Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami is celebrated normally on first month of Hindu calendar and when it is Sukla Pakshami Navami.      This year it falls on 31st of March for smarthas and 1st april for vaishnavas.    The birth of Lord Rama was on this day, as per Valmiki, who wrote the Ramayana.   Rama was born in Punarvasu (Punarpoosam) Nakshatram.     

When I was a school boy, it was festival of 10 days of carnatic music along side temples of Tamilnadu.     Young boys in the neibhourhood would be invited and neermore (Buttermilk) and panagam will be given and also a palmyra leaf fan.    What Mahaperiyval has told to do on Rama Navami day is given below:
On this day, young and the old should read the Ramavadhara kanda poems (if not possible from valmiki ramayna) of Kambaramayanam and especially the following-
வேய்புனர் பூசமும் விண்ணு ளோர்களும் 
தூய கற்கடகமும் எழுந்து துள்ளவே
சித்தரும் இயக்கரும் தெரிவைமார்களும் 
வித்தக முனிவரும் விண்ணு ளோர்களும்
நித்தரும் முறைமுறை நெருங்கி யார்ப்புறத்
தத்துறல் ஒழிந்து நீள் தருமம் ஓங்கவே 
ஒரு பகல் உலகெல்லாம் உதரத்துட் பொதிந்
தருமரைக் குணர்வரும் அவனை யஞ்சனக்
கருமுகிற் கொழுந்தெழில் காட்டுஞ் சோதியைத் 
திருவுறப் பயந்தனள் திறங்ககொள் கோசலை.


People above 20 years will have to fast for the day (Siddha upavasam).    People young and old to gather in the temple precincts of the village or the area and pray Rama Namam for atleast 5 minutes and with a bhajan of Sri ram jaya ram jaya ram ( 13 aksharas of the mantra) make a round of the area and after reaching the starting place, continue the bhajan for 10 minutes and complete it.  The next day morning, in the common place, after reading the rama pattabishekam, the poor of the village or area should be fed with annadhanam.
While doing these, one should pray that the brotherhood among the people should get strengthened and bakthi should flourish among the people.

Ugadi 2012 and Tamil New Year 2012

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR


Ugadi and Tamil New Year
New Year in hindu calendar is based on lunar and solar cycles and is believed that the Creator Brahma had created the whole of the universe including the earth, at the time of creation on this day, and thus the night and the day, the week, the month, the year followed to have the calendar what we have at present.    The sixty year cycle of the years, which are uniquely named, are followed.     The year is called "Nandhana" and  as is the practice, people offer prayers and celebrate with gaiety to usher in new hope for the year to bring in happiness. The New Year of Ugadi heralds on 23rd March 2012 and Tamil new year on 13th April 2012. Ugadi is widely celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the same day is observed as Gudi Padwa in Maharastra and "vishu" and tamil new year (Tamil puththandu) in Kerala and Tamilnadu respectively.   Vishu falls on 14th April 2012.   
People celebrate ugadi, the new year, by taking oil bath, wearing new clothes, beautifying the house with rangolis, adorning the entrance of the house with mango leaves and the family tradition of having ugadi pachchidi.     Naturallly, as life presents both good and bad, the new year pachchidi also has all the tastes in them.
Ugadi pachchidi


Raw mangoes are cut into pieces and added to tamarind water and boiled till the mango pieces become tender.   Now jaggery is added and boiled again so as to melt and blend well.   Keep it aside.   In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds till splutter and add neem flower and fry till light brown.   Now add chilli powder and salt and mix well.   Add this neem flower tadka to the tamarind and mango mix.   Serve in small quantities as an accompaniment to the main course of food.   So one experiences the tastes of salty, spicy, tangy, sour, bitter and sweet.    

In karnataka the pachchidi is known as Bevu Bella.   

The Tamil New year generally falls on 13th or 14th of april, every year.    The tropical vernal equinox falls around 22nd March and adding 23 degrees of trepidationn or oscillation to it, we get the Nirayanam vernal equinox and  that is the Tamil New Year.    The people greet each other by wishing "Iniya Tamil Puththandu Vazhththukkal".     The Mango pachchidi here is the equivalent of the Ugadi pacchidi.   In Kerala, the vishu this yearis on 14th April and the tradition is to view the Vishukani, arranged in advance to view in the early morning of the new year.    Generally, vishu kani consists of Idol of Lord Krishna, Nilavillakku, raw rice, kanikonna flowers, betel leaves, arecnut, fruits, mirror, coins and cocoanut.     

The new year is celebrated during this period in other states also, in Maharashtra as Gudhi padwa, in northern states as Vaisaki etc.,

KARADAIYAN NONBU 2012

Karadaiyan Nonbu

Karadaiyan Nonbu is celebrated on the first day of the month of Tamil Month Panguni (Meenam), that is on 14th March 2012.      The timing is between 09.25 and 09.45 for the Pooja.   As all of us know, the festival is connected with the story of Satyavan Savithri.     The nonbu is followed in all the Southern States..  The women pray Goddess Gowri on this day for long married life with neivedyam of Karadai with the following mantra:

"Urugadha Vennaiyum Or Adaiyum Naan Tharuven
Orukkalum En Kanavar Ennai Piriyadirukkanum."

A 'nonbu charadu' (yellow cotton string) kept in pooja is now worn by the women in the neck and while wearing they say the mantra -
"Throram Krishnami Subhake Saharithamdharami Aham
Bharthuayushya Sidhartham Supreethabhava Sarvadha".

After wearing the sacred thread as nonbu charadu, the prasadam of Karadai is taken by the offerers.

It is observed by a married woman for the welfare of her husband and a girl for getting a good and ideal person as husband.  The related story of Satyavan Savithri is given here.   Savithiri was the daughter of King Ashtapathi.   When the marriageable age came, the King gave the privelege of choosing her husband.   When Savithri saw one day Satyavan carrying on his shoulders, the blind parents in baskets hanging from a bamboo stick, she got so impressed about him, she wanted to marry him.   The King then made enquiry through Sage Naradha and found that the father of Satyavan was a deposed King and Satyavan will die in a year.   Hence the King refused for the marriage to be with Satyavan but Savithri was stubborn.    On marrying Satyavan, savithri went along with him to the forest.   She knew the time has come for the death of her husband and was on fast and also tried to follow him in the forest.  She cooked special adais and served for the family.   One day, she felt the presence of yama and that her husband who was cutting the wood, fained and died.   As Yama was carrying the soul of Satyavan and Savithri followed him.     Yama thought she would go back to the body of her husband and would not follow him after some distance.   But she followed him and asked for the soul of her husband.   YAMA said that it is against the natural ways of birth and death and but Savithri persisted.   Yama instead agreed for giving three boons and Savithri asked for a son to her father by the first boon and in the second she asked for her husband's parents to be reinstated to the Kingdom they lost and by the third she asked for Children to herself.   Yama who was agreeing to the first two, without realising agreed for the third.   Then he knew that he had committed a mistake but was of all praise for Savithri for the persistence she showed for getting back the soul of Satyavan.   He asked her to go back and that she would find her husband would wake up.   Thus Savithri and Sathyavan were reunited.

The above video on satyavan savithri enacted by school students is in youtube in the following link:
http://youtu.be/QCO34cORz3s
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