Making a Ganapathi/ganesh Idol with clay.....

 TMDs always celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with great pomp and splendor. Why not, after all Ganapathi

with his huge ears and long trunk is the in the form of a favorite animal...Elephant! Ganapathi in every

TMD home is a favorite visitor, loving modak and laadoos!

Another factor that adds interest to this festival is the buying of a new clay idol each year;

we bring him home with a 'mangalaarathi' and seat him in the 'devghar'. With equal fanfare is he also

sent away at the end of the puja. With bells ringing, we take him outside to do the 'visarjan'.

Here, in USA and other places out of India, we find it difficult to find an idol of clay that we can

do'visarjan' also. My solution to this has been make my own tiny clay Ganesha and do the visarjan.

Here is the method....

Here's how to make Ganesha from clay.

YOU WILL NEED:

1) Please buy clay making sure it is soft and mouldable. Amaco is good so are a few others....but do

ask to open the pack and check that it is soft....

2) Wooden skewers will be required..or chopsticks. Also a  few toothpicks. 2 aritificial flowers

Some decorative beads, zari, glitters etc.

3) Next spread a plastic sheet on a large working area.

Have ready  the 'phaat' on which you will place Ganesha.

4) Now you are all set to start....

METHOD:

Take some clay, knead it a little and shape like a rectangle. this is the clay 'phaat', your Ganesha will

sit on.

Place this on the wooden plank (or whatever phaat) you have ready.

 LOWER BODY: Next, take enough clay to make a ball shape in the size of a tennis ball.

Knead this a little so it is easy to shape.

Now make a round ball out of this and place on the clay rectangle.

UPPER BODY/TORSO: Now repeat the above process ONLY THE SIZE of the ball should be about

half or 3/4 the size of the first ball  you just made.

UPPER AND LOWER BODY : Place this second ball on the first one and with slightly wet fingers,

shape like the torso (upper body) of Ganesha. While doing this shape you will be JOINING the

two rounds together to form a upper and lower body of Ganesha.

Lower body will be a liitle bigger than upper body with a big stomach. If stomach looks too small

add patches of clay and make it protrude. All the while shape with moist fingers, so that no cracks

are visible.

LEGS:

Take enough clay and make two thick legs and feet. The upper leg /thigh shd be thick enough in

symmetry to the body of Ganesha.

Attach the legs to the back of Ganesha and once again mould with wet fingers. At the back, in the

center of where u attached the two legs, add a strip of clay like a 'kaccha' You would have placed

the legs like"sitting like Ganesha'.' Ganeshaaska baslaahe' गणेशास्का बस्लाहे

HANDS:

make two long shapes to shape the hands. Attach the thicker part of the hands to the top of the

second ball( the torso) on both sides..

Bring the hands to the front and and attach the upper part of the arms to the body of Ganesha.

The lower part of the arm will stand alone  (attached at the upper arm). \

SHAPE PALMS:

Shape the palm...one in a blessing posture and the other holding a laadoo or modak.

TRUNK AND HEAD:

Take clay about enough for a little bigger than tennis ball. Knead very well.

Make a round slightly longish in front

Now start shaping a short trunk to the face.

Shape ears.

Now with wet fingers, smooth the shape you have made.

ATTACHING HEAD:

Poke the skewer on to the body of Ganesha on top of the upper body. this will be on top of

where you have attached both the hands.

Place the head on to the skewer. (Make sure ur skewr is cut to the right size...it should not peek out!)

With wet fingers ease out and shape the attached neck..so no lines are visible.and it looks one piece.

TWO MORE HANDS:

Cut a skewer to 1/3. Shape the second pair of hands...just a short longish roll and poke the skewer

on the thicker part of the hands and attach with the skewer to the back of the upper body(in the back)

Repeat on other side.

Place the artificial flower in each hand.

TUSKS:

Snip off apiece of toothpick and roll some clay around and poke and place as tusks on both sides.

SNAKE:

Be sure to shape a long long snake and tie around Ganesha's waist.

CROWN:

Shape any type of crown...

MOUSE:

Shape a body, pointy face, 4 legs, and a tail!

EYES:

Place two clay dots and two lines as eyebrows..and paint black after a little dry.

Decorate Ganesha with clay or decorative beads, zari etc.   bangles, earrings, painjan, decorate his

trunk and crown or even with just a toothpick.

Add a paper panche and anga vastra. do all this while clay is still wet.

After puja,  Ganesha comes alive, you feel He is smiling!

Festivals -- Maintaining the integrity of a culture!

Thanjavur Marathi Deshasthas (TMDs) celebrate a lot of festivals. It is of significance that the TMDs maintained all their festivals and rituals without it dwindling into oblivion. Not only that, festivals are celebrated with great fervour and rituals.

We may have wondered why we have heard our parents and grandparents stress and insist on festivals should be celebrated in only a particular way and we may have looked at our friends and wondered, " How come they don't have all these rules and rituals!?"
In retrospection, I think the reason behind this compulsion to do things in a particular way was
the necessity to nurture a civilization and culture and maintain its integrity as far as possible in another place, far removed from where our ancestors came from! And this joyful burden of maintaining the integrity of our culture was passed on generation to generation...until today, we can proudly state that indeed, we have maintained our identity as 'Thanjavur' Marathi Deshasthas!

More on what festivals the TMDs celebrate and details in my next post. Do refer to http://festnfood.blogspot.com/ for details on pujas and methods.

FOOD FOR WEDDINGS AND FESTIVALS

It is indeed surprising that in spite of living years together in Tamil Nadu, where VADAI and PAAL PAYASAM is the fare for for every festival, the TMDs never adopted the vadai -payasam for their festivals.
On the other hand, both the VADAI and PAAL PAYASAM are never ever made for auspicious occasions. The Vadai is made for inauspicious ceremonies! So the paal payasam too!

A typical meal for a wedding would include TWO KOSHIMBIRIS, TWO BHAJIS, KHADI, PITLA, AMBODE, CHINCH BHATH, KHEER, RAITHA, WARAN and the sweet dish would be PURAN POLI/ SEMIYA PHENI/ CHIROTI /MAANDE etc. Besides this would be the JHANGRIS, LAADUS/ BURFIS etc.

TMDs also make a SWEET KOSHAMBRI with chanadal, sugar, elaichi and dry copra. Usually this is the second koshambri.

A specialty among the SMARTHA MARATHI DESHASTHAS from Thanjavur is the KAANDE SAMBHAR (Onion Sambhar) that is made for the JHANVAAS jevan. This is zealously avoided by the MADHWA faction of the TMDs.

Thanjavur Marathi Weddings

TMD weddings have their own fare of rituals and ceremonies with some of them being preserved customs and some adopted, and yet more observed!

Every single function would entail a "HALEDH-KUNKU" ceremony when all the married women present would be given haldhi and kumkum and sometimes arecanut with 2 betel leaves( called "VIDAACH PAAN -SUPARI") and a fruit.

Also every occasion involves an arathi performed by two married women ..SAVASHNIS
along with a song sung

A bride is called "NAVRI"and the groom is called "NAVRA"

Engagement ceremony is called "VAAKNISCHAYA"

Before the wedding preparations start, there would be a special function with at least 5 ladies, who would get together and pound the turmeric rhizome and powder it.

This function is called "HALKUND THENCHNA" As the name suggests 'pounding of turmeric rhizome'
The bride is also made to wear green bangles, which she cannot remove for one month after the marriage.

The day prior to the wedding would be "DEV-DEKH" ; also called "Deversamaradhana".
when the family "KULADEVA" or family deity is worshipped. There is also "NAANDI" ceremony when the forefathers are invited to witness the marriage and bless the couple.

That evening before the wedding day, which is the the wedding eve, are two functions.

The first of these functions is "MOOL PHANA" . MOOL means girl and PHANA means 'seeing' so this is basically "girl seeing" . However, this is honoring of the bride by the groom's parents.

Mool Phana

 

The bride is given decorative , artistic gifts, pleasing to the eye; she is offered all the 16 shringaar samaan.... The groom's mother ritually 'dresses' her up offering cosmetics and a saree, jewelry etc.

The second function is "JHANVAAS". Here the groom is honored by the bride's parents. He is offered clothes, some jewelry etc. He too is offered eye pleasing decorative gifts and 'laadus' and sweetmeats.

Following this would be a formal introduction of the both families with "Bhukka powder"

After the function is a grand "JHANVAASACHA JEVANA" which is a grand dinner!

The wedding day begins with a ritual "abhyanga" performed for the bride and parents and the groom and his parents separately. Oil applied and an arathi performed followed by the oil bath.

The bride is dressed in a yellow saree and the groom in a yellow dhothi. Originally this saree and dhothi would be cotton cloth soaked in Haldhi (Turmeric). A lot of flowers would adorn the bride's head and two limes hung from 2 sides. A special type of kunku adorns her forehead...it is shaped like a vertical line with a small half "U" that cuts the  line.

Here some people have the custom of "MADHUPARKACHA JEVAN" whereby the groom is fed "doodh bhath" or milk, sugar and rice.
Otherwise, both the groom and bride and their respective parents do not eat any food till the marriage is over. This is because no "daan" including "kanyadaan" can be made or received after partaking food

Once dressed up the bride would perform "GAURI PUJA" this puja is performed in "mouna"(no talking by the bride).

In the meanwhile, the groom adorned with "kaajal" and wearing huge earrings made of wheat atta and haldi , carries a walking stick and wearing slippers heads for "KASHI YATRA"
Ironically, he is supposed to be saying he does not want to get married but wants to go on a pilgrimage to Kaashi!

While he thus heads for Kaashi, the bride's father approaches him, even as simultaneously the bride's brother holds an umbrella to the groom's head, and "pleads" with him not to go to Kaashi but to marry his daughter.
Not surprisingly, the groom agrees and they all give him new clothes and march him back to the marriage hall!

The next important step is the "ANTHARPAT". Interestingly, this has to be done in the "muhurth" time frame. Antharpat is the holding of a white or turmeric dipped cloth in front of the groom just as the bride is brought by her maternal uncle and aunt (mama and mami) to the marriage hall.
The antharpat continues as the bride takes her stand in front of the groom
Both cannot see each other as the cloth is held firm by two people. The bride and groom hold akshata in their hands to sprinkle on each other soon as the antharpat is off.

Antharpat

While the bride and groom wait thus in anticipation, the priest and the ladies assembled sing songs inviting all the gods, nature, the rivers, mountains and so on to witness the wedding..."saava dhaan"

Finally the curtain is off and as the bride and groom get to see each other amidst applause and all assembled sprinkle akshatha on them.

Then the "KANYADAAN" takes place. The bride's parents hand over or give daana of their daughter along with betel leaves, coconut, supari and dakshina to the groom.

Kanyadaan

 

Next is the elaborate "KANKANA". For this, a large ball of twine is soaked in milk and haldi by the priest. All married couples close to the family are called up on stage and form a huge circle. This ball of twine is passed on around few times until it makes two strong binding strings, one for the bride and other for the groom.

The groom then ties this on the bride's left hand and the bride on the groom's right hand.

This "Kankana" is very symbolic in displaying the strength of the bond of the husband and wife.

Following this is the tying of "MANGALASUTRA" . Prior to tying the Mangalasutra, it is placed on a coconut , sanctified with haledh and kunku and taken around to be blessed by the savashni women.

This is followed by showering each other with handfuls of yellowed rice grains.

Tying of the mangalasutra culminates the marriage though there are other functions following.
Putting of the "Jodvi" or toe rings by the groom on the bride's toes, while she stands royally.

Then the vedic part of the marriage ceremony includes the ' SAPTAPADI' (circumambulation) of the sacrificial fire seven times. Each circle represents a given promise between the husband and wife to support, nurture and love each other through the various steps of life. At the end of the Saptapadi, the bride and groom are taken to be shown the Pole star or Arundhati . This is to symbolise to them..as the pole star follows the moon, so should the wife follow the husband!

This is followed by "LAJA HOMA" where the bride's brother offers popped grain to the fire. This about concludes the marriage.

This is followed by a grand "Jevana" for all. Five banana leaves are arranged together , decorated with rangoli and candles for the bride and groom .

The afternoon or post wedding functions though dispensed with in most households still needs a mention as all customs need to be included in this.

There is the "NAAGOLI" with the decorated colored pots. "Rukhout" refers to the silver etc. given to the bride by her parents.

"GRIHAPRAVESH" is when the bride wears a nine yard saree, and dresses like the goddess Lakshmi and enters the groom's house for the first time.

Grihapravesh

 

A silver cup filled with rice is kept at the entrance and as the bride enters to the singing of 'Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma'; she gently topples the cup with her right foot, thus splattering the grains .
This is symbolic of the bride entering her husband's house like the very Goddess Lakshmi and the splattering of rice grains symbolises the rush of wealth that she will bring to the house.
The bride then gives haledh kunku and vida to all present and "SOOP VANA" (Maruda bagina in Kannada) to 5 married ladies.
This is the time she gives "SOOP VANA" to her own mother, as she now belongs to another family.


"SOON MUKH PHANA" refers to the bride being accepted by the groom's parents and his relatives.

Finally is the "NISHAAK MUHURTH" referring to the consummation of the marriage.

The next day is "VYAAHYANCHA GHARCHA JEVANA" refering to the meal hosted by the groom's family.

Various Occasions in a Thanjavur Marathi Deshastha Household

The Naming Ceremony is called "BARSA"

The Tonsure ceremony for a baby is called " Jawla"

The Sacred Thread Ceremony is called " Munj"

Engagement Ceremony is called "Nischayathaarth"

Housewarming is called "Grihapravesh"

Marriage is called "Waraad"

In the seventh month of pregnancy, a special function is done in her parent's house called "Sreemanth"

"Atangul" is a special function held in in-laws house. ATANGUL means EIGHT FINGERS. In the month this is held, it is believed the baby would have developed 8 fingers!

Birthdays are called "UJALA DIVAS" which precisely translates to "birth day"

More later....