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Showing posts with label POOJA PROCEDURES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label POOJA PROCEDURES. Show all posts

June 20, 2017

How To Do Friday Lakshmi Pooja At Home – Thiruvilakku Pooja Procedure

Mahalakshmi pooja procedure - Thiruvilakku pooja
This post explains a simple method of how to perform Mahalaxmi puja / Thiruvilakku Pooja every Friday at home. I have included Puja vidhi/ pooja procedure, slokas, mantra and songs required in Tamil & English. I have given a simple Lakshmi pooja method for working women and a detailed procedure with 108 potri for housewives.  I have also shared a downloadable PDF format for Lakshmi Pooja slokas, mantras in Tamil.  Please download it by clicking the link.

            In South India - Tamil nadu, most of the housewives do this thiruvilakku poojai regularly at home in a simple way by chanting 108 potri. We worship Goddess Mahalakshmi in the lamp and perform this pooja.When I posted Friday neivedyam recipes, my readers requested me to share our Pooja vidhanam with Ingredients needed, Pre-preparation, Pooja kolam/Rangoli, songs in a detailed manner just like my other festival procedures post. 

Few readers wanted me to share a simple pooja that helps working women and busy moms. So I have shared the pooja procedure in two ways by referring my Friday pooja book in Tamil. One is a very simple version( Panchopachara pooja) that hardly takes 5 to 10 minutes to do it. It would be ideal for working women to do it either in the morning or evening around 6 pm.

Not just on Friday, you can do this pooja everyday. The second one is my family’s traditional way with 108 potri which I learnt from my MIL. Some people make it in an elaborate way by keeping kalasha. If you are looking for the authentic Mahalakshmi pooja vidhanam with shodasha upachara puja, please refer my in-laws blog – Learn kolam. I have shared it in detail.

Basically Lakshmi puja is performed by married women seeking long life for their husband, health, wealth, peace of their family.This pooja gives us immense benefits if done whole heartedly with full faith. In North India, this puja is performed during Diwali in a grand manner. 

Today I have shared this post mainly for beginners and newly wedded girls. I have also mentioned the benefits and significance of this pooja. I have shared all the pictures from my pooja room. Hope it would be useful for you all to get some ideas.

When I was young, I have seen Thiruvilakku pooja performed in Amman temples & Murugan temples in Tamil nadu. But I never thought it can be performed at home till my marriage. I came to know about it from my MIL. She used to do this pooja every Friday at home. Initially I was just a listener sitting along with her and watching it. After 5 years of my marriage, I started doing it on my own by following her method while she continues to do it in our Salem house even at this age.

After buying a own house, I performed Vaibhava Lakshmi pooja by keeping Kalasam for 11 weeks as advised by my neighbor. Its an elaborate pooja just like Varamahalakshmi festival. So I will share it later. In this post, we will see how to do Friday Mahalakshmi pooja at home in a simple way without keeping kalasam/Kalasha. 

As usual, this post would be very lengthy as I have given all the sloka in English and Tamil. So please bear with me. If possible. I will try to make a separate post in Telugu and Hindi with the help of my friends and try to make a PDF of them in near future. Thanks for visiting this page. If you find this post helpful, please share a few words in the comment section which will make me happy.

Click THIS LINK to download the PDF format of sloka, mantras in Tamil.

Friday pooja neivedyam recipes

1. SIGINIFICANCE & BENEFITS OF MAHALAKSHMI POOJA

Mahalakshmi pooja is performed by married women or young girls at home seeking health, wealth, harmony and long life for their husband, removal of sins and black magic. By doing this pooja, It is believed that Lakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu and the Goddess of wealth visits her devotees house during this pooja and bless them with abundant wealth and good health. 

Goddess Lakshmi prefers clean house. So devotees clean their houses, decorate them with lights and flowers, prepare sweet delicacies/neivedyam as offerings and do the pooja. We believe that when the God is more happy at her visit, we get more blessings from her. Lakshmi pooja can be done performed by a single person or by a group of ladies at home. It is considered to be more auspicious to do this pooja on Pournami day( Full moon day).

People can get various types of benefits if they do it in Tamil months from Chithirai (April) to Panguni (March).

Chithirai : Blessed with increased production of Pulses.
Vaigasi : Blessed with Money
Aani : Blessed with Marriage
Aadi : Blessed with Long Life
Aavani : Blessed with New Born Children
Purataasi : Blessed with more Cows
Aipassi : Blessed with Food
Karthigai : Blessed with Moksha
Margali : Blessed with Good health
Thai : Blessed with Victory in life
Maasi : Blessed with removal of sins.
Panguni : Blessed with Dharma

Silver flowers for pooja

2.INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR LAKSHMI POOJA

1. Lamp ( Thiruvilakku – 1 no, Big or small)
2.  Wooden plank or plate or peeta for placing the lamp.Banana leaf or plate for offering sweets/Neivedyam. Thoobakal for sambrani stick, incense stick stand 
3. Betel leaf & Nuts ( Vetrilai Paaku – 2 or 4 nos)
4. Banana - 2 nos ( You can keep in even number count)
5. Coconut – 1 no
6. Kumkum, Turmeric, sandal powder
7. Flowers ( Uthiri poo or malai / garland)
8. Incense stick, camphor, Dhoop / Sambrani in Tamil( Benzoin in English)
9. Gingely oil/Sesame oil & Ghee to light the lamps
10. Wick/ Thread for lamps ( Thiri nool or panchu thiri)
11. Match box, Plates to keep fruits, coconut.
12. If you wish, you can keep a set of blouse piece, bangle, turmeric piece(Virali manjal), small mirror, comb, black chain(Karugamani), kumkum packet etc. Please refer the above picture.
13. I have 108 silver flowers which I use it for archanai. Please check the picture given above. You can use uthiri poo/ flowers instead.

Thiruvilakku pooja at home

3. PRE-PREPARATION FOR POOJA

On the previous day i.e Thursday night, Sweep the house clean. Wash all the lamps and pooja accessories. Dry them and decorate it by keeping sandal and kumkum dots. You can draw kolam in the entrance on previous day night of you wish. Please visit my in-laws blog Learn Kolam to get some padi kolam ideas.

4. POOJA TIMINGS

Mostly we do this pooja in the morning before Rahu kalam ( 10.30am to 12 noon) or yamagandam (3:00 pm to 4:30pm) on Friday. So we do it around 8 to 9 am after sending the kids and husband to school & office. It is also auspicious if you do this pooja in the evening around 6 pm. So keep all the things ready before pooja timings.

Friday pooja arrangements


Friday Mahalakshmi pooja kolam

5. HOW TO ARRANGE FOR POOJA

A.  Near the pooja room, draw a kolam/rangoli on the floor. You can draw either maakolam( Kolam with wet rice flour paste) or with usual rangoli powder. My MIL draws padi kolam with hrudaya kamalam in the center. But I draw padi kolam with a simple flower kolam in the center as I am not good at drawing hridaya kamalam kolam .Please visit my in-laws blog Learn Kolam to get ideas on padi kolam.

Place the wooden plank or peeta over the kolam. Keep the lamp on the plank or peeta. Lamp should always face the East or North direction. South & west should be avoided. Make sure you leave some space around the lamp for Pradhakshinam ( circumambulation). Please refer the above picture for pooja arrangements. 

B. Decorate the lamp, idols with flowers.Garland it if you wish. Keep sandal & kumkum dots. Add gingely oil/ sesame oil or ghee generously. Lamp should not go off while doing pooja. So add more oil before starting the pooja. Put 5 wicks or minimum 2 wicks in the lamp.

C. Decorate the idols and photo frames with flowers. Some people keep kumkum dots for all the photo in pooja room every Friday. But I do it only for festivals. Prepare the neivedyam. Mostly I make Payasam/Kheer or sweet pongal/ Sakkarai pongal in pressure cooker as sweet pongal is meant to be the favorite for Goddess. You can also make Ven pongal, rava kesari or sweet dishes with aval/poha and jaggery. I will try to make a separate post for neivedyam ideas soon.

D. Place the neivedyam bowl, broken coconut, banana, betel leaves & nuts in a plate or banana leaf. Place them in front of the lamp.

E. Keep the incense stick in the stand. Do not pierce it over the banana. Place the sambrani/dhoop stick in the stand or thoobakal. Keep some ash(viboodhi/thirueeru) in the camphor plate and place the camphor over it.If you don’t have a plate to place camphor, you can keep it over the betel leaf or banana leaf. Do not use the betel leaf which you have kept for neivedyam.

F. Place a mat for you to sit in the side of lamp. We call it as Thadukku in Tamil. Keep all the sloka books nearby. You should sit facing North or East. Avoid facing south.

6. HOW TO DO FRIDAY VILAKKU POOJA – SIMPLE METHOD

Click THIS LINK to download PDF format of sloka, mantras in Tamil

This method is for people who have very less time in hand for doing pooja. It would be ideal for working people. This is called as “Panchopachara Pooja” ( Five fold worship).

1 Offer Gandham (sandalwood paste/powder)
2 Offer Pushpam (flower)
3 Offer Sugandham dhoop (incense)
4 Offer Jyotham (light)
5 Offer Naivedyam (food)

In fact, this pooja can be performed everyday. You can do this pooja by standing in the pooja room.No need to keep the lamp separately in a peeta or plank. If you do not have the offerings/ pooja items in hand, you can do manasa pooja. ie. Assume that you are offering all the 5 things. 

The second method is by offering all the 5 in real. If you have prepared any neivedyam recipe, you can keep it in a plate in front of the lamp/Thiru vilakku and do this pooja and offer sandal paste, flowers, dhoopam, dheepam, neivedyam and mangala harathi/Karpooram. 

Panchopachara pooja in English

Chant these lines if you are doing manasa pooja ( Imagine the offerings)
  • oṁ śrī gaṇeśāya nama:
  • oṁ śrī mahāgurubhyo  nama: / oṁ śrī sadguru paramātmane nama :
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  gandhaṁ parikalpayāmi   ( Imagine that you offer sandal paste)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  puṣpaṁ parikalpayāmi ( Imagine to offer flowers)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  dhūpaṁ parikalpayāmi   ( Imagine showing dhoopam)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  dīpaṁ parikalpayāmi  ( Imagine showing dheepam)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  naivedyaṁ parikalpayāmi  ( Imagine offering neivedyam)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  samasta upacāra pūjān samarpayāmi  ( imagine showing camphor/karpoora harathi)
Chant these lines if offering the pooja items

  • oṁ śrī gaṇeśāya nama:
  • oṁ śrī mahāgurubhyo  nama: / oṁ śrī sadguru paramātmane nama :
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  gandhān dhārayāmi  ( Keep two sandal dots in the feet of lamp)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  puṣpai: saṁpūjayāmi  ( offer flowers)   
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  dhūpaṁ āghrāpayāmi ( Show dhoop/sambrani stick or incense stick) 
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  divya maṅgala dīpaṁ darśayāmi ( show dheepam preferrably ghee dheepam)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  amṛta mahā naivedyaṁ nivedayāmi ( Offer neivedyam)
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  samasta upacāra pūjān samarpayāmi (show mangala harathi/Karpoora harathi)
Finish the Pooja by doing namaskaram in front of the God.


How to do friday thiruvilakku pooja in Tamil

7. HOW TO DO THIRUVILAKKU POOJA – METHOD 2

Click THIS LINK to download PDF format of sloka, mantras in Tamil.

Do this pooja in the morning before rahu kalam OR do it in the evening around 6 pm. Light all the lamps other than the one you have kept for pooja because we should light the main lamp only after reciting Ganapathi sloka. 

Basically any pooja should be done by worshipping Lord Ganesha at the beginning. So Vigneshwara pooja is to be performed by reciting Lord Ganapathi slokas. So lets start with Ganapathi song. I have given all the mantra and songs in Tamil and English.

  1. Ganapathi Vaazthu

Ainthu Karaththanai aanai mugathanai
Indhin Ilampirai polum eyitranai
Nandhimagan thanai gnyanak kozhunthinai
Punthiyil vaiththadi potrugindrene

Now light the lamp. While lighting the lamp, chant the following :
”ஓம் ஒளிவளர் விளக்கே போற்றி” – “Om Olivalar Vilakke Potri “

Continue this with Thiruvilakku Archanai (108 potri). You can chant thiruvilakku Ashtothram in Sansrit or Thiruvilakku archanai song in Tamil with 108 potri which I have given below.  We offer flowers ( uthiri poo) or kumkum in the feet of lamp while chanting this potri. You can offer a combination of 54 flowers & 54 kumkum archanai.I use my 108 silver flowers for this. Please check the image given above ingredients section. You can buy this silver flowers & golden flowers in all jewelry shops.

Click HERE to listen Thiruvilakku Archanai sthothram in Sanskrit.

108 Potri in English 

1. pŏṉṉum mĕyppŏruḽum taruvāy potri
2. pokamum tiruvum puṇarppāy potri
3. muṟṟaṟivu ŏḽiyāy miḽirntāy potri
4. mūvulakam niṟaintiruntāy potri
5. varampil iṉpamāy vaḽarntiruntāy potri
6. iyaṟkaiyāy aṟivŏḽi āṉāy potri
7. īreḻulakam īṉṟāy potri
8. piṟarvayamākāp pĕriyoy potri
9. periṉpap pĕrukkāy pŏlintāy potri
10. peraruṭ kaṭalām pŏruḽe potri
11. muṭivil āṟṟil uṭaiyāy potri
12. mūvulakum tŏḻum mūttoy potri
13. aḽavilāc cĕlvam taruvoy potri
14. āṉanta aṟivŏḽi viḽakke potri
15. om ĕṉum pŏruḽāy uḽḽoy potri
16. iruḽ kĕṭuttu iṉparuḽ ĕntāy potri
17. maṅkaḽa nāyaki māmaṇi potri
18. vaḽamai nalkum valliyai potri
19. aṟamvaḽar nāyaki amme potri
20. miṉ ŏḽi ammaiyām viḽakke potri
21. miṉŏḽip piḻampāy vaḽarntāy potri
22. taiyal nāyakit tāye potri
23. tŏṇṭar akattamar tūmaṇi potri
24. mukkaṭcuṭariṉ mutalvi potri
25. ŏḽikkuḽ ŏḽiyāy uyarvāy potri
26. cūḽāmaṇiye cuṭarŏḽi potri
27. iruḽ ŏḻittu iṉpam īvoy potri
28. aruḽ pŏḻintu ĕmmai āḽvoy potri
29. aṟiviṉukku aṟivāy āṉāy potri
30. illaka viḽakkām iṟaivi potri
31. cuṭare viḽakkām tūyoy potri
32. iṭaraik kaḽaiyum iyalpiṉāy potri
33. ĕricuṭarāy niṉṟa iṟaivi potri
34. ñāṉaccuṭar viḽakkāy niṉṟāy potri
35. arumaṟaip pŏruḽām āti potri
36. tūṇṭu cuṭaraṉaiya joti potri
37. jotiye potric cuṭare potri
38. otum uḽŏḽi viḽakke potri
39. iruḽ kĕṭukkum illaka viḽakke potri
40. cŏllaka viḽakkām joti potri
41. palarkāṇ pallaka viḽakke potri
42. nallaka namaccivāya viḽakke potri
43. ulappilā ŏḽivaḽar viḽakke potri
44. uṇarvucūḻ kaṭantatora viḽakke potri
45. uṭampĕṉum maṉaiyaka viḽakke potri
46. uḽḽattakaḻi viḽakke potri
47. maṭampaṭum uṇarnĕy viḽakke potri
48. uyirĕṉum tirimayakku viḽakke potri
49. iṭampaṭum ñāṉattī viḽakke potri
50. nokkuvārkku ĕrikŏḽ viḽakke potri
51. ātiyāy naṭuvumākum viḽakke potri
52. aḽavilā aḽavumākum viḽakke potri
53. jotiyāy uṇarvumākum viḽakke potri
54. tillaip pŏtu naṭa viḽakke potri
55. karuṇaiye uruvām viḽakke potri
56. kaṟpaṉai kaṭanta joti potri
57. aṟputakkola viḽakke potri
58. arumaṟaic cirattu viḽakke potri
59. ciṟpara viyoma viḽakke potri
60. pŏṟpuṭaṉ nañcĕy viḽakke potri
61. uḽḽattiruḽai ŏḻippāy potri
62. kaḽḽappulaṉaik karaippāy potri
63. urukuvor uḽḽattu ŏḽiye potri
64. pĕruku aruḽcurakkum pĕrumāṉ potri
65. iruḽcer iruviṉai ĕṟivāy potri
66. aruve uruve aruvuru potri
67. nantā viḽakke nāyakiye potri
68. cĕntāmaraittāḽ tantāy potri
69. tīpamaṅkaḽ joti potri
70. matippavar maṉamaṇi viḽakke potri
71. pākam piriyā parāparai potri
72. ākama muṭimelamarntāy potri
73. ekamāy naṭañcĕy ĕmmāṉ potri
74. ūḻi ūḻi uḽḽoy potri
75. āḻiyāṉ kāṇā aṭiyoy potri
76. ātiyum antamum āṉāy potri
77. antamil iṉpam aruḽvoy potri
78. muntaiya viṉaiyai muṭippoy potri
79. pŏṅkum kīrttip pūraṇī potri
80. taṇṇaruḽ curakkum tāye potri
81. aruḽe uruvāy amaintoy potri
82. irunila makkaḽ iṟaivi potri
83. kuruvĕṉa ñāṉam kŏṭuppāy potri
84. āṟutal ĕmakkiṅku aḽippāy potri
85. tītĕllām tīrkkum tiruve potri
86. paktiyil āḻnta parame potri
87. ĕttikkum tuti ĕntāy potri
88. añcalĕṉṟaruḽum aṉpe potri
89. tañcamĕṉṟavaraic cārvoy aṉpe potri
90. otuvārakattuṟai ŏḽiye potri
91. oṅkārattuḽḽŏḽi viḽakke potri
92. ĕllā ulakamum āṉāy potri
93. pŏllā viṉaikaḽ aṟuppāy potri
94. pukaḻccevaṭi ĕṉmel vaittāy potri
95. cĕlvāya cĕlvam taruvāy potri
96. pūṅkaḻal viḽakke potri potri
97. ulakam uvappuṟa vāḻvaruḽ potri
98. uyirkaḽiṉ pacippiṇi ŏḻittaruḽ potri
99. cĕlva kalvi ciṟapparuḽ potri
100. nallaṉpu ŏḻukkam nalkuvāy potri
101. viḽakkiṭṭārkku mĕynĕṟi viḽakkuvāy potri
102. nalam ĕlām uyirkku nalkuka potri
103. tāye niṉṉaruḽ taruvāy potri
104. tūya niṉ tiruvaṭi tŏḻutaṉam potri
105. potri ĕṉpār amarar viḽakke potri
106. potri ĕṉpār maṉitar viḽakke potri
107. potri ĕṉ aṉpupŏli viḽakke potri
108. potri potri tiruviḽakke potri


After archanai, chant the following lines and offer the sandal paste in the feet of lamp, offer flowers, show the dhoopam, dheepam. Do the neivedyam and finally mangala harathi/Karpoora harathi.
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  gandhān dhārayāmi - Keep two sandal dots in the feet of lamp
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  puṣpai: saṁpūjayāmi - Offer flowers
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  dhūpaṁ āghrāpayāmi - Show dhoopam
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  divya maṅgala dīpaṁ darśayāmi - - show dheepam
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  amṛta mahā naivedyaṁ nivedayāmi - – offer neivedyam
  • oṁ śrī mahālakṣmyai nama: śrīmahālakṣmiprītyarthe  samasta upacāra pūjān samarpayāmi - – Show karpoora harathi
Finish the pooja with devi vaazhthu.

Sarva mangala Mangalye Shive sarvartha sadhake,
Saranye tryabike devi, Narayani namosthuthe.

Lastly do the pradhakshinam( circumambulation of lamp ) – 3 times and do the namaskaram in front of the pooja place. Move the lamp slightly towards the east. This shows the end of pooja. Now you can offer kumkum and thamboolam prasadham to the married ladies and young girls if you wish.

Quell the lamp with a flower.If you have offered kumkum for archanai, you can keep it on your forehead and mangal sutra for daily use.Take the flowers used for pooja and put it in a flower pot.Pour the water in tulsi plant or any other plants.

Please do not get too much hung up on the methods/procedures. More than anything, Bhakthi/Bhavana is important. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita 9th chapter:

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah’'

Meaning : If one offers me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, I will accept it.

Shubam !!

DISCLAIMER : I have shared the pooja methods based on my family’s tradition. Please consult your elders in family, change it and follow as per your custom.

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May 8, 2017

How To Celebrate Chitra Pournami At Home – Pooja Procedure & Recipes

Chitra pournami pooja celebration at home
Hello Friends, In this post, I have shared the importance of Chitra Pournami – (A festival with my name;)) celebration, how to celebrate it at home with its pooja procedures as per my family’s practice. I have also shared the links for Chitra pournami recipes for neivedyam. Hope this post would be helpful for beginners. I must thank my Mother-in-law for giving me detailed guidance about this celebration. Please visit my in-laws blog “ LEARN KOLAM” for Rangoli/ Kolam ideas for this festival.

Chitra Pournami is a ceremony observed on the Poornima day (Full moon day) in the Tamil month of Chithirai that falls any day between April 15th – May 15th. This year 2023, it falls on 5th May( i.e on Friday). Chitra pournami is one of the important festivals celebrated in Tamil nadu. 
 
This auspicious day is celebrated as Chitragupta’s Birthday. Chitra Pournami /Chithirai pournami (in Tamil) ritual commemorates Chitra gupta who is known as the assistant of Lord Yama, the God of Death. Chitra means collection of Pictures and Gupta means Hidden. Chitra Poornima is the day dedicated to Chitra Gupta, the Keeper of Deeds. Lord Brahma created Chitra Gupta through the Sun God and he is considered as the younger brother of Lord Yama. It is believed that Chitra Gupta examines the good and bad performances of each individual. 

When a person dies, his soul first goes to Lord Yama, where Chitragupta tallies the deeds and report it to Yama. He reads out the good and bad deeds of the person. He is the Devata for planet Kedhu. Worshipping Chitra Gupta on this day would ward of kedhu dhosha in one's horoscope.Worshipping Vinayaka also ward of this dosha. There is only one temple in South India for Chitragupta at Kanchipuram. Chitra Pournami is a very auspicious day here. The day is also dedicated to Indra, the head of Devas. It is on this day that the star Chitra and Pournami (full moon) come together.

On this day, special poojas are conducted at temples and people take bath in holy rivers and temple ponds to wash away the sins committed and to bag the virtue for the life beyond. Chitra Pournami is the time where your sins can all be cleansed. Many people would observe fasting ( Viratham in Tamil) and make the sacred walk on Chitra pournami day in Tiruvannamalai. Offering food to the poor and needy people during this night would receive the blessing from the Almighty directly, along with this you can vanish the bad karma which is on you. To know more about this festival, please check my FIL's post in Learn Kolam.

Source : http://www.astrologypredict.com/masimagam.php

In our home, every year we used to celebrate Chitra pournami in a grand manner by drawing maakolam all over the house and by offering Navadhaniyam ( 9 varieties of grains) in a Muram , Vellai pongal ( without salt, உப்பு  சேர்க்காத பொங்கல்)), Sweet pidi kozhukattai, Raw mango pachadi, Panagam and neer mor for neivedyam. 

So based on ours I have shared the details of Chitra Pournami celebration procedure below with pictures. Hope you will find it helpful. Tamil brahmins have their own way of celebration which may differ from this. So please consult the elders of your family if you have any doubts regarding your tradition.


Chitra Pournami Kolam
This kolam is from my in-laws blog Learn kolam. We usually draw this thear kolam for Chitra Pournami.Click the above picture to see the video

Our Celebration Procedure

Ingredients needed for pooja & neivedyam

For Pooja
  • Winnowing basket / Muram in Tamil
  • New mud pot for making pongal, keeping panagam and neer mor ( This is optional)
  • 9 grains ( Navadhaniyam – Any 9 from this list :  Chana/chickpeas( brown & white), Green moong dal, Masoor dal, Toor dal,Urad dal ( Black or white), Peas, Rajma, Black eyed peas ( karamani), Ragi, Wheat, Arisi nel ( unhusked rice), Yellow moong dal, chana dal )
  • Raw rice ( maavu arisi ) Or Rice flour to draw maakolam ( Visit THIS LINK to check maakolam)
  • Raw Mango – 1 no for keeping near muram.
  • Indian Hand Fan / Kai visiri in Tamil (விசிறி)
  • One full coconut ( It would be better if its with mattai/shell)
  • One paper written with “Chithiranar Puthiranar Sivanadiyar Perungkanakar”)
  • One Pen
  • Lamp, wick, Oil/ghee, matchbox, incense stick, dhoop, camphor
  • Betel leaf & nut ( Vetrilai paaku), banana ( 2 nos) and one coconut
For Neivedyam
  • Raw rice(Maavu arisi) if making homemade rice flour for sweet pidi kozhukattai OR Store bought modak flour (kozhukattai maavu).
  • Raw mango, Jaggery, Green chilli for making Mango pachadi.
  • Curd, water, ginger, green chilli, seasoning ingredients for neer mor.
  • Raw rice ( Good quality sona masoori) for making white pongal without salt.
  • Water,edible camphor, jaggery, cardamom, cloves for making panagam.
Chitra Pournami Recipes

Neivedyam Recipes
Rice varieties

Some people have the practice of making 5 rice varieties along with sweet pongal on this day. 
We do this for Aadi 18 / Aadi perukku. Please check the link below for rice varieties if you want to try them. 


Our Celebration

Pre – Preparation

On the previous night of Chitra Pournami, we wash the lamps, keep turmeric, kumkum dots, put thread and keep it ready for the next day. Sweep the house and keep it clean. Usually we make sweet pidi kozhukattai using homemade rice flour. So we prepare the homemade rice flour in advance and keep it ready for next day’s use.

 We draw maakolam in the entrance and in front of pooja room. Usually we draw thear kolam in the entrance and pooja room. Foot of Chitra gupta along with an umbrella, hand fan, stick,foot of bull, foot of horse and flag should also be drawn. Refer picture below. You should draw it from entrance till pooja room just the way you put Lord Krishna feet for Gokulashtami/Krishna jayanthi. It is believed that Chitra Gupta is entering our house on this day. Refer the picture below.

Chitra pournami kolam

Wash the muram and divide into 9 parts by drawing segments using maakolam. Keep 9 types of grains/ Navadhaniyam in them as shown in the picture. Keep a fresh bunch of neem flower if you have. I have kept some dried flowers.You should also keep a coconut, raw mango and palm hand fan nearby the muram.

 I have kept sandalwood hand fan as I don’t have palm hand fan ( Please refer the first picture of this post). In a white paper, write “Chithiranaar Puthiranaar Sivanadiyaar Perungkanakkar” ( "சித்திர  புத்திரனார் சிவனடியார் பெருங்கணக்கர் ") and keep a Pen nearby. 

Place a raw mango & coconut in the muram. My MIL says "Kothoda manga kulaioda thengai" is placed in olden days. Please refer the picture given below. Keep this muram ready the previous night itself.

Chitra pournami celebration at home
Chitra pournami celebration
On Festival Day

The next day early morning ( around 6 am), we take head bath and start to make dishes for neivedyam. We make sweet Pidi kozhukattai by mixing the 1 cup of homemade rice flour in jaggery syrup ( 1 cup grated jaggery & 1.25 cups of water) adding 1/4 tsp of cardamom powder & 2 tbsp of grated coconut. 

Make shapes using fingers and steam it in an idli pot. In the mean time, wash and pressure cook 1/2 cup of raw rice adding 2.5 cups of water. Cook for 2 whistle in very low flame. Remove and mash the rice. Transfer to a bowl. Make a dent in the center. Keep a small piece of banana, jaggery and add a tsp of ghee.  If you wish you can make a no onion no garlic sambar as well.

 Then make Panagam by mixing water, jaggery, a pinch of edible camphor, crushed cloves, cardamom. Make neer mor and temper it. Keep all the neivedyam dishes in mud pots and plates if you have. Every year my MIL used to buy a new mud pot for making pongal and serving panakam, neer mor. She buy 3 pots ever year. But that practice has become obsolete now.

In an auspicious time of the day, light the lamp and keep the neivedyam in front of God. Avoid Rahu Kalam and Yama kandam. Place the muram ( winnowing basket) with 9 grains, hand written paper & pen. In a plate, keep betel leaves, nuts, banana and a coconut. Keep the panakam, neer mor in bowls.Sweet pidi kozhukattai  and white pongal in a plate. Show the deep, dhoop and mangala harathi.Finish the pooja. If you wish, you can read the story of Chitra Gupta and chant some slokhas as well.  

This is how we celebrate Chitra Pournami festival in our house. There may be slight variations in the celebration procedures based on your tradition. Consult the elders in your home and do the changes accordingly. Some people also make Vada, Payasam for lunch.

If you wish, you can offer food to the poor & needy on this night to get the blessings of Almighty and remove the bad karma on you. I hope this post would help you to get some idea of Chitra Pournami celebration. Share your celebration procedure too.

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Very good recipes Tags: Chitra Pournami, Chitra Pournami celebration, How to celebrate Chitra Pournami, Chitra Pournami festival, Chithirai pournami, Chitra Poornima, How to celebrate, Festival recipes
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January 9, 2017

How To Celebrate Thiruvathirai At Home | Arudhra Darshan Celebration

How to celebrate thiruvathirai at home

Significance of Arudra darshan

Soure:wiki and google

Thiruvathirai /Arudhra darshan is a popular Hindu festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Arudhra Darshan or Arudara Darshan is observed in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December – January) on Thiruvathirai Nakshathram day. In this year 2023, it falls on 27th December, Wednesday. Thiruvathirai(Arudhra) in Tamil means "sacred big wave". It is essentially a Shaivite festival and celebrates the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, which is represented by the Nataraja form. Arudra festival is celebrated with fervor in Lord Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia and in other parts of the world by Tamil speaking population. In Kerala, this festival is primarily celebrated by women. 

The most important Arudhra Darisanam festival takes place at the Chidambaram Lord Nataraja Temple in Tamil Nadu. In Thillai Chidambaram temple, 10 day Festival is held during Thiruvathirai. Arudhra signifies the golden red flame and Lord Shiva performs in the form of this red-flamed light. The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva represents five activities – Creation, Protection, Destruction, Embodiment and Release. In essence, it represents the continuous cycle of creation and destruction. Arudra Darshan celebrates this ecstatic dance of Lord Shiva.

It takes place on the full moon night in the month of Margazhi and this is also the longest night in a year. The festival is mainly observed in the Tamil speaking world. Many people observe fasting / Nombu vratham on this day. Women will fast during the day time. They will take food before sunrise and start their fasting. They will break the fast after witnessing the moon rise. 

Some people observe fasting for 10 days. So Nonbu (fasting) starts nine days before and ends on Thiruvathirai day. So totally they fast for ten days. There is special food called Thiruvadhirai kali made of Rice, Jaggery, Moong dhal, Coconut, Cardamom and Ghee with Thiruvathirai ezhu curry kootu which is made out of seven vegetables, that is cooked and served on this day.  (Source: wikipedia). We also make Thiruvathirai adai using rice flour and jaggery in addition to Kali and kootu. 

As per the Puranaas, on this day Lord Shiva has shown this blissful dance that energizes this world to two of his devotees - Vyagrapadha and Adisesha (on whom Lord Vishnu Reside). Hence this day is celebrated, in appreciation of the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, by offering Prayers to the Nataraja aspect of the Lord.

Special prayers are held on the day at all Shiva temples. Milk, honey, water, sandal paste and other cooling liquids are offered to Lord Shiva on this day. This is to cool a burning and turbulent Shiva who is performing the Tandava – the cosmic dance of Nataraja. Special abhishekam, rituals and celebrations are held on the night of Thiruvathirai.

Thiruvathirai nombu
Thiruvathirai Celebration in my house :)

Our Celebration

In our house, we celebrate this festival in a grand manner by offering thiruvathirai kali, ezhu kai kootu and thiruvathirai adai made of rice flour and jaggery to Lord Nataraja. We also draw maakolam all over our house. My MIL draws a procession car(Thaer) with Shiva lingam in the wall of pooja room and consider it as idol. We tie a yellow rope in our hands after the pooja. I have shared our pooja procedures in detail. Please check it. You can follow/alter this method based on your tradition.

How to celebrate thiruvathirai
Celebration in my MIL's house :)

How to celebrate thiruvathirai




Visit my in-laws blog LEARN KOLAM for Thiruvathirai Kolam

Ingredients Required
  • Raw rice
  • Moong dal
  • Jaggery
  • Rice flour
  • Cardamom powder
  • Grated coconut
  • Ghee
  • Butter
  • Any 7 vegetables ( Raw banana, sweet potato, yam, yellow pumpkin, broad beans, arbi, field beans, mochai, brinjal, chow chow, cluster beans, ladies finger)
  • Green chilli
  • Cumin seeds
  • Coconut oil
  • Tempering ingredients for kootu
For Pooja
  • Coconut
  • Betel leaves and nuts ( 7 each)
  • Fruits ( 7 banana)
  • Banana leaves ( 7 leaves)
  • Turmeric pieces ( 7 nos)
  • Yellow rope ( to tie around wrist or neck)
  • Lamp, wick
  • Incense stick, camphor
Thiruvathirai celebration

Pre Preparatory activities

The previous day, clean the house. Wash the lamps, put the wick. Keep turmeric, kumkum dots & make it ready for the next day neivedyam. We have the practice of drawing procession car ( thear) in the wall of pooja room as shown in the first picture and in the entrance of house. We draw maa kolam in the house entrance and in pooja room.

 As mine is a wooden pooja room shelf, I draw in a paper & keep it as GOD and I draw maakolam at the house entrance alone.We keep 7 dots using viboodhi, manjal, kumkum, sandal, kajal( Kanmai), red saandhu , rice flour in the middle of thear picture for this nonbu. We keep 7 betel leaves, 7 nuts, 7 banana, 7 turmeric pieces, 2 yellow ropes (for me & my daughter) in a plate & keep in front of God. All these things are time consuming jobs. So we do it the previous day night & keep them ready. If you don’t have this practice at home, just do the pooja by keeping a Lord Nataraja or Lord Shiva photo in the auspicious time.

We make kali, 7 kai kootu, adai, cooked rice, thayir pachadi, dal/paruppu and sambar for neivedyam. So we do some pre-preparatory works for cooking as well. We roast rice + dal, powder & keep it for kali. We chop the vegetables for kootu & sambar and refrigerate it in a box.

Thiruvathirai day 

On Festival day, we should do the pooja in the early morning in auspicious time. This year as it falls on Wednesday, we should do the pooja before 7.30am ( Avoid rahu kalam, yama kandam). So start the cooking activities by 6 am. Prepare thirivathirai kali, adai & kootu ( Rice, dal, sambar, thayir pachadi). Decorate the pooja room with flowers and light the lamp. 

Arrange all the neivedyam dishes in the banana leaf. Keep a plate with banana, coconut, betel leaf and nut, turmeric pieces along with yellow rope. Do the pooja by showing dhoop, dheep and mangala harathi. After doing the pooja, tie the yellow rope around your wrist or neck.
Enjoy kali, kootu and adai !!

DISCLAIMER : The pooja procedures I have shared above is as per my family’s practice. Many people don’t have the habit of drawing thear, maakolam, offering adai. Even my mom makes kali and kootu for thiruvathirai and offers them in front of Lord Nataraja picture for pooja. So take this post as a guidance and change it according to your custom.

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August 31, 2016

Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja Procedure | Puja Vidhi | Pooja Vidhanam

Ganesh chaturthi pooja vidhanam

I have shared Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja / Pooja vidhi / Pooja vidhanam with slokhas and mantra in PDF format in Tamil as per my readers request. Last year I made a post on with details about Abishekam things, pooja items along with its procedures and Ganesh chaturthi recipes links. But it is purely based on my family’s tradition and practice. Some people have the practice of keeping Kalasha and Gouri on this day.

Recently one of my readers requested me to share Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja Vidhanam/Puja vidhi along with mantras just like my Varalakshmi Vratham pooja post. So I referred my book “Avanai maadha Pooja Vidhanam” ( My friend Shalini’s gift) and shared the slokhas, detailed pooja method with pictures and Ganesha story in PDF format ( you can see at the end of post) to help people who wish to celebrate Ganesh chaturthi pooja in an authentic way. I have shared pooja vidhanam in Tamil. So I have mentioned some useful links for pooja vidhi in Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada at the end of the post. Hope you find them useful.

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. He is the first worshipped God before any holy puja or occasion. This year 2023, Vinayagar Chaturthi festival falls on September 18th, Monday as per Vaakiya panchangam. This festival is also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayaka Chavithi' . It is observed during the Hindu month of Bhadra in Hindi /Avani in Tamil (mid-August to mid-September). For more information on Ganesh chaturthi festival, click this link .
.
Click this Video on how to make Homemade Ganesh using Kozhukattai dough.

For Ganesh chaturthi Kolam/Rangoli designs, please Visit my in-laws blog for Learn kolam.


Disclaimer : The pictures and pooja procedures I shared in this post are from a devotional book gifted by my friend. This is just one of the ways of celebration. It may vary from place to place. Please consult the elders in your family and follow your tradition. Beginners can follow this if you don’t have any specific procedure at home. Thanks for visiting this page.

How to celebrate Ganesh chaturthi at home


Ingredients 

List for Abishekam, pooja and neivedyam
  • Ganesh idol

  • Wooden plank or peeta to place Ganesha

  • Flowers

  • Milk

  • Curd

  • Honey

  • Tender coconut water

  • Water

  • Rice flour

  • Sesame oil

  • Turmeric powder

  • Shikakai powder

  • Kumkum,Sandal paste

  • Panchamirtham (Curd based delicacy consisting of Panch(5) items: Milk, Sugar, Ghee (clarified butter), Honey, Bananas)  Some items are not shown in pic.

    Ganesh chaturthi pooja

     

    For Decoration and pooja

    • Vastram for Ganesha ( New blouse bit or dhoti cloth)

    • Mupiri nool for poonool ( 3 threaded string)

    • ArugamPul (Bermuda grass (English). Arugampul (Tamil), Dhub (Hindi), Durva (Sanskrit). Karuka (Malayalam), Garikagoddi (Telugu), Garikoihallu (Kannada))

    • Tulsi leaves ( Its allowed only on this day)

    • Vellerukku Malai ( White flower garland, refer the above picture)

    • Yellow rice/Akshathai

    • Flowers

    • Kumkum, Sandal powder

    • Incense stick

    • Camphor

    • Sesame oil & ghee for lamp

    • Fruits, coconut, betel leaves & betel nut for offering

    • Banana leaf

    • Turmeric powder for manjal pillayar

        For Neivedyam recipes

        Click THIS LINK for Neivedyam recipes collection.

    • Coconut

    • Jaggery

    • Chana dal/Moong dal

    • Sugar

    • Besan

    • Urad dal

    • Green chillies, ginger, salt ( for pooran)

    • Raw rice for payasam

    • Urad dal for vada

    • Wheat flour,banana & jaggery for appam

    • Sesame seeds for ellu urundai

    • Click HERE to see the no onion no garlic lunch menu cooking with ingredients

    how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi

    Abhishekam Order

    how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi

    Benefits of Abhishekam
    PANCHAGAVYAM - Removes all sins of mankind
    PANCHAMRUTHAM - Gives wealth
    GHEE- Gives Moksha state
    MILK - Gives long life
    CURD - Gives Good Children
    HONEY - Melodious voice
    RICE POWDER - Frees from debts
    SUGAR CANE JUICE - Gives good health and removes enmity
    LIME JUICE - Removes fear of death
    TENDER COCONUT JUICE - Gives enjoyment and full satisfaction in life
    SANDAL PASTE - Gives Lakshmi's Grace
    SUGAR - Removes enmity
    Source : http://www.teluguone.com/devotional/content/what-are-things-used-in-shiva-abhishekam-its-effects-56-27598.html#sthash.kCQAROkq.dpuf
    how to celebrate ganesh chaturthi

    Abhishekam should be done by the elders of the family. In our house, my daughter sits with my husband and do the abhishekam :)  Refer the above picture. If you are having Ganesha made of Turmeric powder, soft clay or Kozhukattai dough, pour water and other abhishekam items only in spoons else Ganesha will dissolve in water.

    You can chant this Ganesha Gayathri mantram while doing Abhishekam.
    Om Tatpurushaya Vidmahe Vakratundaya dheemahi, Tanno Danti Prachodayat”

    Draw Kolam/Rangoli on where you are going to do the pooja. Take all the abhishekham items in a plate as shown in the picture. Keep a bowl full of water. Keep some flowers in a plate. Keep an incense stick and a camphor ready.Take a wide plate ( thambaalam). Place a wooden plank inside it and keep the Ganesh idol. Start the abhishekam by putting some flowers and few drops of water. Before doing abhishekam,keep this mind. Ganesh idol should not fall down during abhishekam. So do not pour more water. Touch the idol carefully with support.

    First do the sesame oil abhishekam, then apply shikakai powder. Wash it well by adding water. Then apply turmeric powder, light the incense stick and show the dhoop & dheep. Mix rice flour in water and do the abhishekam. Then comes milk, lemon juice, tender coconut water, curd, panchamirtham followed by honey. Collect the panchamirtham with honey in a plate. Pour some water and then continue with sandal paste, Kumkum and lastly viboodhi abhishekam. Finish the abhishekam with little milk. Show the dheep. Pour water and start to decorate the Ganesh. Collect all the abhishekam water in the wide plate and pour in tulsi plant or under some trees.


    Lord Ganesha Decoration

    Wipe the idol with a clean cloth. Put a poonool / Mupiri nool(3 threaded string) from left to right keeping Ganesha facing towards you. Then wear a new cloth for the idol. Decorate with Tulsi leaves (Generally Tulsi should not be used to decorate Ganesha. But it is allowed only on this day.) Vellerukku malai, arugampul malai and flowers. After abhishekam and decoration, start doing the pooja.

    How to do pooja

    Check out this PDF for detailed pooja stotras in Tamil. Please download it and follow the directions if you wish to make pooja with kalasam.

    Before you start the pooja, keep lots of flowers, leaves and Arugampul in a plate. Make a small cone shaped pillayar/Ganesh with turmeric powder and keep a kumkum dot. Keep a small bowl full of Panchamirtham and a spoonful of honey in a bowl.

    If you are placing Kalash, It should be placed firmly on a Copper/Silver plate with rice spread on it. A Coconut is placed over the mouth of the Kalash. Five mango leaves are placed inside the kalash before placing the coconut (like a skirting).

    The decorated Ganesha Idol can be placed above on a table/stool and the Kalasha and its plate can be placed in the ground. Light the lamp on the sides of Ganesha. Keep the small turmeric Ganesha( made of turmeric powder mixed with little water) nearby the idol. Keep kumkum & flowers. Place a plate with 5 types of fruits, broken coconut, betel leaves and nuts in front of the God.
     
    In another plate or banana leaf, spread the neivdeyam recipes. Kozhukattai varieties comes to the left side of Ganesha. Rice and other items has to be kept in the usual order. Refer picture for the idea. Keep payasam and aval.pori kadalai/Puffed rice with peanuts in small bowls. Start doing the pooja.

    For any pooja, Poorvanga pooja is considered as Pradhana pooja. So keep the turmeric Ganesha before the Ganesh idol and start the poorvanga pooja mantra. 

    Check out this PDF for detailed pooja stotras with method in Tamil. Please download it and follow the directions. Finish the pooja with mangala aarti !

    Ganesha Chaturthi pooja vidhi with mantras in sanskrit / english
     http://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/ganesh-chaturthi/ganesha-chaturthi-puja-vidhi.html

    Please use http://www.virtualvinodh.com/aksharamkh/aksharamukha2.php to transliterate the mantras to your script (tamil / telugu / kannada ) from Devanagari.


    Siddhi Vinayaka Ashtottara sadha namavali  in other languages


    Sanskrit -  http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/vinaayaka108-5.html?lang=sa

    Tamil -  http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/vinaayaka108-5.html?lang=ta

    Telugu -  http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/vinaayaka108-5.html?lang=te

    English - IAST - http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_ganesha/ganesha108.html?lang=iast


    AUDIO, VIDEO LINKS FOR OTHER LANGUAGES

    • Click this LINK for Pooja Vidhanam Audio in Telugu
    • Check this LINK , LINK for Pooja Vidhanam Audio in Tamil
    • For Hindi version, check this youtube video LINK

     After celebration procedures ( Visarjanam)

    On Chaturthi evening, make wheat flour appam and do the neivedyam. The next day morning, you can keep idli for neivedyam or simply fruits would do. On afternoon, keep dal and rice with ghee for neivedyam. Continue this neivedyam till Ganesha stays in your house. The next day or the third day, take the ganesha idol along with flowers, vastram, some puffed rice, jaggery and fried gram dal (Do not remove anything from idol) and put it in water. Let the Ganesh idol dissolve in water and take away all the misfortunes of people.
      Click THIS LINK for Neivedyam recipes collection.
    ganesh chaturthi pooja vidhanam

    Neivedyam Recipes

    Easy, no cook sweet pooranam kozhukattai moong dal pooranam kozhukattai

    Easy ulundu kozhikattaiammini kozhukattai



    3 kozhukattai varieties Paal kozhukattai with milk

    Sweet appam Paal kozhukattai with jaggery

     sweet samosa
     
    Please click this LINK for full collection of neivedyam recipes. This is the LINK for Kozhukattai making Videos & Homemade Ganesh idol using rice flour dough.

    Disclaimer : The pictures and pooja procedures I shared in this post are from a devotional book gifted by my friend. This is just one of the ways of celebration. It may vary from place to place. Please consult the elders in your family and follow your tradition. Beginners can follow this if you don’t have any specific procedure at home. Thanks for visiting this page.


    Wish you all a very happy Ganesh chaturthi !
    Thanks for visiting this page !


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    August 1, 2016

    Aadi 18(Pathinettam Perukku) - How To Celebrate Aadi 18

    Aadi 18/Aadi perukku
    Aadi 18/ Aadi Perukku is a festival observed on the 18th day in Tamil month Aadi. It is also known as Pathinettam perukku or aadi perukku in Tamil. This year 2023, it falls on August 3rd, Thursday. Aadi perukku is a unique South Indian festival that marks the beginning of Tamil festivals in Tamil nadu. It is observed on the 18th day of Tamil month Aadi. In this post, I have shared the significance of Aadi 18, What to do on Aadi 18, its rituals, how to perform aadi pooja and how to celebrate this festival at home along with the list of Aadi 18 recipes lunch menu / Neivedyam recipes links and our celebration pictures in detail for your reference. 

    Last year I shared the celebration procedures for most of the important Hindu festivals to help beginners and to keep a record for my future reference. But I couldn’t make a post about our first festival, Aadi perukku celebration in a detailed manner. So this year I wanted to share it with my last year’s celebration pictures. Please go through them and have a happy aadi 18 celebration. Hope beginners would find this post useful.

    Wish you all a very happy Aadi 18 !!


    Disclaimer : All the pictures & celebration procedures I have shared is based on my family's tradition. It may vary from place to place. Beginners, please keep this as reference. Consult the elders in your family and follow it :)

    Aadi 18/Aadi perukku pooja


    SIGNIFICANCE OF AADI 18

    Aadi 18/ Perukku is a festival observed on the 18th day in Tamil month Aadi. It is also known as Pathinettam perukku or aadi perukku. In Tamil, ‘perukku’ means ‘rising'. The rising here indicates the overflowing of Kaveri river due to the monsoon rains. It is celebrated near river basins, water tanks, lakes and wells of Tamil Nadu. Devotees take bath in the river & worship mother cauvery in the form of Amman. 

    I have heard about the grand Aadi 18 celebration in Kooduthurai, Bhavani. This festival is celebrated by farmers and people who depend on the rivers and monsoon rains for their life. Special prayers and puja are done in temples. People pray to River Cauvery and Rain God Varuna Bhagavan for a good harvest, constant supply of water and hassle free monsoon.

    On this day, all the family members along with their friends and relatives make a trip to the riverbank by preparing a special lamp using rice flour and jaggery (maavilakku), mulaipari and several rice varieties ( Chitranna). Maavilakku is placed on mango leaves along with flowers, turmeric and a yellow thread. Then the lamp it is lit by the women and they float the lamps along with the mango leaves and other accompaniments in the river. The riverbank or seashore picnic is a major event in some districts of Tamil Nadu on this day. We call this as Vandi katti poradhu in Tamil :)


    Some regions in Tamilnadu have the tradition of inviting the newly married couple to home and son-in-law is given gifts on the day. Some people also have the practice of  adding a gold coin in the thali of bride. During Aadi month, the newly wed girl spends the month at her parent’s home for some scientific reasons.

    Source : http://www.hindu-blog.com/2008/07/aadi-18-perukku-in-2008.html

    how to celebrate aadi 18

    AADI 18 POOJA INGREDIENTS - REQUIREMENTS
    • Flowers
    • Turmeric, Kumkum
    • Thread greased with turmeric powder( Yellow rope/Manjal kayiru)
    • Raw Rice & Jaggery
    • Coconut,betel leaves & nuts
    • Banana & Locally available Fruits
    • Blouse bit, new dress(Saree or any girls dress)
    • 1 Mirror
    • Bangles, gold jewels, Kaatholai Karugamani ( Small black bangle, refer the above pic)
    • 1 Lemon
    • Banana leaf for keeping neivedyam
    • Other pooja items like oil, ghee, camphor, incense stick and sambrani/Dhoop.
    • Ingredients for making Rice varieties like Ellu sadam, Tamarind rice, Sweet Pongal, Curd rice, coconut rice & Sundal.
    Check out my in-laws blog Learn Kolam for kolam ideas.

    OUR CELEBRATION

    Usually Aadi 18 is celebrated in River banks or near water bodies. So my MIL celebrates this festival near water tank in Salem house by drawing a square shaped box with sand ( We call it as “Manal veedu”). Make small Pillayar with sand, keep all the Pooja items in front of Pillayar and do the neivedyam. Refer the picture shared below from my in-laws blog "Learn Kolam". Then she drops the flowers, lemon, turmeric into the water tank. But I celebrate in my apartment in my pooja room in a simple manner as suggested by my MIL.

    Aadi perukku pooja

    HOW TO CELEBRATE AADI PERUKKU / AADI 18 AT HOME

    The previous day to the festival, wash all the lamps. Keep turmeric, kumkum dots, put oil, threads /wicks and keep the lamps ready. Clean the house. Wipe the doors, windows clean and keep turmeric, kumkum dots. Prepare Pulikachal / Puliogare paste, Ellu podi, coconut rice mix for making variety rice the next day. Draw Rangoli/Kolam at night. Draw with rice flour paste/ Arisi Maakolam or rangoli powder/Kolam maavu. Check out my in-laws blog Learn Kolam for kolam ideas.

    The next day early morning around 5 am, take bath and get things ready for doing pooja. We should do the neivedyam before 6am or at least before 7am. You can also do in the auspicious time in morning as per the calender ( Nalla neram) or panchangam. Decorate the pooja room with flowers. For morning pooja, make 2 manjal pillayar ( One as Lord Ganesh and other one as Amman) and place it in a wooden plank, light two lamps on the sides. Keep this setup in front or inside your pooja room. 

    To make manjal pillayar, take 1 tbsp of turmeric powder, add little water and make 2 small cones. Keep a kumkum dot. In front of the manjal pillayar, place coconut, betel leaves, betel nuts, all fruits, flowers, Yellow rope in a plate or banana leaf. In another plate, keep turmeric, kumkum, sandal powder or tablet, one mirror, bangles, one lemon, your gold jewelries, one new blouse bit, a new dress ( saree or any girls dress) if you have in hand, Katholai karugamani( small black bangles, available in pooja stores). You can also keep some new dress and jewels ( new or used ones) if you have in hand.  Please refer the below picture for reference. 

    how to celebrate aadi perukku


    In a bowl/Sombu, fill water till its brim ( Its considered as Kaveri water) & keep it. In a small bowl, mix raw rice and jaggery. This is for neivedyam. Light lamps and do the pooja by showing Dhoop, dheep and mangala harathi. After doing the pooja, tie the yellow rope around your neck by yourself. Tie the rope in hands for small girls at home. Take the manjal pillayar, mix with some water, put the katholai karugamani, lemon, flowers and pour everything in a plant pot or tree. After sometime, take the lemon after sometime & use it in your cooking. This is our morning pooja.

    In the afternoon, in an auspicious time ( avoid rahu kalam & Yama gandam), do the pooja with 5 rice varieties and pepper vada/Milagu vadai. I make chana sundal too.

    AADI 18 LUNCH MENU  / AADI PERUKKU LUNCH RECIPES

    Every year I prepare Lemon rice, tamarind rice, Coconut rice, sweet pongal & curd rice. Sometimes we make payasam with jaggery instead of sweet pongal and make Ellu sadam or milagu jeeraga sadam to make a count of 5.  My mom used to say we have to make 18 rice dishes for aadi 18 ;).  I don’t know how far it is true & is it possible to make 18 rice varieties. 

    I have shared the links of all variety rice recipes , sweet pongal & payasam recipes &  vadai ( two versions) below. Please check it. Making this aadi 18 lunch menu is very easy if you have prepared Pulikachal paste, ellu podi, lemon rice paste on the previous day. You can also grind the vada batter and refrigerate it till use. Please refer the video given below on how to prepare 5 rice varieties for Aadi 18 easily.





    NEIVEDYAM RECIPES / AADI PERUKKU RECIPES 


    aadi 18 recipes

    OR

    Please visit THIS PAGE for more aadi recipes. 

    Try these recipes and have a great Aadi 18 celebration !!

    aadi 18 celebration
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