First Three days are dedicated to Durga Maa; the Goddess of power and energy. On the first three days, the goddess is invoked as a powerful spiritual force called Durga in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects.
During the next three days people worship Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity. In these days, Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees the inexhaustible wealth.
On Seventh and Eighth days, Saraswati Maa is worshiped to acquire the spiritual knowledge.
On Nineth day Kanya puja is performed, nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the daughter of Brahma as the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati.
In order to have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence, the worship for nine nights.
Dussera or Vijayadashami, the tenth day is celebrated as the day of victory to rejoice about Durga's triumph over the demon Mahishasura.
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NAVRTATRI/DUSSERA at Cheenu's House...
In our house, on Mahalaya Amavasya Day, we lit a ghee lamp [see the picture :: the lamp is placed golden colour cage]. On this day the neivedhyam :: SAKKARAI pongal and GROUNDNUT sundal.
This Special Lamp will glow till the night of VIJAYADASAMI. Round the clock vigil is taken to protect the Jwalai [flame].
On all days during morning pooja, along with routine archanais, DURGA, LAKSHMI and SARASVATI ashtotram are performed with a SWEET [payasam or mysorepak or 7cups] and a SAVOURY [sundal or vadai, somedays both] as neivedhyam and in the evenings, LALITHA SHASRANAMA archanai,
With the blessings of Devi and all we hope next year the celebrations would be in our PADMA-SANKARAM.
This period is considered to be very important to all those who have lost their parents or one of them. The departed souls are said to look forward eagerly for the "Pithru Tharpanam". The daily tharpanam along with Ellu and Jhellum will invoke undescribed blessings for the partaker and his family during this period. Due to paucity of time, one may atleast perform the Tharpanum atleast one day like "Madhyashtami" or on "Mahalaya Amavasai" day.
Please consult your respective Acharyan lineage on this important period and if you wish, perform the Tharpanam.
It is said that one attains Mukthi if one is born in Thiruvarur, one dies in Kasi, one thinks of Thiruvannamalai, but if one steps on the soil of Thirurameshwaram one attains the same. It is famous for performing oblations to the departed manes during Amavasai, which releases one from the 'pithrudhosham'.
If one had not performed the ceremony (thithi) done to a deceased person, this Sthala is where the oblations are offered to absolve them from the Dhosham. Mahalaya Amavasai is considered sacred for performing such deeds. To rid of oneself, of the fear of Yama, Tharpana Pooja can be done in Thirurameshwaram.
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The pitru paksha shraddh is performed for all dead ancestors. the offerings are said to reach all the dead relatives of the person who performs the rites. oblations offered on the last day of the pitru paksha reach even those who died without having any children. even those who did not offer food to the poor in their life time and those who did not perform any acts of charity and were thus denied any comfort in the pitru lok (house of the dead), receive benefits from the shraddh performed during pitru paksha . also those whose date of death is not known and thus for whom the yearly shraddh cannot be performed, receive oblations offered during pitru paksh. further, those who died a violent death also benefit from oblations offered during this fortnight.
This recipe is prepared on Vinayaka Chathurthi and also on Varalakshmi Vratham days.
[who will refuse to devour the delicacy, if prepared on normal days too.....]
For Dough
2 cups rice flour 1 tbsp oil A pinch of salt
For Filling
1 coconut (grated) 1 cup jaggery (powdered) 1 tbsp ghee
Method:
Mix grated coconut, jaggery and ghee in a heavy pan. Cook on a medium flame, stirring continuously till thick. Allow to cool. Form small balls and set aside.
Heat 2 cups of water in a pan. Add salt, oil and flour, then stir continuously till dough leaves the sides of the pan. Allow to cool and knead well.
Take a small ball of dough and with greased palms pat into a disc. Put some filling in the middle and seal it. Make all Kozhakattais and steam till done.
Your yummy sweet kozhakkatais ready !!! ENJOY !!!
Hints: The same preparation can be made as savoury by keeping paruppu usili as poornam inside the cup of rice dough. And also Ellukozhakkati can be done with the fillings. [one cup each of seasame & jaggery and one table spoon ghee. Roast sesame seeds till pink. Grind to a fine powder along with jaggery. Add ghee and mix well.]
Many of the Tamilians [irrespective of the sub-sects] offer Maavilakku [மாவிளக்கு] to the GOD of their choice ===> Amman, Perumal, Murugan ===> in temples or at their homes.
In our custom we offer this on the 1st Aadi and 1st Thai Vellikizhamai [Kataka/Karkatam and Makara months' first friday].
Now let me venture about the dough preparation:::==>>>
INGREDIENTS:
Raw Rice => 2 cups
Jaggery [preferred one is jaggery powder :: நாட்டுசக்கரை => 1 cup.
Cardamom => 2 nos. [powdered]
Ghee => 2 table spoons.
Wick => 2 numbers poothiri [not the conventional one]
Method: Wash the rice and keep it soaked for 10 or 15 minutes ==> drain well and spread on a clean white cloth ==> grind the rice in a mixer [in small quantity] and seive [சலிக்கவேண்டும்] ==> when the powdered rice is ready, mix the flour with the jaggery powder [to add more taste, one can add honey and grated coconut] and powdered cardamom ==> spead the dough on a plate ==> make two cup shape mould on the dough ==> pour ghee ==> put the wick.
Draw a kolam and place the plate containing the Maavilakku. Decoarate with flower. Lit the lamp by chanting slokams of the GOD to whom it is offered. [we chant VENKATRAMANA GOVINDA, SANKATA HARANA GOVINDA at the time of lighting the lamp followed by Vishnusahasranamam and Devi slokams].Whenthe lamp is about to go off, do neivedhyam of Milk or Fruits. Afterwards, remove the burnt wick, mix the dough properly, distribute the Maavilakku Mavu Prasadm [yummy.......]
============================= this slokam i learnt during my childhood from BALA BHAJANAVALI ==> all slokas will be published with mp3 track later
The SANKATAHARA Chaturthi vratha occurs during the fourth day of They Pirai Paksha, everymonth. The MAHA SANKATAHARA Chaturthi occurs on the fourt day of They Pirai Paksha in the month of AAVANI [tamil], Chingam [mqlayalam], Simha/Bhadrapadha [sanskrit]. (Sankatahara Chathurthi falling on Tuesday is known as ANGARIKA Sankatahara Chaturthi).
This Vratam starts before the sun rise and go up to the sight of moon, some time even upto midnight. The purpose of this Vratam is to overcome difficulties and problems. People suffering from the ill effects of Moon [Chandran] or Mars [Angaraka] can follow this Vratham.
This Vratam is very auspicious for eliminating all obstacles in life and to reshape one's problems into opportunities.
On this day one can chant Ganesha Sahasranaamam, Sankashta Naashana Ganesha Sthothram or simple stootrams on Lord Ganesha.
Ohm Mahalakshmyai cha Vidmahe Vishnupriyai cha Dhi-Mahi Tanno Lakshmth Prachodayat
"Om. Let us meditate on the Great Goddess Sri Lakshmi, the consort of Sri Maha Vishnu. May that effulgent Maha Lakshmi Devi inspire and illuminate our mind with understanding."
This vratham is celebrated on the FRIDAY before the Full Moon of Tamil Aadi [jul-aug] to appease the Goddess Lakshmi to grant boons.
The previous [thursday] evening of the festival, the house is cleaned and a bronze or silver kalasam [sombu] is filled with rice or water, coins, turmeric, a whole lime, betel leaf and nut. The kalasam is decorated with sandal paste and kumkum, a coconut smeared with turmeric is kept on it and mango leaves placed around. The face of Goddess Lakshmi decorated with jewels is placed against the coconut. Arati is taken at night after the Goddess is offered Venpongal [white pongal] as neivedhyam.
On the day of Vratham the Goddess is welcomed to the specially erected pandal by singing the song "Bhagyadha Lakshmi Baramma......". The kalasam is placed on a bed of raw rice spread over a plantain leaf. Pooja is begun with an invocation to Lord Ganesha. During the Pooja the Lakshmi Sahasranamam and other slokas are chanted.
After doing the pooja a yellow thread called 'saradu' is tied by the women on their right wrists. in our family husband ties the saradu and for the unamrried girls, mother. The women who do the Nonbu/Vratham fast that day eating only certain foods that have been offered to the Goddess first [kozhukattai ==>>> sweet, savour]
The evening women visit one another for exchange of thamboolam. The next day after doing the punar pooja in the night they sing lakshmi songs, praying for the prosperity of the whole family and arati, the kalasam will be kept in the drum or vessel which is treated as the main granary of rice. Next moring the water is sprinkled all over the house or the rice will be kept separately to prepare Sakkarapongal [sweet pongal] on the next friday..
[@ 6.00 pm on all sundays -----deepam in a broken coconut with ghee...wick in a small red square cloth containing 12 ghee roasted pepper.
=================================================================== Kalabhairava is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He is also the presiding deity of the planet Rahu. Hence for Rahu related troubles reciting the kalabhairava ashtakam [Adhi Sankara Bhagawt Pada] is a very good remedy. ==================================================================
