Karadayan Nombu/Nolumbu, or Savitri
vratham as it is also known, is one of the most important festivals for women
of Tamil Nadu. On this day, married women perform puja and pray for the long
life of their husbands and unmarried girls pray for getting blessed with a good
husband. The puja is performed at a specified time, just when the Tamil month
of Maasi ends and the month of Panguni begins. Karadayan Nombu falls on 14th
March this year and according to learned priests the time specified for tying
the yellow thread is between 10.45 am and 11.30 am. On this day the women get
up early in the morning, take bath and decorate their house entrance and the
puja room with kolams. They place leaves in front of the Goddess on which they
offer betel leaves and areca nuts (Vethalai Pakku), yellow bananas, sweet
Karadai and butter. Traditionally, the women fast until the specified time of
the puja, wear nine yards sari, adorn their hair with flowers, tie the manjal charadu
(yellow thread) and pray for the long life of their husbands.
While tying the manjal charadu, the mantram
chanted is
“Dhram gruhnami subhage sahardhraam
Dharami aham bharthu
Ayushya sidhartham supreedha bhava
sarvadha”
This means, “I am taking the
thread, Oh Goddess, with affection,
And I am wearing it for the long
life of my husband.
Always be pleased with me.”
The Tamil chant during the puja
while offering the Karadai to the Goddess is
“Urugadha vennaiyum, oru adaiyum
notrein,
Orukkalum en Kanavar ennai
piriyadhirukka vendum”
Meaning “I offer this unmelted
butter and adai. Please bless me to live with my husband forever.”
Generally the women break their
fast by eating the prasad of sweet karadai with butter after they have
performed the puja and offered it to the Goddess.
The legend behind this festival is
the widely known story of Savitri, with her intelligence and perseverance succeeding
in getting her husband Satyavan from Yama, the God of death.
The story goes that Maharaja
Ashtapathi had a beautiful daughter named Savitri, whom he adored. He knew her
to be very intelligent and wise and gave her the freedom of choosing her
husband. Savitri, during one of her visits to the forest, came upon a young man
who was carrying on his shoulder, his blind parents in two baskets slung on a
pole. Savitri was impressed by his sense of duty and respect and decided to
marry him. When she informed her father, Ashtapathi enquired about the young
man with Narada Muni. Narada informed him that the young man was Satyavan, the
son of a king who had been exiled from his own kingdom. Ashtapati was happy
about the fact that his daughter had chosen a prince. But then Narada said that
Satyavan would die young. He had only one year to live. The King was aghast.
But Savitri was set on marrying Satyavan. The King had no option but to get
them married. Savitri was well aware about her husband’s impending death. She
undertook strict vrats and performed pujas with dedication. The fateful day
dawned. While cutting wood, Satyavan fell dead as Yama, the Lord of Death had
arrived. Savitri followed Yama. The God of Death was astonished and pleased by
her perseverance. He offered her three boons, and said that she should not ask
for her husband. Savitri, being intelligent, agreed. She first asked that her
in laws should be reinstated in their kingdom with all glory and respect. Her
second request was for a son for her father Ashtapathi. For the third boon she
asked for sons for herself. Yama said “Granted” and then realized that he had
been outwitted by her intelligence, as he had to leave Satyavan for Savitri to
beget sons. The time of Karadayan Nombu
is believed to be the time when Savitri performed puja, offered the Karadai to
Lord Yama and got her husband back from death.
The offering of the delicious Karadai,
both sweet and salted, therefore is unique to this festival.
Here is the Recipe for Sweet Karadai
Ingredients
Dry roasted rice powder - 1 cup
Jaggery powdered - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Coconut slices - 1 tablespoon
Karamani (Black eyed peas/ lal
chowli) - 1 or 2 tablespoons
Cardomom - 1 pinch
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Method of preparation
Wash and soak raw rice in water for
3 to 4 hours. Drain the water and spread the rice on a cloth for 15 minutes.
Then grind it to a fine powder. Dry roast this powder till there is no
moisture.
Cook the Karamani separately till
soft and keep aside.
Take a pan and melt the jaggery in
2 cups of water. Filter to remove dirt or impurities. Add the fine small sliced
coconut pieces, the Karamani and boil. When the jaggery water starts boiling,
add a teaspoon of ghee. the cardomom powder and then the roasted rice powder
while stirring continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Off
the burner and allow it to cool.
Roll the mixture into balls,
flatten them and make holes in the middle as shown in the picture. Now steam
the sweet karadais in an idli cooker for 15 minutes.
Your sweet Karadai is ready to
serve with butter.
The recipe for Salted Karadai
Ingredients
Dry roasted rice powder
Salt to taste
Karamani - 1 or 2 tablespoons
Coconut slices
Seasoning
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Udad dal - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Green chilli - 1 or 2 finely
chopped
Ginger - a small piece finely
chopped.
Asefoetida - a pinch
Method of Preparation
Prepare the rice powder and cook
the karamani in the same way as for the sweet Karadai
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add
mustard. Let it sputter. Add udad dal, asefoetida, and chopped ginger and green
chillies. Then add the curry leaves. Now add the coconut finely sliced and
karamani. Add water and salt to taste. Bring it to a boil. When the water
starts boiling, lower the flame and add the rice powder slowly and stir
continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Allow it to cool.
Then like the sweet Karadai, divide it into balls, flatten them and carve a
hole in the middle of each. Steam these salted adais in an idli cooker or
steamer and your salted karadais are ready to serve.
