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Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu: It was birthday celebrations of a different sort for 105-year-old Rajammal of Tamil Nadu when her entire family, comprising 195 members, gathered to personally greet her on the occasion.
The birthday was celebrated in traditional south Indian style earlier (March 10) in the state's Krishnagiri town. A special ceremony was organised on the occasion in which flower petals and currency coins were showered on her as a gesture of joy.
The ceremony is generally held after a person completes 80 years. Rajammal, who has seen almost five generations of her family, was happy to receive affection from her sons and daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great grandchildren.
"I have seen five generations. I married Lakshmana Chettiar and we had eight daughters and a son. Of the nine, only six are alive and they have come," said Rajammal. Dressed in a new sari presented by her loved ones, Rajammal blessed all of them with her toothless smile and frail hands while the musicians kept playing joyous tunes. In her daily life, Rajammal prefers to remain a self-reliant person despite her age.
She moves around without anyone's help and even cooks for herself. She earns a couple of rupees by making Patravali, dinner plates made of dried leaves. The family participated in the birthday celebrations cheerfully.
"We, the parents, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have come from three states. All of us have assembled to celebrate her birthday. Actually, we hail from Bellary. There is much of a generation gap between my great granny Rajammal and most of us. We have performed special pujas as a part of the [birthday] ceremony and we are very happy," said Baby, Rajammal's great granddaughter.
"We, the 195 members of whom the youngest is from the fifth generation, have gathered here to show our respect," said Jyoti, another granddaughter.
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