lunch is served

At Deepak’s upanayanam (thread ceremony, see earlier entry), he and his cousins sat down for his first lunch as threaded Brahmin. On the traditional plantain leaves, you can see idli (a steamed , lenticular rice cake), vadai (a savory doughnut), pieces of badusha (coil-shaped savory snack), and coconut chutney (yum). There’s a sweet, orange-colored appetizer, too. From left to right: Rajesh, Deepak (Jayaganesh), Balaji (Indresh), and Vignesh. There’s a priest squatting behind Deepak holding his hand, and you can just see a little mahendi design on his palm. Water is served in little plastic tumblers.