There are several traditional measuring utensils still popular in Kerala, one among them is Idangazhi which holds approximately one Kg of rice.
In the years gone by, rice was everything for Keralites, not just the source of food for all three meals, but it took the form of money to buy other things and pay for services rendered.
Rice for medicines and rice for fish… for all these measurements there existed smaller and bigger denominations of the measuring utensils too, called Uri, Nazhi, Idangazhi and Para.
Let me share an image, for the weekly challenge: Containers, where one Idangazhi rice was being given to a theyyam performer as a symbolic payment, though now a days everything is paid in paper cash.
Santiago the Shepherd 
I love this…it evokes that joyous feeling of sharing…
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Really glad to see your comment, Michael 🙂
Thank you so much 🙂
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(EN)Thanks for sharing a little bit of your culture 🙂
(IT) Grazie per condividere un po’ della tua cultura 🙂
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Thank you so much for the visit and your warm comments 🙂
You know something, from your comments, I have started picking up a little bit of Italian 🙂
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(EN)Gracious thought your, thanks 🙂 I feel homesick sometimes and your photos remind me of your country…a country where I learn something new and different any time and anywhere…thanks 🙂
(IT) Gentile pensiero il tuo, grazie 🙂 Ho nostalgia ogni tanto e le tue foto mi ricordano il tuo paese…un paese dove imparo qualcosa di nuovo e diverso ogni volta e in ogni dove…grazie 🙂
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I love this photo. I can feel warmth in the human interaction as well 🙂
Wish you a lovely weekend,
Takami
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Thank you so much for the lovely comment,Takami 🙂
Wish you too, a beautiful weekend 🙂
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Love this shot. A symbol of sharing, and perfect for this week’s challenge. A little bit of rice seems to be in the process of spilling out and falling on to the floor, oh dear. If my mum saw that, she would make a big fuss because in Chinese-Malaysian culture, dropping rice on the floor doesn’t bring good luck 🙂
Hope you’re having a good weekend, Sreejith. Great photo as per usual 🙂
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Seems there is so much things in common among us, Asians.
The same things holds true here also, playing with rice or spilling it is strictly forbidden even by my mum 🙂
Yesterday, my daughter wanted to imitate some cooking show and as soon as she started with rice, my mum intervened and gave her something else to play with.
Have a beautiful weekend, Mabel 🙂
Hope to hear some nice stories from your side…
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So true. Though we are from different backgrounds and races, we share so many similarities. I hope your daughter still had fun cooking like a Masterchef without the rice 🙂
You too enjoy the weekend, Sreejith. I know you always do. Nice stories from my end? You can always pop over to my blog 😉
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Great photo!
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Thank you so much, Jaap 🙂
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Beautiful image and interesting background. Well done!
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Thank you so much, Tina 🙂
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great catch of a moment : )
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You said it, I just got it at the right time, I could take only one shot and had to be content with the result 🙂
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A warm feeling with this shot. Feeling of community, human development (love the history of the container & means of commerce) and the colors/shadows gives me a feeling of helping others. You really caught this moment well.
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Thank you so much for your invaluable comments Dalo 🙂
This shot just happened at the right time, and thank god, this is exactly what I wanted.
Some times we gets lucky for the hard work we put to get a decent shot elsewhere, right 🙂
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I remember this kind of measuring containers. We used this in the Philippines and they are squares.
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Okey… great to hear that from you…
Thank you so much for the visit and commenting 🙂
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I am learning a lot about your culture. Thanks for sharing Sreejith.
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It’s so kind of you leave such a nice comment 🙂
Have a beautiful weekend 🙂
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Thanks. You, too! 🙂
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Good to know a glimpse of Keralian culture… though I am originally from Bengal, I need to know a lot about Kerala… will visit soon once I go back india next year. Thanks for sharing this. Sreejith, thank you for stopping by in my blog too… always good to have feedback from fellow photographer
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Thank you so much for your comment and I am really glad that you liked it 🙂
Yea, please do plan a trip to this amazing land, Sudarshan 🙂 The photographer in you will be overwhelmed…
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that’s a very nice symbol
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Thank you so much, Marc 🙂
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Beautiful capture Sreejith! We use the same measure in Mangalore….at least we did!
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Thank you so much, Madhu 🙂
I know, there is hardly anything different in Mangalore and Kannur, right?
Strangely our mother tongues are different 🙂
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I know! My grandmother’s home in Kasargod, is now part of Kerala!
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Good choice of photo for the challenge. The story behind it is very interesting. Must be a lot of paddy field there.
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Thank you so much Indah, you are absolutely right, there used to be paddy fields everywhere,
but now it’s shrunk dramatically and rice is bought from neighboring states…
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oh..that’s so sad..what has happened? Is it because industrial business taking over the agricultural land?
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Yea, you are right, that’s one reason, and the other one being “construction of houses and apartments”.
Kerala is one of the most densely populated state of India and here the culture is “every one wants to have an independent house.
This resulted in the shrinking of paddy fields and there by the food security.
Still it’s a magical place 🙂
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it’s always give and take… strong image!!
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You are absolutely right, reward for a grand performance in a symbolic way 🙂
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Man, I wanna become present. Sick of the past
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Live in present only with no backlogs…
Have a beautiful day 🙂
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oooooo this is tasty amigo – (by the way – I am trying to get caught up on some missed posts – so I might be leaving a few comments in a row… 😉
and when this one came up – you have that duality again – the two plaid shirts – the two hands – the two wrists –
of course the single bowl – that is full –
and with the hands – because their are bracelets on one wrist and not the other – there (to me that is) well there is a feeling of “mine” – or a playful tension to get pull or tug at the bowl. The slight movement of the items inside shows the motion – and it allows the viewer to decide the story.
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Rituals and traditional practices are still being followed religiously in this country without fail…
Hope you would have heard about the cast system in Indian society.
In ancient societies people are grouped together based on the job they practices, like, traders, priests, the ruling class etc;
People from one cast is only authorized to perform the ritual dance form “Theyyam” and in this image, one person receives a token of thanks in the form of rice, for performing “Theyyam”.
As always, it’s so nice to read your observations here and most of it could be associated with the cast system of this country and the prevailing tensions, in a symbolic way 🙂
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Hi Sreejith!! well I heard about the cast system on and off over the years, but last year I tutored a teen with some of his “western civ” studies and it was fascinating for me as teacher to learn about the rich and long Indian history – especially the early and late Vedic periods – and how rice and iron allowed civ to grow –
but I found it extra interesting to hear about some of the early religious practices (and maybe leaders getting sidetracked with pride and personal puffed up-ness) and other beliefs led up to the caste system – and led to going from 3 loose social classes to the highly developed (and justified?) caste system – which then led to
like “too many castes” – which then pulled from unity and led to political fragmentation – wow!
and here I just thought y’all had the best food on the planet – but also have this super long – and rich – history! 🙂 ❤
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As I mentioned before, it’s a very very complicated society and the cast system is one reason behind it.
There is no doubt that, it’s no way good to this society and the nation.
The only people who benefits from this divide and rule is politicians…
Sad but true .
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