THAMBALAM

Friends

Whenever I visit a vessels shop, my eyes will be on brass Thambalam. At least fifteen times I have purchased brass thambalams or exchanged
for new. This craziness is not with me for copper thambalams or silver thambalams. Though I keep in my pooja room brass as well as copper
Thambalam and Pancha pathram uddirini, invariably I use brass one for my sandhya vandanam.  

It came to me to write about Thambalam today since so many things passed through my mind about thambalam. Have a nostalgic experience of
thambalam.

Sincerely
Gopala Krishnan 12-9-2010

1.Thambalam – different sizes.

Mostly thambalams are circular in shape while they are copper or brass make. However I have seen silver thambalams mostly oval in shape.
Thambalam is sometimes called thattu also.

Thambalams can be from 5 inches diameter to above one feet diameter. Thambalams are used for domestic as well as pooja and other samskaras.
When vadhyar gives the list of items invariably he will include thambalams in it. 

Mostly domestic use thambalams are not mixed with one used for samskaras. At least they will be well cleaned before use in samskaras.
Thambalams have a raised edge of about one inch to two inches to hold things.

2. Thambalam- different materials

Most commonly used thambalams are made of copper, brass or silver. Steel thambalams and brass ones coated with tin are used in domestic use.
I have not seen thambalam made of gold. May be available in temples like Tirupathi, Guruvayoor or Sabarimala. 

3. Thambalam- as seeru (From girls house during marriage)

Invariably silver thambalams are given on the occasion of marriage as seeru from the girl's house. However the status may be more on the
weight of thambalam than on the size. There are some normal sizes for marriage. 

Silver Thambalam and Pancha pathram uddirini are given by uncle during upanayanam to the nephew.

4. Thambalam – domestic use

During the time of my marriage one big Anda for storing water was given to my wife with a thambalam to cover it. We were using it pretty long
time of about 20 years. However now both have taken its place in kitchen lofts. 
Steel thambalams are used some times for preparing dough for poori, chappathi etc and spreading.  I have seen in potti hotels thambalams are
used to keep hot boli prepared. Mostly now a day for domestic applications steel is used. Unless it is well cleaned and warranted domestic
using ones are not used for samskaras. 

We require bigger thambalams for keeping flowers for poojas like sastha preethi, etc. Brass ones bigger used for domestic purposes are well
cleaned and used on such occasions.  However mostly now a day we avoid mingling. 

5. Thambalams during samskaras

Invariably for all samskaras from sandhya to sraadha and anthyeshti we require thambalams. Mostly available silver thambalams are used for
most auspicious functions.  Additional brass ones is used. Copper ones are compulsorily used for semi auspicious functions along with
additional brass ones. Copper ones alone for on auspicious function. 

5.1 Aseervadaam keeping things on thambalam

For all aseervadams we use thambalam to keep compliments or to keep received Akshatha on 2nd cloth (Uthareeyam)

All dakshinas are offered keeping betel leaves, aracanut and money or items on thambalam.  Normally thambalams are re used after taking
compliments, dakshina from it. "Rojano rojamana sobhana kalyana/upanayanna…."

5.2 Navarathri thambalam

During Navarathri compliments are offered by women in Thambalam. It is a practice to offer small thambalam with gifts to women. These
thambalams are not taken back. I have seen my wife purchasing dozens of brass thambalam in smaller size. I have not verified the add on
plastic used for Navarathri by her.

5.3 Thambalam in Dampathi pooja

If I recollect while we complete Gaya sraadha and perform Dampathi pooja thampalam given with gifts is not taken back. Practically nothing
taken to Kasi, Prayag and Gaya are taken back. Any surplus is given to Vadhyar. Normally there is repetition of use by sasthrikals. When I
went for Gaya sraadha, my sasthrikal told, "Every thing I will arrange, why take excess weight, simply take a draft"

6. Thambalam every day use

Thambalam finds its position in every day use in pooja rooms, in all Hindu houses. Brahmins use it along with Pancha pathram for performing
sandhya. Thambalam is used to keep flowers for pooja. For nivedyam of fruits it is kept in thambalam. For Vinayaka chathurthi kozhukkata is
offered to Ganapathi in silver plate keeping for Nivedyam. Nampoothiri use thambalam along with small kindi. 

7. Thambalam in temples

Invariably silver thambalam is used in temples to keep chandanam, prasadam flowers and theertham.   

8. Sastha preethi and Karpooradhana

During sastha preethi deeparadhana with karpporam is made by keeping karpporam on the bhasmam on a brass thambalam. After receiving it we
used to recite number of times- 
Bhootha natha sadanada
Sarva bhootha daya para
Raksha raksha Mahabhago
Sasthraidhabyam Namonama. 

Till the Karpooram get faded completely we use to recite the above sloka.

During Kettunira as well as coming after pilgrimage also for deeparadhana we use karpoora thattu (Thambalam) and recite the above slokam

9. Special thambalams

In Gaya we get special thambalams with Vishnu padam. Normally we keep it only for divine samskaras. Brass thambalam with Lekshmi embedded
mostly adone Showcases along with small para etc. 

10. Thambalam – not used to take food

So much divinity is attributed to Thambalam, no body take food from a Thambalam. Gods are offered neivedyam in Thambalam. 

However thambalam is used to keep Kalkandu, toffee, and chandana kumba in reception point and people take from it. A second time hand is not
put by an invitee to the same item. 

11. Thambalam in marriage.

Thambalam find its application from reception table told above to at all occasions including pada pooja and Kanya dan or Gothrolbhava. 

12 Cleaning of Thambalam

Thambalm is not mixed with other domestic items. It is separately cleaned and got back if lady servant is cleaning. It is dried in separately
and taken to pooja room. 

13. Auspicious thambalam

A well-cleaned thambalam add to he divinity to the pooja room. Availability of thambalam with Pancha pathram is an indication some or all
members in the house perform sandhya. In the morning a pooja room lit with lamp, cleaned and spread with flowers and thambalam with fresh
flowers for offering give a gracious look. 

14. Replacing thambalam

As the day goes on the brightness of silver, brass or copper thambalam and Panchapathram will diminish. We get new designs and models with
nice look. So in my opinion it is good once in five/ ten years at lest we replace them.