सौवर्णपर्ण THE YELLOW METAL

सौवर्णपर्ण - THE YELLOW METAL

Hey! Guys, how you doing?  Last time I promised you to come up with a new topic, then I thought why can't my new topic be for my lovely ladies. So today, I am up with something which is loved by all ladies which is my new subject "Sauvarṇaparṇa (gold)". I believe 80-90% of womens love precious metals and stones. Beyond that some love jewellery made of pearls. Every metals and gems have its own identity. In India there are two types of style, one is which sparkles in the homes of North India and the other one is which glitters in the lands of South India. So let's go to one of the land of glitters. 

When I say Kerala, there are few things that will pop up in your mind - coconut, tourism and food. But above all else is Gold. This yellow metal is extremely linked into the culture and historical roots of Kerala. It forms an integral part of almost every keralite's life. 

Why do Keralite brides wear so much gold on their wedding day?  As far as you

understand, the traditional Kerala lifestyle is quite simple, Right? Then why do they wear so much of golddd...?? What do they get by wearing these golds? It is believed that gold ornaments acts as a fantastic conductor of subtle energy. Thus in olden days women were advised to wear lot of gold ornaments to receive this energy. But later people believed that holding gold was seen as a matter of pride and symbol of wealth. And beyond pride now it's a trend to wear all traditional ornaments in Kerala Wedding. It is hard to find a typical Malayali bride without atleast 50 sovereign gold ornaments with them during their marriage.

Gold and Saree are the main things which adds to the beauty of Malayali Manga.The tangled designs of ornaments display the unmatched craftsmanship passed on through generations. Many such classic designs, to date continue to influence modern designs. Some of such designs that find a place in every keralite bride’s jewellery collection are the Traditional palakka necklace, nagapadam necklace, poothali necklace, mullamottu mala, etc.Here I am giving a description about the jewellery worn by a typical Hindu bride in Kerala and I am going to use some words like 'Mala (necklace)', 'Thali (mangalsutra)' and I believe that using those typical words adds extra beauty to these jewellerys. Here it goes... 

1. Mulla mottu mala (Jasmine Buds necklace) :

We can compare this design with jasmine buds so you can easily call it as Jasmine Buds necklace or Mulla mottu mala.It comes in two styles i.e Plain gold necklace and the combination of gold with gemstones. Both are quite pretty. This will give a special glow to the traditional bridal attire. 

          2. Manga mala (mango necklace):

Who doesn't love mango?? Manga Mala is having small mango shaped pendants. It is a kind of visual delight for Brides and it is the most common jewellery design coming in different forms, as shown below. The combination of bottle green coloured gems and gold gives the necklace an eye catching looks.

3. Kaasu Mala (Coin necklace):

The origin of Kaasu Mala can be traced back to Vedic period  know as 'Nishka' and is also mentioned in Rig Veda.In this we can see the gold coins are strung together overlapping one another. Lakshmi Kaasu mala is another form of Kaasu mala in which Goddess Lakshmi is embossed on each coin. It is believed that Goddess Mahalakshmi blesses the wearer and her household with prosperity and wealth. And it is almost mandatory for the bride to wear Kaasu mala, who are considered as manifestation of Lakshmi herself. It is a kind of mala which comes among the trending necklaces. Mostly we see, not only the south Indian celebrity even bollywood celebrity wear this Kaasu mala along with Set Saree or Set Mundu. Now these days Kaasu mala comes in different styles like - with pendant, double layered, encrusted with precious stones and in choker style.

4. Palakka Mala (Leaf shaped necklace) 

Palakka Mala derives it's name from the Paala tree (Alstonia tree). This necklace has been designed in a leaf shape . It was supposed to have been worn during Dwapara Yuga of Lord Shree Krishna. Traditionally Palakka Mala is having special emeralds i.e. rich green gemstones. However, today it is available in different colours including red and blue and it usually has a matching round pendant.

5. Karimani Mala (Black bead necklace) 

Karimani Mala is a filament of little gold and black beads that often serves as 'Thali' or 'Mangalsutra'. Many latest designs of Mangalsutra in Kerala had taken away from the use of Karimani Mala. However, the Karimani Mala has made a come back as a fashion trend among the young brides aspiring to have a North Indian styled Wedding.

6. Nagapada Thali (Snake's hood necklace) 

Nagapada Thali is a traditional jewel with its exquisite design of Snake's hood is a symbolic tribute to the age-old belief in serpent gods and is about 40 years old. It is made of coloured glass stones in a golden frame. Many small pendants with precious and semi-precious stones in them make the necklace an attractive neckpiece. Mostly this necklace is worn with 'Kasavu Mundu'(Kerala Saree). There are many variations of this design available now in both shorter and longer or just a giant version of the long green stone as the pendant.

7. Poothali (Flower necklace) 

Poothali is the necklace which is broad in structure,  which has leaf and flower patterns with beautiful danglers in between it's design. Nature is it's inspiration. The little elements of gold give the piece a beautiful tempo and flow that compliments the spectacular bride. 

8. Elakkathali (Glittering necklace) 

Elakkathali is a solitary style of choker necklace from kerala wedding jewellery sets. It is seen at the top of all the other necklaces festooned by the bride. It is made up of gold plates entwined together to form a thick chain. It glimmers and shimmers as the bride walks. 

9. Pathakkam Mala (Pendant necklace) 

Pathakkam Mala is a large round pendant attached to a chain. Traditionally pendant has an engraving of Goddess Lakshmi on it and it is studded with precious gemstones. Most notable designs either have engravings of Goddess or other Holy deities and are seen in plain gold and in coloured stones.

10. Pulinakham Mala (Necklace with Nails of Tiger)

At first you may be thinking, huh! Nails of Tiger. Hahaha actually I was not able to name this Pulinakham Mala properly. So I wrote the meaning directly. This necklace has been given the shape of Tiger's nail and due to this the necklace has got a glorious design and is loved by most of the women with traditional Saree. 

These were all necklaces worn by a traditional Hindu bride in Kerala. But that doesn't end here. They also wear Bangles, Rings, Earings, Anklets, Waist belt and so on. And I will elucidate about all these ornaments on my next post.

At last I would like to show you two pictures. In which one is an early bride, which I found while hunting for few pics in Google and the other one is the present one.

A picture of ancient jewelry

Hope you all loved my post.  Stay tuned till I come up with next one.

Thanks 😊 for flipping through my post.

ARANMULA VALLASADYA

ARANMULA  VALLASADYA

Have you ever heard about Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple and it's Vallasadya ?

Well if no, then flip through my post and here I'm taking you to Aranmula.

On 29th September 2018, I visited Aranmula along with my cousins. As I stepped into this small heritage village I felt like something is special here. My brother asked me whether I knew about this place or not. Literally I said no. He just took me everywhere in this place and I was surprised to hear about this bourg. The most interesting part is its nuts and bolts. So I had a great experience devoted to that culture. I suggest you all to visit this place at the time of Onam so that you can have the yummy sadhya (feast) .

ARANMULA:
Aranmula is a small heritage village on the banks of river Pamba, in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala . The image of the temple was brought here in a raft made of six pieces of bamboo, and hence the name Aranmula (six pieces of bamboo).But as per legend, the place derives its name from arin-villai, a land near a river. It has many religious, cultural and artistic specialities unique to itself. This small village owns specialised artisans who makes world famous 'unique' Aranmula Kannadi (Mirror). Besides the unique craft the village is famous for Aranmula Vallamkali (Boat race) and Aranmula Vallasadya (Feast).

Now another question will arise in your mind, What is Aranmula Kannadi, Vallamkali and Vallasadya?? Well, these are the main nuts and bolts which I said before. Here we can see unique specialities, for which people come and visit this place.

Aranmula Kannadi (Aranmula mirror):

Aranmula Kannadi is a beautiful handmade metal alloy mirror. Special artisans of Aranmula make this mirror.The origins of the Aranmula kannadi are linked to the Aranmula temple. According to legend, centuries ago the royal chief brought eight families of experts in temple arts and crafts from Tirunelveli district to Aranmula to work on the mirrors in the Aranmula Parthasarathy temple.These mirrors are polished for several days to achieve the reflective surface. Here the interesting part is, the exact metal used in the alloy are maintained as family secret. The cost of this mirror starts from Rs. 2000 and goes up to Rs. 1,00,000 or more than that. The mirrors received GI tag (Geographical Indication) in 2004-5.These unique metal mirrors are the result of Kerala's rich cultural and metallurgical traditions. 

Aranmula Vallamkali (Aranmula boat race):

Aranmula Vallamkali (Boat race) is one of the most oldest river boat race held during Onam and also known as 'Aranmula Uthrittathi Vallamkali'. The snake boats used for this race are called Palliyodams also known as 'Boat of the Lord'. The credit for the design is given to Lord Krishna himself because he is said to have appeared on these shores on a raft made of six bamboos, after the incident took place this village was named – Aranmula. The snake-boat is unique in its structure that only the mid portion of the boat touches the water. It is believed that the 64 boatmen sit on 64 steps, which represent 64 art forms.

Now let's come on the yummy topic "Aranmula Vallasadya (feast) "

Vallasadya is a ritual feast that lasts for more than sixty days and with more than sixty exquisite dishes to relish. The longest mass ritual feast in the world, is done as a vazhipadu (offering) by the devotees to Lord Krishna, the presiding god at the Sree Parthasarathy temple. The devotee who offers the offering  invites the crew of the snake-boat of his choice to take part in Vallasadya(feast) . The feast is held in the outer place of the Sree Parthasarathy Temple, inside the traditional dinning halls called Oottupura. What is Oottupura ? Oottupura is part of palace structures and temples used for giving food to people who work there and to the common public on special occasions. The feast is first offered to Lord Parthasarathy. During the feast  the boatmen sing Vanchipattu (Boat song) and demand each item as per the traditional order of this song. This generates an ambience filled with fun, hurried activities and a flow of energy that is unique to Vallasadya. As many as 50 to 64 items are usually served during the course of this feast. And most of the mouth watering dishes have been mentioned here below.

The first item to be served will be Theertham(water used to wash the deity) followed by Kalabham (holy sandal paste) along with flowers which the lord has adored. This is followed by serving Thrikai Vena (Butter which was offered to the deity).
Items that are served are classified into eight : (1) Fried chips (2) Taste enhancers (3) Starters (4) Pickles (5) Salted Items (6) Accompanying thick Curries (7) Pouring Curries (8) Desert .
The serving starts from the extreme left of the banana leaf. So let's start from the left.

UPPERI (Fried chips) : 5 types of fried chips

1. Sarkaravarattiyathu (Jaggery coated banana)
2. Chena (Yam)
3. Pazham (Ripen banana)
4. Nendran (Unripen banana)
5. Chembu (Colocasia)

TASTE ENHANCERS:

1. Sarkara Cheviyathu (Jaggery stripes)
2. Aval (Flatten rice)
3. Karimbu (A stalk of sugarcane)
4. Malar (Puffed rice)
5. Kalkandam (Rock candy)
6. Onakkamuntri (Raisins)
7. Uppu (Salt)

STARTERS:

1. Unniappam (Fried sweet)
2. Ellunda (Gingerly ball)
3. Kappalandi unda (Peanut ball)
4. Modakam (Sweet dumplings)
5. Vada (Lentil ball)
6. Two Pappadoms (Pappad - a big one and a small one)

PICKLES:

1. Naranga (Lemon)
2. Kannimanga (Tender mango)
3. Kadu manga (Unripe mango)
4. Ambazhanga (Hog plum)
5. Nellikka (Gooseberry)
6. Velluthooli (Garlic)

SALTED ITEMS:

1. Uppu manga (Unripen mango in salt brine)
2. Pulinji (Tamarind - Ginger paste)
3. Thenga Chamanthi (Dry roasted Coconut - Chilly paste)

SIDE CURRIES:

1. Aranmula Errissery ( special dish of Aranmula made with raw Bananas, Black eye peas, and Yam. It is the favourite dish of King Mahabali, so this is one of the important dish that people won't drop in every Onam)

2. Munthiri Pachadi (Made with Grapes and Coconut paste)
3. Beetroot Pachadi (Made with Beetroot and coconut paste)
4. Mathanga Pachadi (Made with Pumpkin and coconut paste)

5. Kumbalanga Kichadi (Made with Ashgourdand and Yoghurt curry)
6. Vellarika Kichadi (Made with Yellow Cucumber and Yoghurt Curry)

7. Kalan (Thick Yoghurt curry with raw bananas)
8. Olan (White cucumber cooked in coconut milk)

9. Kottukari (Mixed vegetables cooked in Masalas)
10. Mambazha Pullissery (ripen mangoes cooked in buttermilk)
11. Isthu (Potato Stew cooked in coconut milk)

ITEMS MADE WITH GRATED COCONUT (Thoran) :

1. Vazhakka Thoran (Made with Raw Banana)
2. Muttakose Thoran (Made with cabbage)
3. Cheera Thoran (red spinach)
4. Koombu Thoran (Banana flower )
5. Thakkara Thoran (cassia leaves)
6. Avial (mix vegetables cooked with grated coconut and oil)

FRIED AND ROASTED ITEMS:

1. Pavakka Varathathu (deep fried bitter gourd)
2. Vazhuthanga Vattichattu (Brinjal Roast)
3. Kottu inji (Ginger - coconut roasted gravy)

POURING CURRIES:

(Each pouring dish represents the Main entry which must be taken with Rice.)
1. Parippu (Lentil curry) served with Ghee
2. Sambhar (Mix veg curry)
3. Pullissery (butter milk curry)

These were the main courses but in between this oarsmen demand for some other items like Blue Sugarcane, Thirumadhuram (mix of 3 items- Puffed rice, Flatten rice and jaggery),  Butter, Thick curd, Aval podi (packed flatten rice as how Sudama gave to Krishna),Rasa Kadali pazham (a banana loved by Krishna), Chuvana Kadali pazham (red version of same banana which is rare), Padachoru (brown dried rice served to the lord), Thenga Kottu (grated coconut pieces), Milk, Vadamala (A string of Vadas) and Aravana (a kind of sweet dessert which is a holy offering). After all this if the boatmen felt enough,  then the last servings of rice are made with RASAM (Pepper gravy).

As a desert 4-5 PRADHAMANS (pudding) are served:

1. Ada Pradhaman (Rice dumpling pudding)
2. Pazha Payasam (Pudding made of banana)
3. Aravana Payasam (Pudding made from rice, jaggery and ghee)
4. Kadala Pradhaman (Pudding made of Bengal gram)
5. Paal Payasam (Pudding made of milk)
6. Nei payasam (Made from raw rice, jaggery, ghee, cashews and rasins)

AT THE END:

BUTTERMILK (Moru)
CUMIN WATER (Jeeraka Vellam)

FOLLOWED BY:

MURUKKAN (Pan or Betal leaves) as a mouth freshener.

The way they make all these dishes are in a traditional way like they grind by using stone, they make use of firewood rather than a gas stove. It is believed that every single dish served has a backstory related to Krishna’s life in Mathura and Dwaraka. I can say, it is a lifetime feast that no other word can describe this largest feast in the world.

Stone grinder and use of firewood

So guys, isn't that interesting? So do visit Kerala at the time of Onam to know the real taste of Sadhya and other South Indian cuisine and own your  Aranmula Kannadi.
And hope you all loved my post, please do share and comment or if you have any questions please do ask... Stay tuned! till I come up with the next one.

Thanks for flipping through my post 😊