MALIGNITY TOWARDS MARGAZHI
I really wonder why we consider the month ‘Margazhi” (Dhanur in Malayalam and 15th December to 14th January according to English calendar) as inauspicious. Is it a case of motiveless malignity?
Chilly winds disheveling the hair with no oppressive heat even during midday, Sun shine providing the warmth and with varieties of vegetables – pinkish carrot to olive green peas and blood red tomato available aplenty for the asking, would we not refuse to change our state with Kings? Hot tomato soup with crisp bread toast pieces soaked inside and fried jeerah to provide flavour, what a great pleasure it is to sip the soup, eyeing the darkish brown gajar halva, even while watching the TV or sharing happier moments with the family! With pleasant climate around, this month is the ideal one for travel too.
If enthusiastic crowds do Christmas shopping and sing Christmas carols melodiously, freshly bathed “Ayyappas “ in dark dothies and besmeared forehead troop to temples even while soulful rendering of Ayyappa songs stir the spiritual urge in us.
A few years back, I happened to be in Chennai for a day during this period and what a great sight it was when ladies in their morning freshness, displayed their skill in drawing “Kolams” ( Rangoli) of different designs, shades and sizes. I had also read somewhere that the great ‘Papanasam Sivan’ used to sing songs composed by him, early in the morning, going around barefooted and bare-chested, in the Mada streets of Mylapore during the whole of Margazhi. While those with ear for classical Carnatic Music would travel miles to be in ‘Music Academy’ or in the multifarious ‘Sabhas’ and go into raptures over “Swaraprastharas” , the less endowed would look for freshly fried vegetable bondas in the adjoining canteens. .
With New Year around and new-year resolutions in the making, one longs for Magazhi as one yearns for his lost love. Even Krishna pours encomiums and considers Margazhi as the brightest jewel among the twelve months.
Why do we denounce Venus as ugly? Perhaps, more enlightened readers may offer some clarifications as to why Margazhi is singled out as taboo for marriages and celebrations.
Chilly winds disheveling the hair with no oppressive heat even during midday, Sun shine providing the warmth and with varieties of vegetables – pinkish carrot to olive green peas and blood red tomato available aplenty for the asking, would we not refuse to change our state with Kings? Hot tomato soup with crisp bread toast pieces soaked inside and fried jeerah to provide flavour, what a great pleasure it is to sip the soup, eyeing the darkish brown gajar halva, even while watching the TV or sharing happier moments with the family! With pleasant climate around, this month is the ideal one for travel too.
If enthusiastic crowds do Christmas shopping and sing Christmas carols melodiously, freshly bathed “Ayyappas “ in dark dothies and besmeared forehead troop to temples even while soulful rendering of Ayyappa songs stir the spiritual urge in us.
A few years back, I happened to be in Chennai for a day during this period and what a great sight it was when ladies in their morning freshness, displayed their skill in drawing “Kolams” ( Rangoli) of different designs, shades and sizes. I had also read somewhere that the great ‘Papanasam Sivan’ used to sing songs composed by him, early in the morning, going around barefooted and bare-chested, in the Mada streets of Mylapore during the whole of Margazhi. While those with ear for classical Carnatic Music would travel miles to be in ‘Music Academy’ or in the multifarious ‘Sabhas’ and go into raptures over “Swaraprastharas” , the less endowed would look for freshly fried vegetable bondas in the adjoining canteens. .
With New Year around and new-year resolutions in the making, one longs for Magazhi as one yearns for his lost love. Even Krishna pours encomiums and considers Margazhi as the brightest jewel among the twelve months.
Why do we denounce Venus as ugly? Perhaps, more enlightened readers may offer some clarifications as to why Margazhi is singled out as taboo for marriages and celebrations.
posted by Mahadevan @ 3:15 PM
6 Comments:
At 6:34 AM,
D LordLabak said…
I like this month too. Till the time I was in Chennai, the reason was the "season" and now, its because thats the best time to travel to India (clubbing it with the holiday vacation days). have you noticed some kolams being dawn the previous night in Chennai?
At 5:50 PM,
Usha said…
It seems to me that for the agriculturing people harvest would be only around Pongal and this would have been the last month when frugality and conservation might have been necessary to make do with the available supplies. Makes any sense?
At 6:33 PM,
Mahadevan said…
deepa:
It is certainly a pleasure to be in Chennai during this month. You can watch the differently designed kolams in the morning and hear music to your heart's content in the evening, looking forward to dear and near one's marriage in the following 'Thai'.
Usha:
To be frugal during the last month of the harvest season is understandable. But condemning the month as sin, defies logic.
At 3:04 PM,
passerby55 said…
Good question there, Mahadeven.
But if you find an answer do let me know. Forefathers told us some myths and stories. but i too dont know the fact.
Well, to believe it or not is left to each of us. That's good enough.
At 12:52 PM,
Escape.... Great Escape said…
I have heard a lot of theories about that month being inauspicious. The best one being that since it was the time of harvest in South India, marriages and other things related to 'auspiciality'... have to get postponed. People concentrated on teh crops and not on anything else during that time. Also people were short on money at that time... end of the agricultural year.
I am not sure why there are music festivals happening during that week though... and I have absolutely no idea why Aandal thought Margazhi was particularly great.
At 11:49 AM,
Mahadevan said…
The tamil saying "Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum" shows that we are waiting for better days in 'Thai'. This had relevance in certain context. But raising the waiting period, to the level of taboo, is unacceptable to common sense. I am just trying to look for a stronger reason.
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