Home warming ceremony

One of the most important events in an individuals life. The place we call home where we have our independence, privacy, style of living, routines etc, should start on an auspicious note. The house warming ceremony is the event that fulfills our wish that our house be blessed by well wishers.

Having gone through the event recently, I thought of making a to-do list:

1. Making a list of invitees: Parents, Siblings, Relatives and Friends. Most importantly the people who have helped throughout the process of building your home: Carpenters, Supervisors, Couple of Workmen, Architect/Builder, Home loan guys etc. (Make sure you buy gifts for these people especially)
2. Have a lunch menu in order. There are many caterers in the city who will make the right arrangements. Decide on a buffet system and depending on the time of the day, you either have a lunch/ tiffin buffet.
3. Order for table, chairs, small water bottles. Keep paper napkins, seating mats handy.
4. Make sure the electricity and water supply is made available the day of the function.
5. Keep Hand towels, hand soap, Dish wash soap, paper plates, disposable glasses, single gas stove, cylinder, matchbox/lighter, huge vessel, spoon/ladle, old newspapers
6. Buy milk and sugar. Take cardamom and saffron for the milk ceremony.
7. Have ceiling fans and tube lights in all main rooms if possible. other option being table fans.
8. Have one bathroom ready in all respects. Toilet, washbasin, tap fittings, bath area etc.
9. Get foot mats and doormats
10. Take camera, batteries, camera rolls/digital camera, DVD handy cam etc.
11. Items needed for the function: 2 Palagai, 2 trays, Kodam, silver valluku, Perumal padam, a wooden/brick area for the homam.
12. Ask the priest for the list of items that you need to buy.
13. Take a cassette or cd player, nadaswaram tape/CD.
14. Get a small cow statue
15. As a "Thank you" gesture to all the guests, you could pick up small gifts like the one from Shree Krishna sweets that has a packaging of a sweet and karam in individual boxes.
16. Thambulam / Gift bags contining coconut, vettalai, paaku, turmeric and kumkum also must be ready and can be handed over as people prepare to leave.

Wish you all the very best for a wonderful life...