Hindu Traditions
Customs
Here we have collected miscellaneous information which covers social aspects of our religion and culture. While reading those related to customs in particular, please keep in mind that customs and traditions may vary from one household to another. We will be frequently updating this page with more information. Thanks to everyone who has helped to build this up.
- Chingam
- Deepavali
- Mandalam
- Navarathri Golu
- Karkitakam
- Karkitaka Vaavu
- Thiruvonam
- Vidyarambham and Poojaveppu
Chingam
The damp and depressing Panja Maasam of Karkitakam gives way to the bright and cheerful Samriddhi Maasam of Chingam. After a quiet and uneventful Karkitakam, it is activities galore in Chingam.
The Panchangam (Hindu astrological almanac) has Chinga maasam as the first month of a Malayalam year. Medam Onnu which is celebrated as Vishu is the start of the New Year in the astrological sense. The Kerala Government officially adopted Chingam Onnu as the beginning of the New Year or Kolla Varsham.
When we talk of Chinga maasam, Onam instantly springs into our minds, when the popular King Mahabali is said to be returning to visit his land and people. Let us not forget Mahavishnu’s Vamana Avathaaram which is also a part of Onam. There are two other important festivals in the month of Chingam - Ashtami Rohini and Vinayaka Chathurthi
Onam is also the Harvest Festival of Kerala and people celebrate it in a grand manner even now. In olden days, when Kerala was abound with green fields and majestic Tharavaadu's (big family homesteads), as soon as the first harvesting was done, the Kaaranavar (usually the oldest male member) of the family used to 'Samarppikka' (make an offering) a bunch of 'Nel kathir' (sheaves of paddy) in the pooja room, or a nearby temple. Even now, every year this custom is being followed. Even when there is no harvesting to be done people get the 'Nel kathir' as prasadam’ from the nearest temple and this is placed in every room while saying "Nira nira poli poli" meaning "Let there be plenty". Though this is done before the start of Chingam it is like a welcome announcement that the dreary Karikitakam will soon be over.
Then there is also the famous 'Atha chamayam' in Thrippunithura, and the 'Vallamkali' -the boat races. You might see a group of revellers prancing around, bodies painted with yellow and black stripes to look like tigers doing the 'Pulikali' to the accompaniment of a simple drumbeat. 'Villummel pattu' is also associated with this season. Chinga Maasam is celebrated and enjoyed right across Kerala by people from all faiths.
Thiruvonam:Ten days prior to Thiruvonam, most of the homes in Kerala have 'Pookkalams' (flower carpets) in different patterns adorning their front courtyards. In olden days, when 'Muttams' (gardens) used to have beautiful ‘Naadan’ flowers, these were plucked from the garden. These days flowers are more 'Marunaadan' and picked up at the local market but the spirit of Onam still prevails. On Thiruvonam day, the family members are up early in the morning and the eldest male member does pooja for 'Thrikkakkarappan' (Mahavishnu as Vamana). Thrikkakkarappan (also called 'Maathevaru') is represented by conical clay or mud structures. There was a time when these were made at home but now one can conveniently buy wooden replicas during Onam season at local shops. The pooja is accompanied with chants of "Thrikkakkarappanu hara haro hara hara", followed by distribution of 'Onappudavas' (new clothes) and the famed 'Onasadya' (feast). The ladies of the house may participate in an impromptu 'Kaikottikali' or Thiruvaathirakali. In general, it's a time for family and friends to get together and rejoice.
Prepared by Gouri Mohan- August 2011
For the religious perspective of Thiruvonam Read More ..
Deepavali
After the hectic ten day Dasara festival up comes the sound and light show-day, the Deepavali. The Tamil month of Aipasi, Naraka Chaturdasi Thithi, preceding Amavasai is the day the Deepavali is celebrated.
The preparations for the Deepavali celebrations begin the preceding day with cleansing of the firewood 'aduppu' (stove), smeared with sandal paste, kumkum and the holy ash applied across! The Puja room is spruced up; the betel leaves, betel nuts, fruits, flowers, sandal paste, kumkum, turmeric powder, scented powder, sesame oil etc. arranged. The new dresses for every member of the family, the maids and valets are placed in order, applying a little kumkum and turmeric powder.
'Ganga Snanam' commences well before Sunrise. The oldest of the family volunteers to apply sesame oil on the heads of all members of the family; the holy Deepavali bath is equivalent to the Holy bath in the Holy Ganges. Adorning new clothes, the kith and kin start the day-long munching of sweets and snacks with a dose of Deepavali Lehiyam. The Kuthu Vilakku at the puja room is lit, aarathi performed and the family prays for the prosperity of the household.
Onto the street, the crackers are burst lighting up the mood of the entire neighborhood. Friends and relatives exchange pleasantries on mutual visits. Sweets and gifts galore, bringing abundant happiness to the fore. Socializing continues for the rest of the day.
Prepared by Jay Srinivasan - October 2011
Mandalam
The "Hindu Blog" has information on many rituals associated with Mandalam like 'Erumudi Kettu', 'Mandala Vratham' and so on . If you wish to check it out, please visit the website. Here is the link.
Acknowledgement to: Abhilash Rajendran and Hindu Blog
Navarathri Golu
It’s Navarathri time and it’s time for 'GOLU' in the southern states of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Yes, it’s that time of the year when women set up wooden planks and decorate them with dolls made of clay or paper mache. Legend has it that the concept of Golu is to depict Goddess Mahishasuramardini sitting in her royal durbar or 'Golu' prior to the slaying of the demon Mahishasura to signify victory over evil.
Golu is traditionally not passed on from generation to generation. It depends on the interest of individuals who would like to keep up with the tradition and use this as a platform to help their posterity understand the culture better.
During Navarathri, dolls are decorated and arranged in the order of 3,5, 7 steps or golupaddi going up to a maximum of 9 according to the collection made by women over the years and also depending on time and space constraints. On the first step, importance is given to the placement of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati with the mandatory KUMBHAM / KALASAM- a conical vessel decorated with mango leaves and filled with water with a coconut on top followed by Ramar set / Shiva Parvati set with Lord Murugan and not to mention Dasaavatar set that depicts the 10 avatarams of Lord Vishnu in all glory. No Golu is complete without the Dasavataram set.
Steps are not only filled with idols of God but also with other miscellaneous items like the entire 'kalyanam' (wedding) set with bride and groom’s parties along with the paraphernalia of musical vadhyams and dancing dolls, idols of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and not to forget chettiyaar and chettichi with bowls of rice and paruppu signifying prosperity to name just a few. Equally important is the ‘marapachi bommai’ or a pair of male and female dolls made from red wood that are handed by the bride’s parents to the bride to initiate her into starting the Golu tradition. Beside the Golupaddi, miniature parks are also set up in great fanfare to engage and involve children in the whole process and also to help them understand the significance of this whole tradition. Colourful rangoli or maakolum, white rice flour mixed in water is drawn in front of the Golu and a lamp / vilakku is lit. Neivedhyam is offered to Golu both morning and evening during the nine days. Mostly it is pulses that are prepared as ‘sundal’ according to one’s taste except for wheat that is prepared as halwa / kesari on Sunday and rice prepared as paal payasam on Monday and Friday respectively. For the rest of the week, it is black-eyed peas on Tuesday, green moong on Wednesday, chick peas or famously known as sundal on Thursday and ellu or sesame rice neivedhyam on Saturday.
It is customary to invite people home for golu to collect the tamboolam that includes betel leaves (vethalai), supari (pakku), turmeric (manjal) and a coconut along with a small mirror, glass bangles, a small comb and a blouse piece. Girls are encouraged to sing in front of Golu and are given some gifts. Everybody who visits the Golu is given a share of that day’s prasadam.
As Navaratri is divided into three parts, the first three days are dedicated to the worship of Durga, the next three days to the worship of Lakshmi and the last three days to the worship of Saraswathi. Ladies chant Lalitha Sahasranamam, Soundariya Lahiri, Devi Mahatmyam, Mahishasura Mardini to name a few. Some observe fast, others abstain from eating onions and garlic during the nine days.
As the nine days culminate in Vijayadasami, victory of good over evil, one of the dolls in the Golu is laid down to rest signifying the end of Golu for the year and the next day the dolls are neatly packed and put back in boxes only to bring them out the following year.
Prepared by Srividya Krishnan- September 2011
For the religious perspective of Navarathri by Thirumeni.
Read More ..
Vidyarambham & Poojaveppu
For kids growing up in India, the approximate day and a half before Vijayadasami are surely amongst the best days of the year - a time when no one asks you to study! The books have been kept for 'Poojaveppu' and are not touched till Vijayadasami.
Why do we leave the books or tools undisturbed? On the morning of Dasami after Saraswati pooja, one takes the books and starts by writing 'Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namah'. The symbolism seems to be that you surrender all you have learned, at the Lord's feet, and then start seeking the 'Knowledge' once again on Dasami day with the Lord's blessings. The reason, that one does not 'touch' the books in the interim period may be because, once having surrendered our Knowledge how can one seek the blessings and start the knowledge gathering in between, before the Dasami. This seems to be the best reason.
Karkitakam
Karkitaka Maasam comes between July 17 - Aug 16, 2011.
This is a strange month - one which is considered inauspicious for many auspicious events.
Let us start with Karkitaka Sankranthi which is the previous day (i.e. July 16th 2011) before the month itself begins. On Sankranthi day the women of the household put Mailanji (henna) on both hands and wash it off, before dusk. A maid or lady of the home sweeps and swabs the whole house and the dust is taken out shouting, "Chaette purathu" - symbolic of driving away anything evil. It is also said "Sree Bhagavathi akathu" which is to clarify that Sree Bhagavathi is welcome, only evil spirits are not! Then you take a bath and light the oil lamp (nilavilakku).
That is when the 'Bhagavathikku Vekkal' i.e. welcoming Goddess Mahalakshmi into our household begins and this lasts thru the whole month. 'Bhagavathikku vekkal' is done by placing Ashtamangalya Thattu, Vaalkkannadi, a Kindi with water in it and Dashapushpam on a 'Palaka' or a raised platform. The water in the kindi is changed daily. Dashapushpam contains ten different types of plants.
On Karkitaka vaavu day (Amaavasi or no moon day) Vaavu Bali is done to honour, remember and please the souls of dead ancestors and receive their blessings.Please contact the Temple if you would like to make arrangements to perform the same.
Karkitakam is known as the 'Panja Maasam' - month of scarcity. With the heavy rains paddy fields get flooded and in times when the main livelihood was from agriculture it naturally had a negative impact on the economy.
People used to prepare for this shortage in advance. Vegetables like pumpkins and ash gourd were harvested and hung from the ceiling, to save it for use during Karkitakam. In the summer months mangoes, gooseberries and lemons were dried or pickled. Different kinds of wafers from vegetables and lentils were dried in the sun and stored.
People also tend to fall sick during this season. The first three days of this sacred month, the first thing one consumes after an early morning bath and a visit to the temple, is 'Mukkudi Kashayam'. This is basically a drink made out of boiling a few medicinal herbs with water. Some people take 'Karkitaka Kanji' which is gruel made with herbs and cow's milk or coconut milk. These days there are popular Ayuvedic treatments for this season called 'Karikitaka Chikiltsa'.
In short, there is supposed to be a lot of negativity in the air and that is why a member of each household recites the Ramayana, to ward off evil and invoke the Almighty's blessings. The reading is spread over the whole month. Hence the name 'Ramayana Maasam'. Nothing auspicious is held during this month.
Besides the above, there is a lot of interesting information on various aspects of Karkitaka masam on the Internet.
Prepared by Gouri Mohan- July 2011
Karkitaka Vaavu
ദക്ഷിണായനം പിതൃയാനം ആണെന്ന് ഭാഗവതത്തിലുണ്ട്. ദക്ഷിണായനത്തിലെ പ്രഥമ അമാവായിയാണ് കര്ക്കിടകത്തിലെ അവാവാസി. അതായത് കര്ക്കിടകവാവ്. ഈ ദിവസം മരിച്ചുപോയ പിതൃക്കളെ സ്മരിയ്ക്കുന്നതും അവര്ക്ക് ബലിയിട്ട് തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതും വളരെ പുണ്യമായിട്ടാണ് കരുതുന്നത്. എല്ലാ കറുത്തവാവിനും ബലിചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണെങ്കിലും കര്ക്കിടകവാവിന് വളരെ അധികം പ്രത്യേകതകല്പ്പിയ്ക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്യേണ്ടദിവസം ചെയ്യാന് കഴിയാതെ വന്നാല് ഈ ദിവസമെങ്കിലും ചെയ്യാന് ശ്രമിയ്ക്കുന്നവര് ധാരാളമുണ്ട്
English translation of above:
Dakshinaayanam ( Sun's motion Southward for six months from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn - period from June 21 and December 21) is described as "Pithruyaanam" - meaning the time when one is supposed to remember the departed souls - in Bhagavatham. The first New Moon that comes during this period is called "Karkitaka Amaavaasi", also known as "Karkitaka Vaavu". It is believed that remembering one's departed souls - mainly one's departed parents - and also performing what is called "Bali" (a ritual supposed to please the departed soul/souls) on this day is considered a very blessed act. Even though one is supposed to do this ritual on every New Moon day, special significance is attributed to this day in the Malayalam Month of Karkitakam.
Prepared by Thirumeni.