▎ 哐噹的手鐲祈福（Valaikappu Bangles)

臨產婦人的手鐲祈福 Valaikappu Bangles for delivery

So lucky my friend Jega invited me to his seven months pregnancy wife Pavithra's Valaikappu ceremony, the ritual ensures health delivery of the fetus. This evening, relatives of two families and friends gathered in the parental home of the girl.  All sisters of Pavithra help her to dress up in her orange formal wedding costume, and she looks as gorgeous as a bride today. 

When all offerings be prepared, Pavithra was allowed to sit on the white cushion. She was facing the main entrance of her home, and the door decorated with mango leaves that worship and paint with limestone, sandalwoods and saffron powder. People who joined the ritual were female adults as me, and they bring biscuit, kuih, fruits and a great deal of bangles. (also Saree in the documentary mentioned). In traditional Tamil family, they believed if the expectant mother adorns great amount of bangles on her both wrists, the sound of bangles will let the fetus feel joyful. Arrange an odd number of bangles in the left hand and an even number of bangles in the right. First of all, the host (sister-in-law) puts on Vappa Kappu, bangles made from neem leaves stem for her, and later was golden and silver ones. Valai means strings, kappu means protection.

In front of Pavitha, a small mound of turmeric paste and a pinch of durva grass is added symbolizing Genesha. Three kinds of rice that wrapped in banana leaves and white muslin to predict the gender of the baby. Pongal porridge means boy, turmeric rice means girl and curd rice means  xxx (not sure).  In whole ceremony, Jega, the husband, to split the young coconut up and do worship. Pavitha’s mother who well dressed up was also the main character today, she did powders ritual on daughter’s forehead, cheek and wrists, and splashed flower petals on her head. They acclaimed the fresh perfume of petals can malign the spirit of evil eye that closed to pregnant, and the mango leaves hanging on the doorframe have the same meaning. The mother-in-law feed some biscuit to Pavithra, they declared the sweet will let the infant delighted.

Females were welcome to join the ceremony, and they bring wishes and “exchange” to each other, it comprising a handmade box, petal leaves, bangles, orange lines. Finally, all dances around Pavitha and send wishes to mother-will-be and fetus. Hinduism, Christian or Muslim family will do the ritual to the pregnant. in India, a daughter who has the first baby will go back parent’s home to delivery, but in Malaysia, they still stay with her husband.

朋友Jega的邀請他懷胎七月妻子Pavithra的順產祈福禮。這天傍晚，雙方家人齊聚Pavithra位於白雲山山腳下的媽媽家。這些堂姐妹幫忙P梳妝打扮並穿上了一襲橘色紗麗禮服( 是結婚禮服），這一天仍在孕期末的她好像又做了一天美麗的新娘。

祭品備妥，Pavithra被隆重地攙扶並坐在一塊白色地墊上，她面朝家門口，那排點上石灰、檀香、番紅顏色的芒果葉。來參與的大多數是我這樣的安娣長輩，大家帶來糕餅、水果以及大把大把的金屬手鐲。在傳統的淡米爾家庭中，它們認為眾姐妹替孕婦配戴玻璃手環（文獻提出先金製再銀製），搖晃時會發出一種清脆悅耳的聲音讓肚裏的胎兒感覺愉悅，成串手環必須維持左手奇數、右手偶數數量，在此之前，某位堂姐（盛裝藍衣者）以草編印度苦楝葉莖做成的手鐲套住雙手，這樣細嫩的葉像極了Pavithra座位前那坯土上插的幾株神奇狗牙草，插在薑黃粉摻水做成的小坯土上，Valai是繩結，kappu是保護，因此串起來就是保護的繩結。此外，用三個白色布包裹的是三袋香蕉葉飯，為的是確定/預測嬰兒的性別，五穀牛奶粥代表男孩，薑黃飯代表女孩，凝乳飯代表____。

這場儀式的主角就是中央正襟危坐的待產婦，過程中除了丈夫用傳統刀刃劈開椰子並獻祭，一身火紅紗麗盛裝打扮的母親也是主角，她領頭替女兒點上祝福順利生產的粉末（額頭、臉頰和手臂）並緩緩戴上手鐲及在頭上灑下花瓣，母女舉手投足散發著彼此的熟稔和憐愛。文獻上記載著懷孕的女人特別容易惹上魔鬼之眼，這些新鮮花瓣所散發的香味可以驅散不詳之氣，而門框上垂掛著的那串芒果葉也是類似含意。另外，家婆餵了一口甜甜的餅，她們說吃下這口餅肚裏的孩子笑開懷。

每個女人不分年紀已婚未婚皆被邀請進入這個儀式，回禮包括一個手工製小盒子（原來是用來裝色粉的）、荖葉、手鐲、橘色的線段。仔細想想，這不是回禮而是「交換儀式」。爾後，眾女人圍著P跳舞，結束今晚富有意義的祈求順產儀式。上圖為祭禮，下圖為儀式細節。據說這個不分信仰的儀式同時在興都教、基督教、穆斯林家庭發生，而在印度本土，女兒第一次生產一定返回娘家待產，在大馬只有進行此儀式，仍和丈夫同住。

延伸閱讀 
街邊二：儀式的細節（details of Valaikappu）
What bangles to use during Valaikappu? 
Durva Grass


6 &11 Feb 2016

#LuLukis #LuisaHung #valaikappu #exchangeritual #beforedelivery #Tamil #Malaysia #Penang