Given by: Chithra Viswanathan

Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Valaikappu & Seemantham – Explained in English Fonts

Given by:

திருமதி. சித்ரா விஸ்வநாதன்

Presented by

IndusLadies.com

Web: www.indusladies.com
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

Valaikappu & Seemantham

Valaikappu:

Valaikappu is performed either on the fifth or the seventh month of

pregnancy. This is calculated from the month of the last periods.
Usually this ceremony is performed in the girl's parental home. If it is
performed along with the Seemantham, then, it is usually performed in
the sixth or the eighth month.

It would be ideal if the Suklapaksha panchami (the fifth day after the
new moon) is a suitable day as per the star of the girl. This is the most
preferred. The girl should have a head bath in the morning. It is
customary to adorn her with 9 yard saree and then arrange bangles.
In some families, the girl is made to wear the saree specifically bought
for Valaikappu.

In olden days, it was customary to buy a black saree for the masakai.
These days, they buy it for Valaikappu. So, it is all upto ones
preference and convenience.

Light a lamp next to a wooden plank on which kolam is drawn and

then, keep a tray ready with betel leaves, betel nuts, turmeric, fruits,
sugar and sugar candy (kalkandu).

Seat the girl facing east on the wooden plank.

If the sister-in-law (the girl's husband's sister) is available, make her

garland the girl.

In some families, the Valaichatti (bangle vendor) is asked to arrange

Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

the bangle on the girl's hand. That day, he is considered equivalent to

the girl's mama (maternal uncle). Otherwise, the girl's mother arranges
the bangles in one hand and the mother-in-law in the other hand. If
both elders are not available at that time, any elderly person can
arrange the bangles in the girl's hand.

To start with, keep aside 5 green bangles and 5 red bangles in front of
the God for the Kula Deivam (family deity) and then for the amman in
the temple. In some families, if there are young girls who passed away
even before obtaining puberty; it is customary to keep aside bangles in
their remembrance.

Arrange odd number of bangles in the left hand and even number of
bangles in the right hand (14, 15 - 21, 22).

First Neem leaf kaapu should be arranged, followed by gold and silver
kappu. Try to arrange a thin anklet kind of bangle or Arakku bangle at
the end to prevent the other bangles from gliding out.

When the girl gets up from the plank, ask her to perform one
namaskaram common to all elders in the sabai.

In the same plank, it is customary to arrange bangles to another

married woman without issues. This is called maru-manai.

After this, it is customary to perform Etri-Irakkudhal.

Fill a large measuring tumbler (padi) with paddy (nellu) and top it with
a small lamp which is lit.

Place a silver coin each on the girl's head, 2 shoulders, 2 palms, 2

feets, stomach and hip. And then 5 sumangali's one after the other
should give the keep sandalwood and kumkumam in the forehead,
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

nalangu in the leg, flower in the hair and then with the measuring
tumbler from head to toe perform the ethi irakkudhal. Then perform
harathi.

It is customary to give bangles to all the woman who is attending the

ceremony.

5 kinds of sweet/savouries are to be made. Besides a pair or paruppu

thengai, varupayaru (Pori kollu or varavarisi), thiratti pal, a savory and
another sweet can be made.

It is customary to give varupayaru along with betel leaf to all the

attendees.

For the food, chitranam is to be cooked. When the girl sits down to
eat, a young boy and a young girl is made to sit on her lap and a little
of the rice varieties are given in an appalam to her.

In the evening, the girl can be seated in a manai and ladies can sing.
This is upto the individual's convenience.

To the mother-in-law or any other relatives from the in-laws' side

attending, money and blouse bit is given. It is upto individual's
capability.

Seemantham:

This is usually performed on the sixth or the eighth month of

pregnancy and is usually performed in the husband's place. Choose an
auspicious day and start it with mangala snanam.
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

If Valaikappu is performed on the same day, perform valaikappu early

in the morning.

It is customary to buy a 9 yard saree for Mooku Pizhidhal ceremony.

But, these days, some people think the koora pudavai is good enough.
It is upto the individual's choice.

A vadyar (priest) is required for this. Homam is performed and Udaya

Shanthi is chanted. This water is poured on the girl's head later.
Banyan and agathi-keerai buds are placed in a ural and are asked to
be ground by Kanya girls (young girls yet to attain puberty) saying
"Aambalai petha, pombalai petha". The ground mixture is placed in the
new saree and knotted and squeezed into the girl's nose. A red cloth
called 'Thombu thuni' may also be bought and used for this purpose.
The girl children who ground the buds should be rewarded with gifts.

From the girl's parents' side, a 9 yard saree for the girl and a silk dhoti
and uthareeyam for the boy is usually bought. A silk mattress (pattu
pai), kudam, kuthu vilakku are also bought. Including paruppu
thengai, 5 different varieties of bakshanam are kept as the girl's
parental side seer. Thirattipal, murukku, athirasam or appam are a
must. My MIL used to say that murukku and thirattipal are 'sutrodum
suzhaiyodum serndha bakshanangal'.

For Seemantham, the Etri-irakkudhal is performed in the husband's

house and the achutham is sprinkled at the end. For food, White
pumpkin kootu is prepared. While eating, the girl's sister-in-law
should sit next to her and place a little kootu in the girl's mouth and
say "Poo" in her right ears. It is ok to do this, only if it is a practice in
the family.

From the girl's parental side, betel leaf, betel nut, fruits and flowers
Given by: Chithra Viswanathan
Website: www.IndusLadies.com
Type: Functions

are to be brought. In the evening, the Naathanar Poochoottal is

performed. This is a ceremony performed by the sister-in-law for her
brother's wife. The reciprocation of the Poochootal respects for the
nathanaar is done by either the girl's parents or in-laws.

In some families, it is customary to do appam, kozhakattai madiyil

kattaradhu. For this, appam and kozhakattai are made and the
mother-in-law keeps it in a plaintain leaf and places in the daughter-
in-law's lap and says "Naan suttu tharen, nee pethu thadiyamma" and
ties it in the pallu of the girl's saree. The girl should perform
namaskaram for all elders without untying it! In the boy's house, ethir
seer is done to respect the seer from the girl's parents.

If the girl is to be taken to the parent's house the very next day for
delivery, then the auspiciouness of the day need not be considered. To
the girl leaving to her parents' place for delivery, the mother-in-law
gives coconut(unpeeled from the outer shell/mattai thengai) along
with thamboolam, places a neem leaf in her hair and blesses the girl
saying 'Urundu thirandu, pethu pizhaithu vadiyamma'.