The TamBrahm function “Seemandham” is equivalent to the western “Baby shower”. It is the time to bless the to-be-born, and its parents too. It may also go towards easing the anxieties of the mother-to-be, typically the first time. I attended one this morning on the personal invitation of the to-be-grandfather (also a first timer); a social and personal commitment that I do not take lightly.
But there is a cost to this commitment. As usual there were a lot of religious hocus pocus and I struggled within myself to tolerate it. But, tolerate, I did.
We have recently witnessed a lot of blame being placed on patriarchy for the way women are treated in our society. I wonder whether during the Brahminic rituals of the event there is a prayer for the couple being “blessed” with a male heir or all the blessings are gender-neutral. That is, for example, do we ever hear the word “putra” in its gender-specific sense, to be taken to mean spreading the patrilineal gotra?
If yes, and if indeed patriarchy is a source of women’s subordination, don’t you think we should change the words in the mantra, or at least find ways to strip such words of their gender specificity?
The parallel elsewhere is the disapproval of using the title Chairman for a female occupying that position and the attendant suggestion to use the gender-specific title, Chairwoman.
Raghuram Ekambaram
But there is a cost to this commitment. As usual there were a lot of religious hocus pocus and I struggled within myself to tolerate it. But, tolerate, I did.
We have recently witnessed a lot of blame being placed on patriarchy for the way women are treated in our society. I wonder whether during the Brahminic rituals of the event there is a prayer for the couple being “blessed” with a male heir or all the blessings are gender-neutral. That is, for example, do we ever hear the word “putra” in its gender-specific sense, to be taken to mean spreading the patrilineal gotra?
If yes, and if indeed patriarchy is a source of women’s subordination, don’t you think we should change the words in the mantra, or at least find ways to strip such words of their gender specificity?
The parallel elsewhere is the disapproval of using the title Chairman for a female occupying that position and the attendant suggestion to use the gender-specific title, Chairwoman.
Raghuram Ekambaram
4 comments:
Funny is how the world is.
I was travelling by Delhi Metro today. A man in front of me had his bag blocked by the security personnel. The reason: he was carrying a sealed bottle of whisky. The security personnel explained that due to the latest rape controversy no one can carry even a bottle home! Every man is a potential TamBrahm. Threat to the society!
Will Delhi Metro let a woman carry a bottle? That would be gender-balancing, wouldn't it be?
RE
Mantra's cannot be changed by mortals.
Yes Amrit, that is the reason patriarchy cannot be changed by just wailing about it!
The Gods are not redy to change either the mantras or the system! So, let us stop blaming both!
RE
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