Dressing has become an important status and fashion statement in functions. Where else to display your newly bought saris? How is it that most others do not know how to choose a proper one? Silk saris in this oven? I shudder, but to be frank, I was wearing a silk shirt too, with a dhoti. And to top it off, with a lot of forethought, intelligence, and choice, a full-sleeved shirt. My son had fondly presented this shirt to me, and where else can I wear this? Luckily, I was sweating in a thinner shirt rather than a thicker one. That was the great difference. To clarify my muddled writing, the fabric of this silk shirt was indeed thin.

Ladies have the knack of observing what others are wearing. Even when my eyesight was in a comfortable condition, why couldn’t I observe what other men were wearing? I will never know if another man repeated a dress he had worn on an earlier occasion.

This is also the time for introductions. "This is so-and-so. And this is...". "Oh! Yes, I have heard about you." Good or bad, nobody will say! "Yes, I remember we met at that function. Can’t believe it has been nearly three years." "Your child? Wow. Grown so much in two years," and so on.

The most important person in this function, the baby, just one year old, may cry for some time, then peacefully fall asleep, the din, noise, and mantras acting as a lullaby. Why couldn’t I? Imagine the baby’s plight. Just come from a controlled environment and exposed to smoke, noise, and heat. But babies are so resourceful. They manage resolutely—not only what I have stated but the pinches and fondling's by scores of strangers, holding, lifting, and making funny noises. The baby must be wondering, "Where have I come to?"

Jokes apart, our ceremonies are full of meaning and substance. Mantras are powerful, and the blessings that the baby receives, apart from the love, are unique.

Continued in 219. Function, Fun, Frolic and Frustration Too - Part 7