Traditions and Big 0's..

This is about the big numbers like 60 & 70’s and during my grandmas time I don’t remember celebrating her b’days ..Well technically, in olden days with dozen kids at home.. No one remembered their bdays!!..  Except for the big 0’s.  When the head (man) of the family turns 60, 70, 80, 90,100 yrs, it is celebrated in a big way.. Most of it has deeper meaning..

60 is the first mile stone by which head of the family (man) would theoretically completed his materialistic duties (like job, marriage, raising kids)  and start his   spiritual duties. To celebrate the accomplished materialistic duties, we call Sasti poorthi. This is to be celebrated with the whole family (wife, children and their spouses if they are married) and a small traditional ceremony is performed. Traditional Ceremony includes Puja (Offerings to God thanking for everything) and the couple (Head man and his spouse) get their wedding re-enacted. It is such a pleasure for us (children) to watch our parents get married again in front of us. This is more like renewing the wedding vow..

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I don’t remember attending any 70’s celebration in my childhood days but there were people who lived more than 90yrs and these days we do.. It’s just another opportunity to be together as a family and celebrate... By 70, a person would’ve purportedly seen his grand kids (sometimes great-grand kids too ), we call this ceremony Bheema Ratha Santhi.. Similar to 60^th,there is Puja and this time around its very special for grand kids to offer garland to grandparents unlike in 60^th ceremony the couple exchange the garlands. The priest who performed G’s parents 70^th explained why it is called Bheema Radha Santhi .. Bheema (one of the Pandavas in  Mahabharata) is considered strongest of all and he is son of Vayu(Air)... This pooja is performed to pray to god to give strength (both physically and mentally) like Bheema with no/less health issues..

The main point is we need a reason to be together and spend time together.. what more to ask ?? To our parents we are still kids.. we act like one when we are together.. Only this time, our kids are going to witness our battle to get attention.. lol..

Why did I start writing about ceremonies..hmmm.. ‘coz my dad’s big O coming up..

Note: this is completely my observation and my views..