Vara Lakshmi puja

Lakshmi is mainly worshiped in 8 forms, the Ashtalakshmi. The eight manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi include Sri Aadhi lakshmi the Goddess of health, Sri Dhanya lakshmi the Goddess of food, Sri Dhairya lakshmi the Goddess of courage, Sri Gaja lakshmi the Goddess of luck, Sri Santhana Lakshmi the Goddess of children, Sri Dhana lakshmi the Goddess of wealth, Sri Vijaya lakshmi the Goddess of victory and Sri Vidya lakshmi the Goddess of education.Varalakshmi vrutham is celebrated on August 12th Friday in South India. Women observe the vrutham and do Lakshmi puja for the welfare of the family.

Previous day the house is cleaned and preparations for the puja is done. Waking up in the Brahma Muhoortham, taking bath, with a 'kolam' in front, they keep the Kalash. A bronze or silver pot is selected and is cleaned thoroughly and a swastika symbol is drawn and is smeared with sandalwood paste. The kalasham pot is filled with raw rice or water, coins, a single whole lime, five different kinds of leaves, and beetle nut. The items used to fill the kalasham vary from region to region and includes turmeric, comb, mirror, small black bangles and black beads. The things a sumangali use as adornment are used.
The kalasham up to the neck is sometimes covered with a cloth and mango leaves are placed on the mouth of the kalasham. Finally, a coconut smeared with turmeric is used to close the mouth of the kalasham. To this coconut, an image of Goddess Lakshmi is fixed or the image of Lakshmi is drawn using turmeric powder. Now the kalasham symbolically represents Goddess Lakshmi. Kalasham is kept on a plate of rice.
Lord Ganesha is worshipped first and Aarti is done singing Lakshmi stotrams. Various sweets are offered and then distributed as 'prasadam'. The next day, that is on Saturday, after taking a bath the kalasham is dismantled and the water in the kalasham is sprinkled in the house.
VaraLakshmi is the boon granting Goddess Lakshmi..She is worshiped by all Hindus for prosperity.

Ashtami Rohini

The celebration of the birth of Sri Krishna is known as Ashtami Rohini in Kerala. It is the same Janmashtami celebrated in North India. Ashtami Rohini falls on the month of Chingam on Rohini Nakshatra and Ashtami thithi.

Ashtami Rohini is also known as Sree Krishna Jayanthi, Janmashtami and Gokulashtami. Sree Krishna’s birth or Avataram took place at midnight, so people fast on the previous day and keep ‘jagaran’ till midnight.

All Sree Krishna temples celebrate Ashtamirohini. Very grand celebrations take place in Guruvayoor temple. This year 2011, the celebrations are on August 21 st and 22 nd.

The Avataram of MahaVishnu as Sree Krishna was on AshtamiRohini. At Guruvayoor Bhagavatha Sapthaha Yagna is conducted during these days and the Avatara part is narrated on this day. Thousands of devotees come to Guruvayoor every year to have a darshan of Guruvayoorappan in His Saisava roopam, as that will be the alankaram of the vigraham on that day.

After the Darshan all take part in the Prasadam oonu, on Kannan’s Birthday. It is a feast. The previous day people fast or take light food once a day, without rice. They spend the day on Bhajan and listening to Bhagavatham recitals.

Appam and Ada and Palpayasam are the main Naivedyam on AshtamiRohini.

Ganesh Chaturdhi….September 1, 2011

Ganesha is the god of wisdom and prosperity and is worshiped before the beginning of any auspicious work by all Hindus.His blessing is absolutely necessary for the success of any work..So he is known as Vighneshwar, one who removes all obstacles.

According to the mythology, he is the son of Shiva and Parvati. There are numerous stories in Hindu mythology, associated with the birth of this elephant-headed god, whose vehicle is the Mooshik or rat.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India.

In other states of India, especially in Maharashtra, it is a 10 day festival. The clay model of Ganesha is made and decorated prior to the festival. On the day of the festival, it is placed on specially made ‘peedam’ in homes or in elaborately decorated common places for people to worship. The priest, usually clad in red silk dhoti and shawl, then invokes life into the idol amidst the chanting of mantras. This ritual is called 'pranapratishhtha'. After this the 'shhodashopachara' (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, 21 'modakas' (rice flour preparation), 21 'durva' (trefoil) blades and red flowers are offered. The idol is anointed with red unguent or sandal paste (rakta chandan). Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda and Ganapati Atharva Shirsha Upanishad, and Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.

For 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha is worshipped. On the 11th day, the image is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, to be immersed in a river or the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of all man. All join in this final procession shouting "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya" (O father Ganesha, come again early next year). After the final offering of coconuts, flowers and camphor is made, people carry the idol to the river to immerse it.

There is a lot of devotion and faith in this celebration of Vinayaka Chaturthi.

Vinayaka Chaturthi in Kerala.

This is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The Hindus of Kerala somehow don’t have an elaborate celebration of 10 days, though the Chaturthi day is celebrated. Ganesh is worshipped and the temples in Kerala have special poojas and Homas conducted on this auspicious day. Some make Modakam as an offering to Ganapathy on this day. It is the day most sacred to Lord Ganesha. All temples especially Ganapathy temples celebrate this festival.Vinayaka Chaturthi which falls on the 4th day of the new moon in the month of Chingam (August-September).On that day rituals like Gaja Pooja,Aanayoottu and Ashtadravya Mahaganapathi Homam are performed in the temples.

People don’t look at the moon on this day. It is believed that if we see the moon, on Chaturthi, bad luck and bad reputation will be the result.

This year, in 2011, Vinayaka Chaturthi is on September 1st.

Raksha Bandhan [Rakhi]

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is a Hindu festival primarily observed in North India. But now the young generation of South India is seen celebrating this festival. The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread, by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to protect her. Sweets and gifts are then exchanged.

This year, 2011, Raksha Bandhan falls on August 13th, Saturday. Rakhi is basically a sacred thread of protection embellished with the love and affection of a sister for her brother. This frail of thread of Rakhi binds the most beautiful relationship of a brother and sister in an inseparable bond of love and trust. People follow certain custom and tradition to celebrate this festival.

This festival is collectively celebrated by all family members. This is an occasion of family get together. Ladies start the preparation at least a fortnight before the festival. In order to make the day special, they buy rakhis, rakhi gifts, rakhi pooja thalis, sweets, etc for making the day special.

Indian Mythology has a religious story in connection with every celebration. Raksha Bandhan falls on the month of Shravan. This festival finds a mention in most of the epics and its origin can be traced back to the mythological Pouranik times. There are many legends about the Rakhi in Puranas. The most commonly believed is the relation between Draupati and Sri Krishna.

Draupati tore a piece from her sari and tied on Krishna’s wrist when she saw him wounded. Moved from that affectionate gesture, Krishna promised to protect her all her life and considered her as sister. Thus the sister-brother bond is celebrated every year on this auspicious day.

Girls visit brothers and after doing the pooja, applying ‘Tilak’ she ties a colourful Rakhi on his right wrist. She gives him sweets. Then the brother gives her a gift or money and renews the promise of protecting her..

The Rakhi Thali contains a diya, kumkum or tika, rice, sandalwood, incense sticks. In the Raksha bandhan thali, the rakhis are kept along with other things.

Traditional and regional sweets are made on this day. Peda, laddu, balushahi, gulab jamoons, jalebi etc are the common sweets made on this day.

Hindu Festivals

Hindus observe a lot of Festivals throughout the year. For them every celebration is religious. Important events of Hindu mythology, Birth of Gods, Harvests and regional and seasonal events, full moon, new moon, new year are all celebrated religiously.

Some festivals start as temple events with processions like ratha yatra, programmes including folk arts and cultural programmes.

Some festivals are universally celebrated while some are strictly within the family. Keeping fasts and observing poojas are very important for Hindus. Decorating the house with Rangoli, Kolam, Pookkalam, known differently in each region, is an auspicious observance believed to bring good luck and prosperity and marks the arrival of the festival and welcome the deity.

Wearing new clothes on festivals is a custom among the Hindus. A wide range of delicacies, especially sweets are made in every home. Friends and relatives meet and wish each other during the festival days.

There are festivals throughout the year and they are celebrated with all pomp and glory year after year. Hindus consider everything sacred and divine. The sun, moon, and every animate and inanimate things on earth has divinity in them. In a way every day has some importance and it is connected with a divine force and the Hindus have a different name for the divinity or God.

The festivals start in January with Makar Sankranthi, Lohri and Pongal. Though there are not many festivals in June, according to Hindu calendar, every month has a festival. Maha Shivratri, Deepavali, Onam , Dussera, Ganesh Chadurthi , Janmashtami, Raksha Bandhan, Vishu and Holi are some of the most important festivals.