“Mummyji!” called out Lali, our house-help. “We are hosting a haldi ceremony for my son. I would love for all of you to join us.”
While it might sound like a typical wedding invitation, this event held a particular significance.
In South Indian households, there is a tradition of giving vetthalai paaku, a plate consisting of betel leaves, kumkum, bangles, supari, flowers, and non-powdered haldi (turmeric), to married women during puja. Lali had been accumulating the haldi that she received from my mother-in-law for over a year. Remarkably, she decided to use this collection to make the turmeric powder for her son’s ceremony.
