The "sacred" thread
I'm a weird breed. I'm an atheist who finds peace in temples. I don't believe in religion, but I do have faith. I am not a spiritualist, but I'm traditional. I take pride in being humble, but I don't believe I'm a puppet in someone's hands. I don't believe men and women are the same, but I believe in gender equality. I neither believe in religion(the received truth) nor in science(the perceived truth). I believe fundamentalism is dangerous, but I believe pure rationalism is sinister.
The debate:
In the last few days, a debate has been raging in Tamil Nadu. Its about a piece of jewelry(that is what it has been reduced these days) associated with marriage - the Thaali, the Tamil's version of Mangalsutra. It's held sacred by the Tamil Hindu community, but since the dawn of the twentieth century, a few people have raised their voice in support of the people who have chosen not to wear it. The notable ones being E.V. Ramasamy(Periyar), Anna Durai and the Dravidian movement. As a part of their self-respect movement, they encouraged inter-caste marriages, widow remarriages, marriages without priests, ceremonies and dowry, and so on. These marriages were christened self-respect marriages. Though the first self-respect marriages were practiced as early as 1920, it was not until 1967, they were legalised in Tamil Nadu by the former chief minister Anna Durai. I was born into a caste that still practices a form of self-respect marriage. That has no bearing to this article though. I am not a big fan of Periyar or the Dravidian movement either. Though their motives were good, their means was not. They almost destroyed a culture to fight Brahminism.
The recent spate of debates do not question the legality of not wearing a thaali, but the morality of it. Hindutva groups argue that it is a tradition that we are losing while the self proclaimed liberals claim that they are fighting for women freedom. Is there any truth to any of these claims? Are the fears of the Hindutva groups justified? Is tradition being stomped upon? Or are the pseudo-liberals right?
To find answers to these questions, one has to know how and why Thaali came into existence and its significance.
Symbolism of Thaali:
Modern day scholars of Tamil culture and tradition have presented different meanings for the Thaali. Each one of them have been more philosophical than the previous one. Each one of them have sanctified it to an extent where it stands only next to the almighty himself. And each one of them have linked it to the evolution of Tamil culture invariably. In their views, a Thaali is a bond between two souls, a contract signed with God, a symbol of an alliance that is to last unto death. It is also sometimes linked with the health of the husband and married women are forbidden from removing it until the death of their husband. This is a custom practiced by Tamil women even today.
The scholars have also attempted to explain the three knots. Their explanations range from ordinary to supernatural, from superficial to profound, from the impossible to the inevitable, from absurd to amazing. According to some of them, the three knots symbolise the Trinities - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma - and therefore, they symbolise the life cycle itself. Others see a more earthly connection. They believe the three knot symbolises the three new relationships a woman earns through marriage, one of her husband, the next of his siblings and parents and the third of their child. Still others claim that the three knot represents the unity of body, mind and soul.
Traditionally, the thread of the Thaali has nine strands, representing the nine essential traits a woman should possess in marriage.
The next question naturally is why should only women wear symbols of marriage and not men? Is it male chauvinism?
Thaali and feminism:
At the outset, the Thaali might seem as a symbol of male chauvinism and maybe, that is what it is today. However, it has never been so earlier. One only has the understand the way of life of Indians before to realise that Thaali is not a symbol of male domination.
Indians have always celebrated two things - one, abandonment of ego and two, inclination towards giving rather than talking. Indians celebrated anything that gave, anything that made life possible on this planet like God, Nature. And women.
Rivers make life possible. So do women. Both are a symbol of fertility. That is why they share names. Men honour both of them and the fertility they represent with ornaments and other such things. At marriage, a woman is ready to bear children. She is not a child making machine. She is the bearer of human life. She is not much different from a God. Men honour Gods by decorating them with flowers and other ornaments. He does the same to a woman at marriage. Thaali is merely an ornament used to honour a woman. It does not demean them.
Ps. In certain Hindu communities, men do wear some kinda marriage symbols.
While I was researching this article, I chanced upon another article, which also arrives at the above conclusion. It provides a lot of lingual, etymological, historical and cultural evidences to show the same. It's in Tamil and is split into four blog posts. Here is the link to the first one.
http://valavu.blogspot.in/2007/06/1.html
So, how and when did Thaali come into existence?
Origin of Thaali in Tamil country:
There are various theories and stories as to how Thaali came into existence. Most of them are mere folklore, legends built upon other legends. However, there are two theories that look very plausible.
The first one begins with tiger teeth. In earlier times, a man tied knots with a woman with the teeth from the tiger he hunted. The man's name was engraved on the teeth and the teeth itself was garlanded around his lady love's neck. It seemed to have served two purposes - one, it was a sign of the man's bravery and two, it served as the woman's protection against other prying men. Over the years, the tiger's teeth was replaced by wax, hardened clay, turmeric rhizomes, and presently, it is gold. No physical evidence has ever been discovered to substantiate this theory which makes it impossible to arrive at timelines. However, circumstantial evidences do vouch for this theory. Men's valor and marriage have also been linked in this part of the country, even today tiger population in this area is substantial, the tiger teeth is valuable and it was in fashion until a few years ago. All of these evidences make it impossible to brush away this theory without consideration.
The next story is set in modern day Kerala which was once ruled by the Cheras. According to it, a thaali is the contract signed by a man and a woman to share their lives and approved by the representatives of the twenty-four districts/regions of the Chera Kingdom. In short, it was the marriage certificate of those times. It was made of a palm leaf, which contained the signature of the man, the woman and the twenty-four representatives. It was hung around the neck of the bride with a cotton thread. It is also believed that the name "thaali(தாலி)" is derived from the Tamil word for "Palm(தாளம்)". The palm was eventually replaced by wax, clay and turmeric rhizomes before gold was used. As far as timelines are concerned, we know that Cheras ruled the region from the 3rd century AD, but physical evidences recovered only dates back to the 10th century, which gives an idea of when thaali could have come into existence.
Now, let's probe Tamil literature to unearth evidence or lack thereof of Thaali.
Thaali in Tami literature:
There are very few references, if at all any, to a sacred thread in ancient Tamil literature. There are very few works in the Sangam literature, Aganaanoru being one of them, that hint at some form of sacred jewel/thread which was used in weddings. It was called a Pudhunaan(புதுநாண்) or Mangalanaan(மங்கல நாண்), but neither do they hint at the significance of this adornment nor do they tell who wore it, the bride or the groom.
Thirukkural, which details about love and marriage in these parts of the country before the times of Christ and before the Sangam, does not mention once the sacred thread. Silapathikaram, which is another extant on love and marriage, dated back to first few centuries of CE, mentions about a sacred ornament(மங்கல அணி). There is a great debate among scholars on whether this is a reference to the modern day thaali. There are few who claim that the phrase refers to the natural beauty a woman possesses when she has denounced all ornaments. It fits in context.
There are a few implied, albeit scattered, references to Thaali in Nedunalvaadai and Kanthapuranam. Even they do not associate sanctity with Thaali.
There is another reference in Kurunthogai to women wearing sacred ornaments (வாலிழை மகளிர்), but this one too lacks any specific information.
Jump to medieval times and references are galore. Kantharapuram, a 10th century book of poems on Lord Murugan, mentions the existence of a Potraali(பொற்றாலி). Periyapuranam and Kambaramayanam, books from 12th century, detail the process of tying a Thaali and glorify the Thaali itself. Around the same time, reference to Thaali crop up in both religious and non-religious Tamil literature.
So, can we conclude that Thaali came into existence in the medieval times? Or does it predate those times?
Previous debates:
In 1954, Kannadasan, the legendary writer and a staunch atheist(who later turned into a believer), called for a debate on whether ancient Tamils wore a Thaali or not. Most scholars pointed at the lack of evidence in Tamil literature to argue that Thaali was not a part of Tamil marriage. Ma. Po. Sivagnanam, an expert on Silapathikaram, argued against them. He pointed out to those who argued against Thaali, the mention of a sacred thread is enough evidence. Unfortunately, he could not stand against the might of Periyar(E.V. Ramasamy). Fourteen years later, self-respect marriages were legalised in Tamil Nadu.
Conclusion:
If one were to ask the question, was Thaali a part of ancient Tamil marriages? The answer would be, we can't be certain. No physical evidence has so far been unearthed and any direct reference to its existence does not come before the 10th century. That does not rule out the possibility it having existed. Therefore, it cannot be said with certainty that Thaali did exist in antiquity or otherwise. It certainly has been existent for at least a thousand years and that is a considerably long time in itself.
Also, there is no literary or physical evidence to show that Thaali was/is a symbol of male domination. On the other hand, I believe, it is men's way of honouring women.
The debate:
In the last few days, a debate has been raging in Tamil Nadu. Its about a piece of jewelry(that is what it has been reduced these days) associated with marriage - the Thaali, the Tamil's version of Mangalsutra. It's held sacred by the Tamil Hindu community, but since the dawn of the twentieth century, a few people have raised their voice in support of the people who have chosen not to wear it. The notable ones being E.V. Ramasamy(Periyar), Anna Durai and the Dravidian movement. As a part of their self-respect movement, they encouraged inter-caste marriages, widow remarriages, marriages without priests, ceremonies and dowry, and so on. These marriages were christened self-respect marriages. Though the first self-respect marriages were practiced as early as 1920, it was not until 1967, they were legalised in Tamil Nadu by the former chief minister Anna Durai. I was born into a caste that still practices a form of self-respect marriage. That has no bearing to this article though. I am not a big fan of Periyar or the Dravidian movement either. Though their motives were good, their means was not. They almost destroyed a culture to fight Brahminism.
The recent spate of debates do not question the legality of not wearing a thaali, but the morality of it. Hindutva groups argue that it is a tradition that we are losing while the self proclaimed liberals claim that they are fighting for women freedom. Is there any truth to any of these claims? Are the fears of the Hindutva groups justified? Is tradition being stomped upon? Or are the pseudo-liberals right?
To find answers to these questions, one has to know how and why Thaali came into existence and its significance.
Symbolism of Thaali:
Modern day scholars of Tamil culture and tradition have presented different meanings for the Thaali. Each one of them have been more philosophical than the previous one. Each one of them have sanctified it to an extent where it stands only next to the almighty himself. And each one of them have linked it to the evolution of Tamil culture invariably. In their views, a Thaali is a bond between two souls, a contract signed with God, a symbol of an alliance that is to last unto death. It is also sometimes linked with the health of the husband and married women are forbidden from removing it until the death of their husband. This is a custom practiced by Tamil women even today.
The scholars have also attempted to explain the three knots. Their explanations range from ordinary to supernatural, from superficial to profound, from the impossible to the inevitable, from absurd to amazing. According to some of them, the three knots symbolise the Trinities - Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma - and therefore, they symbolise the life cycle itself. Others see a more earthly connection. They believe the three knot symbolises the three new relationships a woman earns through marriage, one of her husband, the next of his siblings and parents and the third of their child. Still others claim that the three knot represents the unity of body, mind and soul.
Traditionally, the thread of the Thaali has nine strands, representing the nine essential traits a woman should possess in marriage.
The next question naturally is why should only women wear symbols of marriage and not men? Is it male chauvinism?
Thaali and feminism:
At the outset, the Thaali might seem as a symbol of male chauvinism and maybe, that is what it is today. However, it has never been so earlier. One only has the understand the way of life of Indians before to realise that Thaali is not a symbol of male domination.
Indians have always celebrated two things - one, abandonment of ego and two, inclination towards giving rather than talking. Indians celebrated anything that gave, anything that made life possible on this planet like God, Nature. And women.
Rivers make life possible. So do women. Both are a symbol of fertility. That is why they share names. Men honour both of them and the fertility they represent with ornaments and other such things. At marriage, a woman is ready to bear children. She is not a child making machine. She is the bearer of human life. She is not much different from a God. Men honour Gods by decorating them with flowers and other ornaments. He does the same to a woman at marriage. Thaali is merely an ornament used to honour a woman. It does not demean them.
Ps. In certain Hindu communities, men do wear some kinda marriage symbols.
While I was researching this article, I chanced upon another article, which also arrives at the above conclusion. It provides a lot of lingual, etymological, historical and cultural evidences to show the same. It's in Tamil and is split into four blog posts. Here is the link to the first one.
http://valavu.blogspot.in/2007/06/1.html
So, how and when did Thaali come into existence?
Origin of Thaali in Tamil country:
There are various theories and stories as to how Thaali came into existence. Most of them are mere folklore, legends built upon other legends. However, there are two theories that look very plausible.
The first one begins with tiger teeth. In earlier times, a man tied knots with a woman with the teeth from the tiger he hunted. The man's name was engraved on the teeth and the teeth itself was garlanded around his lady love's neck. It seemed to have served two purposes - one, it was a sign of the man's bravery and two, it served as the woman's protection against other prying men. Over the years, the tiger's teeth was replaced by wax, hardened clay, turmeric rhizomes, and presently, it is gold. No physical evidence has ever been discovered to substantiate this theory which makes it impossible to arrive at timelines. However, circumstantial evidences do vouch for this theory. Men's valor and marriage have also been linked in this part of the country, even today tiger population in this area is substantial, the tiger teeth is valuable and it was in fashion until a few years ago. All of these evidences make it impossible to brush away this theory without consideration.
The next story is set in modern day Kerala which was once ruled by the Cheras. According to it, a thaali is the contract signed by a man and a woman to share their lives and approved by the representatives of the twenty-four districts/regions of the Chera Kingdom. In short, it was the marriage certificate of those times. It was made of a palm leaf, which contained the signature of the man, the woman and the twenty-four representatives. It was hung around the neck of the bride with a cotton thread. It is also believed that the name "thaali(தாலி)" is derived from the Tamil word for "Palm(தாளம்)". The palm was eventually replaced by wax, clay and turmeric rhizomes before gold was used. As far as timelines are concerned, we know that Cheras ruled the region from the 3rd century AD, but physical evidences recovered only dates back to the 10th century, which gives an idea of when thaali could have come into existence.
Now, let's probe Tamil literature to unearth evidence or lack thereof of Thaali.
Thaali in Tami literature:
There are very few references, if at all any, to a sacred thread in ancient Tamil literature. There are very few works in the Sangam literature, Aganaanoru being one of them, that hint at some form of sacred jewel/thread which was used in weddings. It was called a Pudhunaan(புதுநாண்) or Mangalanaan(மங்கல நாண்), but neither do they hint at the significance of this adornment nor do they tell who wore it, the bride or the groom.
Thirukkural, which details about love and marriage in these parts of the country before the times of Christ and before the Sangam, does not mention once the sacred thread. Silapathikaram, which is another extant on love and marriage, dated back to first few centuries of CE, mentions about a sacred ornament(மங்கல அணி). There is a great debate among scholars on whether this is a reference to the modern day thaali. There are few who claim that the phrase refers to the natural beauty a woman possesses when she has denounced all ornaments. It fits in context.
There are a few implied, albeit scattered, references to Thaali in Nedunalvaadai and Kanthapuranam. Even they do not associate sanctity with Thaali.
There is another reference in Kurunthogai to women wearing sacred ornaments (வாலிழை மகளிர்), but this one too lacks any specific information.
Jump to medieval times and references are galore. Kantharapuram, a 10th century book of poems on Lord Murugan, mentions the existence of a Potraali(பொற்றாலி). Periyapuranam and Kambaramayanam, books from 12th century, detail the process of tying a Thaali and glorify the Thaali itself. Around the same time, reference to Thaali crop up in both religious and non-religious Tamil literature.
So, can we conclude that Thaali came into existence in the medieval times? Or does it predate those times?
Previous debates:
In 1954, Kannadasan, the legendary writer and a staunch atheist(who later turned into a believer), called for a debate on whether ancient Tamils wore a Thaali or not. Most scholars pointed at the lack of evidence in Tamil literature to argue that Thaali was not a part of Tamil marriage. Ma. Po. Sivagnanam, an expert on Silapathikaram, argued against them. He pointed out to those who argued against Thaali, the mention of a sacred thread is enough evidence. Unfortunately, he could not stand against the might of Periyar(E.V. Ramasamy). Fourteen years later, self-respect marriages were legalised in Tamil Nadu.
Conclusion:
If one were to ask the question, was Thaali a part of ancient Tamil marriages? The answer would be, we can't be certain. No physical evidence has so far been unearthed and any direct reference to its existence does not come before the 10th century. That does not rule out the possibility it having existed. Therefore, it cannot be said with certainty that Thaali did exist in antiquity or otherwise. It certainly has been existent for at least a thousand years and that is a considerably long time in itself.
Also, there is no literary or physical evidence to show that Thaali was/is a symbol of male domination. On the other hand, I believe, it is men's way of honouring women.
Comments
Just curious, why do you think so?
To be clear, I'm not sure what my opinion on the subject is. To me, it's a very special possession from the day we declared our commitment to the world and I would not look at it with abandon, but it's mostly just that.
Ps. Before, I started researching, my stand was exactly the same of yours :-
)
http://vedham.blogspot.com/2020/02/upanayanam-to-do-or-not.html