Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Welcome change!

The place: New Delhi. The day: The past Saturday. My friend and his family have gone to the house of a prospective alliance (Lemme call them PA in short). Just an informal visit. Since it was very cold outside, my friend had been wearing a sweater. Once inside the house, he felt warm and after a while started to sweat a bit. So he took off his sweater. So, the mother of the PA immediately asked the PA to reduce the heater temperature, because my friend was feeling hot! My friend got surprised and couldnt control laughing! :) After a while, the PA's parents gave stuff to my friends' parents and prostrated before them (for people who dont know..this is part of the old traditional ways). My friend's parents were taken aback. My friend and his parents were treated very respectfully and after they came back home, they even got a follow-up phone call from the PA's house. So, what is news about this whole thing and why am I blogging about it? All of it seems like normal, old traditional practice. Yes it does...only, my friend happens to be the brother of a girl, for whom the alliance was being sought!!! Gone are the days of "ponnu-paathufying" (non-Tamil folks...this is the traditional practice in which the guy and his parents go to the house of a prospective alliance and formally have a look at the bride). Nowadays, the girls are in such a demand (am sorry if someone feels offended for me having used the term "demand"...for want of a better word, am using this), that they set the terms and conditions...for example, in my friend's case, his parents said that if the girl gets married to this PA, then she would have to quit her job in Bangalore and come to Delhi and look for one there. It was just an observation and she was not trying to ask anything. But, the prospective groom's dad immediately said "No problem. If she doesnt want to quit, my son can shift his business to Bangalore"!!! This is just one of the several such instances i have seen in the past 1-2 years, all indicating a shift in the trend. Nowadays, the girls have the upper hand in match-making, which is certainly welcome change! :) So..all those girls out there who dont have a boyfriend and are gonna get married through the arranged marriage way....u have lotsa fun time coming your way! :D

12 comments:

Raz said...

am so happy in hearing this news :)

btw, nee eppa PA aga pore? :P

neways my PA is almost shifting back to chennai ;) :P appadithane :D nee sonne en kita....

Raz said...

seri! ippa sollu! if u frnd getting married or still looking for a PA ;)

Kavitha Jay said...

vazhkaila mudhal vaati oru nalla info kuduthu irrukka :)...

glad atleast now things r turning around....
yaya..we r on demand..;)

Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said...

:) Enaku therinju kandippa arranged marriage apdinu mudivu panni love marriage aana kathayum iruku and love than panuvennu irupanga, veetlayum othuttu irupanga but love panna aalu kedakathu ;)

Ithellam namma kailaya iruku :D

Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said...

By the way enaku oru doubt :D

neraya peru thaaan kathaya aatha katha aatu kutty kathanu soluvanga ;) Ithu ungaloda pon paakum padalamaaaaaaaaaaaaaa???? :D

Raj said...

@Raz: yes, this is a happy news for u ppl! :)

@Mystery: :)

@PK: Exactly. Naan idha pathi sollala...Naan sonnadhellam, arranged marriage onnum saadha vishayam illai..adhulayum specialities/fun irukkunudhaan..so girls yaaraachum arranged marriagekku vandhuttomenu varutha pattaanganna, avangala varutha pada venaamnu solren! :)

@PK: adhenna everytime...one comment abt the post and next comment starting with "enaku oru doubt"? :D Last time questionkum idhey badhildhaan, indha timekkum idhey badhildhaan...idhu en kadhai alla! :) Naan innum padikkara pulla...padips mudichu, velaikku serndha peragu, ennayum comedian aaki yaaraachum blog post poduvaanga! :P

Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said...

//Naan innum padikkara pulla...padips mudichu, velaikku serndha peragu, ennayum comedian aaki yaaraachum blog post poduvaanga! :P//

Hm..Thats sweet! avlo nalla pullaya ;)??

Raj said...

@PK: Thanks! :) ahem!...no comments! :D

Joy said...

Good changes are always welcome.When everything changes around us, why cant the traditions too???

Subramanian Ramachandran said...

nyayam thaan maaple nyayam than :) watever u have said is true....

btw.......you have written this well... made it interesting and ur writing has improved a lot since u started blogging :)

Raj said...

@Joy: yes, no harm in traditional ways changing for the better!

@RS: he he! :) Oh thanks! :) But just now Iam planning to take a break from blogging! :D

Kavitha Jay said...

@ RAJ- yerkanave paathi naal break la irrukara maari than blog panre...irrukara break pothathu n...thirippi innoru break ahh..ennamo po..:P