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.