We don't really have a concept of Baby Shower in India. It is considered inauspicious to buy gifts for an unborn baby in some parts of India, including Odisha where I live. But, in India we do have a similar celebration like a Baby shower called Godbharai. The equivalent version in Odisha is called 'Saada khia', where seven ladies do a puja together and bless the mother-to-be and the baby in her womb. Then all kinds of favourite dishes of the mother is prepared and fed to her, and gifts are showered on the would-be parents. This Saada puja is done after the mother enters the seventh month of pregnancy.
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| A Special Swing for the Mommy-to-be to sit on! |
However, our family decided to do something different this time, along with the traditional Puja. They organised a Baby Shower with an Indian twist to it. The venue was decorated with lovely flowers and there was a special swing just for me to sit on! It was a beautiful location with the backdrop of the Bay of Bengal and we could see the waves through huge circular windows. We were all dressed in ethnic attires and when we entered the place, our family & friends welcomed my husband and I with flowers strewn across the pathway!
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| Cute Little Baby Shower Cake |
They had created a wonderful slide show with lovely music which was filled with baby pictures of both me and my husband. We also played two fun baby shower games, and the food was delicious. There was a cute cake with booties on it. My only request was to conduct the entire function in a gender neutral theme and colours, because I strongly believe that is how a child should be raised. So no pinks and blues in my baby shower!
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| Fun time clicking pictures with props! |
I was made to wear a lovely sash with "Mom to be" written on it, and I was really excited by my new status! We all clicked lots of photos with these special baby photo props, and our unborn baby was welcomed by all its Grand-parents to be, uncles and aunts - to be etc. It was a bonding time for the entire family. Someone has rightly said that a baby brings the family even closer together. The entire celebration was in honour of us and our baby and we felt truly loved and cherished.
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| The Wishing Tree |
Another beautiful thing that was there was a Wishing Tree. The beautiful hand-made wishing tree had been meticulously made by one of my Aunts and all the guests wrote their special wishes to the baby in colourful little wish tags! Those wishes were later taken out of the tree and stored in a wish box and have now become special keepsakes for the baby. I can't wait to show them and read all the wishes out to my baby when he or she is all grown up!
I feel truly blessed to have such a loving and affectionate family who pour their good wishes and blessing on us with open hearts. It was truly encouraging to feel the support and understanding from our family when our lives are about to completely change with the arrival of a little monster!
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