In the picture (R to L), my cousin, my sister and I.
The occasion was my nephew’s Upanayanam (thread ceremony, to mark the beginning of a young boy’s formal education).
This event brought together family members from different parts of the US and India. Such occasions always bring fond memories of family gatherings back home.
Cousins help each other with various aspects of the event. Crisp, early mornings… buzzing with activity amidst soft background chants of mantras. The day starts with a traditional oil bath, followed by cooking, decorations, dressing up, rituals, yum food and lots of selfies 😊. The chain of command, starting with the eldest person, ensures that everyone completes their respective tasks with perfection and on-time!

The days leading up to the event are even more fun, in anticipation of the actual day. With my sister and cousin at home, there was a lot of catching up to be done. Between late nights, incessant conversations, good food and me reluctantly obliging my sisters with saree modeling requests (yea, elder sisters can be persistent!), our days were packed!

On the day of the event, while my sister and cousin wore gorgeous Kanjeevaram’s, they decided I should be wearing something different. So, mine is a beautiful Georgette-Silk half and half. My Amma has a great eye for picking out all things beautiful, especially sarees….a trait that my sister has inherited and one that I am only too happy to blindly follow!

The photo above was taken after the ceremony…we were all exhausted, full and happy! A Picture Perfect for the Pact.
-Malavika.