Aavani Avittam Dandi Komanam - a tradition that is no more

Upakarma

"AvaniAvittam Dandi kOmaNam,  ..."

We chanted loudly in unison as we went from one house to another, seeking alms of a curious kind.  We were all young boys, mostly under the age of 12, shirtless and draped in simple mundu or thorthu and holy ash smeared on the forehead, chest and arms.  And, we carried a stick or dhandam on which hung many strips of cloth, collected from different houses.

It was the morning of the ritualistic Aavaniavittam (upakarma) day when most males in the brahmin community change their 'poonool' or sacred thread. The males would congregate by the banks of the river or at the temple pond where the lead 'Vadhyar' or 'Pandit' would guide the group through the lengthy ritualistic process of 'tharpanam' (offerings to the dead elders/ancestors as a mark of gratitude) and changing the thread, to the recital of contextual vedic chants.

 

Changing the thread

 I had no thread since I had a delayed thread ceremony and, moreover, we were Sama Vedis and did the upakarma on a different day.  However, all the kids joined together in other activities of that day morning, which included the traditional 'Komanam Thendal' (begging for Komanam).

The young and unmarried 'Brahmachari' , who sought the knowledge of Brahman in a Gurukula, led a simple  and austere life, learning the vedas and generally preparing for the next phase of life.  They were expected to wear the inimitable Komanam or the more elegantly sounding Kaupeenam or loincloth as the inner garment.  Probably, poor brahmacharis would not have money to buy even enough Komanams and would go begging for it. 

 

Modern kids in Komanam

I will venture very briefly into Komanams.  As someone aptly put it, Komanam (Konakam) or Kaupeenam is the Indian male version of the G-string.  A thin (about 4 inches wide) strip of  cloth long enough to be hooked to a Aranjaanam (waistband) from the front through back, and covering the male essentials, was generally torn off old unusable Mundus.  Most of the males of those days used this as the predominant underwear and from my brief experience during my childhood, I would say it was very functional.   Now, there are serious attempts being made at returning to tradition, with a number of groups that are practicing the use of Kaupeenam.  Just Google the word...

So, continuing the tradition, the brahmin boys will go begging for Komanams on the Avaniavittam morning.  By the previous evening we would have picked up a nice 'dhandam'  (3 to 4 feet long stick) with a couple of leaves from the top of the holy 'palaash' (Butea monosperma) tree.   We would tear up a piece of cloth to Komanam dimensions, dye it yellow with turmeric and tie it at the tip of the stick.  As if by pre-arrangement, all of us boys in the village will get together at some spot and then go from house to house, begging for Komanam, reciting in unison -

"AvaniAvittam Dandi kOmaNam, 

ambi piranthAl SObhanam,

ankichi piranthAl Ayiram paNam

akkA piranthAl ukkArai

aNNA piranthAl kottaNNai

thankachi piranthAl kottAmpoochi"

Roughly translated from Tamil -

"It is Avani Avittam, please put a komanam on the stick,

If boy is born, it will be auspicious,

If girl is born, you will get a 1000 coins,

If elder sister is born, there will be sweet to eat

If elder son is born, it will be like castor oil (used as laxative)

If younger sister is born, it will be pesty."

Elders in the houses will put a strip of cloth on the stick and/or give a Chilli or Anna coin.  For those non-brahmin friends of ours, it was a hilarious sight to see a bunch of semi-clad boys going around begging for Komanams.  The ridicule would continue in the school for a few days before the incident is slowly forgotten.   I have no recollection as to what we did with the Komanams that we collected. 

Palasha tree and blooms

A quick word about the holy Palaash tree.  The twigs from the tree were used for doing Samithadhanam (a fire worship ritual done by brahmacharis) and other homams.  Platters were made by stitching together many leaves.  I distinctly remember mother using the Palaash leaves to make rice vadams.  The crimson bunches of flowers looked glorious and were used for pujas.

Since we did not do Upakarma that day, there was nothing special done in our home.  However, those who observed it that day prepared a sumptuous breakfast with steaming hot soft idlis, vadais and pooran poli and an equally elegant lunch.  Most of the time, someone would invite me over and I would get to partake the special food items somehow.  

Aavani Avittam feast

The main dish for lunch on this day used to be either Morukootan or Parikkai /Pavakkai Pitlai.  A complex and intense dish that is bitter, sour, sweet and spicy, the Pitlai still remains a delicacy unparalleled and appears only rarely on the Iyer household menu.  And, like many other Palakkad Iyer delicacies, the Pitlai is not available in restaurants or 'hotels'. Mother used to make Pitlai for Shraddham (death anniversary) of my grand parents too. 

Paarikkai / Paavakkai / Kaippakka / Karela (Bitter Gourd / Bitter Melon) Pitlai:

Bitter Melon

Pitlai

- Wash the Bitter Gourds (2 reasonable size), remove the seeds and cut them into very small pieces.

-  Cook well with salt, half a spoon of turmeric powder, a piece of jaggery, a table spoon of tamarind paste and a dash of hing (asafetida).  Use a pressure cooker if you can.  The bitter gourd has to be well cooked.

-  Pressure cook half a cup of tuar dal and keep it aside

-  Dry roast Channa Dal (1 table spoon), Dry Red Chillies (4 or 5), Black Pepper (1 spoon or as per tolerance).  The flavor and spiciness of the black pepper is expected to stand out in this dish.

-  Separately dry roast 1/2 cup grated coconut till brown (not burnt)

-  Grind/blend well the roasted items in a blender with as little water as possible and make it a nice paste.

-  Add the ground paste to the cooked bitter gourd, mash the cooked tuar dal and add, mix well and let it come to boil.  Add some water if needed to ensure a medium thick consistency. 

-  Temper in a spoon of coconut oil with mustard seeds and a couple of broken red chillies.  Add a sprig of curry leaves when the mustard starts bursting and pour over the dish.

Have it with hot rice and ghee.  Generally accompanied with Pappadams and any dry vegetable fry like cabbage thoran, vazhakka and chenai or brinjal mezhukkupuratti, etc.  Enjoy the delicious dish and feel the after taste and heat of pepper in your mouth and innards!

The same recipe can be used for making Poricha Kuzhambu.  In place of bitter gourd, use vegetables like beans, brinjal, yam (chena), raw banana, carrot, black-eyed peas, etc., cut into small cubes.  Also, don't add jaggery.