Happy Holidays !

To all my clients, followers and friends. Thank you for your trust, support, appreciation and love throughout 2018💖
Shine your light bright in 2019.

May you have a wonderful festive season🎄😘 Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄🎁  

Love

Devi  ❤

 

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Weekend !!

Happy Easter and Weekend everyone !

He has risen! I declare, we will rise from addiction,debt,sickness,sin,unemployment,loneliness, and depression. He works ALL things, the worst, ugly, most painful parts, together for our good❤️He set us free and gave us power.

Love, Devi ❤

 

Makar Sankranti Festival | Pongal – Time for a Fresh Start

Hey Mamas , Today is Sankranti festival in India. Mahar Sankranti is celebrated by Indians across the world in different names Bhogi,Pongal,Bhi,Lohri etc . This is a good chance to teach kids about different traditions and culture . We celebrate festivals to discipline humans . There is always a good lesson hidden in all the Indian festivals . Check out my today’s post about celebrations to teach children a good life lesson.

My daughter Lucky is so excited to wear Indian traditional dress today . I will post pictures of our today’s costumes and table spread later in the evening . 🙂 🙂 We love festivals .. One should never forget their root,culture and traditions wherever we put up in this beautiful World . I’d love to see pictures,posts,write up,links about all your festive celebrations .Please take out time to share your festival pictures and links of your celebrations . Please drop it in the comments below.

Bhogi is the first day of four days Sankranthi celebrations in India.

 On Bhogi, people discard old and derelict things and concentrate on new things causing change or transformation.The theme of Bhogi festival is to throw away and burn old and unwanted stuffs to bring in spiritual bhogam(prosperity) into our house and heart .

On Bhogi day we not only remove unwanted things from our houses, remove unwanted /negative thoughts,emotions and negative people from you & your life . It will make you a #NewYou ..It will help to transform your life . This is a time to reborn as a new person . Time to change your bad attitudes & habits . Just change one bad habit Big or Small !
Remove the old and give space for new beautiful things in life After all its one life which is short Live a happy and positive one .  

The history behind the word ‘Bhogi’ has too many accounts. The widely reckoned etymology to the word ‘Bhogi’ is that the word ‘Bhogam’ entails ‘receiving pleasure from divinity’ and the day offering that divine pleasure is named after ‘Bhogi’.  Another legend accounts that Bhogi Pandigai is celebrated in the name of Lord Indhra (god of rain and thunderstorms).

The celebrations of Bhogi Pandigai usually start early in the morning where homes are usually cleaned and washed. Subsequently, women and girls decorate the houses with beautiful kolam (rangoli) drawn out of rice flour and kaavi (red-oxide). People take head baths on this day as a part of the Bhogi festival celebrations..

 

(Are you wondering what’s so colorful in the above picture?! This Kolam/Rangoli.. Women and girl kids draw this colorful Rangoli on the main entrance of every house during festival times . It improves their creativity,colors brings peace to heart and soul.)The next step is performing pujas and offering ‘Bholi’ (battercake with lentil or coconut filling prepared with jaggery) to the almighty as ‘naivedhyam’ (food offered to god as a part of ritual). Later people assemble to light up a large outdoor fire to burn old and unwanted stuffs.Bhogi Pandigai is also celebrated in Andhra Pradesh in a grand manner on the same day as ‘Bhogi’ and as ‘Lohri’ in Punjab and ‘Magh Bihu/Bhogali Bihu’ in Assam.A very delicious and rich meal is prepared and served on plantain leaf on this day .

Pongal O’ Pongal: More than a Harvest Festival

 

Pongal is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. This is the second day of Sankranthi celebrations. Pongal usually means festivity or celebration; more specifically Pongal is translated as “boiling over” or “overflow.” Pongal is also the name of a sweetened dish of rice boiled with lentils that are ritually consumed on this day. Symbolically, Pongal signifies the gradual heating of the earth as the Sun travels northward toward the equinox.

In this season, you should get rid of all the unnecessary things in your life and begin life afresh. You should make this cleanup an annual event. Even if some cleaning up is done on a daily basis, a few things pile up here and there without you being conscious about it. This piling up is not only of material things in our homes. Also in our minds , in our emotions , in our bodies, and in our consciousness, things pile up. This is the time to clean that up and start afresh in the coming spring, as spring is the best time to start life..

Pongal day is consider as new beginning of all good things. It marks the end of winter . Also it is the festival to respect farmers .

 

(Are you wondering looking at the above picture?! This is a pot with pongal which is the main dish on this festival.This is a Yummy Sweet in a colorful clay pot 🙂 , Food crops and Sugar cane. Since it is the harvest festival food plays the major role . In our agricultural country Rice and wheat are the major food crops)

Makar Sankranti is also called as Kite festival . Kids enjoy flying colorful kites .

Mattu Pongal is the third day and includes worshiping cattle because it is believed that cattle help give a good harvest. This is in recognition of the importance of cattle to the agrarian community. They are also regarded as sacred animals. The cows are given a good bath and a thorough scrub. They are then adorned and decorated with garlands around their necks and kumkum on their horns and foreheads. They are not given any work on that day and are allowed to graze without much restraint. Ceremonial boiled rice is offered with sweets and sugar cane.

The fourth day is called Kanum or Kani Pongal, which is when many people go on picnic and spend time with families and friends. The Pongal festival also includes exchanging gifts, dancing, and buffalo-taming contests. Single women seeking good husbands observe this day.

I’d love to see pictures,posts,write up,links about all your festive celebrations .Please take out time to share your festival pictures and links of your celebrations . Please drop it in the comments below.Have a fantastic day !!

Happy Celebrations !

Much Love , Devi

 

 

Parenting Tips

Today is Karthigai Deepam, a festival of lights celebrated by south Indians through out the globe . Karthigai Deepam happens to be auspicious.Row of clay lamps are lit in the house & work place to bring peace & prosperity. It is worshiped to bring happiness in the lives & ward off all the troubles in life🕉

As I grew up I watched my Mom light an oil/ghee lamp every morning to start the day with positivity and close the day by lighting a oil/ghee lamp to give thanks for our daily blessings. Starting the day with positive intentions and ending the day with a grateful heart is something I think we all should do. Lighting a lamp brings peace and positivity to our soul . My Mom is my greatest inspiration.. following her ..

Teach kids NOT to forget our roots . Our Culture,Heritage , Tradition is the one which moulds us  . I believe all custom,culture,religion teaches the basic things needed for  a person to be good they are LOVE,KINDNESS and COMPASSION . I feel these are the basics a kid should posses  to become a good human .

Love and Respect each other.. Bring Peace !

Children are the future generation . Lets make the World Beautiful and Peaceful !

Love Always , Devi

Happy Thanksgiving Day !

Happy Thanksgiving friends ! To all my dear friends that I am honored and blessed to have in my life. May this holiday season bring you love to your heart & health, peace & joy to your home through the new year!

Every year Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.Thanksgiving Day is a time to feel gratitude for the good things in life. This is a day of festivity, family reunions and lavish feasts. In the USA this day is considered as one of the major family celebration generally celebrated at home with family and friends. The traditional dishes like Roasted turkeys, Cranberry sauce, Corns. Potatoes and Pumpkin pie are included in the Thanksgiving meal.

 

Why it is called Thanksgiving?

• It began as a day where people took the opportunity of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.

• In the US, the celebration is often recognised as an event that took place when English colonists held a feast to thank Native Americans for helping them start new lives in the US.

• “The First Thanksgiving” was celebrated after their first harvest in October, 1621. The feast lasted three days.

• Sarah Joseph Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady Book, a colonial women’s magazine, is believed to have made the celebration a national holiday in the US.

• In support of the proposed national holiday, Hale wrote letters to five presidents of the US. The letter she wrote to Lincoln convinced him to support legislation establishing a national holiday of thanksgiving in 1863.

Why is it celebrated with turkey?

• The use of the turkey in the US for Thanksgiving precedes Lincoln’s nationalisation of the holiday in 1863. In the 19th century, founding father Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that no “Citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.”
• Some give credit to Hale, whose accounts emphasised a roast turkey and eventually became the model for the festivities.

• Others believe the birds are large enough that they can feed many people, and they don’t serve a purpose like laying eggs or making milk.

• More than 50 million turkeys are served up in the US every year for Thanksgiving.

• Dating back to at least 1947, US presidents were gifted with turkeys at Thanksgiving. However, these turkeys were generally eaten.

“Walking the grounds of Gratitude,
I came upon the Palace of Happiness.” ~Brendon Burchard

I am truly grateful for all of you and appreciate the support. HappyThanksgiving and let’s be grateful every day!

Have an amazing day my Lovelies!

🍂🍃💛🍃🍂

 

Love Always , Devi Venkatesan

Source:  Google

Happy Karva Chauth/Karwa Chauth

Happy KarvaChauth !!

I have always loved festivities,the time starting from Janmashtami to Christmas.Colors,lights,music and rituals all around.Full of festive vibes and it feels awesome.It changes the bad mood and makes life colorful.Dress up and enjoy ! Celebrate life !

Some interesting facts about Karvachauth festival below.
Karva Chauth/Karwa Chauth is the day on which a wife keeps a fast and prays for her husband’s long life,prosperity and well-being .It is a Hindu festival widely celebrated in the North and northwestern parts of India. It celebrates love and it urges people to go the extra mile for their beloved.The festival was emerged also as a day for celebrating autumn. Karva means clay pot while chauth means fourth.

Karwa Chauth Recipe

Karwa Chauth is incomplete without Vermicelli Kheer. Preparing it is easy and does not take much time. Here’s how you can prepare this special Karwa Chauth recipe.
Ingredients
Seviyan or Vermicelli
Ghee or butter
Sugar
Milk
Dry fruits
Saffron

Method
In a heavy bottom pan, put some ghee or butter and let it melt. Add 1 cup or 250 gms of Seviyan to it and fry for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
Add around 3 cups of milk and allow it to boil. Add sugar to it and let it simmer for a few more minutes.
Lastly, put some saffron and dry fruits of your choice. Seviyan Kheer is ready to be served.
As Karwa Chauth, the day of love approaches, it’s time to get dressed in your finest clothes, to get your hands tattooed with pretty and delicate henna designs(mehandi),give and receive lovely Gifts,Fasting and Feasting .

It is time to fall in love all over again! Dress up and enjoy ! Celebrate life ! Enjoy the day !!

Devi Venkatesan

#DeviVenkatesan #mybloginspires
#HappyKarvaChauth  #IndianFestival  #festivities  #indianculture #karvachauth  #luckywife   #blessed  #diya  #mehandi  #love  #autumn     #Hindufestival

Onam Celebrations

Onam is the biggest festival in the Indian state of Kerala. Numerous festivals are celebrated in kerala,yet Onam is of prime importance and celebrated by people all over the state irrespective of religion .Onam Festival falls during the Malayali month of Chingam (Aug – Sep) and marks the homecoming of legendary King Mahabali. Onam is the harvest festival in Kerala.

Onam festival begins 10 days prior to actual date of festival. People start decorating their residences with beautiful flower arrangements days before the occasion. Onasadhya is prepared on the last day of Onam, called Thiruonam. People of Kerala wish to depict that they are happy and prosperous to their dear King Mahabali whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

Ten days of feasting, boat races, songs and dance are part of the festivities. Pookalam or floral decoration at the entrance of each house marks each day. Earthen mounds, which look like square pyramids, representing Mahabali and Vishnu are also placed in the dung-plastered courtyards. After traditional prayers and worship, the head of the household presents new clothes to the family and friends. This is followed by a lavish feast.

 

Dancing and sports also takes precedence this week. Certain dances like Kaikotikalli, are traditionally associated with Onam. Caparisoned elephants in spectacular procession, fireworks are also an integral part of the festivities. The Vallamkalli or the boat race is another event that is synonymous with Onam and is best seen at Aranmulla and Kottayam. About 100 oarsmen row huge and graceful snake boats and men and women come from far and near to watch the snake boats skim through the water.

Rangoli is considered very auspicious due to which it is an inevitable part of Hindu festivals. In kerala ‘Pookalam’ or the flower rangoli marks the festival of Onam.  ‘Poo’ means ‘flower’ and ‘Kalam’ means artwork. Floral Rangoli or the ‘Onam Kolam’ is a very important part of the Onam celebrations. 

Rich and the poor, everybody prepares Onasadya in a grand fashion as people of Kerala are extremely devotional and passionate when it comes to Onasadya.

This festival is also important because of its secular character.

Happy Onam friends !!

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #mybloginspires

Radha Ashtami

 

29th August  is Radha Ashtami

Hindus celebrate Radha Ashtami on 29th August .Radha is known to be an ‘avatar’ of Goddess Lakshmi.Radha Ashtami is celebrated 15 days after ‘Janmashtami’, the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna.

Radha Ashtami is commemorated as birth anniversary of Goddess Radha, the consort of Lord Krishna. It falls on Ashtami Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month.

Devotees keep fast on Radha Asthami day. Goddess Radha is worshipped during Madhyana Kaal which is noon time according to Hindu division of the day. Currently Radha Ashtami falls in the month of August or September in English calendar. Radha Ashtami is also known as Radhashtami and Radha Jayanti.

Radha Ashtami story is associated with the birth of Goddess Radha. Radha was born as a daughter to Vrishbhanu Gop. Her mother’s name was Kirti. According to Padma Purana, Radha ji has been said to be King Vrishbhanu’s daughter. According to Padma Purana, Vrishbhanu received Radhaji when he was cleaning the floor for organizing a Yagya. Vrishbhanu considered Radhaji to be his own daughter and took care of her.

 

It has also been mentioned in Padma Purana that Lord Vishnu asked his family members to come to planet Earth as incarnations before being born as Lord Krishna. Therefore, Goddess Laxmi who is Lord Vishnu’s wife incarnated as Radhaji. According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Radha was a friend to Lord Krishna whose love and devotion was unfathomable. She was married to a person named Rapan or Rayan. Radhaji is also considered to be Lord Krishna’s loverIt is mentioned in the Hindu scriptures, the observer of the Radha Ashtami vrat will be blessed with a prosperous and happy life. the person will overcome all his obstacles, attain the materialistic desires and finally attain salvation. It is believed that after observing the Radha Ashtami fast and worshipping Goddess Durga, the person will be freed from all their sins. Their minds will be cleared from negative and bad thoughts and he/she will attain spiritual bliss.

Happy Festive Celebrations !!

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #mybloginspires

 

 

Happy Gokulashtami / Krishna Jayanti / Janmashtami

“Gokulashtami” or “Krishna Jayanti” or “Janmashtami” marks the celebration of the birth of Sri Krishna.Krishna Jayanthi, one of the biggest festivals celebrated all over India. Krishna is considered to be one of Lord Vishnu’s most glorious incarnations. Sri Krishna is Lord Vishnu’s eighth avatar (incarnation) on earth. The main object of this incarnation of Vishnu as Krishna, was to destroy the cruel King Kansa of Mathura.

 In the mid night of ashtami (8th day of krishnapaksha) in the month Shravana (July-August) Lord Krishna was born. People celebrate his birth by singing songs, Bhajans, play Krishna Leela. In Mathura and Brindavan, the celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami are very grand. Lord Krishna is said to be the powerful incarnations of Lord Vishnu who came to earth to end the rule of injustice and adharma. In North India, breaking of Dahi Handi is very popular. On Krishna Jayanthi, children in the house are dressed as little Krishna who steals butter with his friends. An elaborate puja is done in temples and households to Lord Krishna late in the evening. On that day, the people of the households prepare foods that are his favorite and are given as nivedhanam.

Plenty of Indian sweets are made during this festival.  Among these are Seedai, Appam, Murukku, Thattai, Aval payasam and so on. Most families keep a “vrat” or fast on this day. The fast is done all day and then one meal is had during the day.In the houses, mango leaves are tied to the doorways to mark the auspicious occasion. Colorful “Rangolis ” are drawn on the front yard. Inside the house, a small wooden mandap is erected and decorated with flowers and plantain leaves. An idol of a crawling baby Krishna is placed in a silver cradle which is then placed in the mandap. Lord Krishna’s idol is decorated with flowers and a crown and jewelry at times.

Om jaya jagadesha hare

Swami jaya jagadeesha hare

Bhakta janana ke sankata

Dena janana ke sankata

Kshana mei dura kare

Om jaya jagadesha hare

Jo dya wei phala pawei

Dukha veenashei manaka

Swami dukha veenashei manaka

Sukah sampati ghara awei

Sukah sampati ghara awei

Kasta mitei tana ka

Om jaya jagadesha hare

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #mybloginnspires

Aadi 18

ஆடிப் பெருக்கினைக் கொண்டாடுவதன் அவசியம்

சூரியன் தெற்கு நோக்கிப் பயணிக்கத் துவங்கும் மாதம் ஆடி. மழை ஆரம்பித்ததன் காரணமாக ஆறுகளில் நீர் பெருகும், அதனைக் கொண்டாடும் பண்டிகையே ஆடி பதினெட்டு. உழவு தலையாய பணியாய் இருந்த நம் சமூகத்தில் நீர் வரத்து எத்தகைய கொண்டாட்டத்திற்கு உரியதாக இருந்திருக்கும் என்பதை நாம் ஊகித்துக் கொள்ளலாம். மண் வளத்தின் குறியீடான பச்சையம்மனை வழிபட்டு முளைப்பாரி எடுத்து, கும்மி கொட்டி இயற்கையை சிலாகித்துக் கொண்டாடும் ஓர் அற்புதத் திருநாள் ஆடி பதினெட்டு.

தமிழர் பண்டிகை என்றுமே மதக் குறியீடுகளைக் கடந்து இயற்கையை முதன்மைப் படுத்தும் பண்டிகைகளாகவே இருக்கும் என்பதற்கு ஆடிப் பெருக்கு மிகச் சிறந்த சான்று.

இன்று கால ஓட்டத்தில் நகர வாழ்வில் நீர் வரத்தினைக் கொண்டாடும் தேவை அற்றுப் போயிருந்தாலும் நம் வரலாற்றினை நமக்கு உணர்த்தும் பண்டிகையாதலால் நாம் எங்கு இருந்தாலும் ஆடிப் பெருக்கினை சிறப்பான முறையில் கொண்டாடுவது தமிழர் எனும் அடையாளத்தினை தொடர்ந்து நாம் தக்க வைத்துக் கொள்ள கண்டிப்பாக உதவும்.

In English….

Sun’s shift in direction towards South happens in the month of Aadi. Water flow in the rivers starts in Aadi with the start of rainy season after a long dry summer. Aadi perukku is about celebrating the start of this water flow in the rivers. As farming is the primary occupation, water flow in the rivers should be the best opportunity for celebration. Aadi perukku is about a day of celebration which includes worshipping the Goddess of green land Pachaiamman, taking Mulaippari, singing Kummi etc.,

Tamil festivals are always about worshipping nature with out any religious marks and Aadi Perukku festival is one other best example for the same. With the change in life style and living places the importance of raising water levels in the river might not be as enthusiastic as before. But it is our duty to celebrate Tamil people’s most traditional Aadi perukku festival in order to keep our traditions live.

#devivenkatesan #mybloginspires

Happy Ramnavami

Sri Rama Navami is one of the important festivals celebrated in India.

This festival is celebrated to proclaim the birth of Lord SriRam, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The day generally falls in the months of March or April, every year. Ram symbolizes the good and is the destroyer of evil. The story of Rama’s life as described in the epic Ramayana defines the concept of dharma in the form of the ideal husband, wife, brother and parents. Ramanavami is a day which celebrates Lord Rama and all of the ideals associated with him in Hinduism.

It is celebrated by different names at different places such as in the Maharashtra it is celebrated by the name Chaitra Navratri, in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu it is celebrated by the name Vasanthothsava etc.

People celebrate this festival by decorating the statues of the Lord Rama, Mata Sita and Lord Hanuman. They prepare sweets perform the puja, On this day Panakam and Kosambari are distributed as prasadam. People involve in singing the devotional songs for whole day as well as listening the recitations from the various Hindu religious books.Vedic mantras are chanted by the religious people of the community at this occasion. Keeping fast at this day has another significance of getting body and mind purified. At some place, people perform a religious and cultural event called Ramlila to reveal the history of Ram in front of people.

Happy Ram Navami wishes to all
#LordRam #IndianFestival #HinduFestival #Ramayana #Ramanavami #Ramnavami

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #luckymominspires

Aadi Month

Do you know why Aadi is an auspicious month in the Tamil calendar?
Aadi is the fourth month of the Tamil calendar and is the period when the summer heat wanes and the rains begin to fill up the shrunken water bodies. According to Hindu belief, this is a time when the night of the Gods begins so humans are discouraged from conducting any auspicious activities as the Gods will not bless them. It is instead considered to be a good time for festivals and connecting to divinity.
Aadi comes during the Dakshinayana period when daylight is shortest in the Northern hemisphere. Traditionally, the period from mid-summer to mid-winter is also called pitryana or path of the ancestors and was considered to be a good time for ancestor worship. Aadi Amavasya is a day set aside for this ancestor worship.
Other festivals in this month are Aadi Pirappu that marks the beginning of this festive month. It is especially important for newly-weds. Aadi Pooram dedicated to Goddess Aandal, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Aadi perukku, which is a monsoon thanksgiving festival. Aadi Sundays, Aadi Tuesdays (adi chevvai and Aadi Fridays (Aadi velli) are important days. Varalakshmi puja is observed by women on an Aadi Friday. Another festival celebrated in this month is Puthukku paal where snakes are worshipped. The last important celebration is Aadi Krithigai, a day to appease Murugan and ward off negative forces and obstacles.

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #mybloginspires

VaraLakshmi Poojai/Nonbu

How to perform Varamahalakshmi Puja?

Varalakshmi Puja or Varalakshmi Vratham is an important ritual observed by married women in South India and Maharashtra( known as Varadaa Lakshmi) for the prosperity and welfare of their families. Varalakshmi Vratham will be celebrated on the Friday prior to the full moonday in Shravana, usually second Friday in the month of Shravana.

The devotee intending to do the puja should wake up early in the morning on Friday
take a bath(mangala snana). Traditionally speaking the waking up time for the puja is the brahma muhurtham. Then the designated puja area and house should be spotlessly cleaned and a beautiful rangoli,generally ashtadala padma or Hrudaya Kamala design rangoli is to be drawn on the intended place of puja.

Next is the preparation of the kalasha. A bronze or silver pot is selected and and is smeared with sandalwood paste/turmeric/kumkum/lime and red soil. The kalasham pot is filled with raw rice/wheat or water, coins, whole betelnut, five different kinds of leaves(pancha pallava), and five fruits/dry fruits like Badam, cashew, pista, raisins,dry dates, etc if the kalasha is small (pancha phala) and branched turmeric route. The items used to fill the kalasham vary from region to region and includes turmeric, comb, mirror, small black/green bangles and black beads and other auspicious items.
Then 5 or 8 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 face made of silver or brass is fixed or the image of Lakshmi is drawn using turmeric powder. Now the kalasha symbolically represents Goddess VaramahaLakshmi.keep separate kalasha for Yamuna puje

Padma/lotus design will be drawn and peetham/flat wooden stand will be placed upon it. A cup of raw-rice is spread over upon this peetha and Kalasha will be placed on the rice bed.

A small Ganesha image will be placed in the right corner of Peetham and a piece of jaggery or banana will be placed before Ganapathi for naivedyam. Image of Lakshmi Narayana will be placed in front of Kalasham.

These items should be readily available for puja:
1. Turmeric powder /Kumkum/Sindhoor/sandalwood paste/mantrakshatha-whole rice grain colored with turmeric and lime or kumkum
2. Sweet scented flowers like jasmine, lotus, champagne, kewda, oleander etc and Garland
3. Gejjevastra, Garland made of cotton colored with kumkum for offering as divine clothing.
4. Nine line thread with nine knots dipped in turmeric water and knots highlighted with kumkum for wearing as dorakam after puja
5. Fruits/sweets and offerable food items for naivedyam and betel leaves, betel nuts, clove, elaichi, and lime paste for mukhavasa/tambulam
6.One pot full water for puja and cup of water for achamana.
7. Lamps, arathi, camphor, incense items for dhoop deepam.
8.Milk, curd,ghee,honey,sugar, fruits for panchamrutham.

Now start puja with achamana, sankalpa, Ganesha puja.
Do shodashopachara puja(16 upacharas) by reciting Shreesukta or any other puja mantra

1.Dhyana- say Lakshmi dhyana mantra and think that the Goddess has appeared before you in the form of kalasha.

2.Avahana- Pray Goddess to invoke her gracious presence in kalasha.

3.Asana- offer seat to Goddess

4.Padya- offer water to the feet of Mahalakshmi

5.Arghya- offer water in the hands of Mahalakshmi

6.Achamana- offer water for drinking

7.Madhuparka, punarachamana- offer coconut water/ honey and water

8.Snana-Pachamrutha and Mahabhisheka- do abhishekam to small image placed before kalasha or sprinkle water to kalasha with a flower

9.Gandha- offer sandalwood paste, turmeric kumkum etc

10.Akshatha: offer manthrakshata

11.Vastra- offer cloth and/or gejje vastra

12.Abharana: offer golden ornaments and touch the mangala suthra already tied to the neck of kalasha or image.

13.Pushpa: offer flowers and decorate with Garlands.

Nama puja/Anga puja/ pushpa puja/ pathra puja/ ashtottara kumkumarchana
Recite divine names of Mahalakshmi and worship all parts of the body starting from holy feet to face. Worship with different flowers and sacred leaves like tulasi bilwa etc. Do Kumkumarchane by offering a kumkum by chanting 108 holy names of Mahalakshmi.

Do doraka puja and granthi puja(holy thread and its knots)
14.Dhoopa- offer incense
15.Deepa- do arathi and show divine light
16.Naivedya- offer food items and fruits.

Paneeya- offer water/panakam-lime juice

Tambula-betel leaves and nuts.

Prasannarghya-offer water with flower and kumkum at the holy feet

Prarthana-pray the Goddess
Finally do mangalarathi and read Varamahalakshmi vratha katha/mythological story behind observing this puja.

Now the sacred thread may be tied to the right wrist of the women who performed puja. While wearing this thread she should either hold kumkum bowl or a whole fruit in her right hand.

Do arathi in the evening. Chant Shlokas and sing songs in praise of Goddess Mahalakshmi. Invite married women to home and offer them Kumkum thambulam and other auspicious items.

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. If rice/wheat is used then it is to be used for making sweet dish to be consumed by the family members only.

This is a simple way of observing the vrath and the procedure may vary from region to region and from one family tradition to another.

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #mybloginspires

Sankatahara Chaturthi #HomeDecor

Hindu God Ganesha

My simple Friday home décor

The Vakratunda Mahakaya Shlok Mantra

“Vakra-Tunndda Maha-Kaaya Surya-Kotti Samaprabha

Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryeshu Sarvadaa”

The meaning in English of this Lord Ganesha mantra (actually in Sanskrit) is –
“O one with a majestic trunk, a massive form and the radiance of a million suns, I pray to you to remove the obstacles from all my endeavors, always.”

Ganesh Moola Mantra

“Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Glaum Gum Ganapataye Vara Varad Sarvajan janmay Vashamanaye Swaha Tatpurushaye Vidmahe Vakratundaye Dhimahi Tanno Danti Prachodyat Om Shantih Shantih Shantihi”

The God Ganesh mool mantra is believed to create a powerful aura around one’s body because of the cosmic energy in the sound vibrations of the Sanskrit words. This mantra is uniquely musical and lifts the mind to a state of trance. Lord Ganesha Mool Mantra in Tamil or in any other language is also very powerful and is widely chanted during Puja’s and Yagya’s to please Lord Ganesha. It brings peace, good luck, success and removes all obstacles from one’s life if incanted in the proper way .

Note : This is the picture downloaded from my other blog I’ve recently deleted because of  frequent login issues.Thanks for understanding !

#HomeDecor #Mantra #LordGanesha  #DeviVenkatesan #mybloginspires

 

 

Happy Ugadi/Yugadhi / New Year

Ugadi/Yugadhi is celebrated as New Year’s Day for the Hindus of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana states in India. This day falls in March or April month. The festive ceremonies of Ugadi are observed in harmony with the joy and beauty of nature to mark the beginning of growth, affluence and prosperity for everyone.

People start this special festive day early with  ritual showers and wear new clothes, draw beautiful Kolam (Rangoli) on the space just outside theirhomes. The main entrance, doors and windows of houses are decorated with fresh green mango leaves called thoranam. The people visit temples to seek divine blessings for health, wealth, success and prosperity in the New Year. 

The Pachadi is a special festive food that combines all flavors – sweet, sour, salty, bitter. The ingredients of the dish symbolize the different phases and experiences of life that everyone undergoes during the journey from cradle to grave.

#Ugadi #NewYear  #DeviVenkatesan #mybloginspires

Mrityunjaya Mantra

Pradosham poojai at home .Simple Linga alankar with flowers.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

Tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam ǀ
Urvārukam-iva bandhanātmṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt

 

Benefits of recitation: 

• It is said to be good for mental, emotional & physical health.
• Helps with Longevity of life.
• Helps attain immortality (enlightenment)

#Pradosham #tableDecor #DeviInspires #DeviVenkatesanj #LordShiva #Linga #MrityunjayaMantra

Happy Friday ! Sankatahara Chaturthi

Simple table decor with flowers (Rose and Jasmine)
Made Vadai and Sweet pongal.

Devi Venkatesan

#DeviInspires #mybloginspires

#TableDecor #Decor #Decoration #Poojai #LordGanesha #Friday

 

Devi Venkatesan

#devivenkatesan #mybloginspires