Thai Velli Maa Vilakku - Healthy Maa Vilakku

 

"Maa Vilakku"  in Tamil means Edible light with a small dent in the middle to hold the ghee. Its generally lighted during the month of "Thai" and "Aadi" in our place as a prasadam / offering to Goddess. This edible lamp is made out of processed rice flour and powdered Jaggery.  Still I remember how my mom used to light these traditional edible lights in our native place Thanjavur in front of the Goddess Bangaru Kamakshi Amman. She used to follow all the traditions in her own unique way in spite of having a hectic work schedule.  Following her traditions with heartful of thanks and respect, I made the Maa Vilakku today in our home but with a small twist. I have substituted rice flour with my processed millet flour, little almond flour, sesame seeds powder and Jaggery.  The consistency of the prasadam was good enough to make a nice ball and it tasted very good.  

Next time try this Maa Vilakku at your home especially when you want to have a healthy millet option.

Ingredients

Processed Millet Flour - 1.5 Cups 

Almond Flour - 1 Cup

Brown sesame seeds powder - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 2 tsp

Powdered Jaggery - Between 1/2 cup to 3/4th.

Elachi powder / cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Method 

1.  Soak the Kodo Millet / Varagu in water for 1 hour. Drain them completely and dry them on a dry paper towel or on a thin muslin cloth for 20 minutes. Powder them in a blender.

2. Add a cup of almond flour, sesame seeds, crushed jaggery into the blender and grind them nicely.

3. Pour the grinded mix into a bowl. Add elachi powder and ghee into the mixture.

4. Divide them into two portions and make a round lamp with a small dent in the middle.

5. Pour ghee into the dents and keep them on a silver plate. Decorate the plate with kumkum, flowers and light this divine Maa Vilakku in your pooja.

Suggestions

I used Kodri Millet / Kodo Millet for making this prasadam. You can use any millets of your choice.

Karadaiyan Nombu 2017

Karadaiyan Nombu 2017

Karadaiyan Nombu is the traditional festival which we do every year. We do this festival mainly for the welfare of the husband. We pray to Goddess Kamakshi Devi on this pooja day, offer the Sweet and Savory Adais along with little butter as prasadham and tie a yellow thread on the neck by chanting this Sloka :

"Urugaadha Vennaiyum Oradaiyum Naan Tharuven

 Orukaalum Yen Kanavar Ennai Piriyadirukanum"

During my childhood, my mom would always tie her nine yard saree while performing this pooja. Though she is not with me now, her memories are everywhere. Especially during poojas, I try to remember every small thing she did during the festivals. I always smile while adding Jaggery to any sweet as she liked to add more sweetness. Her Sweet prasadams would always be too sweet as she loved sweets. After doing this pooja, I looked at her photo and she smiles as usual. Its so painful to be without mom. I love to share so many things after every festival with my mom. She used to listen patiently, gave advice, criticized few in her own funny way. I am missing all those things now.

Remembering my loving mom again on her favourite festival. Love you Amma so much.

Diwali 2016 / Lakshmi Pooja 2016 At Home

Diwali, festival of lights has been my favourite festival since my childhood. I would always dream of Diwali every year, would open and embrace my new diwali dress secretly, would collect the fire crackers and count them every single day, would enjoy the sweet samples that my mom made during Diwali. Those memories are priceless. Keeping that in mind, I am trying my best to make my kids diwali an enjoyable one which they should remember in their life time and relish as I do.

Diwali this year 2016 was celebrated at home only with my kids as my husband had gone to India on an official trip. So, the energy level was little down. Inspite of that, I triggered the event with music, good festive food, decor at every corner of the home, lights and dinners with extended family. Performed the Lakshmi Pooja in the evening and offered new jewelleries to goddess lakshmi and made prasadams too.

Hope to  enjoy the next  Diwali with my husband and kids together. Wishing you all a very Happy, Colourful Diwali this year...

Decor made by my kids

Decor by my kids

Diwali Goodies -- Kesar Peda, Mixed Nuts Burfi and Kara Boondi

Navarathri 2016 / Golu 2016

Navarathri Golu 2016 at my home

Navarathri 2016  started in full swing, thamboolam invites poured in, full sight of navarathri dolls at many Indian grocers here, colourful sarees taken out with matching jewelleries, all kinds of lentils, beans occupied the kitchen counters for sundals...It went on and on. Mind was so refreshed to welcome Navarathri Devi at home.

I single handedly decorated the Golu this time as the kids and my husband were too busy at their respective works.Of Course, the steps were organized and kept ready by my husband.  Trust me, it was very tiring for me to keep the dolls and decorate alone. After keeping the Golu, I sat and enjoyed my hard work with great satisfaction. Well, my dear friends, I hope you would like my Golu this year and would appreciate my work!!! Please give me your suggestions to improvise my Golu.

Navarathri Mornings started with "Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam" followed by other devi songs. One kind of Sundal was offered as Neivedhyam to our Navarathri Devi. During the 9 days, many of my friends attended the Lalitha Sahasranama Pooja in the mornings and we enjoyed a full feast of South Indian Food.

First Day Neivedhyam -- Kesari and Moong Dal Sundal

Totally, it was really good to see vibrant colours of sarees, kids in Indian dresses. I am sure you would have enjoyed Navarthri Golu at your homes too and celebrated Navarathri Devi in a grand way. Wishing to make a beautiful Golu next year too....

Ganesha Chathurthi 2016 / Vinayaka Chathurthi 2016 / Vinayaka Chavithi 2016

Cute Ganesha made by my husband

Ganesha Chathurthi / Vinayaka Chathurthi 2016 was also celebrated in a grand manner at home this year.  As the Ganesha pooja and palavalli decoration is totally done by my husband every year, I am able to focus only on making yummy prasadams for Lord Ganesha. Since morning, all ganesha devotional songs would be filling the house. We all would be doing our chores listening to the songs.

My husband collected all the Pathris for ganesha pooja from our backyard garden with the help of my son. Then they started making the Palavalli with fruits. Meantime, my husband made his own ganesha from scratch using Rice flour, turmeric powder and sandol powder. His ganesha was set aside and was getting ready for his big pooja.

In the kitchen, I was making varieties of modaks, vadai, and other items in full swing. My only intention was to finish off all kitchen works before the actual pooja started. Finally I achieved that too. ( As my husband and kids more...time at the pooja place ).

We had a very long pooja for Lord Ganesha and my husband loved to recite the stories at the end. My kids got so hungry towards the end. This made me understand that if our stomach was not full, our mind was unable to think, focus on prayers. 

Finally, the pooja got over and we enjoyed the Prasadams.

Our Ganesha enjoying in our Palavalli and ready to eat the Prasadams.

 My Prasadams for this year included : 

1. Undrallu
2. Black Channa Sundal
3. Medhu Vadai
4. Puliogare
5. Payasam
6. Maha Neivedhyam
7. Ulundhu Kozhakattai / Urad Dal Modak
8. Sweet Modak / Thengai poornam Kozhakattai
9. Pappaarthi / Dal Payasam with rice balls in it
10. Palaarthi / Milk Based Payasam with rice balls in it.
11. Vada Pappu,
12. Panagam
13. Dates

Prasadams for 2016 Ganesh Pooja

Varalakshmi Vratham 2016 / Varalakshmi Pooja / Varalakshmi Vratham

Though this post comes very late, I could not proceed without sharing this beautiful festival that we celebrated on August 12th, 2016. Like every year, I followed the same rituals since morning, getting better year by year with improvised planning. I was able to focus peacefully on prasadams, decorating the amman while listening to Sri lalitha sahasranamam.

This year, my daughter and son were also fortunate to enjoy this festival at home. I and my daughter performed the pooja and tied the yellow threads. We were showered with lots of fresh flowers from our own garden and also from Vivek Flowers.

For the whole day, we had been seeing more ladies for Thamboolam. Made good prasadams for the festival and served the guests too.

Prasadams for this year included Puliogare, Paramannam, Medhu vadai, Chickpeas Sundal, Vella Payasam.

Missed my mom's blessings this year.

Ugadi Subhakanshalu - 2015

Ugadi Thali : Ugadi Pachidi, Garelu, Paramannam, Sundal, Puliodara, Kobbari Mammidikaya Pachidi, Pappu Charu, Aloo Koora, Guthu Vankaya.

Manmada Nama Ugadi Subhakankshalu

Every year Ugadi energizes the mind as it almost comes during the start of Spring season here. Our Ugadi started with prayers, pooja and we offered the first prasadam "Ugadi Pachidi" to God. Thanks to my cousin Latha, I was able to get some fresh neem flowers this time for the Ugadi Pachidi. After enjoying the Ugadi Pachidi, I started making all the other delicious food for the Ugadi Special Lunch. Somehow we invite atleast a friend family to join with us during this special occasion. 

I already posted a recipe for making few Ugadi special dishes which include Ugadi Pachidi, Puliogare, Etc., Please enjoy the visual treat of  our Ugadi Special Lunch Thali above. 

My hearty Ugadi wishes to all my dear family, friends and bloggers from all over the world. 

"Andhariki Manmadha Nama Subhakankshalu"

Let us all pray to all our favorite gods to give us strength to face the reality, give us courage to stand against the evil, give us positive thinking to work towards the right path and give us peace by stopping the unwanted inhuman things that happen across this world.

Karadayan Nombu 2015 / Karadaiyan Nombu 2015

Wishing you all my dear bloggers "Happy Karadayan Nombu". This year Panguni Masam begins at 6:45 PM on March 14 Eastern Standard Time. Like every year, I made both sweet and Savory Adais and offered to Goddess Kamakshi for the well being of my mother this time especially, my husband, my dear family and my whole family in the universe. We celebrated with lots of prayers and tied the "Saradu" yellow thread and enjoyed the Adais with my good friend subha. 

For recipes of Sweet and Savory Adais, please see my previous posts.

Sweet & Savory Adais:

http://sribhojanams.blogspot.com/2012/04/karadaiyan-nombhu-adai.html

Happy Navarathri 2014

Golu at our home, first day - 2014

Navarathri always bring lots of cheers inside my mind and the body gets energized by unknown power suddenly. Mind constantly thinks about the various activities which we would be doing at home during these lovely nine days. I do have to install a speed braker to slow down my thoughts and events sometime. Honestly I wish to pass on all the goody moments I had during my childhood navarathri / golu at my native place Thanjavur to my kids. My kids neither took a small bag to different houses for collecting sundals or dressed up in sarees or other costumes during this occasion like us. Still, they cherish Navarathri in a different way now by listening to all P.Suseela navarathri devotional songs in the mornings ( in a little higher volume to get a south indian temple feel!!!!) , munching the sundals I make in the evenings, dressing up in indian costume when some families visit our home for thamboolam, chant slokas along with me, everything they do as I am asking them. But I trust that these feelings are so unique and they will appreciate it one day when they grow up. I still remember each and every thing my parents did during navarathri at my home and the shades of childhood always brings up brightness in my eyes and melts my heart. 

Hoping that they will keep golu, make sundals, sing songs, chant slokas, invite friends to their homes in future and appreciate their mom and dad as I do now, I will keep Navarathri Golu every year for achieving that. 

Happy Navarathri to all my dear family, friends and everyone in the world. Let us all pray to have peace throughout the world with no war zone, fights, blood sheds. 

Ganapathi Homam Prasadam - Fried Kozhukattai and Fried Modak

Ganapathi Homam is generally performed  before starting any new venture or businesses, getting into a new job, before getting into a new home, etc., Its always good to perform Ganapathy Homam once a year to get happiness, prosperity, health and wealth and be victorious in all the deeds we perform. This homam can also be performed to please Kethu so if any person has Kethu Dasa, he could participate in this Homam. In Southern part of India, people starts all rituals first by performing the Ganapathy Homam.

Mostly people do a special kind of Modak ( Kozhukattai ), appam and offer to Lord Ganesha. In addition to these prasadams, the priest prepares a very special prasadam using nuts, dry grapes, honey, aval ( Poha thin flakes ), kalkandu , chopped dates, little rose water. In that, small pieces of  fried modaks and appam will also be added which in turn make the prasadam so tasty. I love this prasadam very much and used to store it for a week atleast and enjoy by myself. Also its a very healthy treat.!!!

Preparing fried Kozhukkati / Modak in specified numbers ( like 16, 21, 51 or 108 as mentioned by the priest ) is a must during Ganapathy Homam. Making the inside poornam is the same as the one we make for the regular white Kozhukattai. For the outer cover, I used whole wheat flour, little all purpose flour and rava ( sooji ). You can either fry the modaks in pure ghee or in regular cooking oil. In temples, they fry the modaks in pure ghee only. So, the modaks which come from the Ganapathy Agraharam temple will always taste the best.!!!

Ingredients ( For Making 28 Kozhukattai )
Outer Cover 
Whole Wheat Flour - 2 Cups
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Rava - 1 Handful
Salt - As Required ( Should be less )
Water - As required to make a thick dough for the outer cover.

Poornam
Fresh Shredded Coconut - 2 Cups
Jaggery - 1.5 Cup
Cardamom Powder - 2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp

Oil for frying the Modaks. ( In that, I added few tsps of Ghee just for flavour ).

Method

Make a thick dough using the above ingredients using little water. Consistency of the dough is very important otherwise the outer cover might crack while frying.

Make the poornam in a thick pan by mixing all the ingredients as mentioned above. Keep the poornam in the stove till you get a consistency enough to make small balls for the Modak.

After its cooled down a bit, make small balls and keep ready.
Take a portion of the outer cover dough and spread them using a Chappathi roller. It should be thicker than the regular chappathi. Using a small lid or coffee filter lid, make small rounds as shown below.

Put the poornam inside the rounds and close the Modak carefully. Make sure that the poornam is safely covered in all directions so that it does not ooze out while frying. Continue this process and keep the Modagams ready for frying.

Then fry the Modaks slowly in the boiling oil on medium heat only. If you fry them on high heat, the modaks might get fried faster and turn darker. So, fry them carefully on low or medium heat and yield golden coloured ones.

Vakratunda Mahakaaya
Suryakoti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Mey Deva
Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvada

Iniya Tamizh Puthandu Nal Vazhthukkal / Happy Tamil New Year - 2013 / Tamil Varusha Pirappu

 Tamil Varusha Pirappu Feast - White Rice, Araichuvitta Sambar, Vendaikkai Mor Kuzhambu, Cabbage Pattani Curry, Aviyal, Potato Pattani Kara Curry, Vendaikai Podipotta Curry, Mango Neemflower Sweet Pachidi, Semiya Payasam, Poorna Boli, Pudina Paruppu Crispy Vadai, Tempered Curd Rice.

Wishing my dear bloggers, friends and family, a very Happy Prosperous Tamil New Year.

Tamil New Year 2013 is a special New Year for all of us,as it falls on a weekend. This in turn gives us enough time to do prayers, cooking and enjoy the lunch leisurely. I tried to make Poli, Pachidi which are generally prepared during the New Year festivals this time too. Mango Pachidi is the main pulse of the New year Festival which is made out of raw mango, neem flower, jaggery which combines the taste of Sweet, Sour, Bitter and Salt.  This pachidi depicts the entire colours of life. New Year Feast is always elaborate with more traditional recipes followed by generations to generations in every household. 

I am sure you all would have celebrated the Tamil New Year at your home with lots of fun.  

Spread the word of "Love and Peace" and enjoy the whole year with lots of success, good health and wealth.

Ugadi Subhakanshalu - 2013

Ugadi Bhojanam - 2013   Paramannam, Black Channa Dal Sundali, Ugadi Pachadi, Mammidikaya Puliohara, Minnapa Garelu, Odiyalu, Pappu Chaaru, Annam.

Sri Vijaya Nama Samvatsara Ugadi Shubhakanshalu.

Wishing you all a very Happy Ugadi. This year brings you all more happiness, prosperity, good health and peace. 

We celebrated Ugadi with lots of prayers and prasadams. !! This Day became more special and fulfilling after attending the Evening Ugadi Special Pooja at our temple. Well, day after tomorrow, we are again gearing up for another festival,Tamil New Year( Chithirai Vizha 2013 ).Feeling happier that it falls on a weekend day as the whole family could sit and enjoy the festival together. Of course, with our special guests for the day. ( Athithi Devo Bhava!!)

By end of the day, I feel satisfied that I also tried to make some good memories to my kids. Still, the childhood memories I had during the festivals were priceless and I cherish those moments many times by talking about the varieties of food my mom made, the special prayers and pooja my Dad performed, etc., Hoping to make such good memories for my daughter and son too...atleast to some extent.

Wishing you all once again a very Happy Ugadi. 

Happy Navarathri - 2012

Navarathri Golu 2012 - Home

 

My Dear Bloggers, wishing you all a very Happy Navarathri this year. We expanded our golu this year with more dolls we collected since last year but nothing could beat the traditional dolls which we had at home in India. Chanted Lalitha Sahasranama everyday and offered Sundal Neivedhyam in the evenings. Mainly we invited many families and friends for the Thamboolam ( Kumkum ) during these days and had an elaborate dinner. Kids had fun too and dressed up in their traditional dresses.

 

We could feel the divinity during the entire Navarathri period and the positive energy prevailed in the mind which in turn boosted many activities at home. Sadly packed up the dolls after the durga pooja but cant wait to set the Golu next year. I hope you all would have celebrated navarathri with the same mindset and I wish you all once again. May Goddess Durga bless everyone in the world to have peace of mind, happiness and good health.

 

Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shive Sarvartha Sadhike

Charanye Thrayambhake Gowri Narayani Namosthuthe

 

Yaa Devi Sarva Bhooteshu Buddhi Roopena Samsthita
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha

 

Krishnashtami / Gokulashtami / Krishna Jeyanthi / Krishna Jayanthi

Krishnashtami / Krishna Jeyanthi is celebrated by all Hindus all over India and also in some parts of the world where they worship Krishna. Krishna Jeyanthi festival marks Lord Krishna's birth and its celebrated with grand show. People decorate their houses with flowers, rangoli and balloons welcoming Baby Krishna on this auspicious day and they draw small footprints of baby krishna from the entrance of the home till the Pooja place. There's a belief that baby krishna would walk on these foot steps into their house and enjoy their prasads on this special day. As Lord Krishna liked milk, butter, curd during his childhood, they offer many milk based sweets to him along with the traditional seedai, murukkus, payasams and aval ( poha ) based food items.

 

We celebrated Krishna Jeyanthi at our house with Aval ( Poha ) based prasadams this year.

 

Krishnaya Vasudevaya Devaki Nandanayacha

Nandagopa Kumaraya Sri Govindaya Namo Namaha.

Happy Ganesha Chathurthi / Ganesh Chavithi / Vinayaka Chathurthi - Festival

Wishing you all my dear friends, family and my dearest bloggers a very Happy Ganesha Chathurthi / Chavithi.

Lord Ganesha, who is the supreme God is well known for wisdom, prosperity, good fortune and he is being worshipped first before starting any new venture. Ganesha Chaturthi / Chavithi is a Hindu festival which is celebrated all over India on the occasion of Lord Ganesha's Birthday. This festival generally falls between August and September.  In some parts of India, this festival is celebrated for 10 days and a grand immersion festival is being celebrated on the last day of Ganesh festival.

 

Hope you all would have celebrated Ganesha Chathurthi / Chavithi in a grand manner in your homes with wonderful decorations and yummy prasadams. We also celebrated the festival with lots of happiness, devotion, elaborate pooja and yummy prasadams. Out of all the festivals, I love this festival so much mainly due to the tasty modhagam / Kozhakattais. Since childhood, I have been a big fan of this Kozhakkatai and Ganesha is my favorite God. My mom used to make different varieties of Modhagams on that day and my father used to decorate Lord Ganesha and pooja place and perform the pooja elaborately.

 

In our household, we prepare 5 or 7 varieties of prasadams and offer to Lord Ganesha. This time I prepared three types of Kozhakkattai, Palaarthi, Pappu arathi, undrallu, Chickpeas sundal. I always try to include both andhra and tamilian style prasadams in every festival to balance both my side and my husband's. 

 

I will post the recipes of the prasadams in my following posts.

 

My Husband made a home made ganesha using turmeric powder, sandal powder and rice flour. Its really difficult for us to take out the Ganesha as we love this cute little ganesha so much..

 

Powerful Ganesha Mantra

"Gajananam Bhoota Ganadi Sevitam,
Kapittha Jambu phalasara bhakshitam
Umasutam Shoka Vinasha karanam
Namami Vighneswara pada pankajam"

 

Meaning

"Oh Elephant-faced, worshiped by the existing beings, of all living beings, tasting the elephant apple (kaith) and jambolana (jamun), the Son of Uma, destroyer of grief, I bow to the lotus feet".

 

Will post the recipes of Sweet / Salt Kozhakkatai, Undrallu, Pal arathi, Pappu Arathi, Chickpeas sundal in my following posts very soon.

Maavilakku / Mavilakku / Maa Vilakku

 

Maa vilakku poojai is performed during Adi month mostly on Fridays. Tradition of putting Maa Vilakku differs from family to family but the basic concept behind this tradition remains the same. We chant prayers and offer Maa Vilakku to our respective Goddesses like Mariamman, Family deity or the main deity of that region. Being a native of Thanjavur, we dedicate this pooja to our main goddess Bangaru Kamakshi Amman.

Maa Vilakku means vilakku made out of "Maa/ Maavu ". We make two special lamps on this auspicious day using a mix of rice flour, jaggery and ghee and put them on a silver plate or on a plantain leaf spread over the silver plate. Some people light a single Maa Vilakku as per their family tradition.

During my childhood, my mom used to perform this pooja in the kamakshi amman temple on Adi friday. I and my sisters used to wait patiently in the temple for her to finish off the pooja and distribute a small ball of Maa Vilakku sweet to us. Until then, we would not move out of the temple. Being a sweet lover, I love this sweet and also this poojai.

Maavilakku poojai at my Mom's Home, chennai in 2011

Ingredients 

Rice Flour - 2 Cups ( Homemade Rice Flour )
Powdered Jaggery - 1.5 Cups
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder - 3 tsp

Method

• Soak the raw rice in water for half an hour. Filter the water and spread the wet rice uniformly on a thin cloth or tissue paper for sometime till all the water gets evaporated.
• When its dried completely, grind them finely using a mixer grinder. Meantime, powder the jaggery and cardamom powder and keep them ready.
• Mix the powdered jaggery, cardamom powder and ghee into the rice flour thoroughly till you are able to form a small ball out of it.
• Make two rounds of uniform size and place them over the silver plate or on the plantain leaf if its available. Make two deep small rounds at the centre of each sweet balls.
• Fill the small rounds with melted ghee and put a nice thread into it.
• Decorate the plate with thamboolam, flowers as per your tradition and interests. Before offering the Maa Vilakku to the Goddess, light them at the centre. Chant the prayers and do the neivedhyam. During this pooja, its good to recite Kamakshi Stothram.

Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shive Sarvaartha Sadhikey
Sharanye Trayambakey Gowri Narayani Namostutey

 

Varalakshmi Vratham / Varalakshmi Pooja / Varalakshmi Puja

Varalakshmi Vratham / Varalakshmi Pooja is one of the important hindu festivals celebrated in South India. This festival falls on the friday before the full moon day in the month of Adi / Sharavana month every year and this year we celebrated this pooja on July 27th, friday 2012. Varalakshmi, the goddess of wealth is worshipped on this day by many women and its believed that the goddess grants the boon/varam to them after performing the varalakshmi pooja. I started performing this vratham right after my marriage as its a tradition in my husband's side.

Early Morning, women get up and put traditional kolams in the frontyard. After taking headbath and wearing new or clean clothes, they make neivedhyams/prasadams to Goddess Varalakshmi. After that, they decorate the Kalasam in a grand way with all jewelleries and perform the varalakshmi vratham in detail. They tie a yellow thread with nine knots while performing this pooja and read the varalakshmi vratham story at the end. On this day, they invite many married women for thamboolam and give them prasadams. They all sing songs prasing Goddess Varalakshmi in the evening and chant "Varalakshmi Ashtothranamavali".

Kalasam Decoration :

Take a silver plate or your traditional pooja plate and spread it with raw rice. Coat the silver varalakshmi sombu/pot with turmeric paste and decorate the pot /kalasam with kumkum dots. Fill half the sombu with water. Add a coin,a small jewellery, a flower, a betal leaf and nut inside the pot. Coat the coconut with turmeric paste and keep it ready. Once its dried, draw the goddess face on its side perfectly and keep it ready. Spread five mango leaves on the top of the kalasam uniformly. Keep the coconut on its top such that the amman face should be clearly visible from the centre. After placing the coconut properly, take a new cloth and decorate the amman as shown in the picture. While decorating, make sure that the amman pot is not disturbed. After the kalasam is nicely decorated, keep it ready. Just before starting the pooja, invite the amman to your pooja by placing the kalasam on the layer of rice in the pooja plate. If mango leaves are not available in the region you live, substitute it with betal leaves. 

Pooja Place Arrangements :

Pooja place should be cleaned and arranged nicely before the day of varalakshmi pooja. On the pooja day, keep the flowers, other pooja items handy before starting the pooja. Keep few paper napkins on your side to wipe your hands in the middle. Keep the pooja vidhanam book ready with the pages pointing to Varalakshmi Pooja.

Prasadams :

In our household, we make 5 prasadam varieties and offer to the Goddess. We generally make Paramannam ( Sweet Rice ), Puliodhara, Medhu Vadai, Sundal, Boorelu, Appam, Payasams, Annam.

You can choose your prasadams based on your interests and item availability. Please see the recipes in the blog for your preparations.

Above all, doing the vratham with good devotion is much more important than doing all the decorations, prasadams in a grand way. Somehow in my perspective, honest and deep prayers would give an immense satisfaction to your soul than creating a big hungama during any pooja or vratham day. My dear friends and family, kindly forgive me if my idea conflicts with any of yours.

Tamil New Year 2012 - Tamil Varusha Pirappu

Iniya Tamizh Puthandu Nal Vaazhthukkal to all my dear blogger friends...

Tamil New Year also called as "Chithirai Thirunal / Varusha Pirappu " falls on the first day of the Tamil month "Chithirai". This festival is widely celebrated by all tamils around the world and it falls during mid April every year. People wish each other by telling "Iniya Tamizh Puthandu Vaazhthukkal" on this day. They prepare many festive foods on this special occasion using neem flowers, mango, jack fruit and other fresh harvest and offer their prayers to the God. They decorate their houses with mango leaves and fresh flowers, put large rangoli in front of their houses during the festival. This festival is marked by the famous Chithirai feast in all the homes and the usage of the fresh Harvest signifies the growth and prosperity. In the festive food, different types of taste like sweet, salt, spice, bitter, sour would be included in the dishes they make.

This year is named as "Nandana" and it falls on 13th April, 2012. We celebrated Varusha Pirappu at our home in a grand way and offered our prayers to God, made an elaborate feast and enjoyed with our friends.  To all my friends, once again wishing you all a very happy tamil new year.

Puthandu Feast in our home : >>  White Rice, Kalathu Paruppu, Coconut Rice, Medhu Vadai, Potato Podimas, Beans Kadalai Paruppu Poriyal, Tomato Rasam, Mangai Murungai Sambar, Vathalkuzhambu, Mango Neem Flower Pachidi, Cucumber Kosambari, Aviyal, Shahi Gulab jamoon, Curd rice. ( Appalam and Payasam missing in photo!!).

Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday of Lord Rama. Rama who is the 7th Avatar of Lord Vishnu was born on Navami day in Ayodhya to King Dasaratha and Queen Kowsalya.

Grand celebrations would take place in many hindu temples especially on Badrachalam, Ayodhya and Rameshwaram which are the special places for Lord Rama.

On this auspicious day, many musical aradhanas would be performed and artists would sing various songs on Lord Rama and offer their prayers to him. Its believed to be good to listen to the Ramayana Story on that day. During my childhood, we used to visit some houses where they decorated Lord Rama. We sang many Thiyagarajar Kritis on Lord Rama and they offered us Panagam, Buttermilk and other homemade prasadams.

We generally make Panagam ( Jaggery water flavoured with cardamom powder, ginger powder and lime juice ) and Buttermilk flavoured with ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves and Hing. Along with that, we can offer some sundal or some other sweet to Lord Rama.

If we closely watch the Prasadams we make for every festival, they were nicely framed by our elders according to the weather conditions prevailed during that festival. Somehow, rama navami falls during summer in India and Buttermilk and Panagam are very suitable during this period. Hats off to our elders.

For Aval Sakkarai Pongal, please see the link as below :

Aval Sakkarai Pongal / Poha Sweet Pongal

Ugadi Festival

Ugadi Festival is celebrated by the people of Andhra Pradesh on the first day of the "Chaitra" month, which is considered to be the beginning of their New year. This festival symbolises the arrival of Spring ( Vasantha Rutu) which is the first season of the Year. On this auspicious day, people decorate their houses with mango leaves, put rangoli in front of their houses, decorate the home with many fresh flowers, clean the Pooja room and make it ready for the festival. People wear new dresses on Ugadi day and visit the temples in the evening to pray for a prosperous new year. Ugadi Bhojanam is very special on this day which starts with the Ugadi Pachidi first followed by Puliogare, Paramannam, Mango based food items, Garelu, Bobbatlu, Boorelu, etc., On this day, people generally hear the yearly "Panchangasravanam" told by priests which is the prediction for the coming year.

Ugadi Subhakankshalu to all my dear bloggers and friends.

We celebrated Ugadi at our house with both Bhakti and Bhukthi.!!! In the morning, my husband did the Ugadi Pooja elaborately and offered the Prasadams paramannam, puliohara and ugadi pachidi to God. Then, we had a typical Andhra Buffet Lunch with our guests. Our menu included :

Menu :: Kobbari Mamidikaya Pachidi, Paramannam, Alasanda Vada, White Rice, Potato Fry, Cauliflower Fry, Vankaya Masala, Mango Pappu, Puliohara, Pappu Charu, Bobbatlu, Ugadi Pachidi

1. Kobbari mamidikaya Pachidi / Coconut Mango Pachidi

2. Mamidikaya Pappu /  Mango Dal

3. Pappu Charu / Andhra Style Thin Sambar

4. Cauliflower Tomato Koora

5. Potato Fry

6. Vankaya Masala

7. Alasanda Methi Garelu / Blackeyed beans vada with methi and onion.

8. Bobbatlu

9. White rice

10. Fresh Curd

11. Appadalu, Vodiyalu...

12. Pulihara

13. Paramannam

14. Ugadi Pachidi

For Ugadi recipes, please see the links as below :

 Ugadi Pachidi
Paramannam
Andhra Puliohara
Alasanda Garelu
Bobbatlu
Mamidikaya Pappu / Mango Pappu
Vankaya Masala