Deepavali Festival 2015

Deepavali is a 5-day ritual in many places, as well as in Karnataka.

1st day: Ashvayuja Masa Trayodashi. This is  called "neeru tumbuva habba".
On this day, wash bath rooms, buckets, vessels in which water is filled, etc  decorate the outside house and inside house( even for bathrooms,boilers,kitchen stove) with rangolis and apply sunna and kemmanu to vessels. Put akshatE and flower to water and recite below stotra.
On this day, if you are inviting your Son-in-law first time, then do huyi kadabu and payasa. You can also do some fried item like chakkali(chakri) or muchchOre.


Stotra: gangecha-yamune chaiva godavari sarasvathi narmada sindhu-kaveri jalesmin sanidham-kuru

2 day: Ashvayuja Masa bahula chaturdashi . Also called Naraka Chaturdashi.
On this day, take oil bath in the morning. Preferably use sesame oil or any other if not available. It is good to wake up in Brahmi Muhurta that is between 4 am and 6 am.

Keep all this ready before starting. A bowl of oil to heat, in a plate keep villedele and adike, and arishina kumkuma, flower, and aarati tatte (put some arishina in a plate of water and put sunna or lime stone which will make it turn to red. If this is not possible put kumkuma and some akshate into it). Hase mane (wodden slab). Put rangoli beneath the mane.

Heat the oil in a cup, which has to be used to apply oil to all members of family from same bowl. The oil has to be applied from eldest (elder woman) in the family. They have to sit on hase mane. Keep kumkuma and give villedele and adike plate. Apply oil first with any flower to navel and to back. Then apply to head and body (optional). To your oiled hand, put arishina (turmeric) and apply to cheeks to whom the oil is applied.

Mantra to be recited while applying oil.

ashwatamaha balivyasoo| hanumaashascha vibishanaha|

krupaha parashu ramashcha |sapthitae chiranjivinaha||.

Repeat the same to all. At last, take the aarati plate and pour water outside your house.

Crackers have to be burnt whilst oil applied and give some fried item to eat while oil on body. After bath do pooja.

Some prepare obbattu on this day. Else, prepare  nimbehannu chitranna and payasa. Crackers can be burnt in evening.

3 day: Amavasya. Do lakshmi pooja, kumkumarchane. On this day, crackers are not burnt as a belief that Amavasya is not good to take risk for playing with fire.In evening all married woman will do Lakshmi pooja and do kalasha pooja according to their tradition.Some people will do kedareshwara vrata .

4 day: Kaarthika maasa shuddha padya (Bali padyami).
On this day, keraka has to be made using cowdung. A kote for balindra has to be made and some pillaris to keep a pair on each door way (hosilu). Attached doc has how you do Kote. On each door corners keep pillari. The pillaris have to be stuck with ragi thene and hucchellu hoova. If not available, keep chendu hoova or shavantige. Use many colourful flowers. Do pooja to this with gejje vastra, akshate, kumkuma and arishina. Now keep the Pillaris which were made to keep in the corners of doors.

Note: Keraka can be done with ragi hittu mixing it with unboiled milk or water, if cowdung is not avaialbe.
Next day morning the Keraka and pillaris have to be removed before the man of the house wakes up. They are not supposed to see this.

Prepare bele obbattu, payasa, chitranna and habbada adigae.

In evening keep kalasa. Inside kalasa put some coins, some dry fruits like karjura, godambi, drakshi etc…..Above the chembu keep beetel leaves and coconut. Spread a blouse piece or shalya around it.

Keep kalasha in a plate. First keep a gods' photo, then a mirror, and then in front of them the kalasha. Do pooja to this and pour three times unboiled milk around it.

In a plate take some petals of shavantige flower and akshate. This has to be thrown up in devara mane.

Note: You have to recite a saying whilst doing this. I am not sure how it goes. Ladies, please anybody who knows this, let me know.

4: Bidigae. Also called "sodara bidigae"

It is called Bhagini Gruhae Bhojana. On this day sisters should invite brothers and share gifts.

Do habbada adige. Newly married girls will invite her brothers  to her home for five years

serve them delicious dishes and give them gifts.total five years different kinds of sweets will be 

prepared and served according to their tradition.

On all or any of the days, you can do deepa dana.

Kaarthika Somavaragalu

Mondays are special on Kaarthika masa. Do pooja to Ishwara. The whole month, light deepa and keep near the main door and also to tulasi.

uTthana Dwadashi:

Also called Tulasi Pooja. This comes on Kaarthika Dwadashi.

Decorate the tulasi katte or where ever you keep tulasi. Keep nalli kaayi gida (amla twig) in tulasi katte. Keep Krishna’s idol or photo and do pooja in evening. Pour milk around katte. Do nalli kayi arati. Dig out nalli kaayi and make like a bowl to light deepa. Nalli kaayi  deepa should be in odd numbers  like 5,9,11,etc.,

Prepare huggi , Bellada gojju, sweet huggi,mosaranna, payasa and if available do agase soppina palya. Do naivedya.(note: Agase soppu should be chopped on ekadashi day and on dwadashi day it should be cooked and served.)

Call ladies for arishina kumkuma in evening and give milk or panaka and kosambari.