SPARKLING PAST

 SPARKLING PAST

Kerala has always been unique in many ways. Be it the verdant landscapes, soothing climate, blended cultures and tongue-teasing, spicy food. And, of course, in its traditions too.

No matter how far we go with the modern trends and concepts, certain things remain the same; tradition surely is one of them.

Traditional jewellery reflects the aesthetic sense and craftsmanship of the people of a land. Along with the verdant beauty of the landscapes, Kerala’s traditional jewellery, with its beautiful and elegant patterns, has gained worldwide acceptance.

In Kerala, right from the historical ages, gold has been considered an auspicious metal and Keralites have an instinct fascination for gold ornaments.

'Mullamottu maala', 'pichimottu maala', 'Paalakka maala', 'pavithrakkettu'…

Yes, many more in the list, for a Malayalee to boast of the artistry of his land.

‘Pichimottu’ and ‘Mullamottu’ mean ‘jasmine buds’ in Malayalam and the designs, as the name denotes, resemble the shape of the buds. Even at this modern era, these ornaments have an eminent space in bridal collections.

'Palakkamaala' – its green stones remind one of the lush greenery of the land and the graceful design appears quite enchanting. 'Palakkamaala' gives a sort of elegance to the costume when it is worn with the traditional Saree.

'Palakka maala', with its elegance, is the queen among the traditional ornaments.

According to the designs, this green-stoned ornament appears in three more versions.

‘Nagapadathali’- the green stones look like the head of a ‘Naga’ (snake),

‘Manga maala’, in which the stones resemble the shape of a ‘Manga’ (mango) and in ‘Pulinakham’ the stones are in the shape of the nails of a ‘puli’ (tiger).

 ‘Kaashu maala’, which looks like a garland of gold coins, is an example of the fascination of the ancient Keralites for the yellow metal.

Suresh R, General Manager of  Bheeema Jewellers, Thiruvananthapuram,  says, “Throughout the 87 years of journey in jewellery business, Bheema has always given special importance to our traditional jewellery. We have a unique collection of antique jewellery.”

“Traditional ornaments are always in vogue in spite of the changing generations and fashion concepts. Nowadays girls are keen to include at least one item of our traditional jewellery in their bridal collection.  Many North Indians also come here to buy these ornaments,” says Suresh.

There was a one week exhibition in Bheema on antique jewellery from 4^th to 11^th of April.

“Among the traditional jewellery, 'Palakka maala', 'Mullamottu maala' and 'Kaashu maala' are the hot movers,” says Sajeesh, supervisor, Bheema Jewellery.

“Earlier, 'Palakka maala' was made of only green stones. But now, it’s adorned with different colour stones to go with the costumes. 'Palakka bangle' and earring are also in demand now,” adds Sajeesh.

'Jimki', one of the traditional earrings, with its delicate designs, radiates the grace of a rich heritage. The trend of 'jimkis' has come back again among the youngsters. Nothing matches more with the traditional costume than 'jimkis'.

‘Pavithrakkettu maala’, a traditional necklace, has a knot at its end instead of a pendant.

In 'Ashtalakshmi maala', eight idols of Goddess Lekshmi are carved in the chain and in 'Dasavatharam', we can see the ten incarnations of God Vishnu.

'Sarapoli maala', 'Thalikkoottam', 'Manonmani'maala'…the list goes on…

The magnificence of history is interwoven in every design you come across.

“Earlier, traditional ornaments were comparatively heavier but, nowadays people go for lighter ornaments,” says Ajay Ghosh, a goldsmith in Thrissur, the hub of jewellery in the state.

Ghosh works on designs for gold jewellery. He says that the new generation is tradition conscious.

“I’m from a traditional goldsmith family and I started doing gold works when I was ten years old. I remember during my childhood days we used to get many orders for traditional ornaments. As time and generations changed, these traditional designs have been modified to an extent without losing the conventional beauty,” says 37-year-old Ghosh.

“Palakkamala, 'Kaashu maala' and 'Lekshmi mala' are the all-time favourites among chains. Among bangles, 'Ashtalakshmi' and 'Dasavatharam' are moving quite well,” he adds.

Kerala’s traditional jewellery has worldwide market.

“Many foreigners come to our showroom asking for the traditional ornaments. They buy these ornaments as a gift for their friends and relatives back home,” says Roy, salesman, Kairali Jewellers, Varkala, one of the main tourist destinations in the state.

As many significant ports in ancient India were situated in Kerala, the land was the hub of many trades. People from different parts of the world used to come here for trade purposes. No doubt, they had a wide impact on our tradition and culture.

Arguably, our traditional ornaments might have had influences from these different cultures. However, there is no striking evidence.

Kerala traditional jewellery offers an enchanting beauty coupled with a cultural elegance.

 Yes, nothing can replace tradition.

(Vibrant Keralam)

Mehndi lagaake rakhna….

Mehndi  lagaake rakhna…..

Sameera’s red-stoned chandeliers twinkle as she talks and her bangles jingle. She blushes as her friends whisper innuendo jokes. She is in her final touch ups for her mehndi function. The bridegroom’s sisters have arrived to apply the mehndi on her hands. They bring dress and ornaments for Sameera. Girls make the function lively singing ‘mehndi songs’. Looking at her beautifully designed hands, Sameera begins to dream of a new life…

Mehndi…a word, weaving bliss and hopes, evokes images of happy weddings and colourful festivals.

An auspicious and traditional wedding ritual, mehndi has many legends behind it. It is believed that the darker and brighter the mehndi gets in the bride’s hands, the more she would be loved by her in-laws, and that a bride should not do any domestic chores in her spouse’s house till her mehndi fades away.

In North India, there are no festivals or weddings without the colour of mehndi. They put mehndi during festivals like Eid, Karvachoth and Diwali. The mehndi ceremony on the eve of the wedding day is celebrated with much gusto. The youngsters sing and dance and make the event unforgettable. We see many ‘mehndi ki raath’ and mehndi songs in Hindi movies. The popular song ‘Mehndi lagaake rakhna’ from Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejayenge shows their passion for mehndi ceremonies.

Mehndi is prepared by the leaves of a plant called ‘henna’ which is derived from the Arabic word ‘hinna’. Historians say that the Mughals introduced mehndi in the country, while some others insist that the origin of mehndi is India itself. Mehndi applying is popular also in South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Mehndi designing is truly a form of art. The most popular designs are of Arabic, Indian and Pakistani. Over the years, many improvisations have come into the designs. Anila Joseph, a renowned beautician in Trivandrum, says: “We do mostly Arabic and North Indian designs for brides. Nowadays girls demand instant mehndi which fades off in a day, especially for receptions and parties. Glitters are also used for better effect.”

“But Muslim brides are conservative. They still cling on to the traditional designs. They need the conventional patterns,” she adds.

Among the fashion-conscious youngsters, mehndi, apart from a traditional ritual, has become a body art or a fashion accessory. Now it’s not just palms and feet that are embellished with mehndi but also neck, arms, shoulders and belly.

Glittering mehndi is quite popular with the young generation these days. The traditional designs are highlighted with gold and silver colours which give a glistening effect to the designs.

John of Variety Fancy, a leading fancy shop in city, says, “Glittering mehndi is also in vogue now. According to the colour of the dress, silver and gold glitters or jerries are used to fill the minute gaps within the designs.”

Though there are several methods of applying mehndi, the most popular one is by using cones. These are convenient to use and are less expensive also.

Anna Najim, a fresh engineering graduate and an amateur mehndi artist, describes herself as an ardent user of cones. “We friends used to go college with beautiful mehndi designs on our hands. Though there are many types of designs, I love the Arabic pattern,” she says. “I think the cones are the easiest way to draw mehndi designs. Its well-honed tip makes it easy to do minute designs.” 

Mariyam S Hameed, a bank employee from Kollam who is recently married says: “I chose Rajasthani design for my mehndi as I’m fond of that particular design and I preferred natural brown  to the dark  mehndi which is a trend now.”

Usha Philip Koshy of Eves Beauty Parlour, one of the popular beauticians in Trivandrum, says: “Nowadays brides prefer fully covered designs, but earlier most of them were hesitant to do this, because  most part of  the designs would hardly be shown under the bangles. But now the trend has come back. Arabic mehndi has also become a trend recently. But more than the brides, her friends and relatives are applying this design for the ceremony.”

Saying that glitters are used for an exotic look, she adds: “ We use imported cones for bridal mehndi to make the designs brighter. Dark mehndi is also available in market now. It would look better if  the designs are bordered with the dark mehndi.”

“Applying mehndi is not an easy job. Normally it takes 3 to 4 hours to finish the bridal mehndi. We charge from Rs 1000 to Rs 3,500 depending on the design,” adds Usha.

Mehndi cones are one of the best moving products.  John of  ‘Variety Fancy’ says, “ Mehndi cones are moving well. Stick-on mehndi which is very convenient and reusable is also popular now. You don’t have to waste time on designing when the stick-on mehndi is around. Just stick on and remove after the use. The stick-on mehndi or the tattoo mehndi is mostly imported from Jaipur and Kolkatha. We make bridal and normal cones in our own factory. Different colours of cones are available these days. The dark and the natural brick colour are going well.”

 Many improvisations may have come into the mehndi designs, colours and types as time and generation change, but mehndi, as an auspicious icon remains the same in hearts.

Let the chandeliers twinkle and the bangles jingle along with the designs blooming in hands…

Brides….mehndi lagaake rakhna….

(Vibrant Keralam) 

Wings... Flying High

Wings... Flying High

Some times her eyes appear blank, and lethargic too. It makes me guilty. She, more than a friend to me, was not like that until she was thrown into an unwanted married life.

I have to use words like ‘unwanted’ or ‘unnecessary’ to describe her marriage.

Because it was so...

She had to be the victim of the conventional outlook of marriage; a girl has to be married off in her twenties itself, about a decade ago. Everyone including herself knew that the man she was going to marry was not at all of her wavelength at any point.

Yet, she had to.

She had to because she was too naïve and loving to hurt her parents, relatives and friends.

Her parents, with their limited financial background, couldn’t ‘buy’ a man of her aptitude or calibre. They were helpless indeed.

She, an ardent lover of literature and writing, stood bewildered at the hard phases of life. She began to know that life was not a beautiful love story she used to read.

Her story is not complete yet, as she is on the threshold of a divorce.

It’s true, marriage and motherhood make a woman complete.

No doubt about that.

But is there any point in marrying off girls just for the sake of a conventional unwritten rule or to complete a parental duty before they are prepared for a married life?

I think, no.

In our society, by the time when girls step in their early twenties, the parents begin to face questions about their marriage. No wonder, they become anxious about daughters. Three things appear before them, higher education, job and marriage. In most cases, marriage weighs more and parents go for it. They do not even bother if their child is mature enough for a nuptial knot. But have to admit one thing; there is a noticeable change in the attitude within the last decade.

Daughters are precious; everyone knows.

But at the same time, they are the weightless baggage for their parents.

Though weightless, they have to be kept somewhere safely.

The duty of parenthood…

It’s despairing indeed, no one thinks about the sacrifice the girls are doing to make their parents and society happy.

  

Let them too have a role in their life, at least in deciding the right time for their marriages. Be it at twenties...thirties…forties.

One of my friends, in her mid thirties, is still unmarried. I couldn’t find any shadows of regret in her eyes yet. She hasn’t told anyone the reason behind and she seems to be happy with her life. When I met her recently, she told me that her relatives are very suspicious about her. They might be burning their brain thinking what could be the reason. She was laughing saying this.

I’m not advocating that she is right or wrong. It’s her life, let her choose the path.

Why others are too bothered to find the reason behind her spinsterhood? It may be the natural tendency of human beings to peep into others life.

It’s merciless to cut off the beautiful wings of a butterfly before it starts to fly.

Instead of crushing the dreams, be proud to see it flying high.

High in the air fluttering freely through the charming beauty of nature...

Remembering Those Who Cannot Remember

Remembering Those Who Cannot Remember

The beautifully scattered hues of the evening sun made the verdant valley more appealing. The crows were busy making their way back home.

Ammini seemed a bit impatient. She was waiting for Safiyumma to take her back home. She began to low at once she saw Safiyumma coming towards her. ..

Safiyumma, dressed in a checked lungi with a blouse and thorth, appeared a typical village Muslim woman. “Varunnedi mole ithiri thamasichu poyi,” she said, and patted Ammini’s dewlap affectionately. Safiyumma unfastened the tether and took her to home. For Safiyumma, life was incomplete without the ‘moo-moos’. She was a courageous and energetic rural woman, who had always indulged herself in nurturing the cows or directing the ploughing fields. None could see her chatting with her neighbours or napping lazily for hours. On the other hand, Safiyumma was busy nagging her husband and sons with her sharp tongue, for not doing any ‘fruitful’ things.

She used soft words only for her grandchildren whom she loved the most. Her happiness was in  plucking and ripening the mangoes, guavas and jackfruits for her grandchildren.  It was a frequent scene of Safiyumma cursing the squirrels and birds for biting and pecking the fruits she was bringing up cautiously for her kids.                                 

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 Safiyumma is not hearing the rumbling of the heavy rain or the lowing of  her cows. She is sitting in a chair at  the varandha. Her eyes, lacking the glint of life, seem rather impassive. She does not see or hear anything until someone makes her to do so. Safiyumma is left alone in  home as her son and family went outside to attend a marriage. The cows are tethered outside. They are lowing helplessly as it rains in buckets. But the ‘moo-moos’ don’t wake her up!

“Umma, ithungalude vili kelkkunnille? Entha azhichu erithilil kettanjathu?” Her son asks her as he came back. She smiles naively. That is her answer.

Safiyumma’s mind is more like a blank paper, nothing to reflect and nothing to read out. She hardly remembers the names of her sons and even her bustling grandchildren cannot refresh her memory.

This is the story of Safiyumma.

She was an energetic and sharp-tongued woman until she was under the grip of Alzheimer’s, a disease of memory loss and lethargy, which has turned her life into a pathetic and helpless one.

 Safiyumma’s life has been having a chronicle of changes ever since she was diagnosed as an Alzheimer’s patient. Her loss of memory was gradual. In the early stages she used to fumble when asked about her sons’ names, but as years passed, their faces also became vague in her memory. The numbness she has towards her cows is another awful part of her illness.

She forgets to have food and hesitates to have a bath.

The Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most challenging diseases the modern medical science faces today. The Alzheimer’s disease which is almost incurable was first described by a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and is named after him. It commonly affects middle-aged people though there are exceptions. During the early stages, the symptoms may be misunderstood as the age-related concerns. When the disease gets advanced, the symptoms include confusion, mood-swings, language break-down and long-term memory loss. As years pass, the body functions of the patient worsen and finally end in death.

 On September 21, the Alzheimer’s day, let’s remember those who live without memory and  emotions. Caring…that’s all  they want, to live on. So let’s give them a little care with a touch of love.

With lifeless eyes, Safiyumma stares at the darkness through the window. No shards of hope shimmering  in the darkness. Yet, she smiles looking at the night…a smile of innocence.

No More Paper Storks to Scatter…

No More Paper Storks to Scatter…

She knew, perhaps, the paper storks she was making would end up in vain.

Yet, she continued, till she died.

She was Sadako, a victim of the nuclear explosion on Hiroshima.

In Japan, storks were considered sacred birds. They had a belief that those who made thousand paper storks would live long. So Sadako went on making the storks even in her death bed. But neither the belief nor the paper storks could save her. Sadako was only two years when Hiroshima was gulped by the atomic flames. Her house was only a few kilometers away from the place where the atomic bomb was dropped. Though she could survive, she was diagnosed as a blood cancer patient years later and died in 1955. A monument for peace was built in her name by her school mates after three years of her death.

It was on 6 August in 1945 that the United State s dropped the first atomic bomb, named ‘Little Boy’ on Hiroshima killing about 70000 people within seconds. Thousands were deadly burned. Most of the survivors also died later due to the radiation.

 It took years to realise the fatal consequences of the atomic bomb. The emission of the Alfa, Beta and Gama rays during the explosion affected badly even the next generation of the Hiroshima people. Mental retardation, genetic disorders and fatal diseases like cancer were among the outcome of the calamity. After 66 years of the nuclear attack, the people of Hiroshima still suffer the effect of the nuclear bombing.

By this time Hiroshima might have had many Sadakos and thousands of paper storks scattered around them.

Let’s only hope that there will not be any Hiroshimas or little Sadakos to mould the paper storks anymore…

Witnessing the Horizon...

Witnessing the Horizon...

The wind being shared was cool…

The words being shared were soothing…

Likes and dislikes twinkled

in the fading sunlight

The sinking sun gave the waves

A vibrant look…

                                                  

The waves carried

the sun's golden hue…

Witnessing the horizon

A bloomed dream…

Warmth of Dream.....

Warmth of Dream.....

It scatters flowers

It spreads fragrance

It soothens minds

It takes me to the clouds

The clouds hug me as it does

The wind comes to me as it touches

I feel your warmth in me

In my dreams too...