Nolumbu special - Recipe for Sweet Karadai and Salted Karadai

 

 

Karadayan Nombu falls on Sunday,14^th March, this year and according to learned priests the time specified for tying the yellow thread is between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. Celebrated by the people of Tamil Nadu, 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.

 

Tradition

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.

 

Recipe for Sweet Karadai also known as Nolumbu Adai

 

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.

 

For those who want to know more here is the story behind this festival.

 Legend 

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 alive 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. Thus the offering of the delicious Karadai, both sweet and salted, is unique to this festival.

 

#KaradayanNombu #festival #SweetKaradai #SaltedKaradai #recipe #TamilNadu #SavitriVrat, #Nolumbu #Savitri #Satyavan #legend

 

 

 

 

 

 

The #Story of #Navaratri for #children about Goddess #Durga as #Mahishasuramardini

 

We are once again in the midst of our favorite festival Navaratri. But children, do you know the story behind this festival and why we celebrate it with so much fervor?

Once upon a time there was a demon or Asura called Mahishasur.  He had the face of a buffalo with two pointed and sharp horns and a human body.  Mahishasur prayed to Lord Brahma for many, many years, doing strict penance.

Lord Brahma appeared before him and said, “Hey Mahishasur! I am pleased with your devotion and prayers. I will grant you any boon that you want.”

The Asura was pleased. He said, “I want to be immortal. Grant me the boon that I will never die.”

Brahma shook his head. “I am sorry, Mahishasur. I can’t grant you immortality. It is against the law of nature. Ask for something else.”

Mahishasur thought for a moment. Then he said, “My Lord, grant me a boon that I cannot be killed by any God, Man or animal.”

“Thathastu!” exclaimed Brahma with a smile. The Asura, in his arrogance, had not considered a woman as being strong enough to confront him. 

Mahishasur became proud of his prowess and his invincibility. He started harassing the Sages, Maharishis, and conquered the whole world. He then moved on to heaven and the Devas had to concede defeat because of Lord Brahma’s boon.

The Devas rushed to Lord Brahma for a solution. Brahma said that only a woman would be able to kill Mahishasur. It was then that Lord Brahma, Mahavishnu and Mahadev created a beautiful, divine woman Shakthi called Durga Devi, with ten arms and a lion as a mount. Each of the Devas presented her with their weapon. She had a weapon in each of her ten arms including Mahadev’s Trishul and Mahavishnu’s Chakra, Brahma’s kamandala and Indra’s thunderbolt and presented a magnificent sight sitting majestically on her mount, the lion.

 Attracted by her magnificent beauty, Mahishasur expressed a wish to marry her. Durgadevi was angered by this and started a war with the buffalo faced Asura. The fierce battle lasted for nine days and nine nights. On the tenth day, Durga Mata vanquished Mahishasur  by piercing him with her trident.  Durga Mata is also called Mahishasuramardini and Simhavahini.

Thus the festival of Navaratri, meaning nine nights, celebrates the victory of Shri Durga Mata over the wicked Mahishasur. 

To know about how different States celebrate Navaratri in different ways read https://lalithabalasubramanian.blogspot.com/2019/09/5-states-in-india-celebrate-navaratri_14.html

Jai Mata Di

#Navaratri  #Story_for_children #DurgaMata #Mahishasur #Mahishasuramardini #Trident #Festival

#AadiPooram and #Srivilliputhur #templestories 8 and the #story of #Andal

We set off from Madurai to the Srivilliputhur Andal temple in Virudhunagar district.  The temple is located at a distance of around 80 Kms from Madurai and takes about one and half to two hours to reach. The sight of the extremely beautiful temple tower (gopuram) signaled that we had arrived at our destination. Interestingly, this 192 feet tall, 11 tiered imposing Raja Gopuram is featured on the emblem of Tamil Nadu indicative of the importance accorded to the temple as one of the 101 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Mahavishnu.

Raja Gopuram

The temple has been in existence since ages and is also associated with the incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi as Andal (also known as Kothai or Godha). So it is a two in one temple complex with shrines to Vatapatrasayana Perumal and Andal separately.

The original deity is Lord Vatapatrasayana Perumal. We enter a huge hall and have to climb a flight of steps to reach the main sanctum sanctorum. 

On the way to the sanctum sanctorum

There are three doorways through which one can have the divine darshan of the Lord in a reclining posture on the Adishesha with his consorts, Sridevi and Bhoodevi. Sage Brighu is standing near the Lord while Sage Markandeya is praying with folded hands reverently at his feet. 

Perumal Sannidhi

There are also images of Narada, Panchamurthis, Sanatkumara, Surya and Chandra, apart from Villi and Puttan.

Way to Andal Sanctum

There is a garden in the middle where Andal is said to have appeared as an infant near a Tulsi plant and was found by Periazhwar. This is called Andal avatharitha Nandavanam. The temple tank in called Mukkulam and is believed to have the holy waters of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi.

The entrance to the Andal temple has a huge Mandapam.

Entrance to Nandavanam where Andal made her first appearance

 The deity of the Goddess is breathtakingly beautiful.  There is a Kalyana Mandapam and Madhavi Pandhal  a little further away. 

Andal Sannidhi

The story of Andal is an exceptional example of devotion.  

The great devotee, Periazhwar, had no children. Once on the day of Aadi Pooram, he found an infant girl child near the holy Tulsi plant in the temple. With the permission of the Lord, he adopted the girl child and named her Kothai/ Godha meaning a garland of flowers. He brought her up with love and affection. Periazhwar used to pluck flowers and tulsi leaves from the garden and weave a garland for Lord Vatapatrasayee with his own hands. He would then present it to the Lord. Kothai used to observe this and help him. One day when Periazhwar left her for a few minutes before leaving for the temple, she had a strange desire to wear the garland. She wore it and then removed it before her father came back. Without knowing that Kothai had worn the garland, Periazhwar offered it to the priest for Lord Mahavishnu.  Kothai started wearing the garland and admired herself every day after that before her father took it to the temple. But one day the priest happened to see a strand of hair in the garland. He was furious. He refused to offer it to the deity. Periazhwar was stunned and sad at the turn of events. He kept a secret watch over the garland and found to his dismay that it was his daughter, Andal, who was wearing the garland before he took it to the temple. He was very angry with her and discarded the garland. He then made another garland to be offered to the Lord. That night he had a dream when Mahavishnu said that he would accept only the garland worn by Andal. This happened when the child was just five years old. 

Andal grew up and her father wanted to search for a suitable bridegroom for her. But Andal’s mind was fixed on her Shri Krishna. Her devotion to the Lord was unshakable. Then it was that the Lord appeared once again in Periazhwar’s dream and bade him bring Andal dressed as a bride to Srirangam. It is believed that, when Andal was taken in wedding procession and reached Srirangam, she just entered the sanctum and merged with the Lord.  

The festivals celebrated at this temple are Aadi Pooram, GodhaRangamannarThirukalyanam, Vasanta utsavam, Brahmotsavam etc.

#Andal #AadiPooram #festival #Srivilliputhur #temple #GodhaRangamannar 

#AadiPandigai/ #AadiPirappu – #cultural and #religious #significance of the #AadiMasam in #TamilNadu #Festival 8

Everywhere in TamilNadu, there are posters and announcements of Aadi thallupadi. These indicate heavy discounts for shoppers through the month on almost all items including clothes, jewellery, electronic items and consumer goods. But though the month is a shopper’s delight, it is not the only thing which makes the month of Aadi significant. There are cultural and religious intonations galore, what with a plethora of festivals included in the religious itinerary for the month.

AadiPirappu (16^th July 2020) marks the beginning of the Dakshinayana punyakalam (the night of the Devas) which lasts till the end of the month of Margazhi. Beautiful Kolams are drawn in front of the house and entrances are decorated with maavelai thoranam. A visit to a nearby temple is followed by a feast which includes delicious payasam and vadai.   Aadi Pandigai is of special significance to newly married couples. They are invited to the bride’s home to partake in an elaborate luncheon and are presented with new clothes and other gifts.

Aadimasam is said to be dedicated to the worship of the Goddess Amman. Devotees perform the sacred Bhagavathi Sevai puja either in their homes or in the temples. Tuesdays and Fridays of the month, (Aadi Chevvai and Aadi Velli) are extremely significant for worship. Devi Mahatmyam, Devi Bhagavatam and Lalitha Sahasranamam are recited with great devotion and fervor. Aadi Pooram (24^th July 2020) is celebrated as the birthday of the Goddess. The famous temples of Madurai Meenakshi Amman, Kanchi Kamakshi Amman, the Aadhiparashakthi Amman temple at Melmaruvathur and Srivilliputhur Andal are full of festivities, as are all other temples in the State dedicated to the Goddess. The celestial union of Mahavishnu as Ranganatha Swami and Goddess Andal (who is believed to be the incarnation of Goddess Mahalakshmi) is celebrated on Aadi Pooram day. In addition, Varalakshmi Vratham (31^st July 2020) is performed to invoke the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi.

 The eighteenth day of the month is Padinettam Perukku (2^nd August 2020), the festival, celebrated to honour and thank Mother Nature for her benevolence.   People gather to worship on the banks of the sacred river Cauvery and then have a variety of rice preparations.

 Aadi Krithigai is dedicated to the worship of Lord Murugan. Coincidently, Aadi Krithigai is falling on 16^th July 2020, the same day as Aadi pirappu. Not only that, 16^th July 2020 is also Ekadashi, making it such a spiritually significant day.

Amavasya is Aadi month is special too, as people pay obeisance to departed ancestors at sacred places like the Agnitheertham at Rameshwaram and the confluence of the seas at Kanyakumari.

Aadimasam is significant for devotion, worship and spiritual programs. However, it is considered inauspicious to conduct weddings or have new beginnings during this month.

#AadiPandigai #AadiPirappu #AadiMasam  #TamilNadu #MaduraiMeenakshi #AndalThirukalyanam  #AadiKrithigai #AadiAmavasya

#AshadhiEkadashi 2020 celebrations at #PandurangaVittala #temple #Pandharpur to be very low key #templestories 7

Ashadhi Ekadashi or Devashayani Ekadashi, as it is also called, is one of the most significant religious festivals in Maharashtra. This year it falls on 1st July. But with the prevalent pandemic situation, celebrations are to be very low key. The famed Wari procession will not take place on foot as usual and only a select few warkaris will be allowed into the temple with the padukas of the saints, which will be taken by road or air.
On this festive occasion, I would like to share an excerpt from my book "Temples in Maharashtra-A Travel Guide"

"The mention of Pandharpur brings to our mind vivid images of the turban or topi clad Warkari holding tals in his hands and singing abhangs (sacred hymns composed by the great saints like Gyaneshwar or Tukaram) with joyous abandon and devotion, walking towards his Lord Vittala in complete surrender. No wonder then, that Pandharpur is considered by many as the holiest place in Maharashtra, the Bhu-Vaikuntam.

This is the place where Lord Vittala stands on bricks with hands held on hip, waiting for his beloved devotee, Pundalik, to finish his chores for his parents and turn towards the Lord so that he can be blessed, the place where the Lord Vittala and his devotee, (Warkari), cannot be separated.

Pandharpur, located approximately 365 kms. from Mumbai and 215 kms. from Pune, is best accessed from Solapur which is 74 kms. away and has good stay options. The road is well maintained and buses are available every fifteen minutes. As you enter the ancient temple town, picturesquely positioned on the banks of the river Chandrabhaga, you attention never wavers from the Vittala temple. The temple is believed to be more than 2000 years old. Traditionally, one is supposed to have a dip in the holy waters of the Chandrabhaga, have darshan at the Pundalik temple and worship the devotee before the Lord. Hence the main eastern entrance faces the Pundalik temple on the banks of the crescent shaped river. It is lined with shops selling flowers, bukka and puja materials, and one is approached by many who wish to guide you for a fee.

The entrance to the sanctum santorum is through the Namdev Gate, in respect to the great Marathi poet and devotee, Sant Namdev. There are twelve steps and the first one has the figure of Namdev with a tambourine in his hand singing a kirtan, and fourteen members of his family carved on it. There is also a bust of 94 Namdev to the side of the step. It is said that when Namdev took Samadhi, the rest of the fourteen members drowned themselves. This step, called Namdev payari, is considered the samadi of Namdev. Hence devotees worship it, cross it without setting their foot on it. Generally the pujari here is from Namdev’s Shimpi community and the offerings go to the Badaves or the hereditary priests of Vithoba.
Near the entrance we find the Samadhi of Chokamela, a great devotee of the Lord. Chokamela was from the Mahar community, who in those times were considered outcasts and not allowed inside the temple. He was termed mad by the people because he used to always be in ecstacy singing, dancing and conversing with his Vithobha. The Lord loved him and used to converse with him everyday. The story goes that while the Lord was having lunch at Chokamela’s house, one day, curd fell on his vastra. It was neivedya time at the temple and the priest was stunned to see curd on the vastra of the Lord. When he came to know the truth, the temple priest apologised profusely to Chokamela.

The Darshan Mandap which can accommodate the huge gathering of varkaris during the Ashadi and Karthiki Ekadashis has been built quite recently. As we enter through the central doorway flanked by the images of Jaya and Vijaya, the dwarpals of the Lord, we come across the Solakambh mandap (16 pillared hall), which reveal exquisite carvings depicting scenes from the Dashavatar and Krishna Lila on the roof. All the pillars exhibit artistic carvings while the back one encased in silver and bearing the image of Lord Vishnu, is known as the Garuda Stambha (the place where the statue of Garuda was supposed to standing before the mandap was built.) The devotees traditionally embrace the Garuda stambha and make offerings before praying to Lord Vittala. We were shown an inscription carved on a block of stone, listing the donors to the temple in the 12th century. Devotees used to rub their backs on this inscription in the belief that they would be relieved from their sins and rebirth. As one enters the sanctum, the eyes are magnetically drawn to the highly revered black stone image of Lord Vittala standing on a brick shaped square block with the arms, holding a shankh in the left and a lotus in the right, resting on the hip. This is believed to be the brick that his devotee Pundalik offered to him as an asana. The crown or mukut of the Lord has a Shivlinga engraved on it, and the ears are adorned with makara kundalas and the chest with the Kausthubha gem. The deity is believed to be swayambu or self manifested. This is the only shrine where devotees can touch the feet (sparsh) and seek blessings.

Behind the main shrine is a separate shrine to Goddess Rukhmani or Rakhumai as she is called here. The beautiful black stone image of the Goddess is dressed in typical Maharashtrian style and is adorned with many ornaments. There are shrines to Satyabhama and Rahi (Radha) too. There are stories and legends galore about this temple and the presence of Vithoba in Pandarpur and his devotees, the most important one being that of Pundalik or Pundarik who is credited with having brought Lord Vittala to this land. Pundalik was initially a self centred man who care for nothing except his own pleasure. He neglected his aged parents. But he agreed to take them to Kashi, albeit on foot, while he and his wife rode on horses. On the way came across an ashram of Rishi Kukkut, who welcomed him and took good care of him. Pundalik could not sleep that night. He witnessed the remarkable sight of three young women in dirty clothes enter the Rishi’s ashram and started doing cleaning jobs. They then went to the prayer hall and when they re-emerged they were spotlessly clean. When asked about this miracle, the three women mentioned that they were Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathy. They were burdened with the sins and impurity of all the thousands of people who took a dip in their waters to absolve their sins. But they were purified by serving the Rishi, who adored and took great care of his aged parents. Transformed by this conversation Pundalik began caring for his parents to the exclusion of everything. Pleased with his devotion to his parents, Lord Krishna came here to bless him. When the Lord called out to Pundalik he was serving his parents. So he threw a brick (veet in Marathi) to the Lord to wait. Probably the name Vittala originated from this veet. The Lord stood on the brick with his hands resting on his hip and waited till Pundalik finished his chores for his parents. The Lord still stands, but now He waits for all the scores of devotees who surrender to Him.

Another mythological legend, according to the Padma Purana and the Panduranga Mahatmya, says that Krishna and Radha were inseparable during their childhood. Rukmini Devi also knew about this. Once when Radharani met Sri Krishna at Dwaraka, their intimacy upset Rukmini Devi, who silently left to do penance in Dindirvana to win back her husband. The Lord immediately went in search of her to ask for forgiveness, but the Goddess, deep in penance, did not even recognise his presence. Sri Krishna then went to see his devotee Pundalik in Pandharpur. Later, after her anger and distress had abated, Rukmini Devi joined her husband to bless the devotee. Apart from Pundalik, the primary devotee who was instrumental in the presence of the Lord Vittala at Pandharpur, Sant Dyaneshwar who is credited with starting the Wari tradition, Sant Namdeo, Sant Tukaram, Janabai and many others have composed and sung verses (abhangs) in praise of the Lord, which are being sung with great devotion even today.

Temple Timings The temple opens for darshan at 6.00 am to 11.00 am, from 11.15 to 4.30 pm and 5.00 pm to 11.15 pm (Darshan remains closed during 11.00 am to 11.15 am for Mahanaivedya, 4.30 pm to 5.00 pm for Poshakh, and 5.00 pm to 11.15 pm)

 Every day is a festival and every Ekadashi a fast at Pandharpur. But the Ashadi and Karthiki Ekadashis are special when a huge congregation of devotees gather at the temple to have a darshan of their beloved Lord Vittala. The temple is open for twenty hours on these days, as the Lord remains awake to bless his devotees. The deity is bathed and dressed in new clothes the day after and fed a different diet with sugar and spice, as it is assumed that the Lord is tired after the long day. Apart from the Ekadashis, the festival of Navarathri is celebrated with great fervour. The deities are adorned with beautiful new clothes and fine gold jewellery studded with brilliant gems of various colours.

 The Wari tradition and the Warkari: The depth of emotion and spiritual fervour marking the largest procession in the world is unbelievable. The eight centuries old tradition of wari is a journey on foot to the abode of the Lord Vittal at Pandharpur that the devotee or warkari undertakes again and again. Lakhs of warkaris gather at different venues across the country and carry the padukas (wooden or silver footwear) of Sant. Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram, Sant Eknath or Sant Eknath in palkis (palanquins), and start their journey to the reverberating sound of hundreds of drums, mridangas, cymbals etc. The largest congregation is at the start of the procession accompanying the palki carrying the padukas of Sant Dnyaneshwar, who is credited with starting the wari tradition, from his birthplace Alandi. Another big procession is from Dehu carrying the Tukaram Padukas. The starting day of the wari may be different depending on the distance to Pandarpur, but the concluding day is the same, the day before Ashadhi Ekadashi, when warkaris coming from various cities and direction meet on the banks of the Chandrabhaga spreading love and devotion in the air and chanting the holy abhangas in gay abandon. En route to Pandharpur, the wari halts at various places and the locals of that place welcome the warkaris with some special food and delicacies. Medical aid is provided to those who require it, at most halts free of charge.

 The dindi system is followed to avoid chaos or missing persons. Each dindi comprises of a number of warkaris, generally from the same locality, carrying combined essential rations, clothing and medicines in a truck or a trolley, and they group together wherever they halt. Usually they have some abhang singers and cymbal players. All the dindis in a particular wari assemble for the evening aarti conducted by their palki chief. On reaching Chandrabhaga river, they take a dip in the holy waters. The excitement of the warkaris reaches its crescendo when they first sight the flag atop the main Vithobha Mandir and they rush forward in unison to catch a glimpse of their favourite Lord. That is the climax. The moment they are face to face with the Lord and feel his benevolent gaze blessing them for ever and ever."

#Ashadhi, #Ekadashi #Pandharpur #Karthiki #Vittal #Rakhumai #Sant_Dnyaneshwar #Sant_Tukaram #Alandi #Dehu #Panduranga #temple  #festival #Wari #Warkari

#KaradayanNombu significance, story and #recipes #Festival 6

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 14^th March this year.  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.

#KaradayanNombu #festival #SweetKaradai #SaltedKaradai #recipe #TamilNadu #SavitriVrat, #Nolumbu #Savitri #Satyavan

#Thiruvadhira #festival celebrations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu #Festival 4

On the occasion of Thiruvadhira festival on 30th December  2020, I wish to share an excerpt from my book 'Kerala the Divine Destination'. 

Thiruvadhira is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Shiva as thiruvadhira is known as the nakshatra (star) of Lord Shiva. There is also a belief that this was the day when Kamdev was reduced to ashes by the opening of the third eye of Lord Shiva and a solution was found for his resurrection. This is believed to be the day that Lord Shiva accepted Goddess Parvathi as his consort after her long penance. Thiruvadhira in Kerala is celebrated in a grand manner in all Shiva temples in Kerala and it corresponds to the Ardhara Darshanam of Tamil Nadu, which is celebrated on a very grand scale as an annual utsavam in Chidambaram.

The legend behind the festival is very interesting. Lord Shiva was the only one amongst all the Devas who was not invited by Dakshan, the father of Goddess Sati, for the Maha Yagna which he was performing. However, though the Lord warned her about the consequences of being an uninvited guest albeit at her father’s house, Sati went for the Yagna. She was ignored and forced to hear her husband insulted by her father, upon which she immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. She was reborn as Goddess Parvathy, the daughter of Himavan and Myenadevi, and did penance for a long time for securing Lord Shiva as her husband. Meanwhile, an Asura named Tarakasur, acquired the boon of not meeting death at the hands of anyone except the combined power of Shiva and Shakti. The Lord was in meditation and nobody had the courage to disturb Him, but the Devas unable to bear the torture of Tarakasur instructed Kamdev to lure Lord Shiva with his cupid’s arrow to Goddess Parvathy who was doing penance and serving the Lord. Shiva was furious at being disturbed and opened his third eye to reduce Kamdev to ashes. Being pleased with her long penance, and recognizing his beloved Sati in this new Avatar, He accepted Parvathy as his consort. Rati, the wife of Kamdev wept at Lord Shiva’s feet, and being persuaded by Goddess Parvathy gave the solution for the resurrection of Kamdev as Lord Krishna’s son. An important part of the festival is the 'Ettangadi chuduka' , during which, eight different tubers are roasted in the fire. It is believed that Kamadeva's body is represented by the tubers and by this ritual, his body is resurrected.Thiruvadira being the day that Lord Shiva accepted Parvathi as his consort, the festival is more woman centric as women from the traditional Malayali families fast for the well being of their husbands and marital bliss, whereas unmarried women undertake the fast to get a good husband.

The day starts early in the morning with a visit and prayers to the nearest Shiva temple before sunrise in traditional attire.The women then prepare the Kanzhi – puzhukku for the meal. The Kanzhi is made of broken wheat. The Thiruvadira puzhukku is a delicious concoction of chembu (colocasia), chenai (yam), koorkai (chinese potato), Madhurakizhangu (Sweet potato) , all tubers, with payaru (red cow beans) and kaaya (raw banana).They are cooked with salt and freshly ground coconut. Another speciality of the Thiruvadira meal is the koova payasam, a sweet dish made of arrow root powder, jaggery and coconut milk. Even the women who are fasting can have these items as they do not contain rice and fasting during Thiruvadhira means abstaining from consumption of rice for the Malayali women. In Palakkad, the same pattern of early morning visit to the Shiva temple is followed. However their meal consists of Kali and Kootu.









The women gather for the song and dance routine, so typical of the festival, on the day prior to Thiruvadhira on the Makeeram star, which lasts through the night. A big brass lamp (nelavilakku) is placed in the middle and the women form a circle around it. They start dancing with swaying movements and clapping of hands to the rhythm of the song that is first sung by the leader and repeated by the group members. They start with the invocation of Ganapathy and Goddess Saraswathy. The Thiruvathira pattu (songs) are simple yet full of meaning. Their lyrics are about Parvathi’s love and longing for Shiva, her penance and the description Shiva’s power and divinity. The dance of Kaikottikali has been performed during Thiruvadira for ages and the hand movements and dance gestures are common to the region.The dress for the dancers is very traditional. It consists of two pieces, a cream coloured dhoti (mundu) and an upper garment (neriyathu) of the same colour. Generally there is a gold coloured border for both the garments.

At midnight there is a ceremony called pathira poochoodal, when the women will adorn the dasapushpam (10 important medicinal flowers) on their hair with utmost devotion. The pathirapoochoodal ceremony for a newly wedded bride is even more special and is called poothiruvadhira. The dance then continues until the wee hours of dawn. In the midst of all the ritual there is a unique ritual of consuming 108 betel leaves with scented arecanuts by the women. These leaves are first offered to Lord Shiva and then taken and chewed.


#Thiruvadhira #Festival #Kerala #TamilNadu #Chidambaram #Kaikottikali #LordShiva

#Kerala celebrates the return of Mahabali Chakravarthy with the #Onam Festival that includes #Pookalams, #OnamSadhya, #Vallam Kali and #Onakazhcha #Festival 2

At the outset I would like to wish everyone a very happy Onam.
Keralites all over the world wait for this magnificent festival of Onam to celebrate the annual visit of their beloved King Mahabali Chakravarthy also lovingly called Maveli. Everywhere, we can find Onam Sadhyas being served on banana leaves in a traditional way and colourful pookalams decorating  the entrances of houses.
Here is an excerpt from my book Kerala the Divine Destination on this festival.

'Kerala is synonymous with its most important festival, Onam , which is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar, corresponding to the months of August-September. There is a festival atmosphere around the whole region, with each house having a pookalam, a floral rangoli adorning its portico. 

Come dawn and the mist is driven away by the first rays of the sun revealing a kaleidoscope of colours in each pookalam. Simple yet stunning, it’s floral magnificence captures the spirit of the land, the joy and merriment associated with the festival of the season  The making of the pookalam starts on the auspicious day of hastham (attam). Every day more and more intricate designs are added for a period of ten   days culminating in a huge magnificent floral carpet on the final day of Thiru Onam. Preparations for the festival also start on this Attam day.

Houses are cleaned, pickles are prepared, and everyone is involved in the festivities. In villages, people prepare swings hung between the boughs of two big trees and decorate it with flowers allowing for the entire span of ten days to be spent in joy and playfulness by the kids of the houses. The joint family system, or the Tharawad as it is popularly known, still prevails in most parts of Kerala. On Utharadam, the day prior to Onam, the members and dependants of the tharawad present the produce of their farms consisting of vegetables, fruits coconuts and three varieties of plantains to the Head of the Tharawad, generally the eldest person in the family. This is known as onakazhcha. 

In return, he presents them with a sumptuous feast. Utharadam is followed by the most important day of the festival, the Thiru onam.  

Legend has it that the great King Mahabali visits his subjects once in a year. Mahabali belonged to the Asura clan but was an ardent worshiper of Lord Vishnu. His bravery and strength of character earned him the title of "Mahabali Chakravathy" or Mahabali - the King of Kings. It is said that there was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. At the request of the Gods, who were worried about the king’s growing strength and popularity, Lord Vishnu assumed the Vamana avathar, that of a poor Brahmin, and approached King Mahabali for a gift of a piece of land. The King who was known for his generosity did not disappoint, and requested the Brahmin to take as much land as he wanted. The Brahmin however had a strange request. He wanted land that would cover his three steps. Startled, the king agreed.  The Guru of Asuras, Shukracharya, recognizing the divine presence of Lord Vishnu, tried to prevent the King but in vain and lost one of his eyes in the process.Vamana, the Brahmin, began to expand and eventually increased himself to the size of cosmic proportions. With his first step he covered the whole of earth and with the second he covered the whole of the skies. He then asked King Mahabali for place to keep his third foot. The King realised that he was no ordinary Brahmin and so with folded hands and bowed head asked him to place his last step on his head so that he could keep the promise. The Brahmin placed his foot on the head of the King, which pushed him to patala, the nether world. There the King requested the Brahmin to reveal his true identity. Lord Vishnu then appeared before the king extremely pleased with his devotee’s generosity and benevolence. He asked the King to ask for a boon. The king was so attached to his subjects that he requested the Gods to allow him to visit his people for one day in a year to ensure their well being. The people of Kerala wish to show their beloved king that they are as grand and prosperous now as they were during his rule.

Rituals on the auspicious day of Thiru Onam begin as early as 4am. People wake up very early. The finishing touches and the last circle of flowers are added to the pookalam. Then they make a conical figure of clay depicting Thrikkakara Appan, Lord Vishnu in his Vamana avathar and place it in a the pride of place in the midst of the floral carpet. They decorate Thrikkakara Appan with a paste of rice flour and water, and flowers. Everyone wears new clothes or the Onapudava which are presented to them in a ceremonial manner by the head of the family. They prepare neivedyam, an offering to the God and begin their prayers.

The religious rituals are then followed by the most exciting part of the onam celebrations, the Onasadhya, the grand feast organized by each and every household. 
Traditionally the onam sadhya is served on plantain leaves in a row on a mat laid on the floor. There is a fixed order of serving the sumptuous vegetarian dishes and a set place for each dish on the leaf.  First the payasam , the sweet dish, is served on the lower right corner. Kichadi, curry, kootu, kalan, avial, and olan are served from right to left on the upper portion of the banana leaf. Then follow the pickles. The pickles are generally made of mango or lime and are served on the extreme left.  Bananas are then served on the left upper corner. The Pappads and plantain wafers known as varathupperi are served next to the pickles. After everyone is seated, rice is served. It is followed by a spoon of ghee and then sambhar. Rasam is next. The main sweet course is then served the adapradhaman and palpayasam. The meal ends with curd and rice.  It is to be noted that the entire meal is usually eaten with hand and not with spoons. The people also make it a point to offer the entire meal to Lord Ganapathi as an offering and then proceed with their own meals.

After this fabulous mouth watering meal, the youngsters seek enjoyment in games. 

There are various forms of onakalikal like Kummattikali, kaikotikali, pulikali etc. Kali means game and onakalikal means games played during Onam. The kaikotikali is a popular rhythmic group dance performed by the womenfolk of Kerala around a gorgeous pookalam with a ghee villakku (lamp) placed in the centre. 

The elderly people retire to play indoor games like chess or dice. The young men however prefer to play outdoor games like the panthukali, a ball game, or thekayyankali, a combat game or kutukutu which is similar to the nationwide popular game of kabbaddi.

The Vallamkali or the Snake Boat Race is the most enchanting facet of the festival of Onam.  The race was popularized by the first prime minister of India, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was so enchanted that he instituted a trophy for the winning boat. The event is promoted as a major tourist attraction of the state of Kerala and draws a large number of domestic and international tourists. The race is very competitive and requires great skill and balance. Even a small mistake by one of the oarsman may cause imbalance and lead to the boat overturning. This race instills a great sense of unity and team spirit amongst the participants.

Another important feature of the Onam festival is the elephant procession held in Trissur. The elephants are decorated with ornate gold caparisons on their foreheads and project a magnificent sight.

Onam in Trikkakara, a place 10 km from Kochi (Cochin) on the Edapally- Pookattupadi road, said to be the capital of the mighty King Mahabali is celebrated with great pomp and vigour. A temple with a deity of 'Trikkakara Appan' or 'Vamanamurthy' is also located at this place. The Ona sadhya is itself an offering to the Lord here. 

Onam is a festival which mirrors the cultural ethos and the unity and secular nature of the inhabitants of Kerala. The grandeur of the celebrations and the underlying faith of the people during the festival of Onam, can be actually experienced, if one takes part in the gamut of cultural activities held to mark the festivities.'

#Onam  #Maveli #MahabaliChakravarthy #OnamSadhya #Onakazhcha #VallamKali #Pookalam #Vamanamurthy #TrikkakaraAppan