WEDDING RECEPTION: RAMESH-ASHA

FEBRUARY 2013

The second part of the wedding celebrations is reception. It was Ramesh-Asha wedding celebrations. This took place at Avani Shankar Mutt, Basaveshwara Nagara at Bangalore.
It was little different, as it was lunch time program. Relatives, friends, family arrive by 12 noon, sit and have a drink, chit-chat for a while, and go to the stage to wish and bless the newly married couple, pose for a photograph.....  bride and groom continuously has to keep the smile on the face.....
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Banana leaf, grand lunch follows..... several course, puri, bhaji, pulav, anna-saaru, and sweet dishes.....
Ice cream, beeda and phala tamboola given......

Guests start leaving after lunch..... Doddappa, doddamma, usha, Sandhya, Shubha-Raghu and many others were there.....
Sunday, 24 Feb 2013

CHANDIKA HOMA

22ND FEBRUARY 2013
NEELAVARA TEMPLE

CHANDIKA HOMA was performed by Shubha-Raghavendra Bhat at Mahishamardini Temple at Neelavara on Friday, 22nd February 2013. It was also an occasion for all relatives to come together and pray for individuals and the family. 
So we made a trip to ooru on 21st night in Durgamba bus to Udupi and reached in the morning, took the car from Udyavara, went to Birthi house at Salekeri to perform pooja to home God, then reached Neelavara Temple, a distance of about 12 km.
Chandika Yaaga was in progress, and we joined the family and was present for the poornahuthi. Grand banana leaf lunch followed. 
We returned to Bangalore, the same night by Durgamba Bus. The night is very comfortable.

Chandi is the Mother of all devatas. in markandeya purana Bhagavan Vedavyasa explained about Goddess Chandika in 13 chapters included 700 shlokas called "Chandee Saptashatee". Its done for Keerthi Labha (fame), shathru nasha (protection from enemies), vidhya vruddhi (improvement in studies), Improvement in business and to win the court cases.Procedure: Ten Chandi Saptha Shathi parayanas should be done before the homa.  Porridge (made of Rice, milk, Jaggery and sesame) is offered. or 10 different materials offered by chanting 700 Mantras of Chandee Saptashatee. Navagraha homa also be done before this homa. Silk saree, mangalyam, mangala dravyas turmeric powder, Kumkum, fruits, flowers and other mangala drvyas offered at the time of “Poornahuthi homa. Durga saptha shathi, devee sooktham, ratree sooktham durga sooktham Shree sooktham and other chandee related mantras recited during the homa. Suvasini pooja, Kannika pooja and Dampathi pooja are also done at the end of the homa.
Friday, 22nd Feb 2013

WEDDING - SOWMYASHRI & ASHWIN KUMAR

13TH FEBRUARY 2013

Newly married couple with guests

Dr Ramesh Kumar (Kedlaya) and his wife Anusooya came to our house one evening and invited us attend the wedding celebrations of his daughter Sowmyshri with Ashwin Kumar on 13th Feb, evening for reception and 14th Feb 2013 for the wedding. The venue was Karnataka Jain Bhavan, Shankarapuram, Bangalore.
As usual, we were there to witness the occasion.

Saxophonist performs.... entertainment

For entertaining the guests, there was saxophone recital by Meghna of Saligrama on the first day and EKA VYAKTHI YAKSHAGANA by Matapa Prabhakar Upadhya,and directed by Shatavadhani R Ganesh.
The buffet dinner on the first day and grand banana leaf lunch on the second day.
Wedded couple were congratulated and blessed by guests present.
Thursday, 14th Feb 2013

SALEKERI JAATRE (HABBA)

FEBRUARY 2013

It's the annual festival of SHRI BRAHMALINGA VEERABHADRA DURGA PARAMESHWARI TEMPLE at Salekeri , Varambally Village, Udupi District, Karnataka.

Deity in Pallaki during the procession

It is five day celebrations with two important days called GENDA and DHAKKE BALI.

Keelu kudure

The temple is mainly worshiped by Shettigars, (Padmashali) weaving community, and the others, Brahmins, Bunt community supporting it. However, over the years, the temple has seen remarkable changes in structures and outlook, with lot of community members in good financial position in their professions and supporting the temple renovations and modernization.

Thatti Raya

Lots of community members who migrated to other places and cities in search of jobs or business do come to Salekeri during the festival and meet and spend time with childhood friends. There has been bid increase in the people participating in the festival with the result lots of shops do come up and establish stalls and do a brisk business.
The second day, there is CHANDIKA HOMA in the morning followed by lunch and in the evening, there is carnival and procession, to a distance of about half a kilometre to a place caled BADA SALEKERI. God's idol is carried in PALLAKI with various entertaining items following. It's pleasure to see how nicely people enjoying.

Burning oil soaked panji (Towel) 

One of the seva by the community members is to present a locally woven cotton towel to God. This towel is burnt in front of God's procession after soaking it in the oil.
Saturday, 16th Feb 2013

WEDDING - ASHA-RAMESH ADIGA

FEBRUARY 2013
MANOOR, UDUPI DISTRICT

Grand wedding with pomp and pageantry is still taking place in rural (semi-urban) areas. It was one such wedding we attended last week at Manoor, Kota, of Udupi District of former Dakshina Kannada.

WEDDING MANTAPA

The host, Madhusudan Bairy, a Brahmin local strong man with powerful contacts, and  people support, organized wedding for his third Daughter at his spacious residence.
Right from the entrance from the main road, there was smell of big wedding taking place, with arch banner of   Asha weds Ramesh, paved, cemented road to wedding hall, parking area and meals area.                                                                                                                                                      

Traditional storage place for rice (Tiri)

Decorated kaalu deepa

AKKI MUDI

Wedding mantap was superbly decorated with traditional architecture and locally available resources like whole coconuts, aracnuts, and lot more. It was pleasure to see and lot of man-hours spent on beautifying the place,

Lamp lighted in a decorated kaalu deepa  (Deepada kamba) with floral decoration with coloured powder.

For ladies, it is time to show off their recently bought silk sarees and gold ornaments and discuss the price range.

Ramesh-Asha after exchanging garlands

The girl was carried by her uncle to the wedding mantap where the boy is waiting, and they exchange garlands with elders blessing them with "aksahthe kaalu" and purohits chanting mantra for their bright future and prosperity.

Remaining procedure follows, Kanya daana, mangala sutra dhaarane, Sapta padi..... etc.

Guests are busy with lost contacts established, people who are not seen for a long time meet each other........
The function followed by grand lunch served on banana leaf on table and chair, with so many courses and tasty dishes, sweets. Wedding gifts/mementos for all present

Friday, 15th Feb 2013

SEEMANTHA - SUPRIYA PRASHANTH

When a girl becomes 22+ years, the parents starts looking for a suitable boy to be her LIFE PARTNER.... several factors considered...... as Chetan Bhagat writes in his novel TWO STATES ...... 
Girl must like the boy....
Boy must like the girl.....
Girl's parents must like the boy....
Boy's parents must like the girl.....
Girl's parents must like the boy's parents....
Boy's parents must like the girl's parents.....
Passing through all these hurdles, engagement is confirmed..... suitable date convenient to all concerned is fixed, marriage hall suitable to social status of the families is agreed..... followed by grand reception and Beegara Outhana...... Celebrations of family is over and the couple off to honeymoon...... depending on the budget......
Then after sometime..... once again get-together for celebration of conceiving a baby.... SEEMANTHA.... with blessings from elders for safe delivery of boy or a girl........
Srimantha refers to the occasion conducted in pregnant girls parents home to seek blessings by the lord for safe delivery and happy life. Pregnant girl is presented with various gifts. This celebration in some ways is similar to western practice of baby shower. The ideal goals aside, in these times it has become increasingly display of gold ornaments, lots of foods.

One such occasion we joined the celebrations with grand lunch, where we attended Supriya's wedding with Prashanth in Koteshwara..... inner circle couple from Sharjah-Dubai days...... It was nice gathering at Puttige Mutt at Basavanagudi, Bangalore on 31 Jan 2013..... enjoyed the grand lunch.....
Thursday, 31 Jan 2013