New thinking on Tamil weddings

DD is the pen name of somebody I have never read before. The writer is a married woman with children reading from the acknowledgements in her book. Apparently she is Lankan born but her 161 page short fiction is published by Frog Books in Mumbai.

The book ‘Spices are Sweet’ is available at www.books.lk. The book was certainly interesting to me for two reasons: one- it reads easily in simple language in English as if it had been translated from Tamil. Second- It gives a glimpse of Tamil culture as seen by a present day young woman thus representing the minds of present day youth.

A reader says...

When Siva handed me this book, I was more than curious to read the book.

And I started reading. Boy, this is an interesting read. It gives us the real Indian feel - not only the hilariously bad stuff. ‘Spices are Sweet’ gifts us the aroma of the Indian environs. If not for occasional breaks, I could whisk through this novel. It’s a story of a ‘hot chick’ who attracts males, even so with no luck to end up wedded. She is depressed by the all-too-often negative outcome. And finally she finds the path she is destined to tread in.

Believe me, it will keep you glued unaware of what’s physically happening around you.

Again it is interesting for a student of Tamil fiction as the method of writing is reminiscent of fiction written by some of the early woman writers in Tamil Nadu.

The book is interesting because non-Tamil readers would have a clear understanding of lifestyles of Tamils, particularly of those descending from Tamil Nadu. For instance if you want to know all about how a traditional Hindu wedding take place in Southern India, and in Lanka with slight variations, you should read her four page prologue in the book.

The narrator writes from First Person perspective and apparently the character belongs to that of the Globalized 21st century young woman. There are 27short chapters and an Epilogue in D D’s fiction. Rightly she uses the English language with the Tamilian nuances that makes realistic rendition of a social and psychological matrix.

There is a kind of light humour the writer throws out through out the fiction that amuses the reader.

At the beginning of the novel the protagonist is about to be married. The first suitor blatantly tells her in private that he already has a girl friend. In the fourth and fifth chapter we meet a second suitor in a congenial atmosphere.

The first three chapters reveal the pretensions imposed upon on a modern girl by traditionalists like her grand mother and mother and indirectly the protagonist laughs at the superstitions and falsities of earlier generations. These chapters are nicely constructed o show the paradoxes in both tradition and modernity.

Incidentally the main character’s name is Santhoshi and the second suitor’s name is Vikram. Here is a sample passage in the fifth chapter:

“Vickram had told me his whole love story on the flight. He was a budding fashion designer, and he was in love with the tailor… “

What’s there not to like you? I like you as a good person. I mean you listened to my whole story without being shocked. I was so relieved t talking to you, Vikram said.

“My parents will be heartbroken that this is not on. I don’t know what to say. I won’t say anything about you.” I said.

The story begins with a modern girl in a village who shows a different face while governed by her grandma and mom while with her girl friends in cities like Hyderabad her real face of mischievousness and gaiety is visible.

Please read Chapters 7 to 9 to see how a girl with a conservative background behaves when she with her friends. It’s all upper-class lavishness and liberal actions in the name of modernity.

In Chapter 10, the writer speaks through her narrator Santhoshi about another wedding in Andhra Pradesh. This is what she explains: “Seven days later, we are at the Big Indian Wedding.

The Hindu customs of a wedding are slightly different from community. to community and caste to caste. The community and caste involves bout 100, with another hundreds of different sections. The necessary rituals consist of the engagement, making of theThali (religious chain with pendants symbolizing Gods). The wedding day where you tie the Thali to the bride and a reception”

Chapters 11 to 16 describe day today activities of Santhoshi who is having fun with her friends and the attempts made to get her married with a suitable boy various kinds of possible ways to get a bridegroom is explored. She and hr friends very often makes trips to various places and having fun and petty quarrels.

The narration is basically ‘girlie’ meaning silly things the young females enjoy. Apparently the parties concerned are very rich though living a village life at home.

They are able to rise from the middle class status to upper middle class people spending lavishly in whenever they visit places outside their orbit.

Incidentally the titles of the chapters indicate the spicy and sugary nature of the incidents in the first half of the novel: Tea, Sweet, Ginger, Coffee, Tamarind, Sandalwood, Masala Chai, Mint, Camphor, Banana Leaf, Chili, Rice-Porridge, Kumkum / Vermillion, Onion, Salt, Turmeric, Saffron, Betel Nut, Sugar, Jasmine, Cloves, Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon, Basil Leaf, Cardamoms, and Five Spices.

This book is a really an entertainer and you can escape from your worries for sometime relishing the lifestyle of the protagonist.

I do not want to tell anything about the rest of the chapters because it would spoil your own fun and estimation. The epilogue gives further details of the Indian Hindu marriage. To remind you the name of the protagonist is Santhoshi and there is a Santhosh in her life. Your guess is as good as mine too.