Given by: Chithra Viswanathan

Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Sumangali prarthanai & Pondugal – Explained in English

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Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

SUMANGALI PRARTHANAI- (PALAKKAD TRADITIONS)

Sumangali prarthanai is a combination of shubha and punya karmams,

performed when there is a wedding in the family (either daughter or
son),or before an auspicious function like poonal, seemantham etc.

If a female family member has passed away as sumangali, it is

customarily performed on the day next to the devasam – annual
function.

Suitable months
All the months except adi, markazi & purattasi

Suitable days?
Friday, Wednesday - most ideal
Sunday, Thursday & Monday – secondary
Tuesday & Saturday – not done
Not performed on ekadasi, dvadasi, pournami, amavasai – because on
these days, oil bath cannot be taken.

Saree
9 yards saree – no black, preferably yellow or red

On the previous day

On the day previous to the sumangali prarthanai, one must take the
following:
oil, shikakai & manjal podi to the houses of all ladies who are
participating.
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

They must be requested to have oil bath with this & come to partake
of food and wearing 9 yards saree.
Girls who have attained puberty, but are not married are usually not
allowed to participate in the Sumangali Prarthanai.

To initiate proceedings on the day of Sumangali Prarthanai

This has to be done by the main lady conducting the sumangali

prarthanai, before bath at 5 AM.
At, 5 A M draw podi kolam on a palakai over kolam on the floor
Place saree & blouse on it.
In front, keep vethalai, pakku, manjal kizangu, all oil & shikakai
Smear drop oil on the saree, dot shikakai
Offer a namaskaram
That oil is to be used by all ladies of the house for bathing

No. of Pondugal

Minimum 7 – include one kanya pon . Should be odd no. The number
of Sumngalis participating varies from 5 - 9.It depends on the house
custom & how much space is available to put nuni elais.

Let us call the main palakai with saree as pudavaikalam.

Besides this odd no. of pondugal, 2 leaves (also called swami elai) are
mandatory.

Before going for oil bath, now wash the saree & dry on the terrace.
Clean the place; now draw maakolam, after bath

Place on the maakolam the following- Palakai, 2 swami elais one on

either side of pudavaikalam.
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Draw separate kolams for all other.

On the palakai keep a mirror at the back & a marapachi in front of the
mirror.

On the palakai over the marapachi, place the saree – make kosavams,
tie & keep on palakai – blouse + other dresses like chithadai on the
palaka or nearby

Decorate both the mirror & pudavai with flower garland & gold chain.

Near by, keep kumkum, chandanam,akshathai, uthiri poo, niraya poo,

manjal, vethalai, pakku, Pancha pathram jalam, chukku vellam,
panakam, maruthani, (neer mor) , thengai pal, sombu jalam,
bakshanam, fruits.
NB: neer mor is custom only in some families, not all.

Invite all ladies - request them to stand – give manja podi – ask them
to apply it on the legs & wash. Make them stand in the hall, offer
kumkum, chandanam, flowers &show arathi or kalpooram

Invite sappida vango - சாபிட வாங்க ா & make them sit

As far as possible keep all elais & arrange persons sitting, facing North
& east. Next option is facing west. Facing south is avoided. This is
determined by the space available.

Start serving from swami elai – round & clockwise direction

After serving all items (including sadam & ghee); the main person,
conducting should go near the main pudavai, collect flowers,
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

akshathai, manjal & kumkum – pour 2 tsp water from panchapathram.

keep in the right hand. First take the hand round for first swami elai,
pour down only the water – repeat round for all elais, finally come to
the pudavai kalam & offer everything there.

Perform namaskaram facing palakai; to the saree etc.which signifies

the sumangali.

Ask all family members also to offer flowers & do namskaram.

Kudikka neer:

First swami elai – one spoon near the elai for both elais.

Round for all ladies then 1 tsp to all ladies on their hand & also saying

„Ellarum neer vangikkongu‟

எல்க ாரும் நீர் வாங்கிக ாங்க ா

Finally come to swami elai & say,

Arinjava ariyathava therinjava theriyathava ellarum vanthu
saappidungo”

அறிஞ்சவா, அறியாதவா, ததரிஞ்சவா, ததரியாதவா எல்க ாரும் வந்து

சாப்பிடுங்க ா

Perform namaskaram.
Now sappadu can start.
Offer thengapal immediately after rasam sadam
Before they get up, offer 1 tbsp sombu water from near the pudavai
elai to all ladies
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

After food:

Request everybody to sit together.

Offer panakam, chukku vellam, vethalai pakku etc dakshinai & finally
maruthani

Permitted vegetables: All nattu vegs except drumstick, potato. Tomato

is allowed இன் தசாதம த ாஉதசச்.

Samayal
2 pachadi – one curd, one puli
2 kootu - one with & one without puli
2 curry - podithuval
Parikkai pitlai & morkuzambu
Ordinary rasam
Arisi- vellam - little pal - payasam (Rice is cooked & then jaggery is
added. Remove & add milk enough to get the required consistency).
Thenga thogayal
Thick thayir
Ama vadai, neyyappam, poli (optional)

Fruits:
First preference - Mango, jack fruit, banana, secondly others like
apple, orange, sathukudi & grapes.

Sumangali Prarthanai – Thanjavur Tradition

Buy a 9 yds saree in silk or cotton. The preferable colours are red,
yellow & green. Including the “ pudavai kalam “ there can be 5 or 7
(odd number)
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Girls below 5 yrs & girls who have attained age, but are not yet
married, are not allowed to sit. The daughters in law of the house also
are not allowed to sit as “pendukal” - this varies with families.

Daughters of the house & any other married ladies can sit.

For the participating ladies, go to their houses the previous day

evening, give them kumkum, haldi, oil, shikakai, vasanai podi & invite
them to come.

On the morning of the day, wash the 9 yds saree & a blouse piece with
madi (shuddam) after bath & dry.The main person conducting the
function should not take an oil bath.

Put a big kalyana kolam in the entrance, put semman & tie “ mavilai”.

For the pudavai kalam – put a square kolam, (padi kolam), over that
keep a palakai & put kolam on that.

In front of that, put a kolam to keep the elai. On both sides of the
pudavai kalam put kolam for 2 elais, beside for elais facing N, E & next
preference W.

Fold the dry saree so that the “pallu” comes on the top. The corner of
the same should face N. Fold the blouse & keep on that. On the saree
keep the following:

A small mirror

Oru kavuli (100 no:s) vethalai

Plenty of kali paakku
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Plenty of urundai manjal

nalangu manjal – (mix of haldi & chunnambu) on a vethalai
12 bananas
10 yds malli, kathambam or roses
Maruthani on a vethalai
A ball of haldi & water on a vethalai
Chullu vella urndai in a vethalai
A gold chain
In a “ kudam” – water to which cardamom powder & dry ginger powder
are added
One sombu of panakam
One sombu of neer mor
Coins to give ladies with vethalai pakku
On the kolam in front of pudavai kalam, put double nuni elai, one
overlapping the other.
Nuni should face N.
On other kolams, place elais & “kudikkum jalam”
Start before or after rahu kalam.
When the ladies arrive give them manjal mixed with water, to wash
their legs, apply & come.

Then give them chandanam, kumkum & flowers & ask them to take
their seat near the elais.

Offer al items on menu to the pudavai kalam first & hthen serve
clockwise to other elais.

Show “doopa deepam” to pudavai kalam first & then to all ladies.

The “ conducting person” should take in the hand akshathai & flowers,
sprinkle below the pallu of the saree in the pudavai kalam & pay your
respects( in mind) to all the deceased sumangalis of the family.
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Show karpooram to the same.

Now offer a tsp jalam to the pudavai kalam & to all ladies in their
hands.
They should drink it & start eating.
Nobody should get up halfway through.
After everybody finishes eating, again offer a tsp of water to
thepudavai kalam & move the pallu corner to the N.
One of the daughters in law should eat the pudavai kalam sappadu.
After meals the ladies should be given naeer mor, panakam & chukku
vellam.
Then smear haldi on their legs & put nalangu.
Offer flowers, maruthani, chandanam & kumkum.
In a plate keep lot of vethalai, pakku, gundu manjal, coconut, kumkum
bharani, comb, mirror, coin, 2 bananas, blouse piece – keep in their
paLLU.

Give akshathai in their hand, do namaskaram & ask them to blless you.

After the person who conducts has eate, she must give the saree to a
poor woman who also is asked to eat. (I think this varies in each
house)

Samayal:
Paruppu payasam - thayir pachadi - vella pachadi - vazakkai curry -
avarai or kothavarai curry - poosani kootu - pitlai - mor kuzambu -
thani kootu - kadalai paruppu sugar kosemalli - paasiparuppu savoury
kosemalli - coriander thogayal - ginger, mango pickle - curry leaf
thogayal - rasam - banana, mango, jackfruit - ulundu vadai - sojji
appam - thengai sadam - lemon rice - kalathukku paruppu - ghee -
curds - honey