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Sumangali Prarthanai Question

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venkat2cool

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Hi,

We are planning to perform Sumangali Prarthanai at our home. I had the following questions regarding the same:


  1. There is no special function (like marriage or upanayanam) coming. We just decided to do it as it has been around two years since we did it the last time. Is it necessary that we should do Sumanali Prarthanai only around important functions. Or can we do it just like that?
  2. My cousin athai expired (as sumangali) around six months back. Is it okay if we do it during this period? Or is it advisable to wait for her first sraddham to complete?

Thanks in advance!
 
In the particular family whoose mother expired as sumangali on the next day after sratham sumangali prarthana must be done every year. In all other families whoose mother has not expired as sumangali , it is enough if they do it before special function (marriage, poonal).on selected eligible days.

Only your cousin athai's son must do every year on the next day after her sratham. no need to see eligible day to do sumangali prarthana. wait for her first sratham to complete.
 
Sumangali prarthanai is performed when there is a wedding in the family
or before an auspicious function like poonal, seemantham etc. Also it is performed
if a female family member has passed away as a Sumangali. It is rather a customary]
practice to do immediately on the next day of the Srardham. Certain periods are
chosen for this. i.e. All the months except Adi, Markazhi and Purattasi
The days chosen are Friday, Wednesday, while Monday, Thursday and Sundary are secondary.
However, it is not done on Tuesdays and Saturday. Further one can not take oil bath on
certain days viz. Ekadasi, Dvadasi, Pournami and Amavasai. Hence these days are also
not chosen. Saree to be offered other than black of 9 yards. Prior to one day of
Sumangali Prarthanai, one must hand over the materials like Oil, Shikakai and Manjal Powder
to the ladies who have been invited. Those ladies have to take oil both and come dressed
in 9 yards saree for joining the lunch which is being hosted. Unmarried Girls having
attained puberty are generally not allowed to participate in the Sumangali Prarthanai event.
Number of ladies to be invited are Seven including a Kanya girl. However, it depends on
the house practice. A mirror and a marapachi are essential for this function.
Finally one has to stand before the Swami Leaf and chant the following :
Arinjava ariyathava therinjava theriyathava ellarum vanthu saappidungo
All other things according to family practice/custom.


Balasubramanian
Ambattur
 
Sumangali Prarthanai (SP for short) is, to the best of my knowledge, done according to the beliefs and practice obtaining in each (patriarchal) family. It is therefore best to enquire about what the practices and customs are which were being adhered to in your father's family, from any elderly female member. Female members because, they are the people who usually know the minute details even.

Generally there is a belief that, if for some reason, you suddenly perform a SP, say, after a two-year gap from the previous one, then the dead female sumangali elders will expect one SP after two years in future. One should get this point also clarified from some elderly female member. (FYI, there are families in which a mottai paatti is also to be compulsorily included in the list of persons to be invited, fed, etc., and in some families they keep one naarmadi pudavai also in addition to the 9 yards pudavai, the former is gifted to the paatti.) That was why I said "follow your family practice faithfully."
 

It pains me a lot when the 'm- paatti' word is used to denote a widowed old lady. The society used to be very cruel to such people.

I am surprised to find that even in this century, this practice continues! Let us at least refer to such an ill fated lady as 'nArmadi pAtti'.

This happened about eighty years ago... A girl in her late teens became a widow and all the social cruelties were done to her. She was

forced to wear the nArmadi nine yards saree! And the gentlemen (!!) in their late forties and fifties address her as 'pAtti'!

Howzzat?
 
I want to know the procedure to conduct Sumangali Prarthana as there are no elders to teach my wife. We are Brahimn Iyers based at bangalore
 
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