23rd August, Sunday is Vinayaka Chavithi.
Ganesha, the elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is worshipped as the Supreme God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
Vinayaka chavithi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The festival is observed in the lunar calendar on bhadrapada shukla paksha chathurthi.
Ganapathi is the adhipathi(master) of all ganas - a class of divine. Ganapathi is also known as Vinayaka, meaning one without a nayaka(master). He is the master of Buddhi(intellect) and Siddhi(wisdom or self- realization). Buddhi and Siddhi are referred to as the consorts of Vinayka. He is also called Vighneswara – one who removes vighnalu or obstacles from troubles and difficulties. He deserves and enjoys the pradhama(first) puja during any festival or puja/vratam.
Ganapati has Mooshika(mouse) as his Vahana(vehicle). It symbolizes the darkness of ignorance because it is in darkness that the mouse moves about.
On this day we prepare delicacies which are steam cooked with no oil content and offer them to Vinayaka.
The main dishes during this festival are Undrallu and Kudumulu/Jilledukayellu. An undram is a round dumpling made with cooked broken rice flour and soaked chenna dal. A sweet dish with the same base and stuffed with kobbari undallu (made with fresh grated coconut and jaggery) are called kudumulu, which are oval in shape.
Bellam(raw jaggery/gudopacharam) is a favorite naivedyam to Vinayaka.
For Vinayaka chavathi puja, a clay idol of the murthi is used, usually bought on the morning of the puja. You can get creative and make an idol with clay or plaster of paris. This idol is normally immersed in a water body (Nimarjanam) after 9 days of puja. Eventually everything will and should be a part of the Earth! A peeta or a wooden plank is used to as a step to place a silver plate on which the idol is placed.
Paalavelli, a squared checkered roof made with wood is used as a shelter for the Idol. Various fruit, wood apple(velakaye), corn, coconut flower, lotus buds and sugarcane are tied with a string hanging down nicely. The top of which is covered with mango leaves and patri(various leaves). Sometimes a colorful umbrella is also used as a covering. For Ganapathi puja, we not only use various flowers we use leaves, grass(gariki) and Tulasi also.
My heart takes me back to those days when we would get up early to go the market to get an Idol and wander in the neighborhood to pluck leaves, help set up the palavalli and God while my mother made prasadam. My dad insisted we keep books near the God that day so that we would do well in studies, so I would keep my toughest subject, take it after puja and sit with it a few minutes.
Also, cannot forget how we were all very attentive while listening to the story of Satrajittu and Samatha ka mani and how “Moon” laughed and was punished for his act. I was really scared to look at the sky on chavathi, least I would see the moon and have to face the false allegations “apanindallu”. So, by evening I had put some more of the kadha akshitallu “yellow rice” so, they would shield me from any bad things.
I have to mention here that on one such fateful evening, I met my husband.
Pooja vidhanam and kadha by BrahmaSri Sankaramanchi Rama Krishna Sastrigaru:
http://www.devotionalsongs.com/Poojas_Vrathams.htm
Vinayaka chavithi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The festival is observed in the lunar calendar on bhadrapada shukla paksha chathurthi.
Ganapathi is the adhipathi(master) of all ganas - a class of divine. Ganapathi is also known as Vinayaka, meaning one without a nayaka(master). He is the master of Buddhi(intellect) and Siddhi(wisdom or self- realization). Buddhi and Siddhi are referred to as the consorts of Vinayka. He is also called Vighneswara – one who removes vighnalu or obstacles from troubles and difficulties. He deserves and enjoys the pradhama(first) puja during any festival or puja/vratam.
Ganapati has Mooshika(mouse) as his Vahana(vehicle). It symbolizes the darkness of ignorance because it is in darkness that the mouse moves about.
On this day we prepare delicacies which are steam cooked with no oil content and offer them to Vinayaka.
The main dishes during this festival are Undrallu and Kudumulu/Jilledukayellu. An undram is a round dumpling made with cooked broken rice flour and soaked chenna dal. A sweet dish with the same base and stuffed with kobbari undallu (made with fresh grated coconut and jaggery) are called kudumulu, which are oval in shape.
Bellam(raw jaggery/gudopacharam) is a favorite naivedyam to Vinayaka.
For Vinayaka chavathi puja, a clay idol of the murthi is used, usually bought on the morning of the puja. You can get creative and make an idol with clay or plaster of paris. This idol is normally immersed in a water body (Nimarjanam) after 9 days of puja. Eventually everything will and should be a part of the Earth! A peeta or a wooden plank is used to as a step to place a silver plate on which the idol is placed.
Paalavelli, a squared checkered roof made with wood is used as a shelter for the Idol. Various fruit, wood apple(velakaye), corn, coconut flower, lotus buds and sugarcane are tied with a string hanging down nicely. The top of which is covered with mango leaves and patri(various leaves). Sometimes a colorful umbrella is also used as a covering. For Ganapathi puja, we not only use various flowers we use leaves, grass(gariki) and Tulasi also.
My heart takes me back to those days when we would get up early to go the market to get an Idol and wander in the neighborhood to pluck leaves, help set up the palavalli and God while my mother made prasadam. My dad insisted we keep books near the God that day so that we would do well in studies, so I would keep my toughest subject, take it after puja and sit with it a few minutes.
Also, cannot forget how we were all very attentive while listening to the story of Satrajittu and Samatha ka mani and how “Moon” laughed and was punished for his act. I was really scared to look at the sky on chavathi, least I would see the moon and have to face the false allegations “apanindallu”. So, by evening I had put some more of the kadha akshitallu “yellow rice” so, they would shield me from any bad things.
I have to mention here that on one such fateful evening, I met my husband.
Pooja vidhanam and kadha by BrahmaSri Sankaramanchi Rama Krishna Sastrigaru:
http://www.devotionalsongs.com/Poojas_Vrathams.htm
Pooja and Kadha - Telugu script
http://rare-e-books.blogspot.com/2008/07/vinayaka-chavithi-pooja-way-slokas-and.html
Sankalpam:
Mama upaatha durithakshaya dwara sri parameswara preethyartham aadya Brahmanaha dwithiyaparardhe swethavaraha kalpe vyvaswitha manvantharae kaliyuge prathama paadey Krouncha dveepe Ramanaka varshe Aindra khande, Prasaantha Saagare, Pushkara Kshetra, Meroh Uttare Paarswa digbhage, Thurpu Amerikaayaam asmin varthamana vyvaharika chandramaanena, *** naama samvatsarae Dakshinayane Varsha rhuthau bhadrapada maasey, Shukla Pakshey, chaviti thithau *** vaasarey subha nakshatrae subha yogae subha karana yevam guna visheshana visishtaayaam subha thithau*** sri matyaha (***name) ***Gotravathyaha sabhatrukayah asmaakam saha kutumbaanaam kshema, sthairya vijaya ayurarogya aishwaryabhi vrudhyardham dharmartha kaama moksha chaturvidha phala purushartha sidhyartham satsanthaana sowbhaghya phala vyapthardhyam srivinayaka devatha muddhisyae sri vinayaka devatha preetyardham karpoktha vidhanena yavathshakti dhyanaavahanaadhi shodashopachaara poojaam karishye thadanga sri mahaaganapati poojam karishye thadanga kalasa poojaam karishye.
For the year 2009 it is:
Sri Virodhi nama samvatsaram
Chavithi thidi
Mama upaatha durithakshaya dwara sri parameswara preethyartham aadya Brahmanaha dwithiyaparardhe swethavaraha kalpe vyvaswitha manvantharae kaliyuge prathama paadey Krouncha dveepe Ramanaka varshe Aindra khande, Prasaantha Saagare, Pushkara Kshetra, Meroh Uttare Paarswa digbhage, Thurpu Amerikaayaam asmin varthamana vyvaharika chandramaanena, *** naama samvatsarae Dakshinayane Varsha rhuthau bhadrapada maasey, Shukla Pakshey, chaviti thithau *** vaasarey subha nakshatrae subha yogae subha karana yevam guna visheshana visishtaayaam subha thithau*** sri matyaha (***name) ***Gotravathyaha sabhatrukayah asmaakam saha kutumbaanaam kshema, sthairya vijaya ayurarogya aishwaryabhi vrudhyardham dharmartha kaama moksha chaturvidha phala purushartha sidhyartham satsanthaana sowbhaghya phala vyapthardhyam srivinayaka devatha muddhisyae sri vinayaka devatha preetyardham karpoktha vidhanena yavathshakti dhyanaavahanaadhi shodashopachaara poojaam karishye thadanga sri mahaaganapati poojam karishye thadanga kalasa poojaam karishye.
For the year 2009 it is:
Sri Virodhi nama samvatsaram
Chavithi thidi
File pictures. Courtesy my brother and sister-in-law. This is how we used to do at my parents place. Turn a flat table and place the paalavelli with the support of the legs to be stable and to avoid hanging the paalavelli from the ceiling using a string.
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3 comments:
Thank you,
Details sound very interesting. It would help at lot if you could include your recipes for the prasadam.
Congratulations, as this day helped you to meet your life partner.
Thank you lak. I will be posting them shortly.
Here is nice information I found. Hope it helps
http://maddieducationtrust.blogspot.com/2010/09/vinayaka-patri-awareness.html
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