About a century ago women were not allowed to look into the mirror and beautify themselves. In the South Indian villages women were taught Music, Dance and other fine arts and of course cooking. Many widows became expert cooks and their methods are what today adopted and published into books. The best part is their formulation, recipes, choice of ingredients and the method, which suits the pressure cooker, tawa or micro oven.
The mother would be strict and watchful when the women enter teens and advice them not to stand in front of the mirror for long, laugh without a cause, go to the streets except for drawing large Kolams on festivals, not to talk to men who ever they are, not to touch and talk to close relatives including brothers and father, to stay inside after dark and take care to dress properly but cover themselves properly.
The grandmas and thathas would support the women to beautify and look into the mirror and give enough freedom to play and would take them outside to temples and social festivals. They would love their grand-daughters to laugh and be natural. This balancing act would give enough maturity to women to handle men who love the physic than the divine beauty, intellect or the finer things in the women.
Today in most of the South Indian marriages the beautician team arrives and make the women to be married like film celebrities and pose for the still and video cameras. In the Life journey, Man and Woman do need physical attraction. But there are finer things to be enjoyed.
Ask any South Indian married Man and he will tell you how much clever and beautiful their wives are and enjoy freedom. Gold and Saree prices go up but there is much crowd in Panagal Park. Do not believe the Women magazines and TV channels.
Women enjoy life more here. They prepare the best coffee, watch TV serials and go shopping. That is why there is Love and forgiveness towards the terrorists. Women have come into the open but there is culture and tradition here which can be seen during this beautiful month of Marghazhi.