NAVARATRI

Navaratri is celebrated in the month of Purattasi (September 15-October 14 approximately). Navaratri is celebrated for nine days. Vijaya dasami is celebrated on the tenth day. Navartrigolu is kept on the day of Malaya Amavasai that comes in the month of Purattasi. Clay dolls are mainly kept in Navaratri golu.Nowadays they keep dolls made of paper made, plastic and ceramic. But importance is given to clay dolls. On the morning of the first day of Navaratri, as usual, the entrance to the house is swept, water is sprinkled and kolam is put either with rice powder (podikolam) or with rice paste (ma kolam) and is decorated with kavi(also called semman) around it. Mavilaithoranam should also be tied at the door. Kolam with semman must be put in the place of golu as well. Usually for golu, steps have to be kept in one digits such as 5, 7, or 9. If affordable we can keep upto 21 steps or even more than that in odd numbers. 3 steps are not commended and hence are not recommended.

Golu steps have to be covered with cloth and have to been decorated and Pillaiyar has to be kept first. After that other dolls can be kept. In addition to golu steps some will create scenaries such as park, mountains etc., and decorate it with colourful lamps. This depends on the individuals’ affordability and interest. Tamils in foreign countries as well celebrate this Navaratri with grandeur. North Indians also celebrate Navaratri. They do not keep golu. They celebrate it as Durga Puja.

Golu has to be kept on the day of Malaya Amavasai. But puja will start from the next day prathamai onwards. In some houses they do puja to ambal on all the nine days of Navratri. They do one naivedyam daily. They do payasamnaivedyam in the morning and sundalnaivedyam in the evening. In case sundalnaivedyam has been done in the morning itself, in the evening betel leaves, arecanut and fruitsnaivedyam must be done. That sundal can be distributed to everybody in the evening. Kuthuvilakku must be lit with five faces. Those who do daily puja will do mahanaivedyam to god. For all festivals only raw rice must be used for naivedyam. Basmati rice, Pulav rice, boiled rice etc., should not be done as naivedyam.

Every day the puja place must be cleaned, kolam must be put and puja must be done on top of it. Everydayarathi must be taken at night. During navarathri, during morning and evening lamp has to be lit, archanai has to be done, doopamand deepam have to be shown, naivedyam has to be done and karpooram has to be shown. In the morning the kuthuvilakku can be lit with five faces and in the evening with one face. Some people keep kalasam following their family tradition. They keep it in the second step or in the third step. Every day they do sahasranamaarchanai. When they do sahasranamaarchanai on the Friday of Navaratri they offer sakkaraipongal and uluttumvadai as naivedyam. Some feed couples, sumangalis, kanya pen (virgins who have not attained puberty), brahmacaris and so on and give cloth (dresses) vastram for them. On all the nine days of Navarathri in the evening they invite sumangalis, and kanya pen to their houses and give them betel leaves, arecanut, flowers, fruit, coconut, comb, mirror, kumkumachimizh (container for keeping kumkumam), glass bangle, blouse piece, tirumangalyasaraduetc (thread smeared with turmeric used for tying the tali or tirumangalyam). For kanya pen they give earrings, jewels, pavadai, blouse (chattai) etc. Some give things according to her affordability. This has become popular these days. But coconut, comb, mirror, kumkumachimzh, glass bangle and blouse piece are important. Sundal prasadam has to be given along with tambulam. If puttu is done on the friday of Navaratri it is considered very good.

For Saraswati puja, betel leaves, arecanut, five kinds of fruits, coconut, mavilai, thoranam etc., are bought the previous day itself. On the day of Saraswati puja as usual in the morning the entrance to the house must be swept, mopped, mavukolam or podikolam has to be put and kavi has to be applied. Mavilaithoranamhas to be tied. In the puja room a palagai (wooden seat)has to be washed, kolam has to be put and books have to be placed on top of it. That morning, doors, windows, a/c machines, television etc., must be cleaned and sandal and kumkum must be applied. Weapons such as knives, hammers, cutting boards (arivalmanai) must be cleaned and kept in the puja. In case there are musical instruments such as Veena, Flute and Violin, they have to be cleaned as well and should be kept in the puja. Pencils, pen etc., should be kept in the puja. Sandal and kumkum can be applied to these the previous day itself.

Sandal and Kumkum must be applied to the books, samandhi flower or some other fragrant flower has to be put, raw cotton garland, blouse piece and ornaments should be offered. A photo of goddess Saraswati should be kept behind the books. Archanai should be done with loose flowers. Both men and women can do Saraswati puja.

Naivedyam: Raw rice mahanaivedyam (not boiled rice), kadalaiparuppupayattamparuppupayasam or pal payasam, uluttamvadai, suyyam, and karuppukotthukkadalaisundal. After completing archanai, doopam, deepam must be shown, naivedyam must be done, coconut must be broken into two halves and betel leaves, arecanut and fruitsnaivedyam must be done and karpooram must be shown. In the evening lamp must be lit, doopam, deepam must be shown, milk and fruits must be offered as naivedyam, karpooram must be shown, arathi should be taken and poured in the entrance.

Next day morning, after taking bath, wearing clean saree and vesti, a new kolam must be put in front of the books. Kuthuvilakkuhas to be lit and ashtottaraarchanai (archanai consisting of 108 names of the goddess) must be done using loose flowers. From the fruits purchased for the previous day puja, two fruits can be kept aside for punarpujai. That evening somesumangalis must be invited and they must be given tambulam and sundal. After punarpujai is over, yathasthanam (sending back the deity to its abode)has to be done. That evening milk has to be offered as naivedyam, arathi has to be taken on the night of Vijayadasami and two dolls must be put to sleep.

Because books are kept in puja on Saraswati puja, reading and writing should not be done on that day. On the day of Vijayadasami lamp has to be lit and Sri Rama Jayam has to be written. On that day it is compulsory to read. Children are enrolled in the school the first time on that day. On the day of Vijayadasami, people clean vehicles such as car, scooter, cycle etc., apply sandal and kumkum, decorate with garland and do puja. They do naivedyam to these vehicles consisting of aval mixed with nattusakkarai (country sugar), pori (puffed rice), pottukkadalai (boiled and dried kadalaiparuppu), coconut, betel leaves, arecanut, fruit, sundal and show karpooram. Puja is done to vehicles such as auto and bus. Puja is done to shops as well. People keep coins inside a white pumpkin, light camphor on top of the pumpkin and ward off the evil eye (drshtisutripodudal) and they break it on the streets. On the morning of Vijayadasami,payasamnaivedyam should be done for punarpuja. For daily puja mahanaivedyam should be offered as naivedyam. Sundal naivedyam is not needed. Tambulam can be given to those sumangalis who were unable to come to the house during Navarathri but come on the day of Vijaya dasami.

If the following day of Vijaya dasami falls on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, golu should not be taken on that day. It should be taken only on the next day. Likewise, if some teettu (pollution) befalls on account of death of a relative, golu should be taken only after the teettu period gets over. If vrddhi occurs due to the birth of a child, puja should not be done. Puja should be done only after the punyahavacanam (naming ceremony) is over. Golu also should be removed.

Srimati Visalakshi Ramasami