Arangetram Gifts Have to Be in Line with the Spirit of the Occasion at Hand(2019): 10 Gift Ideas to Transfer a Simple and Auspicious Occasion Has Transformed into a Lavish Affair.

Arangetram marks the first steps of a classical dancer. After years of training with dedication and discipline, the dancer finally gives the first on-stage- performance, with family, friends, teachers and well-wishers as the audience. It is a traditional graduation ceremony for the artist to showcase the talent and begin a journey in dance. In Tamil, the word arangetram means raising the stage. The function, thus marks the ascend of the artist taking the first blessings from God and elders.

It takes years of practice and patience for the dancer to be ready for an arangetram. A minimum of 10 years of intensive training has to be put in. Arangetram is a test for both the teacher and the student as the quality of the performance is eventually the quality of the teacher. So it happens only when the student and teacher are both ready.

Mostly arangetram was held for Bharatanatyam dancers but in recent times the trend has caught up with other dance forms including Kathakali, Kuchupudi, Kathak, Manipuri, and Mohiniattam. Even students of musical instruments like ghatam, violin, and mridangam are choosing arangetram function for an auspicious beginning.

The dance performance follows a definite course known at Margam. The artist enters the stage decked in jewellery, jingles, make-up, and dresses stitched for the art form. The whole performance can last up to 3 hours and one can just imagine the focus and stamina the young artist needs to put in. Of course, there is a small break in the middle.

It begins with the Pushpanjali where salutation is offered to the god, elders and even the audience. This step is skipped at times and the artist directly starts with the Alaripu which is a warm-up for the performance. The dance in Alaripu stage is performed for the beats alone without any expression or meaning and the complexity is increased gradually. Next comes the Jatiswaram where the complexity of steps increases with postures and teermanas. The dance follows raga but the movements will still not have any meaning. After the Jatiswaram, the dancer moves on to Shabdam where nritta and abhinaya form part of the dance. Slow movements with lyrics praising Lord Krishna is usually followed at this stage. The judgment stage begins with Varnam where the dance becomes complex and expressive with abhinaya and nritta becoming the focus.

By now the dancer would be exhausted and a small break is taken for refreshing. The second half begins with Padam to test the dancer's abhinaya. The tempo is slow and it revolves around moods of love and separation. After this, the Ashtapadi is performed with emphasis on expressions and lyrics from Geeta -govinda. Then the dancer performs Devaranama praising the lord and showcasing the abhinaya. The last item is Tillana, a complicated nritta piece that might include a charana also. Finally, the artist signs off with Mangalam, once again saluting the god, guru, and the gathering.

With the Arengetram performed gracefully, the artist has now initiated the formal journey into the world of art. This function is a kind of completion certificate whereby the artist gains the authority to conduct stage performances or dance training hereafter.

The guests are about to take leave after enjoying a wonderful performance, and its time to hand over those return gifts specially selected to thank them for gracing the occasion. Here are some fantastic ideas for selecting a memorable return gift for the event.

Ganesha is one of the best gifts that you can give after an arangetram. This elephant head is the remover of obstacles and also patron of arts. When you gift the Ganesha to your guests you are extending your goodwill and wishing them prosperity.

This beautiful wall hanging Ganesha comes with an oil lamp and bells. You can light three wicks in it for puja. The bells are 9.5 inches and it is made of brass with a beautiful finish. You can easily secure it to the wall and it gives a devotional aura when lit in the evenings.

You can order it from Amazon at Rs.729. Though a bit high priced the product is value for money.

Handcrafted items are appreciated everywhere. A handcrafted coaster set with antique design can make the perfect return gift for your arangetram. Your guests will cherish this gift and give it a place on their dining table.

The set is made of mango wood and has a miniature design of a rocking chair. Handmade to perfection it can bring a touch of fun to the table. You can place it on the dining table or tea lounge. It is designed to give a rustic feel and has a brass knob to enhance convenience and appeal. This cute and small coaster set is 5.5-inch x 6-inch x 4 inch in size.

It is a highly useful gift and can be purchased from Amazon. It is priced affordably at Rs.99.

Bells are auspicious and ringing the bells during puja or in the temples is believed to drive away from the evils and welcome god. Sounds of bells bring in positivity and also helps to focus the mind on the prayer. Gift your guests with a traditional bell they hang in their puja room.

The gold colour of this bell goes well with the ambience of the puja room. It has a lengthy brass chain and shiny finish and the deep sound is sure to fill devotion in the heart. It comes to 22-inch height and weighs 400 grams.

You can buy this brass bell from Amazon for Rs.595.

Copper glasses are well known for their health benefits. You can delight your guests by gifting them copper glasses. They will appreciate the utility of this gift. Storing water in copper containers are ayurvedically supported for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

This glass has a capacity of 350 ml. It comes in an attractive brown colour and a glossy finish. It is made of pure copper. As you sip water from this glass you get the happiness that you are drinking healthy water.

For Rs. 250 you get 2 copper glasses. It is available in Amazon.

Let's try something environment-friendly. Electric diyas give light and ambience without any atmospheric pollution. Your guests will appreciate these beautiful LED lamps which even consume lesser electricity than ordinary lamps.

There is an OM sign on the top of the lamp and it gives an ethereal look when the 14 LED bulbs in 3 layers are lit against the golden colour. You can use it in your puja mandir or for occasions like Diwali or Navaratri. It is a lightweight, plug-in lamp that runs on electricity and works for long hours without blinking. Do not worry, the bulbs are unbreakable and you can use it indoors or even outdoors welcome the guests. With his lamp, there is no headache of cleaning the spillage because it doesn't use cotton or oil.

The height comes to 20 cm and you can order it from Amazon for Rs.269.

Another environment-friendly gift for your guests. We can try to reduce the pollution from agarbattis as well. This unique gift will stand ou tin the minds of your guests.

The gift looks alluring with its golden clour and splendid lighting. The agarbatti diya is a plug-in product and runs on electricity consuming 220 volts. It is made of high- quality plastic and is lightweight. The size is about 8 inches. When lit it gives a calming effect of seeing the diya and agarbattis together.

You can buy this gift from Amazon for Rs.309.

Paintings are always a perfect gift. It appeals to everyone and is great home decor. Digital paintings can give the walls a superior decor and might be well-appreciated by your guests.

This awesome Ganesha painting is a special effect textured and gives an ethnic feel to the living room. It is made of wood and comes in multicolour. Size: 30cm x 3 cm x 30 cm. It uses synthetic material and weighs 649 grams.

You can buy this beautiful painting for Rs.179 from Amazon.

Krishna is everyone's favourite god, especially the little prankster. How about gifting your guests with an image of Krishna relishing his favourite butter.

This painting is digitally printed and is made of waterproof material. It is multicoloured and you will find it difficult to take your eyes off the cute Krishna. 30 cm x 30 cm x 2 cm in size and 399 g in weight, you can hang it in your living room. Since it is UV print and textured you need not worry about it fading.

It is available in Amazon for Rs.279.

Gifts that have utility are always best. Keyholders are one such product. For an arengetram return gift why not select a key holder with some traditional designs? It is a creative mix of utility and tradition.

Here is a keyholder with the design of flute and quills to remind you of Lord Krishna. It is made of brass and has an antique look. Hang it on the wall to give the shine and tradition to your interiors. It has 6 hooks to hold the keys securely. The metal look enhances the appeal. Size is 2.5 x 18.5 x 7 cm and it weighs 259 g.

You can buy this affordably priced key holder from Amazon for Rs.278.

Trishul is the symbol of auspiciousness. The three heads symbolizes creation, sustenance, and destruction. Keeping the trishul at home in the upright position is believed to bring in the blessings of Lord Shiva and clean the mind of negative energies. It can increase the devotion in the mind. A small Trishul with damru can be a unique gift that your guests definitely don't have at home.

This trishul damru is made of brass with yellow colour and has a stand to keep it upright. You can use it in your puja room or even keep it on your car dashboard for protection. Use a glue tape (double-sided) to fix it to the dashboard. It is a small and compact gift weighing 18.1 g and coming to 5 x 0.5 x 10 cm.

Priced at Rs.210, you can buy it from Amazon.