UTHWANA DWADSHI OR TULSI VIVAH

                                
                                    Yanmoole Sarva Theerthani, Yanmadhye Sarvadevathaha|
                                    Yadagre Sarva Vedascha, Thulaseem Tvam Namamyaham||

 It is customary to see a Tulsi plant(Ocimum sanctum- Sacred Basil) in most of the Hindu households; it is not only considered holy but it is grown for its highly medicinal qualities. Hindu women do puja to the tulsi plant everyday,  but on the the twelfth day of Karthika masa(the month of Karthika) a special puja is performed- this is called Tulsi vivah or Uthwana Dwadashi.  On this day Tulsi is believed to have married Vishnu.  The legend goes as follows:

Tulsi or Brinda was the wife of the demon king Jalandhara and she was a great devotee of Lord Krishna.  Jalandhara was very powerful and caused immense misery to humans as well as gods.  He was not only powerful but also invincible.  This was because he had received a boon that made him invincible as long as his wife remained chaste.  To put an end to the untold misery caused by Jalandhara, Shiva requested Vishnu to find a way.  When the  war was still raging between the devas and the asuras,  Vishnu acquired the form of Jalandhara and approached Brinda.   Mistaking him for her husband she received him and spent the night with him.  On account of this she lost her chastity and  Jalandhara lost his invincibility.  Shiva killed him easily.  By now,,Brinda realised her folly and when she came to know that the person who cheated her was none other than Lord Krishna,  she broke down and fell at Krishna's feet and asked him" Lord! how could you do this to me?  I am a great devotee of yours!"  Krishna consoled her by saying that it had to be done to put an end to Jalandhara's atrocities and that that particular day would be observed as her marriage to Lord Krishna.  She would be born as Tulsi plant and   she would be considered as a symbol of chastity.  He further said that tulsi leaves would occupy a very important place in his worship.  That is why we see big garlands of tulsi leaves adorning the idols of Vishnu or any other incarnation of Vishnu. In the north, especially in Maharashtra tulsi vivah is conducted using tulsi plant and Saligram(a fossil stone considered very holy).  In the South (especially in Karnataka) the vivah is celebrated using a twig of Amla(Nellikai--indian gooseberry) plant.  The Amla plant plays a very important role in the puja,  In addition to planting an amla twig,  amla fruits are also used in some of the preparations that day.  The top of the the amla fruits are scooped out,  and wicks soaked in ghee are placed in them  and these lamps are lighted while doing arathi to Tulasi.  In the evening earthen lamps are lighted in front of the house as well as in front of the tulasi plant.  Women and children are invited for haldi kunkum in the evening. Some even light sparklers and burst crackers on this day.  So it is also referred to as "Kiru Deepavali"(small deepavali)

Both Tulasi and Amla are known for their medicinal qualities.  Both are used in many ayurvedic preparations.

Uses of Tulasi:

Regular consumption of tulsi leaves is supposed to ward off  ailments such as cough and cold.  A few leaves are soaked in a glass of water and left overnight. This water along with the tulsi leaves is consumed early in the morning.. The leaves are also used in brewing Tulsi tea.  Tulsi tea is also avialable in the market.

Amla preparations:

Amla or Indian Gooseberry is an important ingredient of many ayurvedic preparations.  A very well known preparation is Amla hair oil.  Amla is full of vitamin  C and minerals. Candied Amla and
Amla Morabba are avialable in the market. On Uthwan Dwadahi day it is used in one or more prepartions

Amla Pacchadi:

Ingredients:
 Amla.....................................5 or 6
Green Chillies........................2 or 3
Grated coconut(fresh)............2 tbl sps.
Yogurt..................................  1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil.........................................1 tsp.
Mustard.................................1/3 tsp
A pinch of Hing
Coriander leaves for garnishing
 Curry leaves.............................a few
Wash the amla well and cut them into small pieces.  Discard the seeds.  Add green chillies and coconut to this and make a coarse paste in a  grinder.  Mix this paste and salt into the yogurt.  Splutter the mustard in heated oil.  Put off the flame, add the hing and curry leaves.  Pour the tadka on the amla yogurt mixture. Garnish with coriander leaves.

It is customary to prepare this pacchadi on every dwadashi day in the Hindu calendar.   As Aamla fruits are not available throughout the year,  pieces of aamla are dried in the sun and stored.  This dried amla is used in preparing the pacchadi.

Amla Rice:
Cooked rice .......................2 cups
Amla.................................. 5 or 6
Red chilli powder...............1 tsp.
Mustard dal........................1 tsp.
Methi..................................1/2 tsp.
Peanuts...............................2 tblsp.
Grated copra.....................  2 tblsp.
Turmeric powder................1/2 tsp.
Hing................................... a pinch
Red chillies.........................2 to 3 pieces
Curry pattha........................1 sprig
Oil.......................................2  to 3 tblsp.
Salt to taste..

Grate the amla and discard the seeds.  Mix a little salt and keep aside.  Roast the methi seeds  Grind the mustard dal, roasted methi and copra into a coarse powder.     Heat the  oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard.  To this add the peanut seeds  and fry till they give out a nice aroma.  Put off the flame and add turmeric powder, chilli powder,   haldi, Hing, curry pattha,  and red chilli pieces.  Keep away a few peanut seeds  pieces of red chillies and curry leaves for garnishing. Spread the rice in a thali and add salt  and mix well.  Pour the tadka containing peanuts, chilli powder, haldi, methi, and curry leaves over this and mix well.
To this add the grated amla and mix well.  Transfer the mixed amla rice to a bowl and garnish with peanuts, red chilli pieces  and curry leaves

Amla Juice:

Amla ................................1/4 KG
Jaggery ............................1/4 Kg
Grated ginger root............2 tbsps
Lemon Juice.....................2 tbsps
Water................................1/2 litre

Dissolve the jaggery in 1/4 litre water and bring it to boil.  Strain it with a fine muslin cloth to remove sand particles.    To the remaining water add the amlas and pressure cook it till the pressure builds up.  Put off the flame and release the pressure immediately. When the amlas have cooled down grate them.  Put the grated amla and ginger in a mixie and grind to a paste.Using the water ,  extract as much amla-ginger juice as possible.  Boil the jaggery syrup for five minutes , add the amla-ginger juice to it and put off the flame. When it it cool add the lemon juice.  Pour the syrup in a bottle and keep it in the fridge.  This syrup can be used as a refreshing drink by diluting it as required. This syrup needs to be consumed within a week or so.

                                                  ********************************

Deepavali-The Festival of Lights

                                                  DEEPAVALI - THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Deepavali or Diwali is celebrated throughout India with great enthusiasm.   Deepavali literally means a row of lights.     In the northern parts of India it is a celebration to  commemorate the victorious arrival of Sri Rama in Ayodhya after vanquishing the king of Lanka  Ravan who had abducted his wife Sita.    In the south,  it is associated with the slaying of  the demon Narakasura by Satyabhama  and Krishna.  Narakasura was an evil demon who terrorised his subjects by killing them and making a meal out of them.  Krishna and his wife Satyabhama decided to put an end to his atrocities.  When he was about to be killed the demon realised his mistakes and requested the Lord to  observe the day of his death by lighting lamps .The festival actually extends to 3 to 4 days.  It starts on the 13th day after full moon(Thriodashi),  extends through Chathurdashi(14th Day) and Amavasya (the full moonday), then ends on Badyami(Bali padyami) the  day after Amavasya. Bali Padhyami is believed to be the day on which the Asura king Bali Chakravarthi was banished to the netherworld by Vamana, the 5th incarnation of Vishnu.  Mahabali was the grandson of the great Narayan bhaktha - Prahlad. The kingdom was very prosperous and whoever came to him for alms he readily gave it to them. His fame spread far and wide and this made him very arrogant.  And also Indra,  the king of Suras (gods) was afraid that Bali woud take over his kingdom. So , he approached Lord Vishnu and requested him to save him from Bali.  The lord was then born as Vamana (the diminutive one).
  He approached  Bali chakravarthi and asked for land that he would   cover in three steps. The demon king agreed thinking that Vaman
  would end up having only three feet of land.  Suddenly, Vamana

  grew in size,   his head reaching  the sky.   He placed one foot on     the earth.  the second on the heavens and then he asked Bali
  where he could place his third foot. King Bali realised that the      vamana was none other than Lord Vishnu and bowed his head and
 asked the Lord to place it on his head.  The lord sent him to the   netherworld (Pathala) by pressing his foot on Bali's head.
While people of Karnataka celebrate Bali Padhyami during the   Diwali festival, people of Kerala
celebrate it as Onam during the month of Shravan.

Whatever the legends say,  Deepavali is a time for celebration.  It not only signifies the triumph of the good over the evil and also deliverance from darkness to light and hence .people light lamps in front of the house.  Children love firing  crackers,  but there is a growing awareness among people and  many avoid firing  crackers to avoid noise and air pollution..

Some of  the customs followed by South Indians during Deepavali: 
Thriodashi is the day on which preparations for the holy bath are made.                                             
 It is  believed that the River Ganga's water flows into the vessel in which water is heated for bath the next day.  So the bath rooms are cleaned thoroughly and the vessel (Handa) is decorated with sandal paste,haldi, and kunkum and a rangoli is drawn in front of the fire place where the water is heated.   Then the vessel is filled with fresh water. This is called NEERU THUMBUVA HABBA  in Kannada. This is a special ocassion for a newly married daughter of the house.  She comes to her parent's place with her husband.  The daughter and the son-in-law are received with great joy and a feast is prepared on this day.  They both join the family members in the festivities of the next day which happens to be NARAKA CHATHURDASHI.  The daughter and son-in-law are showered with gifts such as new clothes, ornaments, etc.

Very early the next morning,  the members of the family are woken up and they are made to sit on a plank or carpet and the eldest lady of the house(the grand mother or the mother) anoints their heads with sesame oil.  After this,  they have their bath one after another.  They wear new clothes and eatables are kept ready for them to consume.  After this they start bursting crackers and lighting sparklers.  In the evening,  lamps are lighted in front of the house on the threshold as well as on the Rangoli.  As usual there is feasting,  meeting with friends and relatives to greet them. In Tamil Nadu, it is  customary to greet each other with the words "Gangasnanam aaccha" meaning "Have you had your Ganga snaan?"

Slowly,  these customs are disappearing. In the place of Handas and fire places,  there are geysers and water heaters.  Instead of oil and soap nut powder we use shampoos and conditioners.   But the spirit of Deepavali will never disappear.   Sweets and savory items are available in plenty in the market.  In addition, there are beautifully packed boxes of chocolates and Dry fruits.  But still,  some people like to make some sweets at home.  Recipes of two such items are given below:

Karigadubu or Karjikai 

 This sweet is made on the Thriodashi day.

Ingredients:(for the outer cover): Maida 1/2 cup; Chiroti Rava(fine soji) 1/2 cup; 2 tblsps. ghee or butter a pinch of salt and water for making the dough.

For the stuffing  Sugar 1/2 cup; copra scrapings 1/2 cup; poppy seeds 1 tsp.; cardamom powder 1/4 tsp.; chutney dal(puffed chana dal) 2 tbl.sps

Refined oil for frying..

Mix the maida and rava, add 1 tbl.sp. ghee and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.  Add water little by little and prepare a stiff dough by kneading for at least  5 minutes.  Add  the remaining ghee and knead well and keep it away covered.

Dry roast the poppy seeds.  Mix the sugar, copra and poppy seeds and grind it to a powder.  To this add the puffed chana or fried cashew nut bits and cardamom powder and mix thoroughly.  This forms the stuffing.

Make small balls out of the dough.  Roll out each ball into a small thin puri.  If you have a karjikai mold place each puri on it and place 1 tsp. of the stuffing in the center.  Apply water all round the edge and close the mold and press so that the edge gets sealed.  If there is no mold, after filling the stuffing, apply water to  one half of the edge and fold the puri to form a semicircle and press the edges and seal.Using a fork,  press the edge of the semicircle to give decorative impressions  After filling all the puris,  heat refined oil in a kadai, and fry the kadubus  2 or 3 at a time on a low flame, on both sides till they are golden brown in color.

The filling can alternately be made with coconut and jaggery.  The recipe for this filling is the same as for the sweet dumplings prepared during Ganesh Puja.

Sweet Layered Puris(Jeera Puri):

Ingredients: Maida 1/2 cup; chiroti rawa 1/2 cup; a pinch of salt; ghee 1/4 cup;  Sugar 1/2 cup cardamom powder 1/2 tsp. a few strands of kesar(saffron); 2 tblsps. rice flour;  cashew nuts and pishta; oil for frying.

Method:  Mix the maida, rawa and the salt. add 1 tbl.sp . ghee and mix thoroughly.  Add water little by little and make a stiff dough.  Add 1 more tbl.sp. of ghee and knead well and keep aside. Form small balls out of the dough and roll out each ball into a thin puri.  Mix the remaing ghee with rice flour and rub well till it is light and fluffy.  this is called Saati.  Take one puri and smear this saati on it in a thin layer.  Place another puri on this and again smear the saati on this puri also.  In this manner place at least 4 or 5 puris one over the other and  then roll them tightly into a cylinder.  Take a sharp knife and cut this cylinder into 4 or 5 pieces.  Take each piece and roll lightly into a thick puri.

Heat oil in a kadai and fry the layered puris on both sides one by one,  on a low flame till the puris puff up and are golden brown.  Put them on a paper kitchen towel so that the excess oil is removed
.

To half cup of sugar add 1/4 cup water and dissolve the sugar and bring it to boil.  When the syrup reaches one string consistency,  remove from fire and add cardamom powder.  Dip the fried puris one by one, remove and arrange them on a serving dish.  Sprinkle the strands of saffron on these puris and garnish them with bits of cashew nuts and pishta.

Another way to serve the layered puris:  Powder the sugar and mix cardamom powder.  Arrange the puris on a serving dish and sprinkle the powdered sugar on them and garnish with cashew nuts and pishta.

May the Festival of  Lights bring Prosperity, Peace and Brightness into everyone's life!

Navrathri

                           NAVRATHRI

Nararathri refers to the nine nights starting from the first day of the month of Asveeja.  During these nine nights,  all the three goddesses, namely, Lakshmi(Goddess of Welath),  Saraswathi (goddess of Education) and Durga or Shakthi (Goddess of Power) are worshipped.

In the southern states, namely,  Karnataka,  Tamilnadu,  Andhra and some parts of Kerala, it is customary to arrange dolls on steps specially designed for such an occasion.  This arrangement of dolls is called Kolu.   The traditional dolls include those of various gods like Krishna,  Rama,  Saraswathi,  Lakshmi, etc. Sometimes  people display dolls depicting a theme,  such as Dashavathara (the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu), Krishna Leela (the pranks played by Krishna when he was a child),  etc.

In addition to these themes,  some people select themes such as
parks,  a circus arena or a zoo garden. There are also dolls
of animals such as dogs, cats, elephants, tigers, lions etc;     But  a prominant place is given to a pair of dolls called Pattada Bombegalu (a man and a woman).  These dolls occupy the central place and are dressed up  like a bride and a bridegroom.  These dolls are carved out of wood and are handed over from generation to generation.  The dolls in the picture alongside are almost a hundred years old!

On these nine days,  women and children are invited to see the dolls. It is fun time for kids and women.  Sometimes kids are dressed up as Krishna and Radha;  women show their talents by singing songs  or doing kolattam(Dandia raas) and there is great rejoicing.  The lady who has invited the women and children offers prasadam to everyone - a sweet or some savoury item such as murukku or some sundal (cooked chickpea or green gram tempered with seasoning and garnished with coconut scrapings and chopped coriander leaves.)

On the seventh day Saraswathi Puja is performed.  On this day, school and college text books are kept in front of the Saraswathi Idol  and prayers are offered to the goddess for getting good grades in the examinations.  Students who learn  to play musical instruments   also worship Goddess Saraswathi for making them excel in the arts.(Goddess Saraswathi is always depicted as holding a Veena).

 The 8th  day is Durgashtami  and goddess Durga is worshipped on this day. The 9th day is referred to as Mahanavami or Maranavami.  It is also called Aayudha Puja day. In the olden days, Kings and warriors worshipped their weapons and prayed God to give them strength to vanquish their  enemies.  Now it has become customary to do puja to all household gadgets, cars, scooters, bikes, etc.  Navraatri is followed by Vijayadashami,  the tenth day of the month of Asveeja.  Vijayadashami is also referred to as Dussehra in Northern India.  This day signifies the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura.  Dussehra celebrations start on the Sapthami (seventh day of Navratri) .  Idols of Durga are installed and worshipped with great fervour mostly by Bengalis. These idols are immersed in water (visarjan) on Vijayadashami day.
Vijayadashami is also  significant  because it is on this day that Rama,(the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu) along with his brother Lakshmana  killed the King of Lanka,  Ravana  who had  abducted Rama's wife Sita.  In New Delhi,  huge effigies of Ravana,  Meghnath(Ravana's son) and Kumbakarna(Ravana's brother) are made and they are filled with fire crackers,sparklers,  etc,   These are set on fire by aiming lighted arrows at the effigies. The effigies burn  down signifying the victory of Rama over Ravana. These celebrations take place in many of the northern indian cities,  the most famous one being the one in the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi where dignitaries like prime ministers, or presidents set fire to the effigies by aiming lighted arrows.  Huge crowds throng the maidan to watch the celebration!

In Karnataka too, Vijayadashami marks the culmination of the navratri festivities.  It  is considered to be a very auspicious day. Children are made to learn  the alphabet  for the first time by spreading rice or sand on a plate and BY making them write the first letters of the alphabets on it.  This is known as Aksharabhyasa which means "learning of the Alphabet".   Those who want to learn the fine arts such as music  (both instrumental and vocal) start their lessons on  this day.  Those who are already learning music pay their respects to the Guru(teacher) by offering them gifts.    After the festivites come to an end the dolls are kept away safely for future use.
The most popular prasadam offered during Navratri is the Sundal or Usli and among the sundals the most popular is the one made with Chana.
Ingredients:
1.  Chick pea(whole chana or Bengal gram)   2 cups or any one of the following:
 chana dal  ( bengal gram dal), or Moong(green gram), or  black-eyed pea(Karamani or alasandi), or sprouted moong
2. Scraped coconut ----1/2 cup
3. Green chillies --------2(cut lengthwise)
4. Red chilles-----------2(cut into pieces)
5. Turmeric-------------1/2 tsp
6. hing or asafoetida----a pinch
7. curry pattha----------1 sprig
8. coriander leaves
    (chopped fine)-------1/2 tblsp
9.cooking oil------------2 tblsps
10.Mustard-------------1/2 tsp
11.salt to taste.

Usli using Chana:  Soak the chana  overnight in warm water. ( We can either use the ordiary black chana or Kabli chana).  Cook the soaked chana  in a pressure cooker.   After three or four whistles  put off the flame  and bring the  the cooker   to room temperature.  Open the cooker, add salt to taste and cook the chana in an open cooker till all  the water is  absorbed.  

 Heat the oil   in a kadai and add the mustard to this oil.  After the mustard has spluttered, add  red chillies, and hing   followed by green chillies and curry leaves.  Saute for 1/2 a minute. To this add the cooked chana and mix thoroughly.  Garnish with scraped coconut and chopped coriander.

Bengal gram dal does not require soaking overnight.  It can be cooked directly in a pressure cooker taking care that it does not get overcooked.   In case of moong and black-eyed peas,  it is first dry-roasted till it gives out a fine aroma and then cooked in the pressure cooker.  In case of sprouted moong ,  it is steam-cooked.; rest of the procedure is the same as for chana.

Sweets such as Mysorepak, cashew burfi,  coconut burfi, pedha, almond burfi, sonpapdi are also offered as prasadam.  Many of these sweets are available in the sweet shops.

l
Let Goddess Durga bestow power, Goddess Lakshmi Wealth and Goddess Saraswathi Education on all those who worship them during the Navratri.








 

Pithru Paksha

The last day for immersing Ganesha is Anantha Chathurdashi.  The next day is full moon day which is the last day of the brighter half of the month of Bhadrapada.  This is followed by the dark fortnight of the month which is referred to as the Pithru Paksha or Mahalaya Paksha  and the last day of this fortnight is the New moon  day or Mahalaya Amavasya.  This fortnight is considered very auspicious for performing the obsequial rites to  departed ancestors. So much so,  auspicious events such as marriages, thread ceremonies, etc. are not conducted during this part of the month.  During these 15 days offerings are made to the departed souls  Majority of Hindus perform these rites on the Mahalaya Amavasya day.  They pay their homage to their ancestors by offering food to priests or by feeding the poor. 

Ganesh Chouthi

                                                         GANESHA CHATHURTHI                    

   

 

                                                             Eco-friendly Ganesha

Ganesha Chauthi or Vinayaka Chathurthi is one of the most popular festivals of not only Karnataka but the entire country. In fact , it is customary to worship Ganesha at the beginning of any new venture,  or   before performing any puja.  It is believed that he removes all the hurdles and helps in completing the job at hand.  Hence, he is also called Vigneshwara - one who removes hurdles.

The Birth of Ganesha:  Once, when Lord Shiva was away,  Paarvathi created a clay statue of a boy and gave it life.  She asked him to guard the door while she was bathing.  When Shiva returned the boy refused to allow him inside,  and Shiva, in his anger, cut off the boy's head.  Paarvathi was full of grief when she came to know of this and she requested Shiva to save her son and give him back his life.  Lord Shiva ordered his Ganas(servants) to bring the head of any living creature, sleeping with its head facing North.  They could find only an elephant and so they brought its head, which Shiva fixed on the boy's neck and brought him back to life.  Lord Shiva made the boy the head of all the Ganas, and hence he is also called Ganapathi.

Preparations for the puja:  Preparations  for the Puja start well before the actual day of the puja. An idol made of clay is brought home and kept  on a plate on which rice is spread.  The clay idols are normally painted and they are available in all sizes.  Now-a-days more and more people opt for clay idols without paint as they do not pollute the water.  The idol is installed in a mantapa which is decorated with small banana plants, mango leaves and garlands of flowers.   (If gowri puja has been celebrated, the idol is placed in the same mantapa)

Items required for the Puja:   There is a long list of items required for the puja,   which includes,  twenty one types of leaves(patras),  flowers,  grass(durvayugmam) the tips dipped in red sandal paste, red sandal paste, red akshatha, 21 rows of garland made of cotton, turmeric powder, kunkum(vermilion powder),  , garlands made of flowers,  sindhur,  sandal sticks,  camphor, coconuts,  at least five varieties of fruits, sugarcane,  corn cobs,  and several food items the most important being Modhakas.   Ganesha is supposed to be very fond of  modhakas,  hence he is referred to as Modhaka Priya or Modhaka Hastha.

As in the case of all the other pujas,  here also a Ganesha idol made of Cowdung(which is considered to be very sacred for Hindus) or Turmeric is worshipped before starting the actual puja. This idol is called Pillari.  Before installing the big Ganesha Idol,  this pillari is placed in the mantap on a clean betel leaf.  Akshatha and flowers are offered to this idol.  This is called Purvanga puja.  The following shloka is chanted during this puja.

                        Vakra thunda Mahakaya Kotisurya Samaprabha|
                        Nirvighnam Kurume Deva Sarvakaryeshu Sarvada||

After the usual offering(a banana or a piece of jaggery),  arathi is done with lighted camphor.  The pillari is then kept away in a corner.

The installation of the Ganesha idol is called Prana Prathishta which means invoking the Lord into the idol by chanting manthras while placing the idol in the mantap.  This is normally done by the eldest male member of the family.    After installing the idol Shodasha Puja is done.  This is also called Shodashopachara.  In this 16 different types of pujas are offered to Lord Ganesha.  The puja begins with a prayer to the lord.  This is called Dhyanam.  This is followed by Panchamrutha Snanam.   In this,  milk, curds(yoghurt), ghee(clarified butter), honey and sugar are used.  During this puja,  a flower is dipped in the items mentioned ,  and it is springled on the idol.   There is a diferent shloka for each of these items.  Then, water is sprinkled on the idol.  This is called Shuddodaka (water) snanam.    After this,  there are several offerings made to the lord,  the first being, Vasthram.  As mentioned earlier,  vasthram is  a garland made of cotton, consisting of twenty one rows and smeared with sindhur or kunkum (see picture).  After this, he is made to wear the sacred thread(upaveetham)  which consists of three rows.    This is followed by Anga puja, then patra puja and then Shatha namavali.  (angas- parts of the body;  patra = leaves and shatha namavali= chanting of the 100 names of  Lord Ganesha).  Twentyone pathras or leaves are used for partra puja.  They include tulasi, bilva, ashwatha,   maruga, and dhurvayugma. This is followed by Aarathi with sandal sticks,  then  aarathi with a lamp filled with ghee.  Now is the time for Mahanaivedya  in which all the food items prepared that day,  fruits, corn cobs , sugar cane, coconuts broken into two,  betel leaves with betel nuts  are offered to Lord Ganesha. This is followed by Mahamangalarathi  with lighted camphor.   Now he is worshipped with the grass leaves dipped in red sandal paste.  Prasadam (the offerings to the Lord) is distributed to the devotees.

It is customary to read a story in the evening  describing how Lord Krishna  had to take the blame for killing his cousin and how he came out of that predicament by performing Ganesh Puja on Ganesh chouthi.  Krishna and Prasena with some friends went for hunting to a nearby forest. Prasena, at that time, was wearing a precious gem by name Shamanthaka mani,  which had been gifted to his father Satrajit by Surya, the Sun god in appreciation of  his great devotion to him.  During hunting the friends got separated and Krishna returned to the palace with his friends without Prasena. People started blaming Krishna as they thought that Krishna had killed Prasena just to get hold of the precious gem.  The gem was supposed to bring good health and wealth to the person who possessed it.  Krishna was greatly hurt by this accusation and in order to clear his name,  he again went to the forest with some of his friends.  He came across a spot where there were signs of  a great fight and blood stains and  pug marks of a lion leaving that place.  He followed the pug marks and once again he saw signs of great struggle and blood stains but this time he could discern the foot prints of a great bear leaving that place.  He followed these foot prints and reached a cave.  When he entered the cave he saw a beautiful girl putting her kid brother to sleep singing a lullaby.  When she saw Krishna she fell in love with him and she requested Krishna to go away from there.   But Krishna with a mischievous smile took his conch Panchajanya and blew it with all his might.  Jambavantha was rudely awaken from his sleep and there ensued a fierce battle between the two.  It continued for eighteen days.  In the meanwhile, Krishna's friends after waiting for 7 days got back to Dwaraka.  They believed  that the bear had killed Krishna.  Even the last rites were performed for Krishna.  On the 18th day,  Jambavantha got tired and asked Krishna who he really was.  Krishna revealed his earlier incaranation - that of Rama.  Jambavantha fell at Lord Krishna's feet asking for forgiveness.  He not only gave the Shamanthakamani to Krishna but also gave his daughter's hand in marriage to Lord Krishna..  He returned to Dwaraka with his bride and the gem.  Satrajit felt ashamed for suspecting Krishna and he gave his daughter Satyabhama in marriage to Lord Krishna.

Recipes of some of the delicacies prepared on Vinayaka chauthi

How to prepare Modhakam:

Ingredients:   For the outer covering:

Rice flour..................................1 cup
Water ...................................... 1 cup
(Or a little more if required)
A pinch of salt and a teaspoon of oil.
Bring the water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt and a tsp. oil.  When the water starts boiling  add the rice flour ,  mixing thoroughly  while adding,  so that no lumps are formed.   Keep aside to cool, covering it with a wet cloth.

For the sweet stuffing:
Scraped coconut.....................1 cup
Powdered jaggery...................3/4thcup
Cardomum powder..................1/2 tsp

Mix all the ingredients and  and  cook on a low fire,  till all the moisture is absorbed.  Allow it to cool.


To assemble the Modhak:  Knead the cooked flour well and form into small pebble sized balls.  Applying oil on the palm, flatten each ball into a thin circle. This can be done using a roti presser also.  Take half a teaspoon of the filling,  place it in the middle of the circular wrap.  Bring the edge together at the top and press so that the filling is sealed inside.  Make all the modhaks in the same way and steam for 15 minutes.

Savoury Modhak:

Ingredients: 
Urad dal...........................1/2 cup
2 or 3 green chillies cut into small pieces
curry leaves 2 sprigs chopped finely
coriander leaves chopped fine...1 tbsp
a pinch of hing
salt to taste and a  tsp. of oil and a 1/2 tsp of mustard

Soak the dal in water for half an hour. After half an hour drain the water and grind the dal into a course paste.  To this, add salt ,  coriander, green chillies,  curry leaves
 and hing.  Steam this mixture for 20 minutes.  Allow it to cool.  Mash the mixture well to remove lumps and temper it with mustard spluttered in hot oil. Prepare the case in the same way as for the modhaks.  Fill with a little of the mixture and fold  instead of bringing the edge together at the top.  Steam for 15 minutes.

Khus Khus(Ghasa ghasa) payasam or kheer:

Ingredients:


Ghasa Ghasa(Poppy seeds)................1 tbl sp.
Coconut scrapings .......................1/2 cup
Cashew nuts or almonds.................1/4 cup
Milk ..............................................1 cup
Jaggery..........................................1/4 cup
cardomum......................................2 or 3 pods
Rice................................................2 spoons
Roast the poppy seeds slightly in a kadai.  Allow it to cool.  Mix together the roasted poppy seeds, rice, cashew nuts or almonds and cardomum seeds and dry grind to a fine Powder.   Add coconut scrapings and some water to this powder  and grind to a smooth paste.  Cook the paste on a low fire, adding some more water and jaggery.  Before removing from the fire add the milk and bring into a boil.     If desired,  garnish with cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee.

 Visarjan:   This is nothing but bidding farewell to Ganesha and Gowri.  If Gowri  festival is observed,  visarjan is done on the 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th day after Gowri puja, taking care that it is an auspicious day. If only Ganesh Puja is observed,  the visarjan can be done on the same day or any other auspicious day, the last day being Chathurdashi--the 10th day.  Normally,  the idols are carried to a pond or river,  and after performing puja they are immersed in the water.  But, it can also be be done at home in a bucket of clean water.  When the idols are completely dissolved,  the water is poured near a tree or bush.

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SWARNAGOWRI VRATHAM

                                                        SWARNAGOWRI VRATHAM

   Swarnagowri Vratham and Ganesh Chathurthi are two big festivals of Karnataka,  and they are celebrated with much fanfare.  They fall on the third and fourth days(Thrithiya or Thadigey and Chathurthi or Chauthi)  in the month of Bhadrapada of the Lunar Calander.   Sometimes,  it so happens that thadige  is followed by chauthi on the same day.  Under such circumstances, Gowri  festival and Ganesha festival are observed on the same day.


There are many interesting stories about Swarna Gowri pooja:

Once Parvathi(Gowri) wanted to visit her parents.  But Shiva was reluctant to send her. But Gowri was adamant.  In the end he agreed to send her but on one condition, that she should return on the third day. Gowri  went on giving every possible excuse for coming back soon.  Shiva then reluctantly agreed to send her and bade her to come back positively on the 11th day.  But he had his own doubts. So he sent his son Ganesha on the next day with instructions to bring her back with him.  So it is customary for those who observe both Gowri and Ganesha pooja  to do the Visarjan(sending back Gowri and Ganesha) on the 3rd day or 5th day or 7th day or the 9th or 11th day by making sure that the day is an auspicious one.

Before the Pooja day,  women make elaborate
prepararions to receive Gowri.  A Mandap is kept
in a prominent place in the house and   it is decorated with banana plants,  mango leaves and flowers.A rangoli is drawn in front of the mantap. Another very important ritual is the exchange of MORADA BAGINA  ( kannada) or CHATAALA  VAYANAM (telugu) .  The things which are required for this are a pair of winnows* (bamboo plates   as shown in the picture .  These are open on one end and are used for removing chaff from grains).   They are washed and then smeared with Haldi(turmeric) and then decorated with kunkum.  Then they are filled with the following  items:
1.  Rice, lentils(yellow dal), chana dal(chick pea dal), urad dal(black gram dal), moong dal(green gram dal), wheat or suji(semolina), jaggery, coconut, ripe bananas, betel leaves and nuts,  haldi, kunkum, bangles, a small mirror, a comb, a blouse piece, black beads along with BICHOLE (bichole consists of a piece of dried palm leaf rolled and a pair of small black bangles inserted on this roll) and some  cash(dakshina). These items are kept in one winnow and then covered with another as shown in the picture.

Other items required for the pooja:   Flowers,  garlands made of flowers, a garland made of cotton consisting of 16 rows, turmeric, kunkum, akshatha( rice smeared with turmeric powder) and fruits and coconut, sandal paste, agarbathi(sandal sticks) and camphor. Threads  with 16 knots are prepared, smeared with turmeric and tied with   flowers.  The number of threads depends on the number of women participating in the puja plus one more for Gowri.

As regards the idol,  customs vary in different  households.  An idol made of clay is available in the market.  Some people prefer to have an idol made of turmeric(harishinada gowri )  A plate on which some rice is spread is placed in the center of the Mantap. The idol is placed on this. It is decorated with flowers. Women who observe this vrath wear new clothes after having oil bath.  It is customary for women from other households also to join in performing the pooja.  Recorded tapes  or discs are available for performing the pooja.   It is customary to worship Ganesha before starting the puja.  This is followed by Gowri puja.  The threads are placed on a clean betel leaf  and  with the chanting of manthras puja is performed.  This is called Granthima puja.  After this the women participating in the puja tie the threads to each other.  The women first offer Morada bagina to Gowri and then exchange morada baginas among themselves. They sing songs in praise of Gowri and chant shlokas on Gowri.  This is followed by a sumptuous feast.  The preparations are much the same as for Yugadi with slight variations.

*Winnow--This word is actually a verb meaning to remove chaff from grains.  I  have used it  as a noun.

                 Om Sarva Mangala Mangalye  Shive Sarvartha Sadhike |
                      Sharanye Trayambake Gowri Narayani Namosthuthe ||

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KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI

                            KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI

This  festival is observed on the eigth day of Krishna Paksha (the darker phase of the moon) in the month of Shravana.

     

 

               


"Yada yada hi dharmasya glanirbhavati Bharatha|
 Abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam sujamyaham||
Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya dushkrutham|
    Dharma samstharpanaya sambhavami yuge yuge||'
                                                             (Bhagavat Gita-Ch.4)
'Whenever there is a decline in Dharma, O Bharatha,  and a rise in Adharma, I then manifest myself.

For the protection of the good,  for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of Dharma,  I am born in every age.(Yuga)

Thus,  Krishna was born as the eigth avatar(incarnation) of Lord Vishnu with the object of destroying wicked demons like Narakasura and also Kamsa who was his maternal uncle and playing a leading role in the battle of Kurukshetra between Pandavas and Kauravas.  His birth is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami  throughout India.  It is the most popular and widely celebrated festival not only in this country but throughout the world.  In the South,  it is popularly known as Gokulashtami or Krishna      Jayanthi.  Since Lord Krishna was born at midnight,  people who observe the festival keep awake till   midnight and observe fasting.  They chant shlokas from Bhagavata  and sing songs describing his childish pranks.  At the stroke of midnight, arathi is performed to the idol of  Krishna.   Fasting concludes after the arathi  by taking prasadam.

                                                                                   .
In the South, people worship Krishna in the form of  Bala Gopala(baby Krishna).   The preparations for the festival starts much before the actual festival.  This is because of the different varieties of eatables that are offered to Lord Krishna that day.    On the day of the festival,  the house is decorated and a rangoli is drawn in front of the house. Small footprints of  Baby Krishna are drawn   from the entrance to the pooja room to indicate the Lord's visit to the house.  A small cradle made of silver is kept in the pooja room and is decorated with flowers. A small idol of Baby Krishna is placed in the cradle. At the time of the pooja, it is common practice for the women to sing lullabies praising the lord.  The most popular songs in Karnatka are--Aadisidale Yashodey Jagaddoddarana and Krishna  nee beganey baaro.  In Tamil,  Thaaye Yashoda undan aayar kulathudittha and Theerada vilayaattu pillai are very popular.

     

 The highlight of the festival is the preparation of the various varieties of eatables offered to the Lord.  Various kinds of sweets,  laddus and fried dishes are prepared on this day   It is believed that Krishna was particularly fond of beaten rice. So, beaten rice prparations are also offered to the Lord.  In some households, some of the eatables are prepared beforehand and stored.   Some people prepare the flours required for making the eatables and use them on the day of the festival.  Some of the savoury items that are prepared include  Chakkili(murukku),  Thengolu(thenkuzhal), Muthsorae(Mullu Murukku),  Seedai(both sweet and savoury), etc. For making the first three savoury items,  a gadget shown above is required.  This is called Murukku Press. It is provided with different types of plates with holes.   For each item a different plate is used.    

The basic flour mixture for all the four items mentioned above is prepared by mixing  3 1/2 cups of raw  rice flour  and 1 cup of raw urad flour(black gram flour).    Make the required amount and keep aside.  Both rice flour and urad flour are available in any big grocery store.

 THENGOLU:   

Ingredients:  Basic mixture----- 1 cup
                       Jeera(cumin seeds) 1 tsp
                       Asafoetida(hing)---1 pinch
                       Butter(unsalted)--- 2 tbsp
                       salt to taste
                       water for mixing,   oil for frying                                                                                                                                                                                 

Mix the first five ingredients thoroughly.  Using water,  prepare a dough with the consistency of chappathi  dough.   Using the plate with plain holes,  squeeze the dough in a circular motion on a damp cloth into desired size.  Heat oil in a kadai,     Fry the raw murukkus till  they turn golden brown.

CHAKKALI (MURUKKU):

Ingredients:  Basic mixture------------------------ 1 cup                 - 
                       White Til(sesame seeds)----------1 tbsp
                       Asafoetida------------------------1 pinch
                       Butter---------------------------- 2 tbsp
                       Salt to taste
                       Water for mixing,   oil for frying

Mix the first five  ingredients thoroughly.  Using water,  prepare a dough stiffer than the thenkuzhal dough.   Using the plate with a single starshaped hole, squeeze the dough neatly into spiral shaped murukkus on a damp cloth.  Lift them carefully and fry them in hot oil till golden brown.

MUTHSORE(MULLU MURUKKU):

Ingredients:   Basic mixture------------------------1 cup
                       Chutney dal -----------------------   1/4 cup
                       Chilli powder----------------------   1 tsp
                        Ajwain(omam) seeds--------------  1/2 tsp
                        Hing------------------------------- 1 pinch
                        Butter-----------------------------  1 tbsp.
                        water for mixing.
                        oil for frying
Grind the chutney dal into  a fine powder  and mix it with the other ingredients  thoroughly.  Using the water, make a dough similar to that of  Murukku.  Using the plate with three star-shaped holes,  squeeze the dough in a spiral motion directly into the hot oil,  fry till done.


SEEDAI(SWEET  & SAVOURY)

Sweet Seedai:

Basic Mixture---------------1 cup
Coconut(scraped)---------- 1/2 cup
Jaggery---------------------1/2 cup
Butter-----------------------1 tbs
Cardamom powder---------1/4 tsp
White Til(sesame seeds)----1 tbsp
Water

Grind the coconut into a smooth paste using a small quantity of water.   Dissolve the jaggery in quarter cup of water  in a kadai using a low flame.Strain it  using a clean cloth to remove sand particles  To this,  add the basic mixture, coconut paste, butter and mix thoroughly .Keep on stirring the mixture on a low flame till it forms a lump.  Add the white til and cardamom powder and mix thoroughly.  Keep aside till the mixture cools down.

Savoury Seedai:

Basic Mixture------------------1 cup
Coconut (scraped)-------------1/2 cup
Butter--------------------------2 tbsp
Asafoetida(Hing)---------------1 pinch
White Til-----------------------1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water for mixing and oil for frying

Grind the coconut into a smooth paste.  Using the water,  make a dough similar to that of murukku by mixing all the ingredients.  Make small marble sized balls using the dough.  The balls should be placed on a clean dry cloth.  After making all the balls,   heat the oil in a kadai.  Fry the balls in two or three batches,  on a low flame.  The seedais should be fried till the hissing sound stops and they are golden brown in colour.


For making sweet seedais,  make slightly bigger sized  balls and fry them in the same way.  These are slightly darker in colour because of  the jaggery.

BEATEN RICE(AVAL ,  AVALAKKI  OR ATUKULU) PREPARATIONS:

 Three or more varieties of beaten rice are prepared.  They are Huli Avalakki(using tamarind),  mosaravalakki(using curds or yoghurt, and bellada avalakki(using jaggery)   For Huliavalakki,  see the recipes under Ramanavami

Thayir aval or mosaravalakki or perugatulu:

Beaten rice(thick variety)---------------1cup
Yoghurt(curds)-------------------------2 cups
Buttermilk------------------------------1 cup
Chana dal(chick pea dal)---------------1/2 tsp
Urad dal(black gram dal)---------------1/2 tsp
Mustard--------------------------------1/2 tsp
Green chillies-------------------------- 2 or 3
Ginger root(cleaned & grated)              1 tsp
Curry leaves--------------------------- 1 sprig
coriander leaves(cilantro)finely chopped 1 tblsp
oil.........................................................1 tblsp
Salt to taste.

Wash the beaten rice, drain and add the yoghurt , butter milk and salt and mix thoroughly.   Soak the chana dal and urad dal in water for about 10 minutes and drain well and keep aside.   Cut the green chillies into small pieces.  Heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard.  After it splutters, add the dals and fry till they are brown in colour.  To this add the green chillies, ginger and curry leaves and stir for half a minute.  Pour this mixture over the beaten rice soaked in curds and mix thoroughly.  Garnish with  chopped coriander.

Vella aval or bellada avalakki or bellam atukulu:For this preparation., the thin varaiety of beaten rice is used.  It is called Paper aval  or paper avallakki.


Beaten rice-------------------------------1 cup.
Jaggery powder--------------------------3/4th cup
Grated coconut---------------------------1/2 cup
Ghee(clarified butter)---------------------1 tbsp
Cardamom powder-----------------------1/2 tsp

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and press the mixture tightly in a container and keep aside for an hour or so.  Again mix it well and now it is ready for use.

Coconut Mysorepak:

Besan(chickpea flour)---------------------1 cup
Sugar-------------------------------------2 cups
Grated coconut---------------------------1 cup
Ghee(clarified butter)---------------------1 1/2 cups
Cashew nut(cut into pieces)---------------1 tbsp
Vanilla essence--------------------------- a few drops
Water-------------------------------------1/2 cup
Milk-------------------------------------- 1/2 cup

Heat about 2 tbsp of ghee in a kadai and fry the cashew nut pieces till they give out a nice aroma and turn golden brown. Remove them and keep aside.   In the same ghee, add the besan and roast for a few minutes taking care that no lumps are formed.  Keep aside. Keep a plate smeared with ghee ready for pouring the cooked mixture.

Now dissolve the sugar in the water and milk and keep on stirring on a  low flame till the syrup attains one string consistency.  Add the coconut scrapings  and allow it to cook for 2 or 3 minutes.  Now add the besan slowly.  Keep on stirring the mixture so that no lumps are formed.  Cook the mixture on a medium flame, adding  2 or 3 tbsp of ghee at a time and keep on stirring so that the mixture does not get burnt.  When all the ghee is added,  keep stirring till the mixture starts leaving the kadai and forms a porous lump in the middle.  Now add the vanilla essence and cashew nut pieces and pour the mixture immediately on the greased plate.  Level it evenly and allow it to cool a little.  Cut into squares or diamonds with a greased knife.

Peanut Burfi or Laddu:

Peanuts(roasted and pealed)----------------1 cup
Jaggery------------------------------------ 3/4th cup
Copra(dry coconut)grated----------------- 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder------------------------1/4 tsp
Water--------------------------------------1/4 cup
Rice flour

Dissolve the jaggery in water by using a low flame.   Strain the syrup using a clean muslin cloth.  boil the syrup on a low flame till the syrup reaches the correct consistency.  (To test whether it has reached the correct consistency,  keep a bowl of water ready,  put a few drops of the syrup in it. If the syrup dissolves in the water completely,  it has not reached the correct consistency.  If the syrup forms a lump in the water, it has reached the correct consistency.)  Now,  add the roasted peanuts, grated copra and cardamom powder, mix thoroughly and remove the mixture from fire.  Smearing a little rice flour on the palms,  take out a small  quantity of the mixture and roll it into a small lemon-sized ball.  Make the other laddus also similarly.  If you cannot handle the hot mixture,  you can pour the mixture on a greased plate, ad cut it into squares.

BESAN  LADDU OR BESAN & MUNG  LADDU:

Besan  -----------------------------1 cup
Sugar(powdered)------------------ 1 cup
Cashew nut pieces------------------1/8 cup
Raisins------------------------------1/8 cup
Ghee(clarified butter)----------------1/2 cup
Grated copra(dry coconut)----------1/4 cup

Heat a tablespoonful of ghee in a kadai and fry the casewnuts till they are golden brown.  Add the raisins and fry till they puff up.  Remove and keep aside.  In the same ghee,  roast the besan till it gives out a sweet aroma.  To this add the powdered sugar, nuts and raisins,  melted ghee,  and cardamom powder and mix thoroughly.  Make lemon-sized balls out of this mixtrure.

For Besan and mung laddu,  take half a cup each of bengal gram(chick pea) dal and mung(green gram) dal.   Roast them separately,  and grind into a smooth  powder.   Add the sugar, clarified butter, nuts and raisins and cardamom powder and mix thoroughly.  Make lemon sized balls out of this mixture.
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