Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Details of our key contributors ..................................................................................................................... 4
Painting of Periva & Ambal ........................................................................................................................... 5
Sri Maha Perivas discourses on Ambal ........................................................................................................ 6
Hear Sri Maha Perivas discourse about Ambal .......................................................................................... 11
Sri Durga Pancharatna Stotram .................................................................................................................. 12
The Philosophy of Navaratri Golu ............................................................................................................... 13
Significance of Navaratri ............................................................................................................................. 14
The South Indian Way of Observing Navaratri ........................................................................................... 15
Navaratri Puja ............................................................................................................................................. 18
Navaratri Songs ........................................................................................................................................... 19
Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar .................................................................................................................... 19
Dikshitars Kritis .................................................................................................................................... 20
Maharaja Swati Tirunal ......................................................................................................................... 20
Swati Tirunal Kritis ............................................................................................................................... 20
Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi ..................................................................................................................... 21
Oottukkadu Navavarana Kritis ............................................................................................................. 21
Navaratri Naivedhyam Recipes ................................................................................................................... 23
Recipe # 1 Ven Pongal and Peanut Sundal ....................................................................................... 23
Recipe # 2 - Moong Dal Sundal ............................................................................................................. 24
Recipe # 3 - Arachu Vitta Sundal .......................................................................................................... 24
Recipe # 4 - Yellow Peas Sundal........................................................................................................... 25
Recipe # 5 Kadambam Sundal ........................................................................................................... 26
Recipe # 6 Sweet Green Gram Sundal .............................................................................................. 26
Recipe # 7 - Sweet Black Eyed Beans Sundal (Vellai Karamani Vella Sundal) ................................. 27
Recipe # 8 - Black Channa Sundal garnished with sliced coconut pieces ......................................... 27
Recipe # 9 Bengal Gram Sweet Sundal ............................................................................................. 28
Tamboolam Offerings ................................................................................................................................. 28
Ebook on 51 Shakti Peethas ........................................................................................................................ 29
Ambal Darshan - Painting by Sri B.Narayanan ............................................................................................ 31
Page 2 of 31
Page 3 of 31
Page 4 of 31
Page 5 of 31
Page 6 of 31
Page 7 of 31
Page 8 of 31
Gnaanaambikai
'Sri Vidya' is the name for paying special attention to Ambal in
devotion. 'Vidya', means knowledge. 'Avidya' is ignorance or
absence of Gnanam. Ambal is the Mother who nurtures Her
children with the milk of human kindness, awareness and
knowledge. So She is also the first teacher and Guru. Keno
Upanishad from the Sama Veda says that, She imparted knowledge
to all the Devatas too.
Like the fragrance and flower, milk and its taste, word and its
meaning, She is the inseparable Gnana Shakthi of God Parameswara
Himself. Similarly, She is the inseparable Sister of Sriman Narayana
too.
Page 9 of 31
Page 10 of 31
Page 11 of 31
Click on the below link for an excellent rendering on this stotram by Smt. M S Subbulakshmi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axMIZXTtWlM
Page 12 of 31
Page 13 of 31
Significance of Navaratri
Navaratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Sakthi.
The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights.
During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is
commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dussera.
The festival commences on the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Puratasi. Navaratri is
celebrated all over India in different ways.
In Gujarat people celebrate the festival with garba and dandiya. In West Bengal they make pandals, and
worship idols of Goddess Durga. Exquisitely crafted and decorated clay idols and set up and they are
immersed in the river on the fifth day.
In Tamil Nadu, people set up steps and place idols on them. It is called the Golu. The first three days
goddess Durga is worshipped, in order to destroy all our impurities. The second three days Goddess
Lakshmi is worshipped, who bestows her devotees with wealth and abundance. And the final three days
Goddess of Wisdom, Saraswati is worshipped.
On the 9th day, Saraswati pooja is performed, all books are stacked along with an idol of the
goddess. Ayudha Pooja is also performed on this day. All kinds of tools and equipments are cleaned and
worshipped . Even vehicles, shops are decorated and pooja is perfomed.
They distribute sweets and flattened rice mixed with peanuts, fried gram, jaggery. The 10th day, Vijaya
Dasami - Its the day when evil is destroyed by good and a new prosperous beginning is made.
All new ventures started on this day is believed to flourish. All kids read a book from the stack of books
kept along with the idol on Saraswati pooja. Many parents admit their children to play school or other
arts courses on this day.
Page 14 of 31
Getting Ready
Get the house cleaned and ready. You are inviting Goddess into the home. Usually this is
done on the Amavasai day, a day before the beginning of Navaratri.
Mango leaf festoons are installed on doors, windows and in puja room. Fresh Kolams are
drawn.
If you are keeping Golu, get all the Golu dolls ready.
Decide upon the Bommai Golu Theme.
Plan early about the pooja prasadam (neivedya) and also about the gifts that you plan to
give to women guests.
If you are keeping Kolu dolls, purchase new dolls at least a couple of new ones. The most
important doll needed is the Marapachi dolls (Male and Female pair of dolls).
A pot for Kalasha or Kumbha (brass pot)
Face of Goddess to be stuck on Kalasha. It is fine if you do not opt for this.
Sweets
Ingredients of the Prasadam to be prepared (this depends on what neivediya you are
preparing)
Betel leaves
Betel nuts
Bananas
Coconut
Usual fruits
Usual pooja items like lamp, incense, agarbathis etc.
Lotus flower for Goddess Saraswathi and Goddess Lakshmi. Jasmine for Durga. Avoid wild
flowers.
Page 15 of 31
Dolls of animals, birds and insects should be kept in last row, the base.
Dolls of farmers, householders, vendors, etc should be in the next step.
Dolls of saints, and mahans should be kept next
Dolls of incarnations such as Dasavathara, Krishna, Rama should be kept next.
Dolls of Ambal, Shivan, Vishnu, Lakshmi should be kept on the uppermost step.
Page 16 of 31
Page 17 of 31
Navaratri Puja
Generally, the women perform all the pujas during Navaratri. That does not stop the male members
doing their share of pujas, just goes to add that women get a special preference and rights for doing
their puja around this festival.
You have already installed the Goddess in the form of Purna Kumbha. Light a lamp morning
and evening on all nine days.
Elaborate pujas are conducted in the evening.
Other women (relatives, friends and neighbours) are invited for the puja in the evening.
The first three days is dedicated to Goddess Durga.
The next three days is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi.
The final three days is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi.
Fresh kolams are drawn on all nine days.
Shlokas that are recited on nine days include Durga Ashtotaram, Devi Mahatmiyam,
Shyamala Dhandakam, Lakshmi Sahasranama, Lakshmi Ashototaram, Lalitha Sahasranama,
Saraswathi Stotram, Saraswathi Ashototaram.
Daily Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam is chanted in the morning and a neivedhyam generally
payasam/pongal made with jaggery is offered in the morning. To appease the navagraha deities,
sundal is offered as neivedhyam in the evening.
Friends and relatives are invited home and offered haldi, kum kum and ravikkai thuni(blouse bits)
along with sundal and other snacks. Children & women also exercise their vocal chords by
rendering devotional songs . Daily aarthi is performed to the deity at the end of the day.
On Saraswathi puja day, all books and tools( ayudha) are placed in front of Goddess Saraswathi and
Saraswathi puja is performed.
The tenth day is Vijayadashmi day an auspicious day for starting good tasks and initiating
children into education called Akshara abhysam. After the prayers and puja, one doll in the golu
padi is made to sleep on the rack perhaps symbolizing the end of the festival.
Page 18 of 31
Navaratri Songs
One of the other things that is very unique and special for the Navaratri festival is the rendering of
songs every evening for the Golu and the deities. Devotional songs of all types ranging from the
most classical (full of swarajatis) to the simplest ones are sung by women folk both at their own
homes and in front of the Golu at other homes, which they visit regularly.
In this section, we shall specifically focus on the Nava-Avarana-Kritis, which are unique, very rich in
tantric content, and extremely pleasing to the listener as well. There are three broad categories of
navavarana kritis penned by Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, Maharaja Sri Swati Tirunal and by
Oothukkadu Kavi.
Page 19 of 31
Dikshitars Kritis
The 9 kritis are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The rendering of these Kritis are considered to be extremely challenging owing to the complexity of
the words and the notations. The D.K. Pattamal and D.K. Jayaraman school are considered to be
specialists in the rendering of these compositions. It requires years of training to render them to
perfection.
You can listen to the Kritis online by clicking on the below link:
http://www.raaga.com/player4/?id=268147,268148,268149,268150,268151,268152,268153,268
154,268155,268156,268157
Page 20 of 31
Tala
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Adi
Adi
Adi
Adi
Misra Chapu
Adi
Misra Chapu
Misra Chapu
Adi
Sankarabharanam
Kalyani
Saveri
Todi
Bhairavi
Pantuvarali
Shudha Saveri
Natta Kurinji
Arabhi
Page 21 of 31
You can listen to the Kamakshi Navavarana Kritis, by downloading the audio files. Click the below
link to download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?x69c9e880l61i65
Page 22 of 31
Page 23 of 31
Place the peanuts in a cooking vessel, inside the pressure cooker and add sufficient salt. Add
enough water.
Cook for at least 2-3 whistles.
Drain all the water
Take a kadai or wok and add a spoon of coconut oil.
When the oil is hot, add mustard, curry leaves, hing and immediately the cooked peanuts.
Allow to saute for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, grind the coconut and green chillies without adding any water in the mixer for a
few seconds. Set aside.
When the contents of the kadai are well mixed and sauted, add the ground coconut mix.
Add a little more salt only if needed.
Page 24 of 31
Page 25 of 31
Grind the coconut and green chillies without any water in to a coarse mix. Set aside.
In a kadai, add a spoon of coconut oil and when it is hot, add mustard, curry leaves and a
dash of hing.
Immediately add the cooked yellow peas and a little salt and hing as required.
Garnish with the coconut-chilli mix and incorporate it well in to the peas.
Page 26 of 31
Recipe # 7 - Sweet Black Eyed Beans Sundal (Vellai Karamani Vella Sundal)
Ingredients
1 cup Black Eyed Beans (Vella Karamani)
3/4 cup grated Jaggery or soft brown sugar.
Water to cook.
1 tsp of Cardamom Powder.
1 spoon of ghee.
Preparation
Soak the Black Eyed Beans in water for at least 4-5 hours prior to preparation of Sundal.
Cook in the pressure cooker until you get one whistle and then reduce the heat and cook in
low for ten minutes and then switch off.
Drain the water
Rest of the procedure is the same as in Green Gram Sundal given above
Recipe # 8 - Black Channa Sundal garnished with sliced coconut pieces
Ingredients
1 cup Black Channa.
Water to cook
Salt
Oil
Mustard
Curry Leaves
4 dry red chillies
1/4 cup of finely slit coconut pieces.
Preparation
Soak the black channa for at least 6 hours prior to cooking.
Page 27 of 31
Put in a wide mouthed container, add salt, turmeric and add just enough water to cover the
channa.
Cook in a pressure cooker. Wait for one whistle and then reduce the flame and keep for ten
minutes and then switch off.
Drain the water
Take a kadai, add 2 spoons of coconut oil. When the oil is hot add mustard, curry leaves,
hing, dry red chillies and then the cooked channa.
Mix well and wait until the seasoning ingredients are mixed well in to the legumes.
Garnish with finely sliced coconuts
Ingredients
Bengal gram dal - 2 cups
Salt - 1/2 a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsps
Sugar - 6 tbsps
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch
Fresh coconut gratings - 6 tbsps
Preparation
1.Dry roast bengal gram dal on low flame till it gives out a pleasant aroma.
2. Switch off flame and add 4 cups of water and allow the roasted dal to soak in it for half an hour.
3. After half an hour switch on flame and cook the dal in the same water adding the salt till it
becomes soft but not mushy.
4. Drain the dal and keep aside.
5. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cooked and drained dal and saute till dry.
6. Add 3 tbsps of sugar and stir till it melts and becomes dry again.
7. Allow to cool and then mix in the remaining sugar and cardamom powder.
8.Garnish with fresh coconut gratings.
Tamboolam Offerings
If you are giving gifts to women invited for Navaratri Pooja, then the tamboolam plate will typically
consists of the following
Betel Leaves
Betel Nuts
Areca Nuts
Kumkum
Turmeri
Small Mirror
Comb
Bangles
Page 28 of 31
Page 29 of 31
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the following blogs and websites which contained a treasure of
information for compiling this Ebook on Navaratri Festival.
http://vegeyum.wordpress.com
http://anubhavati.wordpress.com
http://www.hindu-blog.com
http://www.padhuskitchen.com
http://momscorner.blogspot.in
http://advaitham.blogspot.in
Page 30 of 31
Page 31 of 31