Seemantham (Baby Shower)

Sonika MadalaLeave a comment

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In Telugu families, Seemantham (Baby Shower) is celebrated during pregnancy to welcome unborn baby to the family and to bless the mother-to-be with safe delivery. This event is held usually when the mother-to-be completes her 5th, 7th or 9th month of pregnancy. It will be performed by either in-laws or parents, or both, whosoever has this tradition running in their family. If the parents of pregnant lady choose to host this event, then her in-laws would bring in a new saree, sweets, and fruits to offer mom-to-be and vice-versa.

An auspicious time (Muhurtham) is chosen with the help of a priest to carry out this ritual. At least 5 women should be invited. On the day of the event, the pregnant lady is dressed up in a new saree with adoring jewelry and flowers. Then she offers prayer to almighty God before the festivities begin. The party hall (or the place wherever the event is celebrated) is usually well decorated with lots of flowers, balloons etc. Arrange all the sweets and fruits around the place where mom-to-be would be seated. You can play Seemantham songs in the background if you would like. You can find several Telugu Seemantham songs on Youtube.

When the ceremony begins, the mom-to-be gets seated in her throne chair and gets blessings from her mother/mother-in-law/elderly women first followed by other female guests. They offer kumkuma, Pasupu (applied to her feet by her mother), Gandham (sandalwood paste) for her Mangalyam.  Then they put two bangles on each hand, place flowers in her hair, offer some sweets and fruits and bless her with Akshinthalu to have a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

After that mother/mother-in-law of a pregnant lady offers a new saree (with blouse piece) along with Pasupu, kumkuma, Gandham, bangles, flowers sweets/savory foods,  fruits and Tthambulam to her. And then she blesses her with Akshinthalu for safe delivery. Sweets (like Chalimidi, laddoo etc) and fruits (like pomegranate, oranges etc) should be a total of 9 or 11 items.  Mom-to-be will hold her saree pallu (Cheerakongu) in her lap when sweets/fruits/saree is offered. In Telugu, it is called  “Vodi Nimpadamu”.

One or two women from the host family can offer Bottu and Gandham to the female guests during the event. Husband of pregnant lady can offer her kumkuma and bless her with Akshinthalu if he would like to. Lastly, the ladies will offer Mangala Harathi to the mom-to-be while singing traditional songs. At this point of time, she looks like a beautiful bride with all those colorful bangles and blooms. Most of all this ceremony makes her feel happy and would let her know how special it is to be a mom.

Once the main function is over, the mother-to-be and daddy-to-be can cut the cake and feed each other a piece of their baby shower cake. The cake cutting event is announced to all the guests so that they can gather together for the special moment. Traditional feast is served to the guests at the end of the event. After that, mom-to-be will offer a baby shower favor (baby toy) with a blouse piece, Thambulam, two fruits, 2-3 sweets like laddoo and Chalimidi, and hot like Bhoondhi in a goody bag to the guests.

You can plan for baby shower games in the interest of guests to make this event more joyful. Face painting and balloon twisting are anytime favorites for kids. Mehendi and nail paints are all time favorites for girls.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist:

  • Find out auspicious day for the event from the priest
  • Invite Guests to the ceremony
  • Arrange the food for guests
  • Reserve the party hall and throne chair
  • Get the hall decorated
  • Prepare the fruits and sweets baskets to offer to the mother-to-be.
    • Shopping List: 5 varieties of sweets and 6 varieties of fruits including bananas,  baskets, decoration items if any
  • Prepare Chalimidi
    • SL: Rice flour, jaggery, dry fruits, dry coconut chunks
  • Arrange return gift bags (goody bags) for the guests.
    • SL: Return gifts like baby toy, Thambulam sets, bananas, sweets like Chalimidi and laddoo, hot like Bhoondhi, blouse pieces, gift bags
  • Prepare Pasupu, kumkuma, Mangala Harathi plate.
  • Arrange the new Saree to be offered to the mom-to-be
    • SL: New saree, blouse piece, Thambulam, glass bangles (red and green preferred)
  • Prepare kumkuma, sandalwood paste (Gandham), Akshinthalu, flowers, bangles to offer to the mother-to-be
    • SL: Bangles (2-4 dozens )
  • Plan for baby shower games
  • Arrange face paintings, nail polish, Mehendi, balloon twisting, balloon shoot etc
  • Order Cake
    • SL: Cake and Knife

Gruhapravesam of Bride

Sonika MadalaLeave a comment

After the wedding ceremony, the bride is taken to the groom’s place formally. When they arrive at the groom’s home, their maid will take “Dishti” to get rid off any evil eye from the new couple. Usually, she uses rice and red water to do this. After that, Harathi is offered to the couple by groom’s family members and friends to welcome the bride into her new home. It is called Gruhapravesam of the bride. They can sing the Harathi song if they would like while welcoming the bride.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist: 

  • Make sure maid is ready to take Dishti
  • Arrange Harathi plate to welcome bride
  • Make sure the room is ready for the bride

Satyanarayana Swamy Nomu

Sonika MadalaLeave a comment

The traditional wedding ceremonial events end with “Satyanarayana Swamy Vratham” performed by the new couple at the groom’s home. This puja is carried out to seek the blessing of the Lord for happy and prosperous married life. All the family members of both the families and relatives are invited to the ceremony, which is followed by a feast.

Puja mandapam is decorated with turmeric, kumkum and fresh flowers. During puja, the priest will read-out the story behind the importance of this Vratham. After the puja, new clothes are offered to the couple by bride’s parents. Prasadam is offered to the god at the end of puja.  When the puja is completed, the couple will dress up in the new clothes offered and the guests witnessing the ceremony will come forward to bless the new couple. The priest will offer the Prasadham to all the devotees in the end. It is custom to prepare garelu and purnalu as prasadam as long with pongali for this puja.

Offer new clothes to the groom’s close relatives after puja. Gift articles are offered to the bride family members and relatives after the puja.

The couple is required to stay overnight at the groom’s place after this ritual. The bride will be offered with the new saree before the newly wed couple is leaving to her parents’ place usually the following day.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist:

  • Find out the auspicious time from the priest to conduct puja
  • Get Puja items list from Priest
    • Shopping List: Puja items list from the Priest
  • Invite relatives to the ceremony
  • Arrange food for the guests (Breakfast & Lunch)
  • Prepare gift bags
    • SL: Gift Articles, beetle leaves, Bananas, somp packets
  • Arrange mandapam
  • Decorate mandapam with fresh flowers  and garlands
    • SL: Flowers
  • Prepare prasadam to offer to the god
  • Make sure new cloths are ready for the couple to be offered by bride’s parents
  • Make sure new cloths are ready to offer to the bride and bridesmaid before they are leaving to her parents’ place the following day
    • SL: Saree for bridesmaid
  • Make sure new cloths are ready to offer to the close relatives of groom
    • SL: new cloths for close relatives

Reception

Sonika MadalaLeave a comment

2017-01-23_11-09-39

This process involves new couple receiving the blessing from groom’s relatives, and family members.  New couple is asked to cut cake (optional) and exchange the garlands on the stage. Attendees are offered with food (lunch) after reception.

A day before this event, the groom’s family will invite their family and friends (mostly ladies) to participate in the event.

Preparations & Shopping Checklist:

  • Invite relatives from the both the families to attend the ceremony
  • Arrange food for guests
  • Prepare Akshinthalu
  • Make sure cake, garlands are ready
    • Shopping List: Cake, Garlands

Vegetable Omelet

Sonika MadalaLeave a comment

Vegetable omelet is a healthy snack and will not increase your glucose levels. You can have one or two Omelets per day. I used to have it in the breakfast or as a snack in the evening.

Recipe:

Beat the eggs and add the veggies. Add salt and chili powder mix it well. Your omelet mix is ready.

Ingredients:

  • Eggs – 2
  • Salt – ½ tea spoon
  • Chilli powder – 1/4 tea spoon
  • Frozen vegetable mix (carrots, beans, green peas) – ½ cup
  • Chopped tomatos – ¼ cup
  • Chopped onions – ¼ cup

Ragi Idli / Ragi Dosa

Sonika Madala1 Comment
Thank you for sharing the pic Sneha Malladi

The regular idli dosa made of urad dal with rice are rich in carbohydrates and increases the glucose in the blood. Here is the alternative to please your taste buds. Ragi batter is one of the easiest recipes with which you can make both idli and dosa. They go well with Peanut Chutney. You can have 2-3 idlies or 1-2 dosas for breakfast or dinner.

Recipe:

Soak one cup of urad dal for 6-8 hours. Rinse the soaked dal with clean water and grind it to a smooth paste in a blender. Add two cups of Ragi Flour to the batter and mix it well. You can add water to get the desired consistency. Leave the batter overnight (10-12 hours) for fermentation in the oven. Add salt to the fermented batter and mix it well. Voila! Your batter is ready for dosa/idli. It usually takes 20-25 minutes to steam these idlies on medium heat (just like regular idlies).

Sprinkle some chopped onions and grated carrot on to your dosa to make it more healthier and look colourful. As you know, carrots are rich in fiber.

Ingredients:

  • Urad Dal – 1 Cup
  • Ragi Flour – 2 cups
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon

Pesarattu Recipe (Moong dal dosa)

Sonika MadalaLeave a comment

Pesarattu is a real life saver for the people who have Gestational Diabetes (GD). It keeps you full for longer and you won’t feel like you are on any aggressive diet. I used to have two dosas with peanut chutney  either for breakfast or dinner. My glucose levels were always under control with this simple recipe.

Recipe:

Soak one cup of moong dal for 6-8 hours. Remove soaked water and rinse the dal with clean water. Add some ginger, few green chilies, salt to the dal and then grind the mix to a smooth paste in your blender. Voila!  Your dosa batter is ready now.

Adding chopped onions on to your dosa is optional, but I used to add lots of chopped onions.

Ingredients:

  • Moong Dal – 1 Cup
  • Ginger – 2 inch
  • Salt – ½ table spoon
  • Green Chilies – 2 to 4