Every child grows up in a pattern which remains common among that generation, for instance the 90s kids. Growing up in a Tam Brahm house also has a pattern and am sure every other Tam Brahm will empathize, sympathize and laugh out loud in agreement.
There are typical Tambrahm instances for every phase of an individual's life, be it your mother scaring you with "Puchandi mama's name" if you were making a fuss while eating or paatu, dance class etc during your childhood days. Right from childhood kids are put in paatu/dance class(carnatic music class) which is more a mandatory chore for a girl and if it is a boy, then he gets to learn to play an instrument if not interested in vocals. I had the chance of learning carnatic music some 5 different times. As we were on transfers during my childhood, all my teachers insisted that I learn from sarali swaras all the time and this pissed me off. Evalavu tharavu than Sa Re Ga Ma ve padarthu(my mind voice).
Mornings used to begin with MS Subrabatham ,Vishnu Sahasranamam and other songs. There used to be a sigh of relief when we hear Vanamali Gadishangi in Vishnu sahasranamam for 2 different reasons.One,the sloka was coming to an end and two, neiveidyam(prasad) was in nearsight. As kids we attended a lot of weddings and functions at friends' and relative's place as we had loads of kids to play with.Cousins, friends and their friends and we never concentrated on the existing mamis and mamas. Little did we know that they would attend all the family functions when we grow up and ask us, Enna nyabagam irruko??(do you remember me??)It is that awkward moment when you fumble and say "o, neenga andha onnu utta periamma thaane" or some made up relation which is better than confessing that you dint know them.Trust me, this works. I have tried it. The word "onnu utta " always makes me giggle... hhaha.. Another Tam brahm trait is to be excellent at academics which includes science and maths majorly. 10th,11th and 12th stds are night mares for every kid and its even worse in Tam Brahm houses. Every relative who always forgets to wish you on your birthday never forgets to call up on your result day to find out whether pullaiandar(kid) scored "centum"(100%) in maths or not.
Summer vacation was super fun. Travelling to paati and tatha's house(grand parent's house) where the entire batalion of cousins were present, grandma telling us stories while feeding us vetha kozhambu sadam, rasam sadam with appalam and vadam, playing all through the day and sleeping like hibernating animals till late in the morning was the best part of the year.Menu for the travel always involved puliyansadam/chapathi, tayir sadam(Curd rice) and urlakazhangu curry.(potato curry). Unlike a typical Tam Brahm I was not a perennial tayir saadam eater as I did not like the taste. I ate only during summers to combat the effects of hot sun and it was only then amma made avakai pickle and other mango pickles.
Adolescent and youth phases are the most rebelistic phases. This is when you try to be all cool and oppose to all the practices and customs and get to listen to all the "typical Tambrahm dialogues and curses.Paatis and mothers always come up with the best lines.Try playing MTV during mornings.You will hear this same dialogue in the same tone in every tambrahm house."Kalangarthala anda MTV la aadra paatu thevaya, Podigai vai , perumal kumbhabishekam Kaamikara."( Are those obscene songs playing on MTV necessary early in the morning?? Play Podigai, they are broadcasting some deity's kumbhabishekam.)Girls leaving their hair open just gets on to the elder's nerve. Anda thalaya endi ippidi virundu irrukai.. poi edavudu clip a podavendi thane. I am so sick of listening to this dialogue all through my teens. Now, I have made them got used to it. Tumbler a yechhal pannama kudikardu had become a herculean task. Imagine drinking hot filter kaapi with out yecchal pannifying. Water was ok, but coffee and other drinks are really difficult.Girls getting up late in the morning were always rebuked followed by "ni kalyanum anapprom romba kashta pada porai paathukooo."
When a girl's cooking venture goes hay wire her amma says."Na ponna poranda madri irrukku!!"
Coming to the girl quirks during nombu:
1. Amma, can I please take this manja kayyar off my neck. my friends are making fun of it. Amma's reply,"illa, minimum 3 nalavudu kaatikanom." seri atleast can I wear it around my wrist?? Amma: no!!
2. Atleast innikavudu potta ozhunga vechiko di.. (Why dont you wear a big bindi today atleast.)
3. Kazhuda vayasu achu innum podava katta teriyada??( you are donkey years old and still cannot drape a saree) and many more...
Guy quirks:
1. Guys when compared to girls are not put through or bound by many customs. But, one main task is doing Gayatri Japam. This is the only time of the year they are made to wake up early in the morning, take bath and chant Gayatri mantra 1008 times.And every house hold tatha says,"daily ozhunga sandhya vandanam pannariyo illiyo, innikavudu ozhunga pannu da."
I have seen my brother do this in 3 different stages.
the 1st 300 times - the saint way
the next 300- God Speed
the last 400- Harlem shake.
2. reciting abhivadaye with out shuffling gotrams with sutrams becomes a task.
3. reciting mantrams during one's weddings. I witnessed a cousin who accidently "kottified" vadhiyar's temples when he was supposed to "kottify" his own temples. That awkward face palm moment for that maplai!!
Attending weddings becomes a scary affair for Gen Y especially the girls as every mami comes around and drops that bomb to the girl's parents .Those 3 horrified words,"ponnuku jaadagam eduthacha??" or coming upto you and saying, "aduthadu nee thanee??" I get really irked at this comment. I dont go and ask the same paati "aduthadu ni thaane" in a funeral. Another important aspect in a wedding, more supreme than the ritual is" Kaapi nariya irrukono??"
Now coming to the instances common to both the genders:
1. Starting a day with reading Hindu paper as others are considered kandraavi.
2.stealing semi dried "jevvarisi vadam" from terrace in amma's absence.
3. Discussing the extents of quirks with other tam brahm friends saying, unga aathula yavudu parava illa, enga aathlaaa....
4. you are frowned upon , if you cannot identify atleast 4 songs along with ragams and atleast 5-6 musicians in the Tyagaraja aradhana telecasted on Podigai every year.
5. Checking out guys/girls during common friend's wedding or temples and hoping they dont belong to the same gothram.
Things your elders do that makes your palms meet your face:
1. Making you collect paal (milk) covers which is washed thoroughly and making them stick on the kitchen wall above the sink.
2. Your paati denying to get rid of an old odanjupona (broken) saaman and quoting,"Vechirru, eppovavudu use agum."( dont discard it, it might come of use some day.)
3.Keeping petti(suitcase) outside the house before raahu kalam starts.
4. Recycling blouse piece during navaratri and varalakshmi poojai.
5. Hearing to them constantly abusing pizza.. Enna kandravi Pissa vo..
6. Making every girl learn atleast "Sri Chakra Radha" and "Bhagyada Lakshmi baramma" as they claimit comes handy for every occasion.
7. Relatives wishing each other after every wedding,"Mapla vandacha... Naatu ponnu vandachaa."
8. All the paatis and mamis striving hard in making Raamar Kovil a Rumor Kovil.
9. amma constantly yelling at you to tilt your tumbler and wash your hands with that drop of water before touching non -pathu items on the table while eating
10.Making you pay exam fees before rahu kaalm starts or crib on why they have reopened school or college on Tuesdays.
11. Grandparents rooting for Ravi Chandran Ashwin and Vishy Anand specifically after Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Sadagopan Ramesh..
AAh, the list is endless. On a little serious note, one can notice that in spite of all these customs and rituals we have our own fun in our own ways and although we( I mean the Gen Y) keep cribbing about these customs, we cannot live with out them either, atleast in some way or the other. For instance, I am so used to pathu and yechhal that I myself frown upon people and complain to my mom saying , amma, ava aathula yechhal pathu lam pakamata polarku." It runs deep in our blood and is carried forward to the next generation by every chromosome.
So next time you meet a Tam brahm you will definitely have a lot of jests to hear about.
Also remember, 108 is a magical number and thayir saadam is the secret of our energy.
Abhistoo is the favourite cuss word among the elders, although the Gen Y has many more to add.(would be unparliamentary to mention them here)
P.S. This particular blog is written in a lighter sense and not to hurt any body's sentiment( I mean the periyavaa)I am as proud to be a Tam Brahm as you are..
I could not stop myself from uploading this pic...
There are typical Tambrahm instances for every phase of an individual's life, be it your mother scaring you with "Puchandi mama's name" if you were making a fuss while eating or paatu, dance class etc during your childhood days. Right from childhood kids are put in paatu/dance class(carnatic music class) which is more a mandatory chore for a girl and if it is a boy, then he gets to learn to play an instrument if not interested in vocals. I had the chance of learning carnatic music some 5 different times. As we were on transfers during my childhood, all my teachers insisted that I learn from sarali swaras all the time and this pissed me off. Evalavu tharavu than Sa Re Ga Ma ve padarthu(my mind voice).
Mornings used to begin with MS Subrabatham ,Vishnu Sahasranamam and other songs. There used to be a sigh of relief when we hear Vanamali Gadishangi in Vishnu sahasranamam for 2 different reasons.One,the sloka was coming to an end and two, neiveidyam(prasad) was in nearsight. As kids we attended a lot of weddings and functions at friends' and relative's place as we had loads of kids to play with.Cousins, friends and their friends and we never concentrated on the existing mamis and mamas. Little did we know that they would attend all the family functions when we grow up and ask us, Enna nyabagam irruko??(do you remember me??)It is that awkward moment when you fumble and say "o, neenga andha onnu utta periamma thaane" or some made up relation which is better than confessing that you dint know them.Trust me, this works. I have tried it. The word "onnu utta " always makes me giggle... hhaha.. Another Tam brahm trait is to be excellent at academics which includes science and maths majorly. 10th,11th and 12th stds are night mares for every kid and its even worse in Tam Brahm houses. Every relative who always forgets to wish you on your birthday never forgets to call up on your result day to find out whether pullaiandar(kid) scored "centum"(100%) in maths or not.
Summer vacation was super fun. Travelling to paati and tatha's house(grand parent's house) where the entire batalion of cousins were present, grandma telling us stories while feeding us vetha kozhambu sadam, rasam sadam with appalam and vadam, playing all through the day and sleeping like hibernating animals till late in the morning was the best part of the year.Menu for the travel always involved puliyansadam/chapathi, tayir sadam(Curd rice) and urlakazhangu curry.(potato curry). Unlike a typical Tam Brahm I was not a perennial tayir saadam eater as I did not like the taste. I ate only during summers to combat the effects of hot sun and it was only then amma made avakai pickle and other mango pickles.
Adolescent and youth phases are the most rebelistic phases. This is when you try to be all cool and oppose to all the practices and customs and get to listen to all the "typical Tambrahm dialogues and curses.Paatis and mothers always come up with the best lines.Try playing MTV during mornings.You will hear this same dialogue in the same tone in every tambrahm house."Kalangarthala anda MTV la aadra paatu thevaya, Podigai vai , perumal kumbhabishekam Kaamikara."( Are those obscene songs playing on MTV necessary early in the morning?? Play Podigai, they are broadcasting some deity's kumbhabishekam.)Girls leaving their hair open just gets on to the elder's nerve. Anda thalaya endi ippidi virundu irrukai.. poi edavudu clip a podavendi thane. I am so sick of listening to this dialogue all through my teens. Now, I have made them got used to it. Tumbler a yechhal pannama kudikardu had become a herculean task. Imagine drinking hot filter kaapi with out yecchal pannifying. Water was ok, but coffee and other drinks are really difficult.Girls getting up late in the morning were always rebuked followed by "ni kalyanum anapprom romba kashta pada porai paathukooo."
When a girl's cooking venture goes hay wire her amma says."Na ponna poranda madri irrukku!!"
Coming to the girl quirks during nombu:
1. Amma, can I please take this manja kayyar off my neck. my friends are making fun of it. Amma's reply,"illa, minimum 3 nalavudu kaatikanom." seri atleast can I wear it around my wrist?? Amma: no!!
2. Atleast innikavudu potta ozhunga vechiko di.. (Why dont you wear a big bindi today atleast.)
3. Kazhuda vayasu achu innum podava katta teriyada??( you are donkey years old and still cannot drape a saree) and many more...
Guy quirks:
1. Guys when compared to girls are not put through or bound by many customs. But, one main task is doing Gayatri Japam. This is the only time of the year they are made to wake up early in the morning, take bath and chant Gayatri mantra 1008 times.And every house hold tatha says,"daily ozhunga sandhya vandanam pannariyo illiyo, innikavudu ozhunga pannu da."
I have seen my brother do this in 3 different stages.
the 1st 300 times - the saint way
the next 300- God Speed
the last 400- Harlem shake.
2. reciting abhivadaye with out shuffling gotrams with sutrams becomes a task.
3. reciting mantrams during one's weddings. I witnessed a cousin who accidently "kottified" vadhiyar's temples when he was supposed to "kottify" his own temples. That awkward face palm moment for that maplai!!
Attending weddings becomes a scary affair for Gen Y especially the girls as every mami comes around and drops that bomb to the girl's parents .Those 3 horrified words,"ponnuku jaadagam eduthacha??" or coming upto you and saying, "aduthadu nee thanee??" I get really irked at this comment. I dont go and ask the same paati "aduthadu ni thaane" in a funeral. Another important aspect in a wedding, more supreme than the ritual is" Kaapi nariya irrukono??"
Now coming to the instances common to both the genders:
1. Starting a day with reading Hindu paper as others are considered kandraavi.
2.stealing semi dried "jevvarisi vadam" from terrace in amma's absence.
3. Discussing the extents of quirks with other tam brahm friends saying, unga aathula yavudu parava illa, enga aathlaaa....
4. you are frowned upon , if you cannot identify atleast 4 songs along with ragams and atleast 5-6 musicians in the Tyagaraja aradhana telecasted on Podigai every year.
5. Checking out guys/girls during common friend's wedding or temples and hoping they dont belong to the same gothram.
Things your elders do that makes your palms meet your face:
1. Making you collect paal (milk) covers which is washed thoroughly and making them stick on the kitchen wall above the sink.
2. Your paati denying to get rid of an old odanjupona (broken) saaman and quoting,"Vechirru, eppovavudu use agum."( dont discard it, it might come of use some day.)
3.Keeping petti(suitcase) outside the house before raahu kalam starts.
4. Recycling blouse piece during navaratri and varalakshmi poojai.
5. Hearing to them constantly abusing pizza.. Enna kandravi Pissa vo..
6. Making every girl learn atleast "Sri Chakra Radha" and "Bhagyada Lakshmi baramma" as they claimit comes handy for every occasion.
7. Relatives wishing each other after every wedding,"Mapla vandacha... Naatu ponnu vandachaa."
8. All the paatis and mamis striving hard in making Raamar Kovil a Rumor Kovil.
9. amma constantly yelling at you to tilt your tumbler and wash your hands with that drop of water before touching non -pathu items on the table while eating
10.Making you pay exam fees before rahu kaalm starts or crib on why they have reopened school or college on Tuesdays.
11. Grandparents rooting for Ravi Chandran Ashwin and Vishy Anand specifically after Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Sadagopan Ramesh..
AAh, the list is endless. On a little serious note, one can notice that in spite of all these customs and rituals we have our own fun in our own ways and although we( I mean the Gen Y) keep cribbing about these customs, we cannot live with out them either, atleast in some way or the other. For instance, I am so used to pathu and yechhal that I myself frown upon people and complain to my mom saying , amma, ava aathula yechhal pathu lam pakamata polarku." It runs deep in our blood and is carried forward to the next generation by every chromosome.
So next time you meet a Tam brahm you will definitely have a lot of jests to hear about.
Also remember, 108 is a magical number and thayir saadam is the secret of our energy.
Abhistoo is the favourite cuss word among the elders, although the Gen Y has many more to add.(would be unparliamentary to mention them here)
P.S. This particular blog is written in a lighter sense and not to hurt any body's sentiment( I mean the periyavaa)I am as proud to be a Tam Brahm as you are..
I could not stop myself from uploading this pic...
