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South Indian Mamas And Mamis-past And Present

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by jayasala42, May 20, 2017.

  1. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Doree.Thank you for the nice response.When there is only boring routine of preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner, cleaning and washing, we tend to create diversions.
    In those days mamis were busy for two months in what was known as 'kolaatta jothra' in October before the start of rains.My Amma born in 1903, was very good in composing traditional wedding songs tinged with humour and kavadi Chindhus in praise of Goddess and Muruga. Girls/mamis were categorized into age groups ,just as they do for Vijay singer competitions and they were taught to dance along with kolattam.Various places were decorated with pandal and under each pandal a group of girls/mamis/pattis dressed in their best attire will dance.The programme will start at 5 P. M and proceed upto 8 or 9 P. M.
    Just like Dec season in Madras, women used to start preparations almost a year in advance.
    The highlight of the programme was the kolaattam by young and old widows .Normally they never came out of the back veranda at home.This was an occasion for them to give vent to their emotions.Mostly the songs centred around the function of attaining puberty, wedding and the most unfortunate event of widowhood.Songs from Ramayana relating to the death of Dasaratha, vali and Ravana were aptly modified for the occasion.Usually this particular programme by widows were held in a particular corner after 7P. m.There would be a huge gathering appreciating the individual talents,regretting their inability to extricate themselves from age old practices.I know how those mamis/pattis were longing to come out and perform for a single day in a year.
    I am very glad that those tortures are over now.Yet the superstition reg the inauspiciousness of widowhood continues even among some educated women till today.All our scientific knowledge has failed to educate them.
     
    Doree likes this.
  2. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

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    Js maam simply made me giggle and smile because i live in the conservative yet us/uk/ aus shuttling maami area..who take puliyodarai and curd rice for the flight.

    The dying the hair colors of red and browns maami, referring her ipad for sloka maami, madisAar with armani shades and gucci bag maami, freezer bagla batshanam packing maamis, bringing return gifts for navarathri from us and uk maamis..online grocery shopping, avakaai and mavadu kooda avocado, strawberries, kale and aspharagus ...eeayai sombu and cast iron tawa and mw

    Pradakshinams with discussions of whose kids is where. Kumon or spelling bee winners. Sai bajan or lalitha sahasranamam gang.. accho The list can go on..

    Revenge of the maaami's sema coinage pongo..
     
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  3. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shanvy,
    The mamis are getting bigger viswaroopam in the hands of Ilites.So nice of you to have widened the horizon of mamis.I think that their elasticity does go on expanding limitlessly and the expansion is spread over all directions.
    For those born during 1940s the difference is mind bogging.Are we capable of such a marvellous transformation ?There seems to be positives and negatives on this fast progress.Perhaps we need another snippet to discuss about this.

    Jayasala 42
     
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  4. Agatha83

    Agatha83 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Jayasala,

    After a lady has crossed 70 years, I feel it would be more appropriate to call her Patti rather than Maami. But nowadays with many Pattis' colouring their hair with Wella, Revlon or L'Oréal, it is difficult to guess their age. The best part of such Pattis is their agility and expertise in navigating the Chennai roads in a scooty with absolute confidence and an additional responsibility- pillion riding DH. My vote goes to the madisar Maami, showing off her turmeric smeared ankle, riding her way to the Flour Mill, in her hawai Chappal, holding a whole lot of containers with pulses to be ground. A mix of modern technology and traditional!A nice, breezy style of writing!

    Agatha83
     
  5. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Agatha,
    So nice of you to have responded.Being in Chennai we are able to appreciate the madisar mami going to the flour mill and the same madisar mami visiting a beauty parlour for pedicure and other treatments.
    It is simply amazing.

    Jayasala 42
     
  6. PushpavalliSrinivasan

    PushpavalliSrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Jaya,
    Though I was also brought up in an agraharam enjoyed reading your post from beginning to end

    As you have said now it is the time of mamis and the mamas had accepted it gracefully. Yet there are still some old generation men who want to show their authority as they can't accept the change.

    PS
     
  7. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you Pushpa.In those good old days, all the houses had thinnais and any by passer could sit and take rest.Now security is at risk.All the thinnais are covered with grills or bamboo shafts.I am unable to identify our own house in the village.As you say, some men are under the spell of 'J'-( Jealousy) and they cannot digest seeing their better halves appreciated as 'really better' and more intelligent than themselves.But many men do accept the reailty or pretend to accept, just to avoid controversies.
    But who cares?
    Jayasala 42
     
  8. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    What a delightful read! I can imagine the Mami's described expertly navigating the subway, and more.. and the Mami who pretty much runs the show at grand-daugther's Arangetram in phoren, with moms among the guests gathering valuable tips from her.

    What would be a one word or two word English counterpart of "Shrimat Gambeeram"? Male ego? I googled it, this post turns up as the first result. : )
     
  9. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Rihana,
    Thank you for the response.
    Yes, you may not find an expression as 'Shrimat gambiram' anywhere.Yes. it refers to 'male ego' as you have rightly guessed and very often used during fixing of matrimonial alliances in our household.The boys' father ( sambandhi) is normally stated to possess shrimat gambeeram when he speaks highly of himself, his family and his son's achievements.I have used an expression which was so common in our district, yet unfamiliar to many.

    Jayasala 42
     
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  10. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    The mamis never tire of flaunting their NRI offspring. They virtually wear them on sleeves. Mamas don't shout from rooftops about this. They take it in their stride. But ye mamis of yore haven't disappeared totally. Or the new breed of mamis find that the mamis of yesteryears emerge from deep within them on some occasions. These mamis are a nuisance, particularly at music concerts, where they discuss their saris, jewels and bad mouth the DILs. Outwardly they might have changed but still scratch them a bit and you will find a mid-20th century mami.
     

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