Blessings and wishes that are sealed with cash

I WONDER ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ADDING ONE RUPEE TO THE SHAGUN. MAYBE THE AMOUNT THAT ENDS IN ZERO SUGGESTS THE END OF A TRANSACTION, WHILE ONE IS INDIVISIBLE AND A BEFITTINGLY PERMANENT BLESSING

Shaguns are blessings, in cash, on an auspicious in Indian culture and tradition. Most commonly, this blessing is given on occasions such as weddings and birth.

Giving shaguns at various functions, especially weddings, is not only an auspicious act but also a subtle way of contributing towards the huge expenses incurred by the host. The amount of shagun depends on the social status, type of function, prevailing trend, and proximity to the family.

I remember earlier, the shagun could be as modest as `5, `11 or `21, which was subsequently hiked to `31, `51 or at most `101. Nowadays, this figure ranges from `501 and `1,100 to `2,100 in middle class families. Many a time, I wonder about the significance of adding one rupee to the shagun. Maybe the amount that ends in zero suggests the end of a transaction, while the number one is indivisible and is seen as a befittingly permanent blessing for the person receiving the shagun.

In the era of modest shaguns, the marriage feasts were simple but anecdotes associated with the blessings in cash were often quite spicy. I remember after a marriage feast, there was grumbling that the hosts had served only cold aloo puri and saved money from the shaguns to install a new cooler. At times, some clever guests would turn this ceremony into a sham by handing over an empty shagun envelope without writing their name on it. To avoid this confusion, I saw guests at a marriage function giving the shagun to the hosts at the entrance and getting it recorded.

That shaguns are a must is evident from the cold war that rages if a guest refuses to reciprocate with shagun after accepting the invitation with a box full of sweets.

Legally, when a shagun amount exceeds a particular limit, it is liable to tax. But as children, we paid as much as 95% TDS on all shaguns we received from visiting relatives, thanks to our mothers. Not only us, even our mothers got lots of shagun, which they happily kept hidden between folds of clothes in the almirah. Alas, the recent demonetisation led to lots of shagun money seeing the light of day.

Once the marriage function is over, the shagun triggers another flurry of activity in a room kept off limits for most, especially children. The envelopes are painstakingly opened, and names of the givers carefully recorded in the family diary. A note is also made of the amount of shagun given and received per guest. The lady of the house is almost like a supercomputer, when she recalls how they had given Sharma ji `500 but had received only `251 in return for a meal to four members of the family. During this chaos, the youngest child in the family is invariably assigned the job of removing the one rupee coin from each envelope.

Interestingly, shagun as a form of blessing is observed in lots of cultures outside India as well. When my son was born in Wales, the UK, a local shepherd living near our farmhouse gave a one pound shagun to him. Long live the tradition of shaguns!