This is the second part in the series "India Trip".

"It is my Father's Shasthiabdapoorti ( Sixtieth B'day). We have organized a small function at home on April 18th and 19th. April 18th we are having Veda Parayanam ( chanting of vedas) in the morning followed by Udaga Shanthi in the evening. The main event is on April 19th and Muhurtham is between 7.30 a.m and 9.00 am. Please grace the occasion and bless the couple".

This is how me and my sis had to invite our family and friends to my Father's Sixtieth B'day function. I had to present akshathai (holy rice) to the men and invite them and my sis had to present kumkum to the women and invite them.

So me and my sis set out with akshathai and kumkum to invite our rels. We met all of them and after answering their questions, of "How is US?" "How is work?" "You have become thin...are you not eating ? " etc etc, we did the invitation part. It was funny or I should say awkward to formally invite some of our near and dear ones. Wont it be enough if we just said "Hi...you know whatz happening ...so be there!!". My parents didnt think so and so without complaining I obeyed.

As in any other function we have to buy sarees and dhotis and other gifts for the close family and friends attending the function. Why do we have to do this? Because it has been done for centuries ; Because it is expected ; Because you are receiving so you better give too ; Well, actually, I really dont know.

So here we are at RASI, Nalli and other such stores shopping for sarees and dhotis. My mom has a count of how many sarees and dhotis she needs to buy. As usual buying the dhotis takes 10 minutes but for the sarees it takes 10 hours. Amma buys a few sarees at one store and then visits an other store to buy a few more. Apparently, she did not like the ones she saw in the previous shop. This keeps going for a while after which she says I am done. I heave a sigh of relief under the assumption that we are now going to go home. But I was mistaken.

"Ippo ithuku matching blouses vanganum da" says Amma.

"Oh no!!! "

And here we are once again going up and down shops trying to find matching blouses for the already bought sarees. I am happy to learn that some of the sarees already have attached blouses.

Very soon, after a few more hours, we are done and we head back home. I am exhausted and bored and as soon as I reach home I switch on the TV and start flipping throught the channels. But my mother shows no signs of fatigue!!! As soon as we walk in with our shopping bag of sarees and blouses and dhotis she walks into the kitchen to make some tea. Once tea time is over she heads back to the heap of shopping bags and starts looking at the sarees all over again, this time analyzing even more carefully her selection and occasionally complaining about some minute aspect which only women can understand. I just keep flipping through the channels with the occasional nods and "yeah". An hour later my mom is asleep next to the shopping bags.

That night me and my sis bagged and labelled the items based on to whom they were being given to. This is such that it is easier during the day of the function to identify each saree/dhoti wrt their prospective owners.

It is Sunday and there is just a day left. The agenda for today is to move all the furniture from the living room into the garage, clean the house and then decorate it for the function tomorrow. At around 10.00 a.m V and D arrive to help us in moving and cleaning. I tell them what needs to be done and they work swiftly.

Later that evening we tie mava yelai (mango leaves) to the entrance of our home and decorate it with a nice rangoli. The house now looks ready for the 2 days of festivities. So are we.