<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Sep 19 2007, 08:39 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Sep 19 2007, 08:39 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->I know in north India they do Kanchedan ceremony (piercing of ears) at 3 or 5 yrs. Now it is only for girls.[right][snapback]73347[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->It's common in the South too, although, until now, I never heard what the ceremony was called. In the South too, boys and girls have their ears pierced for this when they are infants. My dads and uncles and granddads have it, some of my cousins too. (And of course all the women without exception.) Don't know how long they will keep piercing boys' ears, it might have become less fashionable after the British, but I think earrings look beautiful on everyone.
As you have remarked, it is Hindu.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I think piercing is based on local traditions, nothing to do with religion. Itâs to look beautiful.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->In TN it is very much part of Hindu tradition, my aunt was explaining the significance of this to my sister when presenting her with some nosestuds. A little sad now that I was not listening attentively to what she was saying, but there was lots to do for everyone and I was kept busy.
Many a thing that I had earlier taken to be ornamentation turned out to be Hindu. Often they are worn in express imitation of Uma or Lakshmi. And these might even be Shastric from what I think I overheard.
#103:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As per the ritual, there should be sixteen different "marks of a married woman".<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Toe rings. Kungumam on forehead (or any red pottu/bindi) and in the hair parting. And I also think the ear studs had something to do with this (gold or shiny, sometimes diamond - passed down from some generations back, so don't worry, these are not blood diamonds from Africa).
In some cases 9 yard saree is included, but not everyone seems to do this or maybe it is a local custom? Don't know that much about weddings myself, complicated stuff.
Post 102 - Ramana:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Have you gone to the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and the Kanya Kumari temple?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Answer is Yes to visiting Meenakshi (and her Sundareshwara). But I don't remember whether my parents ever took me to see Kanya Kumari when I was a pup - in any case, I've no recollection of having seen her. (Other than in pictures of paintings of her.)
Post 104 - Bharatvarsh:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->the women do wear the toe ring signifying their married status, <b>my mom wears it</b>, they are called "mettelu" in Telugu.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->That's what I mean!
In Ramayanam, when Hanuman brings back Sita's jewels as identification that he spoke to the right lady (as opposed to a pretender planted by Ravana), Rama - pained by the reminder of his separation from Sita and her plight - asks Lakshmana to look through the items. Lakshmana recognises they are Sita's when he sees her toe rings: he only ever focused on her feet because he was used to bowing to her everyday (I think this was because, as wife of his elder brother, Lakshmana considered her like a mother).
<... cutting out the obvious intermediate steps in this proof that any toddler can do ...>
And so it follows from the above, your mother is Sita (Lakshmi). Q.E.D. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
As you have remarked, it is Hindu.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I think piercing is based on local traditions, nothing to do with religion. Itâs to look beautiful.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->In TN it is very much part of Hindu tradition, my aunt was explaining the significance of this to my sister when presenting her with some nosestuds. A little sad now that I was not listening attentively to what she was saying, but there was lots to do for everyone and I was kept busy.
Many a thing that I had earlier taken to be ornamentation turned out to be Hindu. Often they are worn in express imitation of Uma or Lakshmi. And these might even be Shastric from what I think I overheard.
#103:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As per the ritual, there should be sixteen different "marks of a married woman".<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Toe rings. Kungumam on forehead (or any red pottu/bindi) and in the hair parting. And I also think the ear studs had something to do with this (gold or shiny, sometimes diamond - passed down from some generations back, so don't worry, these are not blood diamonds from Africa).
In some cases 9 yard saree is included, but not everyone seems to do this or maybe it is a local custom? Don't know that much about weddings myself, complicated stuff.
Post 102 - Ramana:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Have you gone to the Meenakshi temple in Madurai and the Kanya Kumari temple?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Answer is Yes to visiting Meenakshi (and her Sundareshwara). But I don't remember whether my parents ever took me to see Kanya Kumari when I was a pup - in any case, I've no recollection of having seen her. (Other than in pictures of paintings of her.)
Post 104 - Bharatvarsh:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->the women do wear the toe ring signifying their married status, <b>my mom wears it</b>, they are called "mettelu" in Telugu.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->That's what I mean!
In Ramayanam, when Hanuman brings back Sita's jewels as identification that he spoke to the right lady (as opposed to a pretender planted by Ravana), Rama - pained by the reminder of his separation from Sita and her plight - asks Lakshmana to look through the items. Lakshmana recognises they are Sita's when he sees her toe rings: he only ever focused on her feet because he was used to bowing to her everyday (I think this was because, as wife of his elder brother, Lakshmana considered her like a mother).
<... cutting out the obvious intermediate steps in this proof that any toddler can do ...>
And so it follows from the above, your mother is Sita (Lakshmi). Q.E.D. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->