa” and grand parents “patti” and “thatha”.)

Living Room
Child: Patti, I want milk.
Patti: Go tell your thatha you want milk. He will give you.

The child comes to the Family Room.
Child: Thatha you want milk
Thatha: No

The child goes to the Living Room.
Child: Patti, thatha says no
Patti: Go tell your thatha I want milk. Then he will give you.

The child comes to the Family Room.
Child: Thatha, patti wants milk
Thatha: Ask patti to get it herself

The child goes to the Living Room.
Child: Patti, thatha wants you to get it yourself
Patti: Thatha did not understand you. Go tell him Lucas wants milk

The child goes to the Family Room
Child: Thatha, Lucas wants milk
Thatha: Come with me to the kitchen. I will get it for you.