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Showing posts from July, 2012

Significance of Nag Panchami

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“Panchami habba, panchammi habba… Uladava dinn naakk, anna barlilla yak kariyakk…” goes the song. My elder brother at Bangalore even today, recollects and reminds everyone that as a child of 4-5 years old, I use to sing this song quite often. More than the song or significance of the Nag Panchami, it was the “Swing” I was attracted to a lot. And I loved one to be tied at my house too. Of course, my brothers have fulfilled almost all of my small and wonderful desires I craved for right from childhood till now. Nag Panchami is a festival during which religious Hindus in some parts of India worship live Nagas-The snakes  (cobras) or images of snakes. It is celebrated on the fifth day after Amavasya (New Moon day) of the month of Shravan or Shravana or Saawan as it is called in the North India. Traditionally, it is a practice of newly married women to visit their parental house to celebrate the festival. Especially in villages in India, a traditional aspect of the ce...

Significance of Aadi Masam

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Aadi Masam (Masam-month) is the fourth month in Tamil Calendar and some people consider the month as inauspicious for humans and auspicious for devatas and pirudevatas. It is an auspicious month for spiritual activities for Tamilians, unlike for Telugu and others who call it as Aashadam or Aashada who consider this as an inauspicious one. Dakshinayana Punyakalam, the night time of Gods, begins in the Aadi month. But numerous unique Tamil rituals and festivals are also observed during Aadi month so some people consider it as auspicious. Well, by it is a coincident or so, in Hyderabad and other regions specially in Telangana region Bonalu festivity is celebrated in Aadi-Aashadam month. This Aadi month commences either in July or August every year depending upon the birth of the month. However, the month is considered as auspicious month all the rituals are restricted for the celebration and festivity connected with AMMAN-Goddess. Marriages, House Warming or Thread Ceremony such ...

Life is short-Make it sweet

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Wonder about Life!!!??? "LIFE WOULD BE PERFECT IF: ANGER HAD MUTE BUTTON, MISTAKES HAD BACK BUTTON, HARD TIMES HAD FAT FORWARD BUTTON, GOOD TIMES HAD PAUSE BUTTONS". A quick recap of ones life: starting from ones home town, childhood days, college days, university life, at work place, marriage, after marriage, at in-laws place, with kids their upbringing...by then we would have scored 30+of age and still quite confidently batting to score ahead at least half a century. In this passage of time we come across innumerable people; leave apart relatives and friends, few others whom we cant call as friends or relatives but still they play important role in our life. Out of them with  few we get acquainted, few become close not only to us, in fact to our entire family, few become our family adviser, well wishers, family doctor, family advocate, family tailor and so on. Few people though we know, recognize but still keep them at a distance...

Bonalu-Bonam Festival of Telangana- a Thanksgiving Ritual

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Bonalu jatra or festivity is celebrated in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana in the month of Ashada. Ashada comes in July – August every year. The festivity is a month long affair and calls for whole family participation. Elaborate poojas are performed for Goddess Yellamma,Muthyalamma, Mysamma, Pochamma, Pedamma, Dokkalamma, Ankalamma, Poleramma, Ganganamma,  Maremma, Pochamma, Maramma, and Nookalamma .   ‘Poleramma Jatara’ (temple fair of village deity), organised at Venkatagiri town in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. 'Bonam' means Bojanam or Bojanalu in Telugu language. It means first offering to the Goddess. As Aashada marks the change of Ayana (Uttarayana and Dkashinayana). So, it is the first offering to the Goddess made as thanksgiving and welcoming Dakshinayana. Some opine that Goddess visits her maternal home for vacation during Aashada month, so it is the  duty of every individual to welcome her and make offerings to her during her stay. Bonam m...