Marriages are Made in Chennai

The wedding ceremony was simple with the couple seeking the blessing of elders in the hall. The couple garlanded with Jasmine (incidentally it is called Malee in Thai too as in Tamil) poured water in the hands of the elders who stood in queue to bless them. The water poured from small silvery and golden colour cups had beautiful lotus flowers in them. No portly sastrigal and pyre guided them through this whole exercise. However monks had come to bless the couple and gifts were given away as ‘sambhavanai’’. Once done, they were seated in traditional chairs and the guests congratulated them with the gifts. My mind raced to absence of Andal Kalyanam and the Oonjal that follows. Sudha Raghunathan’s melodious voice was missing to render the playful ‘malai mathinal kodhai malai mathinal’’ to the couple.

There was no special announcement on the ‘pandthi’ as is done back home. The banquet hall had huge seafood spread but my good friend had arranged for a special vegetarian lunch for us. Whenever questioned on my preference of food, I respond with a quick riddle that I don’t eat anything that can walk, fly or swim leaving my Thai friends to crack on what is left edible. A spread of greens and boiled vegetables welcomed us on plate and I can vouch that I could have been on a health magazine cover for diet. Empty in stomach, my mind raced to the smell of the plantain leaf sprinkled with water. The absence of vadai dipped in curd pachadi, deep fried potatoes, cashew nut rich payasam and the intertwined jangri made my mouth water even as I was mouthful in corn. I firmly believe that Enid Blyton would have taken our South Indian cuisine to greater heights had she penned our wonderful dishes. ‘Mashed potatoes’ and ‘scrambled eggs’ do not offer the delightful creative treat to an author of her caliber as a Jangri, Thengozhal, boli  or monaharam  does.

The lunch came to a fruitful end as we were fed with a variety of fruits for deserts. My favourite jackfruit was there but missing in action was chakka pradhaman (Jackfruit Payasam). I should admit that we Indians, especially in south don’t leave anything to be eaten raw and work our way through myriad possibilities with fruit pulp, their skin and even the nuts inside them.

Wishing my friend and her husband the best for years to come, we left the hall with a small gift given by the Host. It was a handmade Thai gift that was given to all the invitees. But what I missed was my Thamboolam that has a fair share of laddu and muruku to munch while back at home. Chennai Marriages – Am missing you indeed.