Seemantham,Lenggang Perut or Baby Showere

Baby showers or semantham, this is an indian tradition with some ritual carried out on the new mother to be. This tradition is called as baby shower by the Europeans . Even local Malays have this tradition as lenggang Perut. Likewise, we call it the seemantham or valaikaapu.

This is one of the samskara that is done for the well being of mother-to-be and the foetus, in spirit of celebrating motherhood. The brides parents, relatives and friends are invited.

Must be wondering why this .....

Yes, i just carried out this tradition for my daughter Rekha.  This tradition is done in the  7th or 9 the month of pregnancy.

The seemantham is carried out in the bridegrooms house .  Where after the ceremony the mother to be will be brought back to her parents house and she will stay on until her delivery and send back to her inlaws on the 1st or 3 rd month after her delivery.

The brides parents will bring gifts for their daughter  like a new saree, bangles , those who can afford May even get a gold bangle. Traditionally she will give a bangle made of 5 metals( I'm poon kappu) , a neem leaf bangle,  the other bangles should be glass bangles and preferably green and red colour. 

No ceremony without sweets , boo-rulu, arusulu, theepugaarulu ( telugu intti sweets),  laddu jelebbi, fruits and specially made rice dishes in odd numbers of  3, 5 or 9. They can be sweet ponggal, tamarind rice, curd rice, lemon rice, tomato rice, linseed rice, pudina rice and so on.

The pregnant mother is seated on a chair.  The ceremony carried out with a prayer for Lord Ganesha who is the remover of obstacles.

The mother to be's mother will start the ceremony by  sprinkling rose water and applying sandal wood paste and kungguman  on the hair partition of her daughter.  9 items will be put on her lap. That is 5 different fruits and 4 sweets or the other way round. Next, the 5 metal bangle, neem bangle, gold bangle and the other bangles. All ladies will come forward to apply the sandal wood paste, kungguman and put the bangles for the mother to be. The ladies in return will be given a tamboolam, with 2 betal leaves, a banana and bangles. The man will bless the mother to be will sprinkling yellow rice on her.

The mother to be is also fed with 3, 5 or 9 types of rice prepared with all the different flavors.

When all the invited guest have blessed the mother to be , she will now go to the alter in her house and  place all the sweets and fruits put in her lap. Aaarathi is done to the mother to be ward off all eveil eye.

The guest will now be served with a feast. 

This is my version. If there is anything that I have missed please share so the tradition will be carried on.

Here are some shots during rekha's seemantham.

Home made bread

Today after so long made some coconut buns and cinammon bread.

Feeling good because they turned out really good and with compliments from from home chefs......Manorekha and hubby...

Thoughts.....

I open mail today and these is the message that I received. To share with all of you....

The Light Remedy 

April 15th, 2014

You are strong... The moment you do not

think weak thoughts

You are happy... the moment you do not

posses the weak thought...

You are at peace... the moment you

observe the weak

thought and let it

vanish...

And...

You are complete... the moment you

are yourself and nothing

else...

Why carry the burden... when there is

surrender...

Why fear the misery... when there is

faith...

Why fear the fear... when there is the

heart (love)...

Why give up on yourself... When within you

there is God...

Every thought begins with the "I"...

Fear begins to arise as one becomes attached and controlled by his own thought...

When you desire to be happy you lose your peace...

When you think you are at peace you are actually in transition between attempting to be at peace and fearing to be not at peace...

You have to let the thought pass... Fear is born when a thought becomes stationed...

When you try to control a thought you become controlled by it...

Peace cannot be received by an outside source... Peace is the very nature of the Atma (spirit)...

(Inspirational message received by Seema M Dewan)

 

Awaken the Divine within you...

  Love All, Serve All  

Sai Divine Inspirations on Blogspot

Sai Divine Inspirations on Facebook

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Chinese New Year 2014

Whether  we are celeberatiing Chinese New Year or not it is holiday time where everyone is buzy balik kampung. 

I grew up in Rawang, where all my neighbours were Chinese. The one thing I remember is the fire crackers. They just go on and on. With each one competing  who has the longest string. Even, in Segambut where I lived the last 30 years was also fun. The irritable fun. It starts at mid night and goes on till the next morning. 

The 2, is the lion dance, they have different groups and each one performing better the the other. My sibling and me will rush out the moment we hear the signature sound of the drums. I think even my children and my nieces and nephews do that till today and we truly enjoy it.

Than comes, the market. Not only the Chinese buying for makan besar preparation , the non Chinese too buzy because those days we did not have hyper markets and most of the traders were Chinese. They will close like 3 to 5 days. My mum also would buy vegetables and stock up.

How can I forget ......the mandarin oranges boxes and boxes of them, flowers and the prayer items. Definately a festive mood whether I am celebrating Chinese New Year or not.

This year my Chinese New Year is in Sungai Buloh, where I think I can have peaceful sleep to night with only a very small population of Chinese in my township and everyone seems to have balik kampung. Time to sit back and wait for my family and friends to come around.

Happy New Year ...Kong Hee Fatt Chye...

Items for abishegam in temples and benefits

 Just to share, items that can be offered for abishegam and it's benefits. 

Some may feel that we should not do anything with the benefits in ou mind. True, but who is our savior, I feel that this offerings will give us peace and happiness.

Item.                           Significance

Gingerly oil.                        To cool the body system

Saffron powder.                  It signifies love, harmony and peace

Rice flour.                           To clear individual debts

Milk.                                   To bless us with pure heart and steady mind

Curd.                                  Enhances progeny and we ask for a clear mind, free from web of desires.

Panchanirtham                  For annihilation of 5 great sins:

                                           a) be unfaithful to our spiritual teacher

                                           b) be ungrateful to ones help

                                           c) steal properties belonging to temple

                                           d) misbehave with the opposite sex

                                           e) insult parents and elders

Honey.                                 The nectar of immortality. For healing and sweetness of voice

Coconut water.                    To remove any past and present tendencies to be ungrateful or to have

Fruit juice.                            To fulfill our desire for spiritual oneness to remove anger and ensures the

                                            Balance of the mind.

Tulsi water.                           To be blessed with long life, prosperity and happy married life.

Sandalwood paste.              To invole blessings from goddess of wealth.

Panner.                                 Our goodness should be fragrance of the blooms bringing delight to all 

                                             around without prejudice or malice to anyone.

Water.                                   To purify yourself

Vegetarian curry me

Not been blogging for some time...however just to share vegetarian curry mee

The curry is quite simple but you must have coconut milk, because that gives it the thickness and sweetness too.

Ingredients for the curry

Cili gilling

Curry powder

Onions- pounded

Garlic and ginger paste

Serai 

Lengkuas

Coconut milk( santan)

Method:

Sauté the onions, add the cili giling, garlic and ginger paste, lengkuas ( pounded), serai smashed till you get a nice fragrence. Add enough curry powder and water and the curry boil and add salt to taste. Finally add in the the  sponge tau foo and coconut milk turn off the fire. 

For serving you can have mee or mee hon. For me it is mee. Than garnish with taugeh, chopped spring onions , chopped red chillies, more tau foo and top up with bawang goreng . Pour over hot curry .......mee curry is ready.

Lunch today ,Vegetarian briyani with long beans and potato curry

,

Lunch today is vegetarian briyani prepared my simple style and with long beans, vegetarian soya and potato curry.

Ingredients:

Briyani rice

White carrot)

Brinjal.        ) cut into cubes

Mixed veg

2 green chilies

Veg. Soya mutton ( optional )

Dry spices

Bay leaf

kayu manis

Bunga lawang

Bunga cengkih

Cardamom pods

Chicken curry powder - 1 table spoon

Garam massalah.        -  1 tea spoon

A pinch of saffron

2 or 3 table spoon yogurt

Wet spices

I large onion

1 table spoon grounded ginger

1 table. Spoon grounded garlic

Mint  ( pudina) leaves

Pandan leaves

Roasted onions

Oil 

Ghee

Rose water - 2 or 3 table spoon

Pour cooking veg. Oil and ghee in a kuali add in the dry spices with pandan leaves and fry and in the chopped onions and fry till nice brown, add in ginger and garlic paste with chopped brinjal and sauté till brinjal looks slightly soft and  add in the white carrot,mixed vegetables and vegetarian mutton fry for about 2 0r 3 minit. Add in the yogurt, and with curry powder. Add Enough water to cook the rice. Let it come to a boil . Transfer to the rice cooker add in your washed basmathi, salt and cook as normal.

I find that cooking with the rice cooker is easier. Half way cooking add in more roasted onions, mint leaf and rose water.

Once the rice is done add more roasted onions( if you like)