Grihapravesham / Housewarming

My brother bought a new house and has been getting it ready for moving in. But when his present landlord said that he would have to move out by 10 September, my mom was pushed to get a good date for moving into the new place.

Astrologer was contacted. The priest was called and date was fixed.

The day before Tiruvonam - Uthradom. September 7, 2022.

There was hardly 2 -3 weeks to plan and organise!

My sister-in-law was given a list of things to buy and the phone connect between Thrissur (where my parents stay) and Bangalore (where my brother is) just reached new levels!!

Many things got transported (things my brother did not have and what my mother felt he might not have at home) from Thrissur by road. 

Most phone calls were abrupt.....Most were questions with yes/no answers!!

“Will there water be connected?”

“Is the gas stove new? What about the gas connection?”

“Has the caterer been called? Menu fixed?”

“Do you want the podavai*?”

(*18 yard transitional tam bram woman’s outfit worn during pooja.)

“Should we bring the coconut with kudumi? What about mango leaves?”

“What should I buy - green unripe or ripe bananas?”

Then came the invite section. Whom to call? Should it be a ‘small’ function (by Indian standards 50 and just ‘close’ people are called) or should we extend the circle and call more?

Vinu and his wife Sajna were doing the last minute work amaking the apartment their own, but the workers proved to have under estimated the time required.

They started doubting if they could really move in on September 7.

As per our Iyer tradition 2 nights of stay is mandatory after the gruhapravesham.

My mother-in-law always says that a house warming must never be done to a fully occupational home as this would attract the evil-eye. When I reminded my mother of this, she felt better.

After all this hulla-bulla, Banglaore weather went for a toss. Like clockwork, every evening at 7 pm, the clouds burst open and the Indian Silicon Valley became flooded.

My husband started getting jittery and ‘advised’ us to not travel. My friend, Nimmy, gave me confidence to travel and we landed at 'namma ooru' Bangalooru the day before the pooja.

Sajna met us for lunch and seemed out of breath.

Vinu could come only during dinner and he quite jovially said that the newly fit RO filter developed problems and the furniture is coming a day late.. that meant during the pooja time!

My mother just wanted to reach the apartment and see for herself. She wanted to sweep, swab and put kolam. 

Next morning, one set of people reached the apartment at 6.45 am.

My daughter, dad and I reached by 7 am.

Pooja preparations were going on in full swing.

Ananya and I were given the task of putting Mavillai thoranam. Hanging mango leaves at the entrance. There was no nails, so we used thick cellophane tape.

We hung the flowers on the door, under the able and forceful guidance of Shantikka.😜

Then came moving tables and arranging flowers here, there, everywhere. Soon my mama came with mami and his grand daughter Aadya.

By the time the priest came, there was some order.

Priest’s name is Guruvayurappan from Palakkad. Settled in Bangalore for 30+ years. I had to ask his age, to find out if I could ‘boss’ him like a proper elder sister could! No. He was older.

Assistant Narayanan mama is from Guruvayur. And his sister lives in Thrissur.

In between this chit chat I became a sort-of-assistant and ‘arranged’ fruits. (Sajna had bought cart loads of fruits!)

The silver pot became a kalasham, with cotton thread, filled with jalam (water) and mango leaves topped with coconut.

Do you know what this represents? A miniature perfect human body - the all knowing Brahman. The tufted coconut is the head. The mango leaves the nadi or nerves. The pot the body. Water is the energy store. All the positives energy generated by the pooja is stored in this water.

The big ash gourd was cut, filled with kumkum and a face was drawn on it. 

It was time to start the functions. Vinu and Sajna changed into the traditional - anga vastram and Pudavai.

               

I loved that Guruvayurappan mama insisted everyone participate in all the functions and not be mere audience. All of us took turns in lighting the lamps.. starting with Sajna. Even the men folk lit the the lamps!

(My Mother)

                         

(My Mama, Sri.Ananthakrishnan)

(Sajna's Father, Sri.Sreenivasan)

(My cousin's husband, Dr.V.Ganeshan, Chennai)

(My father, Sri.V.Parameswaran)

(Our family beauty, my cousin,Shanthi akka)

(My daughter, Ananya)

(Sajna's Mother, Smt.Geetha)

(My Mami, Smt.Seetha Ananthakrishnan)

Then he made Vinu and Sajna garland each other.

All of us were given vessels filled with auspicious things to hold and were marched out of the apartment.

 

Amid Vedic chants we entered the new home with our right foot and wound our way through different rooms including the kitchen like a human chain and placed our articles at the designated spot.

(This is my niece, Aadya..... She decided her pants are passé )

Time for pooja to start. All the elders blessed the new home owners.

First was invocation of Vigneshwara for warding off obstacles. 

The Navagrahas were invoked next.
Then go-pooja. Go = Cow. Cows are so important for us Hindus and Guruvayurappan mama was sad that he couldn’t bring a cow and calf to the apartment. He made do with a small brass effigy.

Since we are shaivites or followers of Shiva, he also chanted Shiva-Ashtotharam, which we recited after him.

Lakshmi archanai with kumkum was done.

All of us were called to do aarathy.

And my mother insisted the maids too join us.

After the deeparadhana…

Homam started......

Ganapathy gayatri (Ekadanthaya vidhmahe, vakratundaaya dheemahi, thanno dhanthi prajothayaath) was chanted 108 times and everyone added “arukkam pullu” with kozhakattai, appam, pori and coconut into the holy fire. 

Boiling milk is the most important part of the whole house warming ceremony - paalu kaachal. For this a new vessel is bought, washed and cleaned properly and decorated.

Everyone was again invited to pour ladles of milk into the vessel.

The kitchen was decorated with kolam and flowers. Goddess Annapurna was also present!

Fire was taken from the homa-kundam and Vinu led Sajna who was carrying the milk pot to the kitchen.

 

While waiting for the milk to boil, we had a photo shoot!😅

We sang in different pitches the most auspicious song - Seetha Kalyana vaibhogame - when the milk boiled and fell out of the vessel.

This milk was taken to the pooja place and it was offered to god as neivedyam. (Of course we added sugar!)

 

Then we all were given some to drink. When the priest said, please drink the milk facing east, there was a sudden ‘right turn’ done by the extended family!! It was funny!

By the way, did I introduce the 2 photographers? My mama and I love clicking!!

The kitchen started buzzing. As Athai, my aunt was not present, her daughter Shantikka, took upon herself the responsibility of making ‘haviss’ (undrained cooked rice) and sharkarai pongal. She is Amma’s closest friend.

This haviss was offered to Agni amid chants invoking Lord Sudarshana for prosperity and shatru samharam.The house started filling up with “holy smoke”.

Then it was time for ‘Maha mrityunjaya mantram.”

For the poornahoothi, a small yellow cloth was filled with pori, ghee and everyone was asked to add a coin.

This cloth and it’s contents were offered to the fire. Ghee was poured on top. All of us were given a chance to add ghee.

Last Vinu and Sajna did poornahoothi.🙏🏻

Sharkara pongal was ready for neivedyam.

But first Vinu and Sajna were sent with incense stick to do 3 rounds clockwise and 3 rounds anti clockwise of the house, front door and the threshold.

They came back and offered the sweet pongal to the gods. Neivedyam.

Deeparadhana was shown to the house, threshold, front door and then at the pooja place.

The pooja was getting over and we all did pradakshinam.

Since I was chanting most of the mantras with the priest, he asked me if do pooja at home. When I answered in affirmative, he asked if I say the Sudarshana mantra. I said that I recite Adithya Hrudayam everyday. He kindly said he would give upadesham to all of us of this powerful Sundarshana mantra which is great for business and removes all obstacles/enemies.

It was time to say thanks to the gods and bid them farewell. 

“Yatha sthanam pradishtapayami". 

My parents were made to garland each other!

The water from the kalasham, which was positively charged from all the prayers , was sprinkled on everyone using the mango leaves.

Time to bless the couple. New clothes and a heirloom diamond necklace was given by my parents. 

The sacred ‘raksha’ made from darba grass was given to the husbands to apply on their wife’s forehead. There’s a special way to apply it!!

Pooja over!
Sri.Guruvayurappan was given gifts in cash and kind.

Now Vinu and Sajna began a marathon session of getting individual aashirwadom from elders! They fell at every feet elder to them! Gifts were given to them.

(This is their maid, Rosy. She too gifted them.)

Remember the human face drawn ash gourd filled with kumkum? A camphor was lit on it and Narayanan mama used it to remove any evil eye. He took it outside the house and broke it into two. He put a piece on each side of the front door with some of the cooked rice.

Aarathy was taken and the functions officially ended.

More cousins with babies and school going kids came in to our great delight.

(My daughter Ananya and my nephew Rishi...He had a fever...Paavam)

(Naduvathramadom Suryanarayana Iyer Family in Bangalore!)

(with my Bangalore brothers!)

(My niece Nithya, her brother Narayanan and Aadya.

Nithya press 'submit' after answering one question in her online test and she scored 2/20.😍 

Narayanan's upanayanam was held recently and he feels 'powerful'.)

We had a great sadya to fill our stomachs.

I wish Sajna and Vinu great prosperity and a very happy peaceful life in their new home.

Om nama Shivaya.

Ernakulathappa Sharanam.