Thursday, August 16, 2007

Changing Times

Gone are the days when the mamis in every household exchanged horoscopes between each other. Earlier days, exchanging horoscopes in common weddings or functions was the prime thing. But now,thats all replaced by the dot coms where you can find, browse, email or chat at your own privacy.One of my neighbour mami had visited us today with a horoscope and she wanted to check with my mom if there is any suitable match for that boy's horoscope.My parents are actively involved in this match making, they do this social service of getting the horoscopes of prospective bride / groom and exchange it between friends and famil members who would also be looking for one.Coming from a family where hand me downs was so common- be it clothes, books or toys, the same was applied to horoscopes as well. If "A"s horoscope dint match for "X", it was automatically handed down to the next best person .My neighbour mamis visit set me thinking how things have changed on the matrimonial side.

After a while, I was just thinking if the traditional approach of exchanging horoscopes still exist?Whomsoever I talk to , brag only about the matrimonial sites.And I always find the handing me down method the best, that ways the source is relaibale than what you see in the dot coms right?

Another thing is,the penn paarkum padalam was always filled with fun and anxiety.There would be one huge pattalam for the penn paarkum padalam.Fun for the kids and the thathas and mamas who get to eat the hot pakodas and sweets.Little more fun with the teen aged girls/ boys who would keep giggling at the bride/ groom, anxiety for both the parents.The revelation from the groom that " ponnu pidichurukku"would mean huge relief to the bride's parents and you could actually hear comments like " its a match made in heaven"and "that the girl is so lucky to get into a particular family", while a negative answer would spark off comments like " nee yean intha azhuthu vadiyara saree kattinda? innum konjam nanna make up potturukkalam"and so on.

Guess those times have changed now..and now the prospective bride/ groom meet in a much social atmosphere, sans the huge pattalam, pakodas, kesari and the gupshup from the relatives.Who knows what more are we going to witness with the changing times?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

shub
what do I say? Simply superb!Had a blast reading the comments during the ponnu parkum function.too good

Unknown said...

well said lady. I am all wowiee with this post of yours. very well written.The comments for a positive,negative comments from the boy is well written.made me laugh

Unknown said...

mami,
en horoscope anupichu vaikireen
nalla match paathu kodu

gud one
Yogesh

ss said...

@CLUELESS
thanks a lot :-)

@POOJA
trust me, I often heard some comments.these relatives i say...


@YOGESH
Wat a surprise..u here? thank u so much for dropping by. am glad.aanalum neeyum sriramum senthu enna maminnu koopadaratha niruthungo.naan chinna ponnu aakum

Albert Einstein said...

Excellent writing!!! May be in future bride and groom in the presence of parents sit in web cam and decide and do pechu varthai fully. [I know it is happening now but not fully :-)]. Enjoyed reading. Good one.

Gomathy said...

hey a good post.... though it makes me a bit scared, I am kinda relaxed thinking that such a tedious process will not happen in my life :)

ss said...

@ALBERT
thank u.

@AMISHA
scared? for what? And ya u be glad urnt goin thru it either!

sudha said...

hey ponnu parkarthuu..bakshanam sapaddarthu ...nakkal kaalaaikal among friends elllam thaan brings fun n frolic to the bIG time event "MARRIAGE".....our traditional method is the best way....Times r changing but not the substance....im sure most of us want to experience all shades tradition and yet modern...

Unknown said...

i like that penn paarkum padalam is always fun.. nice one...

ss said...

@SUDHA
cant beat that u rite this good tamil


@THIRU
u planning for one in the near future now?

Sriram said...

Subha super thoughts..
But innum yenga aathula yellaar jaadhagamum pillayaar kitta irukku.. Maami idha paathu sollungo, maami indha maadhri payyanukku ponnu sollungo adhu idhu nu oru podhu thondu dhaan..
Yenna dhaan internet vandhaalum, bajji, sojji culture pogaaadhu..
pogalaamaa.. indhellaam oru gilugiluppu illaiyaa..
naanga laam romba chamatthu ma..
ushaar panni bulb vaanginadhulaam poarumnu mudivu panni ippo bajji sojji saapttu settle aayikkalaamnu decide pannittoamla..

Nee kalaasalaa yezhudhirukka.. appdiyae oru ponnuu paaka pora effect kodutthutta nee..
so oru nalla iyer ponnaa ushaar panni sollu, poay paatthu bajji, sojji saapadlaam..:P

ss said...

@SRIRAM
ennala mudinja help unakku kandippa undu.

Pradeep said...

I personally feel that those formalities still exist. Just that the involvement os brokers have reduced because of these sites but, the horoscope matching, pen parkum events are all very much existing... To be precise, people do it at least for formality sake....

ss said...

@ PAPU
I dont say its totally gone, but these days most of them resort to meeting in a very social atmosphere, say in a hotel or a club..that the old age tradition of the formal ponnu paarkum function isnt that strictly followed these days