Sphoorthi Theatre

  A Festival Rooted in Grace In the sacred rhythm of the Karthika month , Iyengar households celebrate Aane Habba —the festival where Aane is Sriman Narayana himself , the bounty of all gracious things. It is a time when devotion, play, and community converge, transforming homes into sanctuaries of light and joy.   Significance Beyond Ritual Aane Habba is not only worship but also women’s gathering and playtime , sculpting together, involving children, and respecting the soil. The act of shaping elephants from clay becomes a gesture of connectivity with Mother Earth , reminding us that divinity is inseparable from ecology and community.   Rituals of Clay and Light Clay Sculpting: Elephants are made from clay, decorated with thiruman , adorned with silk vastram , and placed on a peetham decorated with rangoli. Pooja: Married women perform pooja, offer naivedyam , and do harathi —with camphor, red-colored water, and pradakshina nama...

In  Mariam Thimma Sagar-MTS Colony, Karwar Road Hubli, Karnataka, during Sravana maasa, Smt. Chhhaya Sunkad mami and other Marathi-speaking mamis (that's how we addressed all regardless of caste, creed, or religion) would wear beautiful Nauvari Maharashtrian sarees, nath-nose pins, jewelry, and chuda-hair tied in a bun. In addition to singing, they would execute what could be described as "kind acrobatics" by twirling, twisting waists, holding hands, and frog-leaping.  The Indian months of July and August, known as Shravana or Sravan Masa, are auspicious times. Married ladies, in particular, practice a ceremony known as Mangala Gouri Vrat. However, Maharashtra is unlike the other Indian states in its unique take on the Mangala Gouri vrataa. One of the best Vrats, or fasts, is the Shravan Mangala Gauri Vrat, also known as Mangala Gauri puja. Married and single women in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and a handful of other states and communities in Maharashtra observ...