First outing!

15th July, 2009

In early times they were confined indoors probably as a protection from dust, heat and infection. Me, my husband along with my in-laws took Aditi to nearby ancient Madambakkam Shiva temple on an auspicious day. This was the first trip outside apart from our hospital visits. It was an unexplainable but an excellent feeling. My mother in law placed the baby on the feet of the deity.
While today, the ceremony is limited to a visit to a temple, in ancient times it was far more elaborate. The courtyard of the house was decorated and the family deity worshipped. After auspicious verses were recited and the Gods propitiated, the child was brought out to the sound of a conch and the recital of vedic hymns. The child was carried by the father and made to look at the sun.

Once the mother and baby visit any temple, we can visit anybody's house. This, it seems keeps the baby and mother safe from evil eyes.

Punyaha Vachanam!

9th June, 2009

In India we have lot of rituals and ceremonies right from the birth of a child. Most of the rituals have some scientific reason behind them. The naming ceremony of my baby was conducted and I was amused about the sense of hygene in those days. All the steps performed during the function have very justified reason behind them.

The naming ceremony or Punyaha Vachanam.

Basically it is a cleansing ritual done on the 11th day for hygene of the house where the mother and baby are kept. A thread dipped in turmeric is tied around the waist of the child and to it is fastened a gold amulet. This amulet contains a piece of the umbilical cord and is believed to sustain the link between mother and child. This symbolic link to the mother is believed to protect the child. Scientifically, the piece of the umbilical cord is capable of treating many diseases like bone marrow or leukemia etc..

The procedure is for restoration of ritual purity for the child's parents and close relatives (removal of janam aasoucham ). In the morning after a head pooja was done to the Turmeric Vinaayaka and our family deity. At the end of the Pavamaana sooktham recital, the baby and all of us along with the close relatives were sprinkled with the Holy Water. The whole house was sprinkled with Holy water and Panchagavyam (cows ghee, milk, curd, urine, and cowdung in proper proportions). We all also consumed the panchagavyam for ritual purifications. Then baby was kept first time in the cradle and Naamakaranam (naming ceremony) was done on the same day at an auspicious moment. The priests had come from Shringeri matam and were very learned people.

It is better to have it done with proper priests. Of course, if you are not able to get one you may do it yourself. In that case you can use the following links for your help.

You can find the slokas of Punyahavachanam here:

http://www.slokas.com/slokas/vedicrituals/tamil/karmas/karmas.html

The items needed for the Punyahavachanam:

http://www.htnt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57&Itemid=1

http://www.vvgc.org/new/pl_punyaha.php

http://www.vedagamasudha.org/print_punyavachanam.html

Aditi!

Aditi, meaning limitless is considered as the mother of all the celestial gods.

She is the mother of Adityas(the devas) and wife of Rishi Kashyapa. Aditi herself is considered as the divine wisdom, the goddess of space, consciousness, the past, the future, and fertility. In fact she is also considered as the female Brahma, the creator.
When the devas lost their kingdom to king Bali, the powerful 'Danava', Vishnu was born to Aditi as Vamana avatar to defeat the powerful Bali and restore the lost kingdom to devas and make Indra the king of Devalok.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aditi
http://www.webonautics.com/mythology/avataar_vamana.html

New life!

Real looong time since I last wrote. After reading one of my friend's blog, I tried to blog again. I have been writing this article since days. to make this one post, but nonetheless, it is just a try after more than a year.

Aditi, the name of a new life I got on May 21st, 2009. Well, they say a woman gets a new life when she delivers a child but I really experienced it.

One fine Thursday, I went to work as usual. My father who is an advisor to a company is called for around 5-10 days in a month. That day we all left home for our respective work. My parents went to Egmore and I went to Sholinganallur, both in opposite directions. On my way I went to my house, met my father in law, took some things I needed for attending a cousin’s wedding that evening.
It was my last lap before maternity leave. I was asked to do some research on a Security product unlike others who were working on deliverables. I was already feeling a bit strained in my 8th month but I wanted to do some really worthy work before going on a long leave. My friend had joined back after maternity leave and I was eager to listen to her experiences. She came to my workstation and narrated her experience of a premature delivery of baby. Many things were new to my ears and I felt grateful for so many new tips. There are many things that might prove helpful for would be mothers.

Baby calling. will continue later ...

So that day, at around 1 we got up for lunch. I felt restless and called up my doctor and told her the symptoms. She asked me to directly come to the hospital. She asked me to get myself registered 2 days ago just to be on the safe side. Not predicting anything, I simply obeyed her, and informed my parents that Im going to the hospital. My dad said he'll come there. Although I wanted to tell him not to bother as it might be something negligible, I somehow chose to keep quite. He along with my mother started from office. My mom also being in the same company as my dad, took permission and left. The hospital is an half an hour drive from my work place. I reached at around 2 and after a quick checkup the doctor took up charge and said an urgent C section needs to be done as the fluid is almost over and the baby is in distress with double the heart rate. I was in a total shock after I heard her heart beating at double rate. They prepared me for the operation and called the surgeon, anaesthetist and the other required people. While they were preparing for the caesarian, my mom walked into the labour room from where I was to be wheeled to the operation theatre. My mother was informing her mother that I was in the hospital in an emergency. All the elders were tensed. My mother was trying to hide her fear, but I could sense her strange behaviour. When they rolled me on a wheel chair to the operation theater, I saw my dad always encouraging face turning pale. I had never seen my dad in a tense situation before. He looked terribly worried (obviously)... When asked he explains now that he was otherwise used to seeing me with bindi, earings, 2 chains(one mangalsutra), bangles, anklets, red vermilion/sindoor, so he felt nervous to see me in just a operation theatre gown.

Baby is crying... i'll continue later...

I felt numb... i still remember that feeling. I was not able to believe that Im inside the theatre so soon. I had just had a scan 2 days back and the doctor had told my baby is fine and healthy with a good weight. The anaesthetist tried to lighten my mood. They tied my eyes. I could sense them working and pulling out the baby. Finally I heard her shrieking at 3:08 p.m.....Then I lost consiousness but faintly remember my doctor Dr. Yashoda coming after some time and showing my pink piece of flesh to me. I slept off.. Again I remember my doctor talking to me and telling others how brave I was. I felt terrible for being so indecent to sleep away when she had come to see me. Only later I was told that in such cases ladies get high BP which causes lack of oxygen in babies and that might cause eye problems. Even now during Aditi's routine eye checkup, we saw all other babies having eye problems. My doctor says that because I reached in time, I kept my cool, did'nt get hyper and timely operation, the baby is safe. My friendly advise to would be moms, never get tensed and prepare yourself well in advance for emergencies like healthcare/doctor/hospital number, get yourself registered well in advance, your insurance number etc.

Later when I woke up to feel the stitches, I was told that my baby was rushed to another hospital to keep her in the New born ICU, since she was more than 1 month premature, she needed to be protected and nurtured like she would be in the womb. Though the NICU experience is worth another post, we soon came home after a couple of days. A very ICU kind of environment was maintained by my parents till she completed a month. Even now, visitors have to wash their hands and feet before approaching the baby. Soon we held a naming ceremony with few close relatives and named her Aditi. Now my stay in my parents' place is coming to an end. I am happy to go back to my family with a granddaughter that the whole family always wanted but sad for leaving back my parents. They will miss me and Aditi badly.

Aditi seeks my attention badly now.. I better rush.. More updates in future posts.