India is steeped in tradition and giving is an integral part of that tradition and culture. This is serious business during festivals and functions with guests giving rich tambulya return gifts and tamboolams.
We all love going to functions, who doesn’t ! As a youngster I used to look forward to the festive and marriage seasons. These were great getaways from my school schedule - the train ride and meeting my old friends &relatives. Of course the additional fun of sumptuous food and catching up on old times and gossip.
If there was one thing that I never grew tired of, it was going to these functions. As times went by more functions and occasions were added to the list of festivities. More the merrier! I never remembered seeing a grand upanayanam celebrations. But today this is like a grand wedding! As a youngster if there was one thing that always puzzled me was the return tamboolam that is given. The women folks get a grand tamboolam with a return gift in it, while the male folks get only a bag with some betel leaves and a coconut. Lets raise our voice for gender equality, I say!
I never took this seriously and as it continues till date, I realize how much of a sacrilege it is to not get a tamboolam bag before you leave the function. Thinking back, the return tamboolam is a way for the organizing group to express their gratitude for attending their function, this in turn signifies a deeper sense of bond and showcases a sense of camaraderie and standing with each other during good and bad times.
So what goes in setting up the tamboolam and what do the items in the tamboolam signify ? If you look at a tamboolam in a wedding or an upanayanam you can see some betel leaves, betel nut, a fruit and more importantly a coconut. Along with it is a kumkum holder and kumkum and turmeric is offered to the guest. The important ingredient is a return gift. The organizers go through a harrowing time researching and buying these return gifts, but that’s for a separate post. The kumkum and turmeric signify auspiciousness and flourishing. In a way the guests are thanked by wishing them all the growth and good times in their lives. The coconut is a king of the tamboolam and it signifies wealth and health. Betel nuts and leaves are a great way to tell the guests that the festivities continue in their life after this function as well. The guests, in addition to this are also treated with a goodie, a Wedding Return Gift or an Upanayanam Return Gift or a Housewarming return gift as the need and case be.
This is another opportunity to pass on the culture and tradition and many choose to giving traditional gifts such as kumkum holder, beautiful idols of gods like krishna, vinayagar and many more. The world of return gifts is so vast and you can explore them right at PujaCelebrations. Many also give a printed book – typically a scripture, either from the Bhagavatham or Ramayana.
Whether a guest is given a book or a gift or both, the underlying thought is to propagate the culture and the tradition. What better place than a function like Wedding or Navarathri celebrations and choosing a rich collection of tambulya return gifts platter and festive return gifts? As modernity moves in, festive tamboolam platters or tambulya return gifts have exploded in their variety with readymade tambulya platters with colorful tambulya plates & packing bags.
Here’s wishing you merry celebrations and may the growth and auspiciousness shine brightly in your lives. #SpreadTheJoy #CelebrateTheTradition #PujaCelebrations