#thooli

So for the past months, my 10-month old LO only wants to nap while in her duyan(filipino) / thooli(indian) while playing old songs sung by Victor Wood. Whatever floats your boat, dear.

#MadrasInMini | 42 | Thooli (Traditional Indian Saree Hammock for Infants) Here is something you’ll find in almost every Tamizh household that has a new-born infant: a thooli. A ‘thooli’ is a traditional hammock for babies constructed using a (cotton) saree. A regular 6 yards saree is connected to a hook/rope that is hung from the ceiling, and the saree is knotted and attached to it. A wooden divider holds the cloth apart so that child may breathe easily, where it’s laid to rest on its back. The rocking mimics the movement in the womb, and keeps the baby snug and warm. You’d find these thoolis everywhere. Working mothers at farms in rural areas hang these from trees and put the child to sleep as they work on the fields. You’d sometimes find a rope attached to the neck of the thooli that the mother tugs at, to gently rock the baby to sleep in the instance that she is working on something. In urban homes, the thooi is hung from the rafter beams. All of us grew up in these hammocks, being rocked to sleep in our mother’s/grandmother’s/great-grandmother’s saree. The kind of connection I have to it is precious because I look at it as a means to connect with the matriarchs of a family, those living and long-gone. Sarees are a sentimental artifact passed down from one generation to another. My niece was born in the USA, and yet, my sister put her to sleep in my maternal grandmother’s saree for a thooli; the connection that comes from something like this, and its efficiency is great! This post is for all my matriarchs…because they rock! :) #Madras #Thooli #LocalCulture