Bhumada Ootta (Bride and Groom's wedding lunch)

Greetings,

After a long time, I got some time to make another South Indian wedding scene! This is all about the Bride and Groom having their lunch together, for the first time after the wedding ceremony! Bride and  Groom will be served separately and five plantain leaves will be arranged together, and the wedding meals will be served on these leaves. The Bride and Groom will have food from the same leaf. They feed the food to each other and Bride's and Groom's parents and other close relatives also sit along with them to have lunch. This is a very fun event since, the other people watching the bride and groom eat,  pull the legs of all the couples sitting there to have their meals. Even the other couples sitting along with the bride and groom will be forced to feed each other. 

In front of the banana leaves beautiful and colorful rangoli will be drawn and the lamps will be lit.

In this ritual, the groom's mother-in-law will serve the food to the groom and the the groom is supposed to hold the hand of his mother-in-law while she is serving. (This is like the groom is teasing the mother-in-law by holding her hand and trying to get naughty, this is my way of understanding 😜)

I used some waste containers to make these dolls. Overall, it was a fun project to make.  I tried to be quite creative and imaginative and very happy with the results!

I am planning to make some more South Indian wedding scenes in my near future!

Will be back with my next project and until then,

Happy Crafting!

💕

Revs!

Bridegroom's Room.

Greetings!

Arranging the Bridegroom's room with all the kitchen essentials, is a tradition in our South Indian weddings. This means, I can show off some of my mini treasures, that I have been collecting over a period of time. 

These kitchen essentials are given to the bride by her parents. So that, she will have some of the immediate kitchen essentials, when she moves to her home and starts her new life. Then slowly she and her husband can set up their home by adding rest of the things. 

It's quite an interesting thing to arrange the Bridegroom's room in a wedding hall. As soon as the bride's family enter the wedding hall, some of the family members especially ladies, will look for a proper room for the Groom's family. Generally, it will be a master bedroom with an attached bath. The bride's family will make sure that the room given to the Groom's family, has all the necessities, including bed, closets, mirror etc. 

Then, in one corner of the room, ladies and young girls will arrange all the kitchenware on a table, that will be given to the bride after the wedding. Some people arrange these things in a creative way, sometimes it will just be plain. All the kitchenware will be new and unused. 

Traditionally, all the kitchenware will be made off stainless steel, but, nowadays, modern families include even some fancy things as well. That's totally up to parents and their affordability. 

In many cases, if parents have more than one daughter, they generally start putting aside utensils, gold, silver etc for their daughters wedding when the children are young itself.

Apart from the kitchenware, sometimes people also include, fruits, vegetables and other delicacies inside the utensils instead of keeping just empty containers or dishes. 

Beautiful and colorful Rangoli  will be drawn in front of this table. It's also a tradition to keep lord Ganesha's picture and also the picture or idol of the Groom's family deity. The lamps, fruits, flowers and other pooja materials will be placed in front of the god. 

After the Groom's family enter the room, the lamps will be lit in front of the god.

People are always curious to see this room and judge what all the bride will receive in her wedding... But in my case, I am just happy to show off my miniatures 😍😜

Will be back soon, with the next event of the wedding........

Stay tuned!

💗 Revu!

Kashiyathre

Greetings!

This is one of the rituals that take place during the South Indian Brahmin wedding. The groom will be dressed in traditional 'Kachepanche' ( it's also called 'Dhoti' a length of fabric around 7yards, made out of silk that's wrapped around the waist). He will also be wearing a stole to match his Dhothi and a 'Paeta' (turban like thing, that's wrapped around his head).

Generally the groom will not wear a shirt.But I have made a shirt for the groom. 

The parents will also be dressed in a traditional outfit. Ladies wear gold and other glittering ornaments. All the wedding accessories will be made out of silver.

As a pre-wedding ceremony, the groom just pretends to go to Kashi to renounce the world, and to become a sanyasi and steps out of the wedding hall. (This ritual takes place out side the wedding hall). He will then be stopped by the bride's parents and persuade him to marry their daughter. 

During this ritual, the groom should carry some of the basic necessities to travel. He will carry a sack around his shoulder which is filled with rice and lentils. He will be given a new pair of sandals and a walking stick. He will be given an umbrella and he should hold a coconut and a 'Bhisanige' (fan) in his hand.

The coconut and the fan will be decorated with color paper, ribbons, and other embellishments.

The bride's parents will wash the feet of the groom with water from a silver pot. The priest will be present to recite some shlokas (hymns) in Sanskrit. The bride's brother is supposed to hold an umbrella while the groom sits on a chair, till the ritual come to an end. 

Musicians 'Valgadavaru' will be present to play some auspicious wedding tunes in classical karnatic music.

After this ritual the groom and everybody else return to the 'Mantapa' (a spot in a wedding hall where exactly all the rituals and ceremonies take place).

After Kashiyathre, the next stage of the ceremony will begin. I will be explaining about the other ceremonies of the wedding soon.

While Kashiyathre was happening, the Bride was performing 'Gouri pooje' (Guari is a goddes in Hinduism) for her husband's longevity, wealth, health and happiness. Which I will be explaining in the near future.

Will return soon...🙋🏻

❤️ Revu!

Sneak peek of 'Kashiyathre' set.

Greetings!

I am working on 'Kashiyathre' set. Another event that takes place during the South Indian Brahmin weddings. Here is just a sneak peek of 'Kashiyathre' set...... These gorgeous ladies all dressed up in 'Rashime seere' (silk saree) and posing for the photo session. 

I will be explaining all about this event soon, once the set is ready.......

Stay tuned.....

💐 Revu!

'Vara Pooje' Ootta (wedding Dinner).

Greeting!

In my previous  Post I explained about 'Vara Pooje', one of the ceremonies that take place in South Indian weddings.

 I thought of showing a dinner scene, showcasing the traditional South Indian meals, that are prepared during weddings and other auspicious occasions.....

'Food' plays an important role for any occasion. Hence I thought, including a dinner scene is very vital in this 'Wedding project'..........

India is highly diversified.... We have different food habits, culture, language and clothing in different parts of India. What I have showcased here is purely 'South Indian'. South Indians are rice eaters. Every thing here are eaten with the rice, except for the desserts and side dishes. I have shown, six kinds of desserts. Main course is eaten with rice, and side dishes are eaten like salad.

Every thing is prepared just before the ceremony. I have shown just one cook, but generally there will be many people to cook and serve the guests. Since, we invite more than 500 people for the wedding. Food will be served to each individual by the cook itself. The food is served on the 'Banana leaf'. The water will be served in stainless steel glasses.....

The food is served in three or four rounds. Three or four different main course will be served in each round and then the desserts and finally, we finish our meals with Curd (yogurt) rice..... 

Also the food will be served in many batches since, the dining hall cannot accommodate every one at the same time. First the guests who are in a hurry to get back to their respective houses will have dinner, and then the first circle and the close family members of the 'Bride' and 'Groom', who will spend the night at the wedding hall will have their dinner. 

The rest of the people will return the next day for the 'Wedding' and the 'Reception'. 

The 'Menu' will change for the 'Wedding' and the 'Reception'. Everything will be prepared in the Wedding hall, fresh and hot, and just before the ceremony......

I had a lot of fun, making this miniature set. 

Now I should get ready for the wedding!!!😉

Will be back soon..........

Revu!

Vara Pooje. (Part of South Indian wedding ceremony)

Greeting!

I was planning to make an Indian wedding set from a long time, and finally, finished 'Vara Pooje' set. 'Vara' means groom. South Indian Brahmin wedding is a three days ceremony. 

The whole ceremony will take place in a wedding hall, which consists of a big kitchen, a wedding hall, bed rooms, bath and toilets. Basically the wedding halls will be big enough to accommodate 700 to 1000 people. The entire expenses for the wedding will be paid by the bride's parents. 

The wedding hall will be booked way in advance, the cooks will be hired to cook for all the three days, different menu is cooked on each day of the wedding. Basically the preparations for the wedding will start at least some six months prior......

The day before the wedding, the bride's family will go to the wedding hall first and start the wedding preparations. The cooks will arrive in the morning, all the vegetables and groceries will be shopped and stored in the store room, the food will be cooked for 700 to 800 people.

In the morning, the bride and her parents, should perform some rituals like, worshipping their family deity, and lord 'Ganesha'. Before the start of any auspicious ceremonies, we worship lord 'Ganesha', so that the ceremony can take place with out any impediments and troubles.

While the ceremony is taking place others will decorate the groom's room. (I will be taking about this part in my next project). After lunch, the Bride will get ready for the evening's ceremony. 

The Groom's family and his relatives will arrive to the wedding hall in the evening. This ceremony is called 'Vara Pooje'. The Bride's parents will welcome them by putting a garland to the Groom and his parents. Once they enter they will be taken too their respective rooms, and after they get freshened up, they will be invited to have some savory and coffee. 

Savory and coffee will be prepared for every one in the evening. After snacks, ceremony will take place, the priest will be present. 'Vara Pooje' is a formal engagement where both Bride's and Groom's family exchange an invitation, the invitation will be written by the priest. Which includes some details like the Bride's and Groom's name, their parents names, the date and the venue of the wedding, etc....

They worship lord Ganesha and Kalasha (A coconut will be placed on a silver pot, filled with water, vermilion and turmeric).

During this ceremony, the Bride and Groom wears a garland, the bride will be dressed traditionally in a silk saree, and ornaments. The groom will wear a formal trousers and a shirt. Parents will be dressed in a traditional outfit too.

During the ceremony the Bride will receive some gifts from her in-laws!

After the 'Vara Pooje' people will have dinner and some people spend a night in the wedding hall and some people will leave to their respective houses and will return the next day for the wedding.

Next day the wedding ceremony takes place and in the evening Reception.........(I will be taking about these in detail, later)

Making something with out a pattern, and just by using my imagination and my brains of course, is quite rewarding..... I had a great fun, making this set......

Next I will be making the wedding set 😄😄.........

Will be back soon 😉

Revu!

 

Dasara in a Dolls' House.

Greetings!

This year I want to concentrate more on 'Indian Dolls' showcasing my culture and traditions and festivals. Every year in the month of October or November we celebrate a festival called 'Dasara' or 'Navarathri' (meaning 'Nine Nights').  The festival is celebrated for a period of nine days and on the tenth day we celebrate 'Vijayadashami'. This is the most auspicious day of all. It was the day on which evil was destroyed by good. Auspicious occasions like weddings, new business ventures, etc take place on this day. Dasara is celebrated in a different way, in different parts of India, I am from Karnataka and I will describe how we celebrate 'Dasara' or 'Bombe Habba' (meaning Doll Festival)......

This is one of the fascinating festival for ladies and young girls, since it involves displaying and decorating dolls and figurine for all those nine days. The dolls include everyday scenes, religious dolls from the two great epics of India 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata', miniature utensils, weddings, royal court life, wooden toys and anything that a girl plays. Some enthusiastic people even make a model of a park or a forest and display animals etc....

Every Brahmin woman gets a pair of wooden dolls(male and female) in her wedding from her parents, called 'Pattada Gombe' which are generally made of teak or sandalwood. It is compulsory as a part of tradition to dress these dolls using fabric or color paper like a bride and bride groom and display them every year along with the other dolls during Dasara. It seems that in ancient times these dolls were representative of local king and queen, people prayed for their long life and prosperity of the kingdom. In front of these dolls we place two 'Kalasha's' (two small silver or copper pots, filled with water, coconut, and beatle leaves, which is considered very auspicious. I made these wooden dolls out of yarn. I had to make these very tiny so I knitted them using zero knitting needles and fine yarn. I am not very happy the way they have turned out but I can live with it for now :).

On fifth day we celebrate 'Saraswathi Puja'. Goddess Saraswathi, is considered the Devine source of knowledge and enlightenment. Books and musical instruments are placed in front of the dolls and children offer prayers to seek knowledge. I made 'Veena' the musical instrument that's played by goddess 'Saraswathi'. I looked through my junk pile and found some interesting beads and other things to make this instrument :)............

We draw  'Rangoli' in front of these dolls. 'Rangoli' is a folk art from India, in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, flour, flower petals, chalk....drawing 'Rangoli' in front of the house is sacred and it's our tradition. It is believed that by drawing this we are welcoming goddess 'Lakshmi', the goddess of wealth.

We light the lamps in front of these dolls, light the incense sticks, and offer fruits and other delicacies, that are prepared to the God along with the flowers. In the evenings we invite ladies and little children to see the dolls and we exchange sweets and other offerings like fruits etc., which is called 'Bombe Bhagina'. Little girls dress up for the occasion and carry a little bag to collect sweets and gifts from their neighbors. Devotional songs and hymns will be sung.

On the evening of the tenth day, any one of the dolls is put to sleep and the Kalasha is moved a bit towards north to mark the end of 'Dasara'. All the dolls will be packed up until next year. Doll collection is one of the greatest hobbies among the ladies. Every year they buy new set of dolls, and the collection grows year after year.

I made a miniature version of 'Dasara' even though Dasara is quite far off, I thought of making it since this idea was fresh on my mind..... I even made a room box to arrange every thing. This whole set was created out of my imagination, except for those felt dolls which I borrowed from Kath Dalmey's 'Dolls' House Details' and the 3-D paper garden was inspired from the book 'Paper in three dimension' by Diane Maurer-Mathison. I on,y made some changes to the garden by adding a cottage....

I made some clay folks as well....

Over all I am quite happy to show that Dasara can be celebrated quite elaborately even in a'Dolls' House'............last but not the least want to share my favorite pic.... I love the girl's tote :)......

 

Will be back soon with my next project ;)....

Revu!

Makara Shankranthi

Greeting!

January 15th we celebrated 'Makara Shankaranthi' in India.  This is the Suggi or harvest festival for farmers of Karnataka. On this auspicious day, young females (kids and teenagers) wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with a Sankranti offering in a plate, and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu''. Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut and fine cut bella (jaggery). The mixture is called "Ellu-Bella". The plate also contains sugar candy moulds of various shapes (Sakkare Acchu) with a piece of sugarcane. This festival signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts.

In some parts of Karnataka, a newly married woman is required to give away bananas for a period of five years to other married women from the first year of her marriage, but increase the number of bananas in multiples of five. There is also a tradition of some households giving away red berries "Yalchi Kai" along with the above. In North Karnataka, kite flying with community members is also a tradition. Drawing rangoli in groups is another popular event among women during Sankranti.

An important ritual is display of cows and cattle in colourful costumes in an open field. Cows are decorated for the occasion and taken on a procession.

This is my first project for 2015 and I am quite happy to start the year with this auspicious project!

Will be back soon with my next project.........

Revs!