SUGAR ‘N SPICE by Devinia Dass

The Indian bangle ceremony or the valai kaapu is a function held in conjunction with the seventh or ninth month of an expectant mother in the expectant mother's house. This ceremony is only conducted during the first pregnancy.

The expectant mother would be made to sit in the middle of a rather elaborate spread of rose water, fruits, sweets and flowers. The ceremony is conducted by the womenfolk, who will bless the expectant mother with the fruits, flowers and sweets.

The womenfolk will add glass bangles to the expectant mother's hands, rub sandalwood paste on her cheeks and face, place red vermillion on her forehead and add fresh jasmine to her hair. Every married lady guest invited to the function is expected to perform these functions as a form of blessing towards the expectant mother.

The expectant mother will be handed an ammi kallu or grinding stone by each one of the womenfolk. This ritual symbolizes the womenfolk asking the expectant mother to give birth to a child as strong as the grinding stone. The ammi kallu is exchanged three times between the expectant mother and the womenfolk, symbolizing the womenfolk asking the expectant mother to give birth to more children.

Once these ladies perform these rituals they are given a little gift consisting of red vermillion, a yellow string and a few glass bangles as a sign of appreciation for the blessings given to the expectant mother. When all the womenfolk have blessed the expectant mother, the ' arathy ' tray is moved in circular motions in front of the expectant mother to ward off the evil eye.

In some functions, the expectant mother is told to bend over and stand while a banana leaf is held behind her and milk is poured down the banana leaf. This is to signify a safe journey for the newborn baby during childbirth. Although this seems to look like an uncomfortable position for a pregnant mother to stand in, it has been medically proven that this position eases the whole childbirth process.

In some functions also, the father of the baby is asked to pick between sweet rice, tamarind rice and yogurt rice wrapped in banana leaves. This practice, in pre-ultrasound days, was said to be used to determine the gender of the baby.

By the end of this ceremony, the expectant mother will have many bangles on her hand which will be there till the day she goes into labour. It is believed that these bangles make a pleasant tinkling sound which can be heard by the baby in the womb.