Blog post by Venkatraman Subramaniam
DISCLAIMER: Namma girls are usually chamathu. So, this post is directed only towards TamBrahm pullaiyaandaans!
It’s not kozhandai. It’s not even kuzhandai. It’s kondey! Yup, your Appa could be 60 and your Thatha could be 90… but still for him, your thopanaar will be a ‘kondey’ for life. Paiyyana petta every TamBrahm parent prays to his or her Kuladeivam – actually, there is no ‘her’ kuladeivam, pukkaatukku ponattukku appram aambdayaan odu kula deivam daane ivalukkum… ya, so they pray that their son should be chamatthu. He should not be influenced by other asamanjams… like that Somu Atthan’s paiyyan Rahul (that abhishtu was caught smoking chinna Gold Flake – abachaaram!)… or that Seshu Ammangaar’s pillai Kishore (caught drinking Chivas Regal – Shiva Shiva!)… or that Vicchu, who is Sacchu Athimber’s onnu vitta akka’s son (he did the unthinkable – he was caught along with a Punjabi ponnu Surinder… having a maamsam burger at KFC!!)
These paavamaana jantukkal are all burdened with loads of edhirpaarpu. So here are the expectations from (read: commandments to) the species that is called ‘Chamathu Kondey’. And there are 11 of them (coz auspicious):
- Thou shalt not be ashamed of your TamBrahm name
Whatever be your TamBrahm name, you will neither surukkify it, nor will change it.
Repercussions: “What is this ‘Baddy’? We named you Bharadwaj over our Gothram. Your Annas got their grandfathers’ names – Sivaramakrishnan & Ananthasubramanian. For our third pullaiyaandaan, kashta pattu peyaru veccha, ivalavu good peyara Baddy-nu mattariya, badavaa rascal!”
- Thou shalt do Sandhyavandanam at least twice everyday
No calamity, natural or man-made, should stop you from picking nose for ‘Om Bhuh’ every day. You are obviously wearing the poonal which you remove ONLY on Aavaniavittam… ONLY to wear a new set. But you also have to ’empower’ the poonal by doing the nitya karma.
Repercussions: “Dei, I spent sixty thousand rupees on your poonal. We did not do your upanayanam in the ooru kovil so that you can dimuky kudutiffy the sandhi. Just doing 108 Gayatri won’t help. We are already so understanding that we have excused the maadhyaanam. If you want breakfast, do Pratahsandhya. If you want dinner, do Saayamsandhya.”
- Thou shalt ittufy veebhoothi always.
Even over Jeans. No excuses. The long pattais need to stay even after the Sandhi. Or else…
Repercussions: “Who asked you to wipe the veebhoothi off your netti? Adu irunda drishti padaadu, ok vaa? Azhikka koodaadu! Go to school/college/office like that only!”
- Thou shalt know the difference between a ‘patthu’ and a ‘non-patthu’ item.
If there is something more mysterious than Chidambara Ragasiyam or Bonda Vinci Code, it must be the distinction between ‘Patthu’ and ‘Non-Patthu’. Without referring the ‘Patthu Dictionary For Ashadu Dummies’, a chamathu kondey will know that chaadam, kozhambu, kari, kootu are all ‘patthu’, whereas paal, thayiru, nei, vetta kozhambu, mor kozhambu are all ‘non-patthu’. A chamathu kondey will also know that “aduppu lendu keezha erakki rasam la uppu poatta”, it is non-patthu.
Repercussions: “Ashadu ashadu… ellatukkum tanniya tottukka vendaam. Thayira-a vittundu, mor molagai-ya pottuka, you don’t have to touch water again and again kanna.”
- Thou shalt know to ecchil-ittufy after eating chaapaadu.
If Amma or Paati are kind enough to do it, you are spared. Illaina maatindai!
Repercussions: “Kaiyila vecchindu chaapda koodaadu!” comes the order. So, you are forced to keep the thatthu either on the dining table or good old tharai and eat chappalam muttindu (cross-legged). After you are done eating (and obviously after saying ‘Amruthopithanamasi’), you will echchil-ittify, because Amma will tell Paati, “You stay away. Kondey will do it. (to the target) Paati-kku vayasu aayachu. Amma-kku iduppu valikkardu illaiya kondey.” Checkmate.
- Thou shalt know the maasams, nakshatrams & Rahu Kalam timings ‘by heart’
The chamathu kondey learns the names of all the 12 Tamil months and everyone from Ashwini to Revathi (abhishthu, these are not names of girls, they are the 27 nakshatrams). He can even manually calculate the Rahu Kaalam timings with the help of the ‘THIngal SAndaiyil VEiye PUraputtu VIlaiyaada SElvadu NYAAyanama’ trick.
Repercussions: “Paati, there are 12 months in the Gregorian Calendar also”. “Anda Greg Chappell kadakkaan… you should know the Tamizh months also – from Chittrai to Panguni.” “Yaaru Paati, anda Chitra?” “Adi pada porai, thadiya!”
- Thou shalt study Medicine / Engineering / CA / MBA / All of the above
“Bringing centum in Maths is not enough, abhishtu! You need to do a B.E. (Electronics or Software, that’s your choice) and then apply for a Yem Yes in Yoo Yes.” This is a second alternative only if you can’t do MBBS because you faint at the sight of rattham. If not these 2 options, then with a heavy heart, they will allow you to do a CA & MBA. That’s it! The options end over there. Because if you do anything else, “maasaa maasam six-figure chambalam kaila varaadu, and yaarum ponnu kudukka maatta”.
Repercussions: If you decide to take up Arts or that cundrawvy Mass Media… “aatta vittu veliyile poda”!
- Thou shalt not work anywhere apart from TCS / Infosys / L&T / Reliance / Indian Oil (in that order)
Do any other companies exist?!
Repercussions: Conversation between ‘well-wisher’ Mama & Appa: “Where does your son work” “Oh, he is a CFO in a US-based MNC. It is 93000 employee company which has presence in 72 countries. Their last year’s revenue was € 11 billion. And did I tell you, he is the CFO, teriyuma?” “Company peyaru enna?” <insert any name apart from the ones listed above> “Peyare kettadu illai. (proudly) En pillai TCS la Junior System Architect aakum.”
- Thou shalt celebrate all the visheshams
Varusha pirappu, Navaratri, Deepavali, Pongal… you know the full sampradaayam. You are up and ready along with all the others in the house… EARLY in the morning. You are a part of the entire poojai. In fact, when Appa is showing deepaaraadhanai, you are one mani aattifying.
Repercussions: “Dei, innum neivedyam-e aagalai. Endrukkardu late, idula vanda odane vadai thinganamaam. Kadangaara, po kuluchitu vaa!”
- Thou shalt attend all the Kalyaanams and Functions
“Onakku ottanukkaaga chamakka mudiyaadu. Pesaama vaa.” This is the trigger point for most to attend EVERY SINGLE kalyaanam and function. All the chamathu kondeys are usually appreciated (beaming with pride – “Oru function a kooda vittu kuduttadillai!”). The chamathu kondeys know which Mama or Mami is related to them in which vazhi. They don’t tiru-tiru-nu muzhichify when they see Sacchu Athimber’s onnu vitta akka odu maamanaar.
Repercussions: This trend of attending functions tends to increase as the kondeys reach (or are crossing) the marriagable age. The reactions vary from “Paakka aarambicchaacha?” to “Aduttadu nee daan!” to “Innum onnum amaiyalaiya?” as and when the vayasu increases.
- Thou shalt get into an arranged marriage with a ‘nambalavaa’
Why do TamBrahm kids study and get a ‘good’ job? So that they can marry a nambalavaa and ‘settle down’.
Repercussions: “Chandaalaa! Did I taalaati, toal-la tookki valattufied you for this day? How dare you marry someone who does not know our shaastrams and sampradaayams?… (and the eventual) aatta vittu veliyile poda!”
Only and only if you fulfil all the 11 criteria, will you be considered an Agmark-certified ‘Chamathu Kondey’!
For 11 commandments for Chamathu Ponn Kondeys by the same author, click here
Check out our exclusive merchandise on PosterGuy
[…] the 11 commandments for Chamathu Pullaiyaandaans (click here for the article), I was asked by some to pen down the 11 commandments for a Chamathu Ponn Kondey as […]
LikeLike
Jamaichutel! Enjoyed reading every word. Got reminded of my childhood days while reading this…
LikeLike
Excellent commandments !! Extremely relatable !
LikeLike
Very nicely captured. There is this inner liking to all the commandments but the external facade we put to the world would be the very contrast of most of the 11 commandments. Maybe it is inner liking to have the best of both the world’s!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha. Even I hated my name. All my classmates wud tease me coz of the long name plus my dad’s name following it. And wud say ” surname nahi hai kya “. That’s why I have kept my daughters name so simple “RIA”. that’s all 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mahalaxmi is a mangalakaramaana name! Haha 😀 But I can understand… after all… Venkatraman Subramaniam… so, you see.. :p
RIA is a lovely name! My best wishes to you and your daughter. 😀
LikeLike
This is true af .. but do u seriously think everyone follow this ?
LikeLike
Extremely Funny. 😂
Although it would be rather criminal for me to not share a few highlights from my life that might be relatable to nammava 😂
There were moments during a family reunion at the eve of marriages, upanayanam or sashti poorthi (yeah, neraya kelam kattais on my side 😂😂), where strangers who I have not met before come up to me and say, “Enna nyabagam irukka?” And I have to nod yes to prevent further awkwardness xD or another situation where some dhurathu sontham aththai introduces me to their daughter as, “Indha anna va paathu kathuko..” and me getting a virtual facepalm as getting brother zoned by a aththai ponnu 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brotherzoned?!
LikeLike
It’s ok… if not from Athai’s side, may Umachi get you someone from dhuuratthu Mama’s side.
LikeLike
Awesomely true…
LikeLiked by 1 person
They have given up on my brother now.. :p
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] the 11 commandments for Chamathu Pullaiyaandaans, was asked by some to pen down the 11 commandments for a Chamathu Ponn […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
Superb article!
LikeLiked by 1 person
yeah all you said was perfect . In fact the topic regarding our education, the people will start pressurizing just when we reach 12th STD. They start asking….. ENNADAPPA ENTRANCE ELLAM APPLY PANNIYACHA? ETHALLAM EZHUTHARAI… NEE SRM VIT JEE KEAM ITHU ELLAM NANNA GAVUNICHIKKO ETHULAYAVATHUM KEDACHA PINNE LIFE SETTLE .
if these people advise this to their children they would have cherished .
i wiil say one of my experience that one of my relative sensd me a message one day:- DEI CAT IKKU APPLY PANNIYACHA? this is the question. THE BEST PART I HAVE REACHED ONLY 12TH STD……………..:(
LikeLiked by 1 person
i empathize with you, Bharath. Actually, you can write an entire post based on such experiences and share with the chamathu admins of this blog. In my opinion, oru nalla post kku undaana content idula irukku. 🙂
LikeLike
Nice article believe you have gone through all this, of course all tam brahm, kondey’s will go through this.
good job
LikeLiked by 1 person
As you said, all the kondeys go through this… Only some turn out to be chamattu eventually. 😂
LikeLike
Company list la TVS ah vitutele !! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Periya pizhai! Company list erindey porudu. Have been asked to include lots of names – TVS, Godrej, Glaxo, etc. 🙂
LikeLike
OMU! (Oh my Ummachi! That’s how we roll :p ) That moment when you realise that being chamathu can end up with people mistaking you for a priest !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nanri. Also, “that’s how we roll”… appidina angapradrakshanam daane? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Conversations with the Idiot.
LikeLike
Thanks Sriram. Here’s the calculation using both the phrases (Tamil & English)
THIngal (THIngal) – MOther (MOnday) – 7:30am
SAndaiyil (SAni) – SAw (Saturday) – 9:00am
VEliyile (VElli) – Father (Friday) – 10:30am
PUraputtu (PUdhan) – WEaring (WEdnesday) – 12 noon
VIlaiyaada (VIyazhan) – THe (Thursday) – 1:30pm
SElvadu (SEvvai) – TUrban (Tuesday) – 3:00pm
NYAAyama (NYAAyitru) – SUnday (SUnday) – 4:30pm
LikeLike
Truly remarkable post. Hilarious and brings back good old memories. Pardon my ignorance but how do the Rahu Kaalam calculations work using those phrases in English or Tamizh? I didn’t quite get that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very good effort OUR traditions need to be followed strictly as they are beneficial to us
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rofl! Lol! What a chamattu kondey you are dear! Your commandments are commanding and i enjoyed thoroughly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hilarious . Well explained. You have left out on three commandments. Think it out
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wondering what they could be… 🤔
LikeLike
Enjoyed thouroughly. Most of these apply to ponn kondels too! And more lol. They sound so harsh to an outsider but I think to most of us, it comes naturally.
Semma sirippu!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey! Nice write up mate.
Few points..
Its poo-nool by phonetics f Tamil a worldly transformation to poonal has galloped the meaning frm the minds f tambrahms as such in a way.
And curious.. How could the turnover of US based MNC be said in euros. 😛 Don’t mind. May be kondey’s parents have had enough vendakaai to have instantly used ganithasastra and used money converter in thayir sadham brain!
Enjoyed it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poo-nool for sure. Went with the colloquial version. And haha, this is a vendakkai & baadaam-paruppu thingara thoppanaar… Used ‘Vedic Mathematics’ for the calculation 😂
LikeLike
Nothing beats points 7 and 8 …
Too good ..hahahaha 😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked it! 👍
LikeLike
Pinnitel
Ellarum ippiye yoo yes la yem yes pannindrundha yaaru inga maththa padippu ellam yaar padippa??….
Ava sollara iva sollarangarthunaala nammalukku pudicha padippa padikkaama irukku mudiyuma sollungo?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nanri. Neengalum seriya sonnel! 😀
LikeLike
namma yechill patthu yellam yelappama irrukaa? AAMAM Nyoo YAARK la poi settle aahittu perumaiya ‘kosher keesher’ thinga mattum peethikka theriayrdhu.. Oh man.. this post is splitting my sides!
LikeLiked by 2 people
vibudhi irundha drishtii definite aa padaadu, yenda ponnu oan morakattaiya paathu maiyanga pora? 😀 . It was bad enough that Tambrahm boys were seldom eye candy material!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Veebhoodhi is Lakshaman for our boys! #azhikkapdaadu 😂
LikeLike
Awesome commandments! I used to be sort of ashamed of my name. The original name given to me because when my friends got to know it, they teased me for its meaning. But after that, I made up my mind to love it by all means. Because, frankly, there is nothing more sexier & auspicious at the same time, than the older Tamil names – Meenakshi, Kamakshi & Vishalakshi. Nothing could beat them. 😀
I learnt the Rahu kalams using this – “Mother Saw Father Wearing The Turban.” You know the last one is Sunday. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I still chant the ‘mother saw father’ mantra.. vera shlokam ellam nyavam irrukko illayo!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha. Had tried to surukkify my name in my teen angst days, but then later.. one becomes (apparently) wiser 😀
Yaa, ‘Mother Saw Father’ is a popular version. There’s another one too – ‘Each Boy Has A Good Fresh Cake’. This one is a lot more complicated.
This is the order from Monday to Sunday.
A=1, B=2 and so on till H=8
Take the first letter of the word & note the number associated with it. Halve it and add it to the number. You get the start time of Rahu Kalam
Eg: ‘Has’. So the number is eight. Half of it is four. So for Wednesday, it’s 12pm (eight + four)
Phew!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pramadham.
Pinnitel pongo…
Chirippu thangala….
Besh besh…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Romba Sandosham 😊🙏🏼
LikeLike
[…] Source: Chamathu Kondey by Venkatraman […]
LikeLike
Hillarious. I had a good laugh. All 11 points are true. But I feel this echil ittufy is more targeted toward girls rather than boys…..And the first point is absolutely true – even though in my family there were 6 of us with the same name, I Wasn’t allowed to change my name… BTW for the rahu kalams – there is another one in english – Mother Says Father Wears THe TUrban on Sundays.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unfortunately even today, Chamattu ponngal are the target for echil ittufying. But there are lots of single child paiyyangal and those pullaiyaandans in whose aam the ponnu has gone to Yoo Yes to do Yem Yes… this was directed towards them. Coz vayasu aana Paati and iduppu vali Amma are a constant. 😉
Also, yup ‘Mother Says Father’ is another popular version. I went with the one I learnt first 🙂
LikeLike
I cannot accept more.. Very true and funny 11 commandments.. Really enjoyed reading it.. Especially diff btw “echil”, “pathu” and “non-pathu”.. 😛 ROFL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Shreeraman 😊
LikeLike