Rituals followed during the second trimester (7th month of pregnancy)

Traditions followed during the 7th month of Pregnancy

Poojai items arranged for valaikappu

Sweets and Savories for valaikappu

Glass Bangles arranged on both hands

Thamboolam 

Thamboolam

• On an auspicious day, Valaikappu is performed. Valaikappu is one of the most beautiful memories of an expectant mother. If it is a Seemantham the rituals are performed by the Gurukalaya.
• In earlier days, the seemantham ceremony  was usually done in her inlaws house and Valaikappu cermony is performed in her Maternal abode. Nowadays for convenience both the ceremonies are combined.
• On the day of Valaikappu, she drapes the saree given by her in-laws. After that , she receives another saree from her parents. which she drapes throughout the ceremony.
• Her hands are adorned with henna (maruthani).
• For the Pooja arrange the following items : on a banana leaf place a manjal pilliyar, lamp , a picture of a diety ,a measure (nalzi) filled with paddy (raw rice), panchapatra, karpoora thattu, bell, flowers, beetal leaves, beetal nut (pakku), cocunut and banana.
• An elderly woman of the family lights the lamp and performs the Pooja.
• After the Pooja, the expectant mother slips in bangles for 3-5 young girls. The most beautiful way would be making them sit on her lap without making her feel uncomfortable.The number of girls should be in odd numbers.
• Now comes the turn of the beautiful mother to be.
• She is made to port bangles made of veppam kuchi (neem sticks). Few neem sticks are interlocked to make a bangle.
• Then, her mother gently slips glass bangles for her. On her left hand there should be 11 glass bangles and on her  right hand there should be 10.
• Make sure there is one black glass bangle on her left hand. 
• Sula kappu in gold and sliver are generally put in by her mother and mother in law.
• Elder ladies who have also come to witness the function may also gift the sula kappu or bangles.
• It is a belief that the sound of the glass bangles will be heard by the baby in the womb.
• To conclude the ceremony Aarti is taken.
• After the function, lunch is announced. Different types of variety rice along with vada and sweet generally consists of the menu.
• As the guest starts to leave ,glass bangles are distributed to the guests with a minimum of 4 from the maternal side.
• A thamboolam typically consist of bangles sweets and savories (murukku or thenkulal)  normally distributed by the Maternal parents.
• Pori Vilangu is usually the traditional sweet of Nellai. Nowadays it has been replaced by a host of other sweets.
• After the Valaikappu ceremony, the contented girl is taken to her mother's house after receiving  blessings from her close family.
• Make sure that the expectant father is not allowed to send her off.
• For the postnatal care, the happy mother resides in her maternal abode for 5 months.
• After 5 months of post natal care, relations from the paternal side accompany the mother and her baby to her home