Search This Blog

Saturday, October 16, 2010

VIJAYA DASAMI

I am sure all had nice time enjoying the nine day festival.Thanks to the media which extensively covered all aspects of Navrathiri including Bomma Golu and created a festive mood and ambience at our homes.We have less of Golu here  in Hyderabad ,when compared to Tamil Nadu.But there was wide media coverage of BATUKKAMMA this season.Yesterday marked the end and there was live telecast in all the telugu channels here with the Telengana movement in air.
I feel sad that the season of navarathiri is coming to end .The nine days were lively by meeting relatives and friends and we were in a seperate spiritual world.There was over all discipline and a big NO to laziness.Thanks to elders who taught us the sanctity of this nine day festival.
We have seen how Navarathiri Nayagi is worshiped all the nine days, in three amsam,and nine vadivangal,as three sakthis.Each day marked the purpose of destroying the evil.Finally on tenth day Annai takes the SIVASAKTHI vadivam symbolisng the sakthi as MAHASAKTHI and the purpose is to mark the VICTORYover the evil on this day.She is with STOOLAM on this day.
By  praying the NAVAGRAHAS on all the nine days,we worship  Annai who is also called by the name SARVA GRAHA ROOPINI, (the planets have her roopam) . By worshiping Devi from Sukla Paksha
Pradamai  thithi to Poornima  with faith as guided by elders,there is bound to be good result.
The neivedyam to be offered on Dasami day is RASSAANAM.
It is beleived that by offering rasannam along with sutta applam, sukhu thanni, vennai and thuvail we will be pleasing Devi after the varieties of offering given on all the nine days.
On the night of Dasami, Aarathi (marking the end of worship) is done. This is known as  Muthaarathi .We call it Manjaneer in which muthu, pavazam is also added.
In Hyderabad, A.P. there is custom followed, wherein people see the bird KADAI, and go out in the evening to fetch the branch of maize tree and they also get branch of JEMMI tree.The Jemmi leaf is beleived as Gold.
After the festival, people greet each other by exchanging the leaves. It is also beleived auspicious to chant LakshmiAshtotharam and do archana with the Jemmi leaves for prosperity.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

NAVARATHIRI-VARIOUS WAYS TO WORSHIP DEVI

Navarathiri is celebrated in South India specially in Tamil Nadu with GOLU as the main feature.It is celebrated in different ways through out the country.In Andhra pradesh in Telengana Region BATAKAMMA is popular.Be it in any form,DEVI is worshiped on these nine days uniformly.Batakkamma is about arranging colourful flowers on a plate in a small gopuram type and the ladies assemble in one place and keep all the plates in the centre and go round singing special songs and perform like GUMMI.They start this on Mahalaya Ammavasya and do till Dasserra.Finally they drop this in a lake.DANDIYA is famous for Gujarathis.All these celebrations show embodiment of Feminity.The festive mood can be apparently felt looking at the ladies and girl children in their best attire and jewels on all nine days.Even the dieties in temples are worshiped with special pujais and the alankarams for Godess keep changing each day.Godess Saraswathi is known as Kalaivani.She is Godess of Art.To mark this the singing and dancing are undertaken during these ninedays.And on the NAVAMI day which is also known as Saraswathi puja day SUHASINIS are adorned.The practice of giving Tambolam has been in all auspicious occasions for Hindus where a Suhas or Sumangali is given importance.This shows the women pray for the wellbeing of their husbands.Receiving tambolam and giving tambolam is given priority on these days.Ayudha Pujai is also done on Ashtami Day which signifies Pandvas doing it on that day and the Dasami day marks the victory by them hence it is called vijaya dasami.Navarathiri calls for adoring and praying KANYAS.Durga pujai so to tell performed on all nine days signifies Kanya pujai.The girl child from the age of 2 years are given priority and given prasadam and useful gift each day.Starting from day one a 2 year old child ,on 2nd day 3year old and so on.The North Indians perform Kanya puja on Ashtami day by inviting 8 Kanyas and some on Navami day inviting 9 Kanyas.Mahalaya Amavasya is considered auspicious for us hence the Golu is arranged on that day with the Kalasam being kept first.Even for the Devi puja (ifdone in puja place seperately) kalasam is arranged.Afterlighting a lamp fruit can be offered.Navarathiri puja starts from next morning(8th October this year).Coming to the daily pujai,Panagam is offered to Goddess daily.The combination of all the prasadams offered as per kizamai, nakshtram and for dieties keep changing each year.Also when some sweet item is offered as per kizamai neiyedyam, payasam can be skiped.Eight and ninth day kizamai prasadams will be repeated.It is all upto one to decide and offer.Like wise preparing sundal daily has been the practice and same is distributed to the invitees.Sundal like one prepared with Mochai is not possible, so some other sundal can be prepared.This year since it starts on Friday and Mochai is the Danyam for sukran this can be prepared in small quantity and offered or can be used in our other preparation like koottu.Likewise for Rahu ulundhu and for ketu kollu can be offered in other forms becos sundal cannot be prepared in required quantity.

NAVARATHIRI NAVAGI-LAKSHMI VADIVAM-SECOND THREE DAYS

THE MOTHER IS ADORNED AS A GIVER OF SPIRITUAL WEALTH LAKSHMI,WHO IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE THE POWER OF BESTOWING ON HER DEVOTEES IN EXHAUSTIVE WEALTH,AS SHE IS GODDESS OF WEALTH.THE CHART FOR THE SECOND THREE DAYS WITH PRASADAM TO BE OFFERED TO LAKSHMI IS IN THE FOLLOWING POST.

NAVARATHIRI NAYAGIGAL-LAKSHMI VADIVAM-SECOND THREE DAYS

NAVARATHIRI NAYAGIEN ONPADHU VADIVANGAL:

           SECOND THREE DAYS  

ANAIEN AMSAM                 LAKSHMI

SAKTHI                             KRIYAASAKTHI


DAY 4        PURPOSE           DEVAR THUDHI  
                                           ETRAL

             ANAI VADIVAM      MAHALAKSHMI
ALANKARA THOTRAM       SINGATHANATHIL VETRI THIRUKOLATHIL                                                                                                                                                                      
DAY 5       PURPOSE            ASURANIN THUDHAN SUKREEVAN
                                                THOODHU SOLVADAI KETTAL
          ANAI VADIVAM         VAISHNAVI                                                                                              
    ALANKARA THOTRAM   SUGASANATHIL KAALIDURGAI

DAY 6      PURPOSE            THUMRALOCHANA VADHAM

            ANAI VADIVAM    INDIRAANI                                                                                                       
ALANKARA THOTRAM       SARPAASANAM,KAIYIL
                                          ATCHAMAALAI,KAPAALAM,
                                          THAMARAI,THALAIYILPIRAI
                                         CHOODIYA CHANDIKADEVI

NAVRATHIRI-2010 SECOND THREE DAYS CHART

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AlPi-SCjGqUXdGNFZ2ZsazVMdnMzMUZDbDBxbUl4Q2c&hl=en&output=html

Monday, October 4, 2010

NAVARATHIRI NAYAGIGAL-DURGAI VADIVAM-1ST THREE DAYS

NAVARATHIRI NAYAGIEN ONPADHU VADIVANGAL:

           FIRST THREE DAYS

ANAIEN AMSAM     :             DURGAI


SAKTHI           :             ECCHA SAKTHI


DAY 1        PURPOSE           MADHUKAIDABAR VADHAM
       
             ANAI VADIVAM      MAHESWARI


           ALANKARA THOTRAM    ABHAYAM,VARADHAM,
                               PUTHAGAM    
                               ATCHAMAALAI THANGIYA
                               KUMARI DURGAI


DAY  2      PURPOSE            MAHISASURANAI VADHAM    
                               SEYYA PURRAPADUDHAL


            ANAI VADIVAM       KAWMAARI


            ALANKARA THOTRAM   KARUMBU,VIL,MALARAMBU, 
                               PAASAGUSAM AENDIYA
                               RAJESWARI


DAY 3       PURPOSE            MAHISASURA VADHAM


            ANAI VADIVAM       VARAAHI


            ALANKARA THOTRAM   KAIYIL SOOLAM,MATTRUM
                               MAHISASURAN 
                               THALAIMEEDHU
                               AMARNDHA KALYANI DURGAI


             


Apart from the things to do as given in chart,prasadam to Godess  
Durga is offered first three days.DAY 1 ELUMICHAI SADAM (LIME RICE),DAY  2 ELLU SADAM (SEASAME RICE) and DAY  3 THAER SADAM(CURD RICE).

Saturday, October 2, 2010

NAVARATHIRI-OCTOBER,2010

Navarathiri festival is just a week away and all of us will be waiting to celebrate the
nine day festival with full enthusiasm.The Golu plays important feature of the celebrations
and not to mention about the devi pujai on all the nine days.
I posted last September under the label Navarathiri puja chart which will be useful every year
as a ready reckoner for keeping things ready in advance.There will be slight change in the
chart in regard to the DAY(kizamai) and the star on  the first day of navrathiri.
Accordingly the prasadams vary for the day. There will not be change in the order of the kolam,
flower, thazai,kanya prasadam as they are for the day one ,two and so on till ninth day.
Even the prasadam offered for the Day(kizamai) ,thithi, and star will be same.Only thing to be known is on first day of navarathiri the star and kizamai differs each year as already mentioned.
So to ease this-to know what all to be done on day 1-the chart at a glance gives the details when referred.
I made the chart for this year in advance(not in hand written form).
As already mentioned all the information is available in SAKALA KARIYA SIDDIYUM SRI DEVI BAGAVADAMUM book in chapter NINE Sri Deviyin perarualai pera - Navarathiri and chapter 12
SAKALA NANMAIGALAIYUM PERA.After gathering more information by reading Mangaiar malar each year I have added some more to make it exhaustive with an intention to fulfill all type of vazipaadu(worship)
during these nine days. We can perform the puja in full satisfaction which otherwise we may not be able
to do the whole year.Navagraha vazipaadu is also included as planets are also important for us to worship.
As all of us know the navarathiri is all about the worship of MUDDEVIAR - DURGA, LAXMI AND SARASWATHI.It is also known as SARADHA NAVARATHIRI OR MAHA NAVARATHIRI.
First three days worship is concentrated on DURGA PUJA and second three days for LAXMI and third three days for SARASWATHI.On all nine days MAHALAXMI is worshiped.
Accordingly the way the worship is done is as per the individual's convenience.Some perform nine archanas
each day and some chant nine shasranamam each day and reciting slokas like soundaryalahiri and Lalitha saharanamam and Sundarakandam. All these can be done as per one's wish and time available at disposal.
The worship in any form on these nine days will be accepted by the deities.
I started performing the puja since 1985 when i had first issue a daughter and since Golu was in practice in our home i started the practice. I did puja in a small way offering one rice type prasadam and payasam and daily sundal. I used to attend office and also manage kid. Later with the same zeal added each year the suggestions given by friends and by reading the magazines later started following theMAHATAYAM book and made chart to help not to skip any single item of worship to the best of my knowledge.
FIRST THREE DAYS WORSHIP:
The Goddess is invoked as a spiritual force called DURGA in order to destroy all our impurities.
I gave the chart below for first three days. Some offer Mahaneivedyam to Goddess on all days duly
preparing full fledged menu with vadai and payasam.By doing so we can offer different variety of
vada and payasam each day.The whole concept is to offer nine different way of worship and nine
different prasadam.Hence tried to include payasam as per the DAY, and sundal as per order of
navagraha.(This year it starts on friday so mochai).Hope I will be able to guide my friends and relatives
to the extent possible by giving this chart.Please click on the link given to view chart in 9 columns in the following post.

NAVRATHRI 2010--CHART FOR FIRST THREE DAYS