Adishaya Pondugal

[Ajay]

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There is a ceremony in my family done on auspicious days like weddings/upanayanam. It is called Adishaya Pondugal. I read somewhere that only a specific subsect of the Brahacharanam group have this ceremony. Can anyone give more details about the same?

 

[Nacchinarkiniyan]

I think this is another name for Mangli/Sumangali Pondugal. You can find details here

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/f...s/5293-sumangali-prarthanai-and-pondugal.html

Since that is a pondugal site, you can post there also.

 

[Ramaa]

I have never heard of 'adhisaya' pondugal. They are referred to as Mangali Pondugal or Sumangali Praarthanai.

 

[vijisesh]

Generally , before any auspicious occasion in the family , like marriages , poonals etc,
there is a culture of the womenfolk in the family to gather and conduct the mangali pondugal , which is to seek the blessings of all the sumangali predecessors to make this function a success and keep the women sumangali's.
In our custom , the women always want to reach their ends as sumangali's - Their contract will be over then !
But I remember my grandpa complaining , she left me without even teaching me to make coffee ! Oh How many grandpa's in our community feel deserted this way , thanks to the blessings of the sumangali's !!
They cannot , at this stage find comfort by the service of their daughter-in-laws, grandchildren as they miss the spoon feeding that their spouses provided !
That's my take on Pondugal - right or wrong ???

 

[Ajay]

Thanks for your replies. But what I am referring to is an obscure ceremony that is part of only very few families. In this function, on the day of the wedding/poonal, 5 married women, 1 widowed woman and 1 brahmachari are given the food before everybody else. What happens is that they are served all items and then asked to move away from the leaf and then the eldest lady of the house calls them back and they have their food. It seems only one sect of Brahacharanam do this function. I wanted to know which sect.Can u help me out.

 

[Ramaa]

This function that is referred to is a combo of sumanglis and dhaayaathis. Actually you have to have 5 dhaayaathis. I have seen both Brihacharanams and Vadamaals do this. I do not know if the other sects of smaarthaas do this or not. I would be happy to know.

 

[Brahmanyan]

Adisaya Pondugal

While discussing about this subject I wish to inform a detailed account on the traditional procedures and food to be cooked for "Sumangali Prarthanai" which is also known as "Pondugal" is given by Mrs. S.Meenakshi Ammal in her famous book "Samaithupaar" Vol.3. She has covered every aspect of this function in detail which I am sure will be of great help to the modern generation.

 

[N.R.Ranganathan]

Adishaya pondugal

Ajay,

This is quite interesting. This is not sumangali prarthanai, I am sure.
Why don't you find out from your family priest ( sastrigal ) about this ?
We are equally curious to know what it is !

 

[niharika]

adisaya pondugal

hi,

even i also heard about this pondugal. actually my mother in law from tirunelveli district once told about this. i did not show any interest which gothram is following the same. next time when i talk to her i will let you know.
regards
niharika

Thanks for your replies. But what I am referring to is an obscure ceremony that is part of only very few families. In this function, on the day of the wedding/poonal, 5 married women, 1 widowed woman and 1 brahmachari are given the food before everybody else. What happens is that they are served all items and then asked to move away from the leaf and then the eldest lady of the house calls them back and they have their food. It seems only one sect of Brahacharanam do this function. I wanted to know which sect.Can u help me out.

 

[ganappa]

pondugal

this pondugal function will be done by brahacharanam and it is anice done to see these girls hanging bangles in their hand during thier function it is nice to see.

 

[Akila]

Adisaya Pondugal

Adisaya Pondugal

This Pondugal is done after Weddings, Seemantham and Upanayanam by a particular sect of Brahmins....Unlike the Sumangali Prathanai where the function is done by only Sumangalis in this adisaya Pondugal, there are 5 sumangalis 1 bramhachai boy and 1 old widow lady……. It is done on the same day of the function or the day after (depending on the circumstances )….As in the other pondugal,…they are served the food first and then only the others eat……. After they have the food….. they bless the family members……

There is a story behind the Adisaya Pondugal...

 

[Akila]

Adisaya Pondugal

This Pondugal is done after Weddings, Seemantham and Upanayanam by a particular sect of Brahmins....Unlike the Sumangali Prathanai where the function is done by only Sumangalis in this adisaya Pondugal, there are 5 sumangalis 1 bramhachai boy and 1 old widow lady……. It is done on the same day of the function or the day after (depending on the circumstances )….As in the other pondugal,…they are served the food first and then only the others eat……. After they have the food….. they bless the family members……

There is a story behind the Adisaya Pondugal...

Adisaya Pondugal

There is a story behind the Adisaya Pondugal...


There was a Mother in law and she had 5 daughter in laws…..She was very cruel to them and didn’t give them proper food….She made them starve or fed them not good food…..Once the Mother in law went to the next town….The daughter in laws thought this was a good opportunity and prepared nice food for themselves…..They had set everything right and when they were about to have there food,…….heard someone knock at the door……they opened the door and it was a old widow lady in the neighborhood…they decided to serve the old widow lady also and again they heard someone knock at the door…it was a Bramhachari boy ……now they called him also for lunch….,and again there was a knock…and this time it was the Mother In Law herself…she didn’t go the town and returned back….. When the daughter in laws saw their MIL…they had the shock of their life and in fear of how she will react…these 5 of them became invisible and became “Devathais” ….the Mother in law didn’t know what was happening… then the old widow lady and the boy made her realize how cruel she was…..the MIL realized her mistakes and then she clapped her hands and said” Enna irunthalum Vandhu Sapitungo” then daughter in laws said that now they cant come back ….But they will come for Functions and bless them …that’s the reason its done after Weddings, Seemantham and Upanayanam .......and its a belief that they came in the roopam of these ladies and have the food and bless the famly...


Please correct me if I am wrong....

 

[Akila]

Adisaya Pondugal

Most important thing about this function is that it shld not be seen by the newly wed couple and pregnant ladies......

 

[Akila]

Adisaya Pondugal

Generally followed by "Melagu Brahacharnam" people..

 

[malligai]

hi to all of u,
What Ajay says is right. Performing this adhisaya pondugal was a regular practice in my granny's (maternal) - so she and all her co-sisters used to perform this after every wedding / poonal etc. We also belong to Brahacharanam Sect. The story given is perfect. Whenever I used to question my paatti about this, I used to be told the same story. My maternal family hails from Govindarajapuram Village in Palakkad.

Any way while googling only I came across this site and think this would be a nice forum to exchange lots.

Malligai, new member just registered

 

[Ajay]

Thank u very much - The story as told by Ms.Akila is as told by me gandmother and mother. U said is is performed by the "Melagu Brahacharnam" people..
Does anyone have any idea whcih is the ancestral village of these people - id like to know it so that we could visit the place.