Tirunelveli Saiva Pillai Practices and Rituals Followed during puberty

When a girl attains puberty certain foods and practices are followed which helps her to accommodate the changes in her body. These are nellai practices which can vary from regions and families.

• The day the girl has attained puberty, she is first asked to bathe. After that ¼  cup of milk is mixed with little arai keerai (red spinach) seeds, 2 tsp gingeley oil and a pinch of turmeric powder are all mixed and given to her. Belief is that like the spinach plant her life also should grow prosperously.
• After this milk potion,a paan is given. (beetal leaves,  beetal nut (pakku) and limestone (sunnambu))
• Repeat the milk on the 2nd and 3rd day without the addition of the spinach (keerai) seeds. 
• Urad dhal Kanji can be given thrice a week.
• Urad dhal vada/bonda can be given twice a week.
• Paruppu sadam(urad dhal rice) can be given twice a week.
• Urad dhal Kali should be consumed daily.  It is taken early morning and before she retires to bed. After Kali paan is usually given, as paan is rich in calcium.Drinking water can be avoided for 1 hour  after the consumption of Kali as it may upset the stomach.
• All varieties of sundal are to be encouraged.
• Puttu prepared with jaggery should be given regularly.
• Black urad dhal dosa  can be partaken regularly.
• Oil bath should be insisted once or twice a week.

Traditions 

Image taken from google

• The day she attains puberty, at an auspicious time she has to be given a bath . Bath is generally given by the girl's athai (maternal uncle's wife) and her paternal aunts. The water is poured through a sieve held above her head by her aunts. After the bath, the ritual is that she is made to look at a cup of milk and then she looks at herself in a mirror.
• The dress which she had worn before the bath, is generally donated to a washerman (dhobi).
• The dress that she wears after the ceremonial bath is gifted by her maternal uncle. In the absence of the Maternal uncle, the dress is gifted by the her grandparents.
• After she dresses herself up, she is made to sit near the prayer hall, and is first asked to consume a piece of banana and a glass of milk. After that Aarthi is perfomed.
• Normally, she should not enter the Pooja room for 16 days, she is made to sit separately in a room. In olden days they used a keep a ulakkai (pestle) by her side.
• During this period relatives and friends usually pay a visit bringing with them flowers and sweets.
• Each day she is decked up in various styles like Andal, Krishnan and other styles. Her hair is decorated with flowers like jadai/kondai etc. Photos are taken as a wonderful memory. In most houses, these photos are created as an album.
• She is made to take good rest for 16 days, this is to give her complete relaxation as she is accommodating new changes in her body .The above mentioned foods are given regularly to strengthen her backbone.
• After she bathes everyday tumeric powder is applied on her face and body, this is to prevent infections. In olden days natural tumeric will be ground and made into a powder.
• On the 16^th day the Gurukallaya will perform the rituals at home for the well-being of the girl and her family. Nowadays staying at home for 16 days is not practically possible  so the rituals are performed  on the 5^th day. 
• On that chosen (16th day)day the dress ,two garlands, a thamboolam plate (with beetal leaves,  beetal nut (pakku), manjal, banana, fruits,sugar candy) will be brought from the Maternal Uncle's house.
•  She is asked to take an oil bath. Including  shikakai, tumeric powder which has been given by her aunts.
• She is decked up beautifully in new clothes and lovely jewelry, and brought to the prayer hall to be blessed by the elders.
• One of her close female relative is made to dress up like a boy and it made to sit alongside her. She is blessed and offered dakishina by her parents.
• All the relatives and friends follow suit.
• After the blessings Aarthi is taken for her.
• A grand lunch follows after the ceremony.
• Thamboolam is distributed  to every guest.
• After the 16th day she continues on with her normal life.