2019 Tulasi Pooje Pictures & Updates

A few updates:

The blog has reached 13 million( 130 lakhs) visitors. It is just mind blowing to even see that number. Even more so when so many of you have become my extended family. The love and affection I have received from you all is something only 1 in that 13 million can get and I am humbled to be that one person.

Also, last post I had informed about my Mom. By your prayers she is getting better, takes time. Your prayers have been heard. The emails you all sent was truly a blessing from our beloved Rayaru. My namaskars to you all.

And finally, below are some pictures from the Tulasi Vivaha. It has been a hectic few months with work pressure, but it was Friday evening and we were able to perform the pooje.

Once again, my heartfelt namaskars to you all. Since it is winter all plants have come inside now.

Updated : Dasara – Navarathri – September 29th – October 8th 2019

Dasara is celebrated all over India as a religious as well as a social festival. Nava means nine and rathri means night and so Navarathri means nine nights. Some call it as Navarathri, some as Vijaya Dashami, and some as Dussehra. Doesn’t matter what you call, does it?

This year Dasara is celebrated from September 29th  October 8th 2019. Please check the dates in the country you are residing.

From day one of the festival, it is customary to keep a Kalasha (ಕಲಶ), this is filled with water(ನೀರು) and 4 betel leaves(ವೀಳೆದೆಲೇ) are arranged as shown below in the pictures.Apply Haldi (ಆರಿಶಿನ) , Kumkum(ಕುಂಕುಮ), and flowers, gejje vastra (ಗೆಜ್ಜೆ ವಸ್ತ್ರ) as shown again. This Kalasha is kept in front of the Pattada Gombe (ಪಟ್ಟದ ಗೊಂಬೆ) which is given during the marriage to the bride. This ಪಟ್ಟದ ಗೊಂಬೆ signifies Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi. Again, see pictures below. These ಪಟ್ಟದ ಗೊಂಬೆ are decorated with different jewelery, crown, bangles, dresses every few years.

If you are keeping an elaborate Gombe (Dolls), than the Kalasha and the Pattada Bombe are placed on the top shelf. And all other arrangements follow next.

Even though all the 10 days and nine nights are important, there are a few major days where pooja is done with great devotion and pomp.
Those days are as follows:

• Saraswathi Pooja – October 6th
  Read more about Saraswathi Pooje here.
• Durgasthami – October 6th
  
• Ayoodha Pooja – Mahanavami – October 7th. Read more about Ayoodha Pooja here.
• Vijayadashami – October 8th
  

Devotional Songs for Dasara:

• Lyrics on Lord Sreenivasa

• Lyrics on Goddess Lakshmi

Dasara Pictures around the world:

• Dasara Pictures

Food Prepared during Dasara

• Authentic Madhwa Dishes

• Sweet Dosa for Saraswati Pooja

Other links posted on the blog:

• Navaratri-Dussera in Brief

• Amazing Rangoli of Shri Madhwacharya

• Dasara Celebration – Iskcon Temple in DC

• Amazing Rangoli for Dasara from Smt. Padmini

• 2009 Dasara Festival at my Sister’s Place

• Rangoli Designs for Dasara

Ganesha Festival Pictures 2019

Hope you all had a wonderful Gowri and Ganesha festival. As we do every year, we visited performed Gowri Pooje at my sisters place. Ganesha festival was done at my place. I had my Sister’s family in the morning, and a few of my friends in the evening for pooje. The Ganesha idol was prepared by my niece Shwetha.

It was quite hectic performing the pooje, and cooking all the items. We missed having our daughter since she already started her residency.

Attached are a few pictures. I am late this time, since was sick after the Ganesha festival and also got very busy with work.

Gowri Ganesha Festival Preparation & Recipes

This year Gowri Ganesha Festival is celebrated on September 1st and 2nd 2019.

So, this post is to help all of you prep for this festival and get the blessings of Gowri and Ganesha.

Gowri Habba Preparation:

• Prep for all the pooja items like Haldi, Kumkum, Mantrakshate, Gejje Vastra.
• Make sure you have Rangoli, if you don’t have the dry powder, use Kundan Rangoli, a chalk and draw. If even that is not available, take some printouts and use them. I have used a combination of all of them as seen below. Draw small feet of Lord Ganesha from the front door.
• Make sure you have camphor, Agarbathi and also soaked cotton for Mangalaruthi.
• Buy all the ingredients required for the Maradha Bhagina. The  two posts which have already been published are linked below:

  • ಮರದ ಬಾಗಿಣ ಮತ್ತು ಮಹತ್ಬಗಳು – Importance of giving Maradha Bhagina

  • Swarna Gowri Vratha – Marada Bhagina Items

• Buy fruits, Coconut, Banana leaves, Mango leaves, Betel leaves and nuts.
• Buy plenty of flowers.
• If you are performing Panchamruta abhisheka, buy all items required for that.
• A list of all food items which can be prepared is added at the end of this post.

Ganesha Habba Preparation:

• All pooja items as listed in Gowri Habba.
• In addition to all fruits, flowers get lots of garike and leaves for Lord Ganesha.
• The key food items made are 21 Modaka, 21 Kadabu and 21 Chakkali. Recipes listed all the way at the end.
• Offer Gejje Vastra. Usually fancy ones are offered here. 16 strings or some times 21 strings.

Food Items for Gowri Ganesha Festival:

 

Kosambari ಕೋಸಂಬರಿ

1. Cucumber Kosambari

2. ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ ಕೊಸಂಬರಿ – Channa Dal Kosambari

ಚಟ್ನಿ Chutney

1. Channa Dal or Kadale Bele Chutney

2. Coconut Chutney

3. Pudina or Mint Chutney

4. Mint Mango Chutney – ಫುದಿನಾ ಮಾವಿನಕಾಯಿ ಚಟ್ನಿ

Bonda – ಬೋಂಡ ಭಜ್ಜಿ Bhajji

1. Heerekayi Bonda

2. Red and Green Capsicum Bonda or Fritters

3. Aloo Methi Pakoda

4. Ambode

5. Bombai (Aloo) Bonda

6. Sabhudani Vada – Gluten Free

ಸಿಹಿ ತಿಂಡಿಗಳು- Sweet Dishses

1. Badam Poori

2. Kayi Kadabu

3. Dry Coconut kadabu

4. Coconut Burfi

5. Mango Rasayana or seekarane

6. Pineapple Kesaribath

7. Steamed Modaka – ಮೋದಕ

ಪಾಯಸ – Payasa – Kheer

1. ಶಾವಿಗೆ ಪಾಯಸ – Vermicelli Kheer

2. Evaporated MilkyWay ಶಾವಿಗೆ ಪಾಯಸ – Vermicelli Kheer

3. Gasgase or Poppy seeds Payasa

ಸಾರು ಹುಳಿ ಕೂಟು – Rasam Sambar Kootu

1. Hesaru Bele Thove

2. Ridegourd Thove

3. Sweet or Sihi Kootu

4. Sandige Huli Recipe

5. ರಾಯರ  ಕೂಟು – Spicy Kootu Made in Sree Raghavendra Swamy Mutt

ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ ಮೊಸರು ಅಡಿಗೆಗಳು – Yogurt Based Dishes

1. Majjige Huli

2. ಹಸಿ ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ ಹುಳಿ – Hasi Majjige Huli

3. ಬೂದ ಕುಂಬಳಕಾಯಿ ಮಜ್ಜಿಗೆ ಹುಳಿ  – Winter Melon Majjige Huli

ಗೊಜ್ಜು – Gojju

1. Gojju

2. Cucumber Gojju

Gowri-Ganesha Festival – September 1st and 2nd

Pooja preparations:

Gejje Vastra and Flowers getting ready to be offered to God.

Fruits and coconut for Lord Ganesha:

Kadabu, Modaka and Idli for Lord.

After the morning pooja and naivedya.

Close up of the Lord.

Evening Pooje.

Chakkali prepared by my Husband for the Lord.

Mangalaruthi and evening naivedya chakali for the Lord to request him to come home every year.

The Ganesha festival falls on the fourth day Bhadrapada Masa. That’s why we say “Bhadrapada Shulkada Chauthi Aamdu”. Swarna Gouri Vrata and Ganesha Festival is celebrated on September 1st and 2nd.

As always, check your closet temple to find the correct dates.

An idol of Gowri made of clay is brought two days before the Ganesha festival. Gowri is an incarnation of Parvathi. Gowri Habba, also called as Swarna Gowri Habba is celebrated one day before Ganesha Festival.

The Legend:

Goddess Gowri, while taking shower, created Ganesha out of the mud of and placed him at the entrance of the house. She told him not to allow anyone to enter while she went inside for a bath. Lord Shiva returned home and was stopped by Ganesha at the gate. Shiva became angry and cut off Ganesha’s head. When Gauri came to know of this she was grieved.

Lord Shiva ordered his servants to cut off and bring to him the head of any creature that might be sleeping with its head facing north. The servants went on their mission and found only an elephant in that position. Lord Shiva then joined the elephant’s head onto the body of Ganesha.

Mr. Lakshmisha P, had left a comment here that he had the pdf files for the Swarnagowri vratha puja & katha. Attached below are the links for both the pdf files he has provided.
Thanks so much Me. Lakshmisha for all the support and also the time you have taken to convert this into pdf.

• swarnagowri_katha
• swarnagowri_vratha_puja
• Marada Bhagina for Swarna Gowri Vrata
• Sampradaayada Haadu On Goddess Gowri 

We used to sing at the top of our voice “Ganesha bhanda, kai kadubu tinda, chikka kerele edda, dodda kereli bidda”.

Lord Ganesha is not just worshiped on this day, but is worshiped first in all occasions since he is considered to be the remover of all obstacles, one who brings good luck on new activities or endeavors.

As always links for several resources songs, lyrics and stotras are posted on this blog.

• Lord Ganesha & Gowri Lyrics

P.S: If you would like to get email updates on when new articles are added, you can subscribe by clicking on the left hand side on the “RSS Feed“. It will take you to a new page, and you can enter your email ID.

And here comes the link which has colorful and many designs for drawing Rangoli

• Rangoli Designs

And can any festival be complete without authentic dishes? Here are some recipes posted in this blog:

• Festival Recipes

In case you see the moon on this day, here is the sloka you are supposed to say:

ಚೌತಿ ಚಂದ್ರ ದರ್ಶನ ಅಪವಾದ ಪರಿಹಾರಕ್ಕಾಗಿ

ಸಿಂಹಃ ಪ್ರಸೇನಮವಧೀತ್
ಸಿಂಹೋ ಜೌ0ಬವತಾ ಹತಃ |
ಸುಕುಮಾರಕ ಮಾರೋದಿಃ
ತವಹ್ಯೇಷ ಸ್ಯ್ಮಮಂತಕಃ ||

Simha prasenamavadith
simho jambhuvatha hathah |
sukumaraka marodhihi
thavahyesha syamanthakaha ||

P.S: The above sloka in Kannada is exactly as it is in the Uttaradi Matta Panchanga. Rather than taking a picture, I typed in the words. The English translation is done from the Kannada sloka to the best of my knowledge.

As always no food is prepared with onion or garlic.

• KannadaAudio.com

 

2019 Shree Krishna Pooja Pictures

Hope you all had a wonderful and joyous Shree Krishna Jayanthi/Janmasthami. The festival was on a Friday, so I tool two days off on Thursday and Friday.

Last year I had just recovered from my ankle fracture, so this year I had so much enthusiasm to celebrate and welcome our Lord. Didn’t even have a drop of water.

My own blog helped in getting all the links for songs, food items and recipes.

Food prepration like you see were items such as:

• • Moong dal Kosambari
  • Channa dal Kosambari
  • Uppittu or Upma
  • Avalakki
  • Sweet Avalakki
  • Thengolu
  • Om Pudi
  • Shankar Poli
  • Chakli

• Rava Laddoo
• Besan Laddoo

I had brought the Mantapa my Late brother-in-law used to perform Shree Satyanarayana Pooje. We were able polish the same, and use it for this festival and will keep using it for all upcoming festivals. I just couldn’t take away my eyes from the Pooje we did. It was truly humbling.

Some picture from this year. You can click on pictures to see them enlarged.

Pooje preparation:

Close up of our Mantapa and the Lord.

And of course food.

Now for the next big festival Shree Gowri Ganesha Festival. We have holiday even for Gowri and Ganesha festival so that’s super awesome.

Will post all links and recipes as we approach the festival.

May Lord Krishna Bless us all. Jai Shree Krishna!

Update: Pushya Nakshatra and Thursday – July 4th 2019

Update: Rayaru today at Mantralaya – July 4th 2019.

The common interpretation of Pushyaarka Yoga is the combination of Pushya Nakshatra and Thursday or Sunday.This common interpretation is when moon entering Pushya nakshatra on Thursday  or Sunday is PushyArka yoga .

July 4th 2019 is Pushya Nakshatra and Thursday.

Raghavendra Mutta says “On this Holy day one should Recite or Chant Guru Stotra ( Raghavendra Stotra)s, Singing songs will bring happiness and prosperity in your life.”

The significance of this day is also mentioned in Rayara Stotra – 27th Stanza.

Anyone who recites this holy Sri Raghavendra Stotram 108 times with intense devotion, on the occasion of solar/lunar eclipse or the combination of Sunday with the star Pushya, will be relieved of all evil influence, e.g., haunting etc. (27)

You can find more details about this great day below in the link:

• http://www.raghavendramutt.org/stories/significance-pushya-arka-yoga

To find lyrics on Rayaru, please visit this page:

• Sree Raghavendra Swamy

The Raghavendra Stotra to be recited is posted here:

Shri Raghavendra Stotra or Shri Poornabhodha Stotra Lyrics/