THALAYANA (PILLOW) Dear friends,
I had a doubt whether it is Thalayana or Thala ina in Malayalam for pillow. It appeared both are correct. One is meaningintimacy with head, the other close to head. Whatever it is unless we are verytired and sleepy, we require the pillow for sleep. If pillow is removed duringsleep, immediately the person wakes up in most cases. Even kids are put tosleep with small pillow. Some kids and grownups have the practice of holdingthe pillow and sleep. Let me go more in to pillow. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 6-7-2011. Reposted on 25-12-2020 after editing and updating information. R. GopalaKrishnan. 1. How many pillows were required by Ravana to sleep? Ravana had ten heads and as suchone normal pillow could be insufficient. Hence he required a mini bed to beused as pillow. This was a joke I heard long back in arattai arangam in some TVChannel long back. But thefact it is told he could either expand or contract his head to one or ten. 2. Thalayana manthram It is not manthra or pooja, butputting forth a point and asking to get it done by the newly wedded wife in thebed room to husbands. Most of the husbands would agree and try to carry it out.When he starts to enforce only he will understand that his mother or fatherhave a different view on it. This is during early wedded days. Update- Nowadays by many married ladies even at 10 years aftermarriage. Later mostly the husbands would beenforcing as he desire, sometimes to the favour of wife. But the poor wife had to bear theblame; again it is as per her direction. In short with not much likeddaughter in laws, any action done by their son in favour of his wife is felt bymany mothers as Thalayana manthram, even some times by educated women mother in laws. Even when the father in laws favourthe recently wedded wife of their son, women folk do not agree so simply. Icould find for this only one reason – The brain works differently in men and women. 3. Thalayina made of foam rubber, cotton and mixed rubber and coir. The earlier pillows were madeusing elavam panchu (cotton) and filling in approximate 1.5’x0.70’ bag andstitching after filling. The quantity and quality of cotton decided the cushioneffect. Too much filling or too less filling in the bag was bad. All cushioningeffect would gradually decrease in 2-3 years. It was a practice on olden daysto take out the cotton, dry it in sun after manually expanding and re filling.Then it continued for another one or two years. Once the container bag becomeold, mostly the pillow was discarded. Later pillows appeared with wastecotton, but it had little market. Foam rubber, rubber mixed with coir and nicecotton later appeared and all continue even now. In cities nowadays it is verydifficult to dispose old pillows for many reasons. If the home has some space it can be burnt. It is notclear at what time pillow covers started to use. Even in myboyhood days pillow covers were stitched by tailor- not ready made. 4. Air pillow Though air pillows appeared fortravel use, it did not gain very much popularity since, the pillow was toughand had short life and air had to be blown with mouth. Bag cum pillow tooappeared in Delhi area, where after using for some short period it had wear andtear. Still air pillows areavailable in shops for the needy. 5. Pillows in Train In air conditioned classesearlier it was a practice to issue one small pillow, 2 sheets and a blanket oncost. At that time many used to bring them, since there used to be a shortageand many were eager to grasp first. Later the charges were includedin fare and all are issued in packets after dry wash every time. Update- Pillow Covers are dry washed and with cover itlooks nice. But pillow inside are old. 5a. Pillows in sleeper class. Now a day in sleeper class coachnear to AC coaches there used to be a distribution of pillows and sheets forcost. Private agencies are now doing it, and at least a few in sleeper classuse to get it. Of course now a day they are well cleaned pressed and provided. 6. Telephone directory as pillow I recollect many days I haveslept on the hard board box spread and keeping two directories as pillows andsleep in the Installation rooms while working as Divisional engineer, Telecominstallations in Calicut. In most of the places we could not take rest going toroom if at all booked in hotels, because of the nature of work. The moment we laydown we used to sleep. 7. Marriage halls Now a day most of the marriagehalls have furnished rooms and well maintained. Earlier we had to sleep inhalls. Pillows and bed sheets and jamukkalams were provided. Though theyclaimed as cleaned, hygiene was not much. But it was a practice. Now everybodyis accommodated in rooms there and in nearby star hotels or apartments. 8. Pillow cover I am not sure when did the pillowcover appeared. I am sure when I was studying in the middle school pillow coverwas not there. I used to spread an old cloth or towel on the pillow. Now nopillow is used without cover. The pillow cover is replaced with new one atleast once a month in homes. In hotels, hospitals etc. it is daily changed. Update- with Covid 19 it is madea practice to wash bed sheet, pillow cover and bed spread within a week in mosthomes. The availability of washing machines in homes, makes the work completewith some effort. 9. Stains in pillow Even with all cautions and usewith cover, we can see stainsin pillow. How the stains appear on the pillow and not on the cover isstill confusing me. Whatever be thereasons, the COVER OF PILLOW hides all of them present and give an elegantappearance. 10 How many pillows for sleep? Mostly one pillow is provided forhead. Some prefer for leg. For small kids, surely on sides are provided,preventing accidental falling from cot. Now a day the cots are having lesser height. We have to thank for thenew design cots for about 1-1.25 feet height now. If at all a personaccidentally fall, no major injury happens due to lesser height. But it is verydifficult for a person lean and take something fallen below the cot. 11. Pillows used by kathakali artists The Thullal and kathakali artistswear pillow and have the costume in the waist. For appearing as a pregnantlady, invariably female cine artists tie small cotton pillow over theirstomach. 12. Torn out pillow It is a general ruling torn outpillow should not be used. In olden days the cotton powder would come andsuffocate the persons on pressing would have been the reason. Now with foampillows no such thing as cotton powder coming out from pillow. 13. Thalayanaati The pillow sports were one of thegames while I was studying in schools. Two peoples would be blowing each otherwith pillows and the pillow of the person which first falls is considered asdefeated. It was sometimes done sitting on a wooden branch at lesser height. 14. Pillow free with mat Most of the mats are now sold,with free /charged pillows along with it. 15. Side rest as pillow This is an open secret .Most ofus use the side rest of sofa as pillow while seeing the TV and relaxing.Persons like me fall in to deep sleep in nights with comfortable sleep in sofasand then wake up and go to bed. Even TV is not switched of at many times since suddenlyfall asleep. 16. Palirukkum, Pazhamirukkum…. Panchanayil kattirukkum thookkam varathu. I am not able to recollect thename of the film, but the song I recollect from a Tamil film. When we are insome pressurised or tensioned situation, sleep would not come, as for loversthinking of the other as told in the song. 17. Muthacchantae thalayanum Pulpayum (The mat and pillow of the grandfather) This is a story similar to themud pot of grandfather. Once a person was not taking care of his father, justleaving him in a room, with torn out mat and pillow. After some time, the oldman died. The person started to put in fire the mat and torn out pillow.Immediately his small son rushed and said- When you become old I have to give them to you. Don’t putto fire. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/411684612.3387911.1608856207213%40mail.yahoo.com.
