I tried finding something that could help her….

The most popular response was…keeping a doll of an owl on the balcony….The pigeons are frightened by the owl ….

but the owl must be moved around often (once in 2 or 3 days)…..otherwise the pigeons get used to it and get an idea that its a doll.

I guess any kind of doll that is big enough would work…..like a scare crow…scare pigeon:)

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The description goes as follows: 

Buy a 9 yds saree in silk or cotton. The preferable colours are red, yellow & green. Including the “ pudavai kalam “ there can be 5 or 7 ( odd number)

Girls below 5 yrs & girls who have attained age, but are not yet married, are not allowed to sit. The daughters in law of the house also are not allowed to sit as “ pendukal” – this varies with families.

Daughters of the house & any other married ladies can sit. 

For the participating ladies, go to their houses the previous day evening, give them kumkum, haldi, oil, shikakai, vasanai podi & invite them to come.

On the morning of the day, wash the 9 yds saree & a blouse piece with madi (shuddam)after bath & dry.The main person conducting the function should not take an oil bath.

 Put a big kalyana kolam in the entrance, put semman & tie “ mavilai”. 

For the pudavai kalam – put a square kolam, (padi kolam), over that keep a palakai & put kolam on that. 

In front of that, put a kolam to keep the elai. On both sides of the pudavai kalam put kolam for 2 elais , beside for elais facing N, E & next preference W. 

Fold the dry saree so that the “ pallu” comes on the top. The corner of the same should face N. Fold the blouse & keep on that. On the saree keep the following: 

A small mirror
Oru kavuli ( 100 no:s) vethalai
Plenty of kali paakku
Plenty of urundai manjal
nalangu manjal – (mix of haldi & chunnambu) on a vethalai
12 bananas
10 yds malli, kathambam or roses
Maruthani on a vethalai
A ball of haldi & water on a vethalai
Chullu vella urndai in a vethalai
A gold chain
In a “ kudam” – water to which cardamom powder & dry ginger powder are added
One sombu of panakam
One sombu of neer mor
Coins to give ladies with vethalai pakku
On the kolam in front of pudavai kalam, put double nuni elai, one overlapping the other. Nuni should face N.

 On other kolams, place elais & “ kudikkum jalam”

Start before or after rahu kalam.  

When the ladies arrive give them manjal mixed with water, to wash their legs, apply & come.
Then give them chandanam, kumkum & flowers & ask them to take their seat near the elais.
Offer all items on menu to the pudavai kalam first & hthen serve clockwise to other elais.
Show “ doopa deepam” to pudavai kalam first & then to all ladies.
The “ conducting person” should take in the hand akshathai & flowers, sprinkle below the pallu of the saree in the pudavai kalam & pay your respects( in mind) to all the deceased sumangalis of the family. 
Show karpooram to the same.
Now offer a tsp jalam to the pudavai kalam & to all ladies in their hands.
They should drink it & start eating.

 Nobody should get up halfway through.
After everybody finishes eating, again offer a tsp of water to thepudavai kalam & move the pallu corner to the N.
One of the daughters in law should eat the pudavai kalam sappadu.
After meals the ladies should be given naeer mor, panakam & chukku vellam.
Then smear haldi on their legs & put nalangu.
Offer flowers, maruthani, chandanam & kumkum.
In a plate keep lot of vethalai, pakku, gundu manjal, coconut, kumkum bharani, comb, mirro, coin, 2 bananas, blouse piece – keep in their paLLU.
Give akshathai in their hand, do namaskaram & ask them to blless you.

 After the person who conducts has eaten, she must give the saree to a poor woman who also is asked to eat. ( I think this varies in each house)

 Samayal:

Paruppu payasam – thayir pachadi – vella pachadi – vazakkai curry – avarai or kothavarai curry – poosani kootu – pitlai – mor kuzambu – thani kootu – kadalai paruppu sugar kosemalli – paasiparuppu savoury kosemalli – coriander thogayal – ginger, mango pickle – curry leaf thogayal – rasam – banana, mango, jackfruit – ulundu vadai – sojji appam – thengai sadam – lemon rice – kalathukku paruppu – ghee – curds – honey

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Do you cross your legs at your knees when sitting? Although we may believe that this is the lady-like elegant way to sit, sitting this way cuts down circulation to your legs. If you don’t want varicose veins to mar the beauty of your legs and compromise your health, uncross your legs every time you realize you have one knee on top of the other. The best way to sit is to simply place both legs together on the floor, balancing your weight equally. If you feel like changing position, instead of crossing your legs, simply move both legs together to one side. As an alternative, you could also consider crossing your legs loosely at the ankles. This is a classically elegant way to sit, and is far better for your legs and your health than sitting with your legs crossed at your knees.

Toothbrush:

How often do you change your toothbrush? Most of us wait until most of the bristles have either fallen off, or are in such bad shape that we’d be embarrassed to pull out our brush in public. However, since not many of us need to pull out our brush in public, we carry on with our frayed one until we lose it. Replace your toothbrush often. Damaged bristles can harm the enamel, and don’t massage your gums well. If you find brushing your teeth a pain, but know you must do it, you might as well be doing it right. Imagine going through the annoyance of brushing your teeth twice a day only to find out that you’re damaging your enamel every time you clean your teeth. Also, use a brush with soft bristles unless your dentist has advised otherwise.

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Coconut semiya
Ingredients:
1. Semiya
2. Salt
3. Water
4. 2 tbsp cooking oil
5. Grated coconut
6. Mustard
7. Curry leaves
8. Red chilli
9. Groundnuts

Prepraration
If semiya is non roasted fry the semiya to golden brown colour (without oil).
Boil water and add the semiya to the boiling water. The semiya will be cooked in 3 to 5 minutes. Put the semiya onto a strainer to drain away all the water. As soonas the semiya is put onto the strainer, pour cold water on it and also pour 1 tbsp oil on it. This makes the semiya non sticky. Fry groundnuts witout oil and keep aside Fry coconut without oil till reddish and keep aside Crackle mustard in oil. Add curry leaves. Then add the groundnuts and coconut. Put off the flame and add the semiya little by little and keep mixing. Also add salt to taste during the mixing.
Coconut semiya is ready ……….Very tasty and easy to make.

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Thoram paruppu (thuar dal) – 2 tbsp
Kadalai paruppu – 2 tbsp
Ulutham paruppu (urad dal) – 3 tbsp
Pepper – 10
Salt – to taste
Oil – to fry
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Perungayam (hing, asafoteda) – to taste
Red chillis – 10 

Fry each of the paruppu (dals) separately in oil till golden and keep aside to cool. Grind all the paruppu together into a coarse powder.

Fry chillis and pepper in oil. Add it to the above mixture and grind again (keep the powder coarse coarse)

Fry coconut in oil till red. Cool.

Now add the coconut,perungayam and salt to the mixture. Grind again just about one or 2 rounds. Do not grind more than 1 or 2 rounds as the powder will not remain dry anymor (an oily texture will come about if coconut is mashed up too much). 

To relish the delicacy, mix the powder with rice and a little oil/ghee .
Can also be used as a side dish along with oil for Dosa or Idly

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Instead, why don’t we make some ready to eat stuff and take it along…. 

I have tried to put in recipes of some powders. These are to be mixed and had with rice. These can be stored for a long time and they give the required spicy taste and south Indian kick when you are abroad….all mummy’s ideas… 

Paruppu podi: 

Thoram paruppu (thuar dal)– 1 cup
Red chillis – 3 to 4 (can put in more if more spice is required)
Pepper – 10 to 15
Salt to taste
Refined oil

Fry the thoram paruppu in a little oil till the colour changes to reddish brown. Keep it aside to cool. Fry red chilli and pepper in oil and keep aside to cool

Put all the fried ingredients along with some salt and grind into a fine powder and store.

Mix it with rice along with some ghee or oil while eating. 

Some more recipes to come up in the next blogs

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You can store it for long and mix it with rice whenever you want to have puliogare. I took this mixture with me when I went abroad it served me very well.

It is my amma’s recipe…. I promise, it is great…

Ingredients:

Pepper
Jeera
Red chilli
Dhania
Methi
Asafoteda
Copra – finely grated
Ellu (Til)
Tamarind
Oil
Mustard
Kadalai paruppu (gram dal)
Curry leaves
Groundnuts

 Preparation: 

1. Pepper, jeera, red chilli, dhania, methi, asafoteda – fry above without oil. Make powder
2. Copra – fry without oil and grind a coarse mixture
3. Ellu – fry without oil and make powder
4. Soak tamarind in water for an hour. Take out the tamarind water after squeezing the tamarind. Filter the water
5. Heat oil in a kadai. Crackle mustard, kadali paruppu, red chilli, curry leaves and the add groundnuts
6. Pour the tamarind water into the crackled stuff above
7. After water boils,  add mixture 1.
8. After sometime add mixture 2 and 3
9. Let the final mixture boil till the oil separates on top.
10. Store in bottle and use it to mix with rice just before serving

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She says….crush garlic and apply the juice on the pimple like outgrowth and it will disappear soon…

I have not yet tried it…but I dont see any harm in trying it ….

If it works for anyone….thanks to my friend!!!

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I dont know this for sure as I have not tried it. But since it is a harmless herb…I think its worth trying (at your own discretion os course)

Tulsi can control swine flu and it should be taken in fresh form. Juice or paste of at least 20-25 medium sized leaves should be consumed twice a day on an empty stomach

seems to be easy remedy…..hope it helps people.

many of them might have the plant at home and so it makes it safer to use that way. Only suggestion from my side would be to wash the leave thoroughly before consuming…

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Kolam 2

Kolam 4

Kolam 5

Kolam 6

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