The Case of Changing Times - 8

काळ बदलते का, लोके बदलतातका ?

In this series of 11 narratives RR takes us through  the "then and now" of things. Read on ......

(the only difference this time is, RR chose to write in English and I had to translate it into DM ; a change for me from the earlier episodes where I had to transcribe and not translate).

Narrative – 8

The Case of Changing Times  05-01-2015

काळ बदलते का, लोक॑ बदलतातका ?

Araichcha maavudhan, pona dhadavai sariya araipadalai, ippo marupadiyum lesa araikkakamnudhaan.... Ungalukkuththaan kashtam. Those were the days when marriage, particularly girls' marriages were gargantuan tasks. Finding matches was not a very big problem. First to find a suitable groom, then sorting out terms and conditions laid down by the boy's side, fixing a wedding hall (this also was not so much of a problem though there were not many halls as at present), fix a cook, achar/purohit, etc. were to be done carefully in advance. Preparations would start four five months before the wedding date. Purchase of textiles/jewellery for the bride, for the groom, his parents and the inner circle relatives, material to be gifted to relatives and close friends, material required by the purohit, provisions and vegetables, milk, etc. for cooking and all items have to be taken to the wedding hall the evening prior to the janavasam day. A car for the janavasam, nadhaswaram, flowers required for the marriage have all to be meticulously planned and organised and get ready to receive the groom's party on the morning of the janavasam day. Special efforts to be taken to please each and every member of the party. There definitely would be one or two mrmbers in the groon's party whose main intent would be to create some problem claiming 'this is not ok, that is not ok' and they have to be tackled. The bride's parents can heave a sigh of relief only after they see of the newly weds with the groom's party. Both money power and man power were essential. Video was yet to show up. Only one photographer would be there to cover the entire proceedings who would not block anybody's view from the happenings on the stage. But now? It is a tricky issue to find a suitable match. Fixing a wedding hall is equally difficult. This done, we have to approach the right person to conduct the marriage, In engineering parlance, there is a concept, 'from scratch to commissioning'. Likewise, the marriage contractor would offer 'kolam to kattusaadham' concept and would meet everybody's requirenents, why they can even arrange wedding halls and other things as well. If we have money power it is more than sufficient, manpower required is minimal. Talking about photographers and videographers, they will be many in number and would try to block the view as to what is happening on the stage, we may have to see on the TV set only. Not long ago, in one wedding, the Purohit advised the photo/video men not to block the views of the people, 'I will arrange action replay for you'. True to his words, after every event he did that, including mangalya dharanam (asking the groom to pose as if he was tying the thali), sapthapathi, etc.! Kattu saadham is dabba saadham these days. The plastic containers would look much better than perhaps the contents!

रुब्बलते पीठच॑. गेलंदा बेष रुब्बल॑ नाही म्हणून अत्ता पुन्हाईं एकदपा बरीक होऊन रुब्बामते पडले, एवढेच॑...... तुम्हालाच कष्ट॑. अगाऊच काळांत॑ वराड म्हणट्लतर॑, तेईं पोरींच वराड म्हणट्लतर॑, उदंड थोर विषयच॑. नवरा नवरी हुडकाला श्रम जास्ती काईं न्होत॑. चोक्कोट एक नवराला हुडुकून काढणे, नंतर॑ नवराच घरच॑ लोकांच विचाराव॑र योचना करून निश्चय काढणे, छत्र निश्चय करणे (ते काळांत अत्ता असास्क॑ भरून छत्र होतनाहीतरीन, छत्र मिळाला थोर प्रश्न होत नाही) संपाकीला, आचारे/पुरोहिताला एर्पाड करणे, हे अग्गीन बरोर सोचून वराडाच पुढेच करत होते. वराडाला पह्जेते सगळे व्यवस्थाईं मुहूर्ताच दिवसाच चार पांच महिनेच पुढेच आरंभ होईल॑. वराडाच कापडे, नवरीला देमते नग॑-आभरण॑, तसच नवरा, नवराच बाप-माय, जवळच॑ सोयरेधायरे यांस अग्गीन देमते आह्येर अग्गीन तय्यार करून ठिवूनटाकणे आहे. पुरोहितांस॑ पह्जते सामग्री, संपाकाला आवश्य असाच पदार्थ, भाजी-पाला, दूध वगैरा वगैरा जानवासाच पुढल॑ दिवस सायनकाळीच छत्रांत॑ आणून ठिवूनटाकाम॑. जानवासाच बंडी, नादस्वर॑ (वाजवंत्री) फूल॑, हे अग्गीन नवराच घरचे लोकांस॑ स्वागत कराला जानवासाच दिवस पाष्टे बरोर पाव्हून तय्यार करून ठिवाम॑. नवराच घरच॑ एक-एकदनांसीन बरोर पाह्यींगाला अग्गि प्रयत्नीं कराम॑. "हे बरोर नाही, ते बरोर नाहे" अस॑ सदाईं चूक सांगणार एक-दोनदन॑ नवराच घरच॑ लोकांमध्ये अस्तीलच अस्तील॑. त्यंच मुख्य उद्देशपणीं हेच. वराड झालव॑र नवरा-नवरी, नवराच घरच्यांच बरोर गेल॑ नंतरच॑ नवरीच माय-बापाला बरोर स्वास सोडाला होईल॑. मनुष्य-बळ अणी पैसाच बळ हे दोनीं पह्जे होते. ते काळांत वीड्यो काईं होत नाही. एकच एक फोटोग्राफर पूरा वराडीं फोटो काढत होता. वराडाला आलते लोकांस मंटपांत होयाच अग्गीन बरोर दिसनाक्स॑ अडवे पडत न्होता तो. अत्ता ? चोक्कोट नवरा नवरी हुडुकून काढणेच थोर प्रश्न झालाहे हे काळांत॑. तज जोक्त॑ छत्र हुडुकून काढणेईं मोठ॑ प्रश्नच॑. हे अग्गीन झाल॑ म्हणजे, वराड बरोर चालिवाला एक चोक्कोट मनुषाला हुडुमाम॑. "From scratch to commissioning" म्हणून सांगतील॑ इंजिनीर लोके हेला. तेच मादरी वराड चालिवाच कंट्राक्टर तज कामाला "from kolam to kattusaadham" म्हणून सांगल॑. अग्गिदनाच आवश्यईं तो बरोर पाह्यींगल॑. छत्र एर्पाड करेण पणीं तो करल॑. पैसा असलतर॑ पुरे, मनुष्य-बळ नाहीतर॑पणीं परवा नाही. अत्ता, फोटोग्राफर, वीड्यो काढाच मनुष हे लोके अग्गीन भरून दन अस्तील॑. वराडाला आलत्यांस॑ मंटपांत॑ होत असाच काईं दिसनास्क॑, हे लोके अडवे येतील॑. छत्रांत ठिवलसाच टी.वींतच॑ अम्हास ते अग्गीन पाह्याला होईल॑. अत्ता थोडक दिवसा पुढे एक वराडांत॑ फोटो/वीड्यो काडणारांला "ॲक्षन-रीप्ळे पह्जेतर॑ मी करिवतों" म्हणून सांगून अडवे याला सोडल नाहीत॑. सांगिट्लाजोक्त॑ एक-एक कार्यक्रम झालतांतरून तेनी ॲक्षन-रीप्ळे करिवले. मांगल्य-धारण॑, सप्तपदी हेज ॲक्षन-रीप्ळे पणीं करिवले ! अत्ताच काळाच वराडांत॑ "कट्टु-सादम" (कालिवून बांधलते भात) "डब्बा-सादम" झालाहे. आंत असाच पदार्थाच पक्षा ते ठिवून द्याच प्ळास्टिक डब्बा बेष असलकी कायकी !