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The pregnancy party....Athawansa
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Posted by Catherine Cartwright JOnes on September 11, 1999 at 18:21:44:
Since people seem curious about the floor patterns,(Mandana and Rangoli) as they go hand in hand with the henna patterns...here's a snip from "Art of Rajasthan" by Jogendra Saksena again.... "The child birth ceremony in Rajasthan starts long before the child is actually born. On the first day of the 8th month called Athavansa, a pregnant woman is annointed and then bathed in perfumed water, her hands and feet are decorated with lovely Mehndi designs and then she is bedecked with gorgeous clothes and ornaments. After this is over, she is seated on a cauki (wooden seat) and blessed by placing in her lap sweets, dry and green fruits and a coconut. This ceremony is called "god bharna" i.e. filling of the lap. On this day a particular Mandana called Athvansa-do-cowk is drawn on the beautifully finished ground. It is not necessary that this particular design alone should be drawn in all the compartments of the house, which are cleansed with cowdung on this ceremonial day. "After child birth, the third and the sixth day's ceremonies, called "carua" and "chathi" respectively, are not so important as is the "Suraj" ceremony, celebrated on the 10th day. On this day the mother "jacca" comes out of her apartment for the first time with the newlyborn babe in her lap, to glance at the sun in the sky. This ceremony, known as the "Namakarana Sanskar Divas" or the name-giving day, takes place after the "havan' is over and the child is baptised. "Whole house is cleansed and floors are besmeared with cowdung on the Suraj ceremony day, earth is mixed in the dung for producing the seasonal efect. Then the floors of various rooms, apartments and courtuqrd in the house are decorated with Mandanas, herein "Suraj-ko-cowk", a particular design for this day, figures priminently. "Suraj-ko-cowk" is circular in form and similar to a "Kunda" scribed on the "Makar Sankranti" day. As a symbol of the sun, a circle of a "Kunda" is quite relevant, and significant on this occasion." I have these and other designs ready as pattern sheets for henna artists.....just email and ask, and I'll send them to you free as gifs. What you use to besmear and cleanse your house on ceremonial occasions is your own decision.
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