Choodi Puja - A GSB Tradition

A very unique and beautiful tradition of GSB community is Choodi Pooja. Celebrated by all married girls along with all other married family members in the month of Shravana Maasa. Shravana Maasa for Year 2015 started on 08/16/2015. Shravana Maasa by itself is considered a very auspicious month lined up with festivals. Starting with Naga Panchami (Nag Panchami) until Nopi (Ananta Chaturdashi) this month is filled with relatives, festivals and of course yummy food :-). But for women of GSB Community the festival of Shravana Maasa starts on Chudi Pooja.

It's widely known fact that a tulsi plant has medicinal properties capable of purifying the surroundings.Chudis are the tiny bouquets of flowers like red Ratnagandhi and yellow Mithayi flowers with durva grass. While praying,Surya is also prayed. This is typically a puja of both Tulsi and Surya.  There are no mantras and no shlokas but the married ladies alone can perform this pooja.

Chudi Pooja is observed on every Friday and Sunday. The tradition which we follow on Fridays is after taking bath (hair washing is a must), lighting diya at the pooja room, performing tulsi puja.  We can have breakfast only after the pooja is done. strictly no onion no garlic for the entire day and Sundays are lenient. Hair wash, onion, garlic are completely personal choice but pooja before eating food remains the same.

Panchakajjaya or mere jaggery and poha, hurikadale can be offered as Naivedyam. Once the puja is over, the chudis will be given to married ladies, seeking blessings from elderly women.  Among the married ladies, those who are close in relation but live in a different city are remembered and chudi will be sent by mail with a little kumkum. The recipient will send a similar chudi with her blessings.

During the first year of marriage this is usually celebrated both at in-laws and also at mom’s place inviting the closest relatives. This tradition is a link between younger and older generation people.

Chudi is a tiny bouquet of herbal and wild flowers tied with yarn of plantain tree called vaayu. Traditionally the flowers used in preparing chudis are :

Rathnagandhi (which is also known as Sanjeevini)

Chirdo
Rathaphool
Kanagani phool
Mithaiphool
Shankpushp
Dibrankur (Durva grass)

But  due to non availability of these flowers the ladies in the Gowd Saraswath Brahmin community do scout for local varieties of flowers. Women make nine chudis and gives it to the other women in her family or locality.

Gowri/Ganapathi Festival

Happy Gowri Ganapathi to all my readers!

We dont have the tradition of Gowri/Ganapathi at my in-laws. We of course celebrate it but the tradition of vaina (gowri) and getting ganapathi home is not followed. But my maternal grandmother's house still follows both the days. They observe Gowri at home and Ganapathi with family as a whole in one of the konkani temple in Thirthahalli. I enjoyed both the days all my childhood. Buying new glass bangles for Gowri was so exciting. But unfortunately never tried to jot down about the steps or take any pictures. Thanks to Whatsapp by uncle shared few pictures this time.

Sutta Punav

Sutta Punav one of the very important and auspicious day for Konkani Community is on August 29 2015. On this day all the men at home who have had Brahmopadesham (thread ceremony) will have to change their thread and wear a new one. This can be done at temple or even at home in front of family deity. It is a renewal of sacred thread and the thread is called Jannuve in Konkani.

I have read its a misconception that only Brahmins wear thread. Even Kshatriyas and Vysyas wear it. I came across a very interesting article which mentioned "Ancient scriptures say: “The sacrificial thread of a Brahmin must be made of cotton, so as to be put on over his head in three strings; that of a Kshatriya of sana thread only; that of a Vaisya of woollen thread.”

Usually unmarried men wear one with three threads in it and married men wear two with three threads in each. I recently learnt one is for wife. I was surprised to read in ancient days even women wore it and did sandhya rites. I am not sure why women had to stop this practice. This needs to be worn on left shoulder which hangs towards right.

Nagarapanchami

Nagarpanchami can be considered as a second festival of Shravana Maasa. I am considering Chudi Puja as the first one. Though it is celebrated for the whole of this month when done with family members its no less than a festival.

From what I have understood from my in laws and of course through google, Nagarapanchami usually falls on the 5th day of Shravana Maasa. Due to difference in Panchang people may celebrate on two different days. To avoid any confusion I have made a practice to follow on the same day as at my in laws in Mangalore.

It is believed that Nagadevu  should be worshipped in the traditional place of worship. So devotees offer worship before the stone images of the Nag Devtha in temples.I grew up watching this puja done to particular stone image which was placed under a tree behind our house. When asked why that Nagadevu can not be brought home, my grandmother told me we can not keep Nagadevu stone image at home.

On this day serpent god is worshipped with ghee, milk, sugar, honey, and tender coconut. On this day the serpents are expected to come out of thier holes. Worshipping them with milk, tender coconut, turmeric, flowers, and honey are considered good. My mother in law has always made the puja by offering tender coconut.

Places such as Subrahmanya in Sullia, Kudupi in Mangalore, Kalavar in Kundapur, and Manjeshwar in Kasargod attract a large number of devotees on Nag Panchami. Kudupi in Mangalore is a place we dont miss visiting whenever we visit India.

Though Nagarpanchami puja is done in temples there are certain rituals followed at home. Obviously avoiding onion and garlic is on top of the list. We do not make a tadka of chillies. It is believed the spice created from hot oil and chillies are not good for nagadevu. We typically make something grinding red chillies and a tadka of only mustard seeds and curry leaves. Or make something which does not need any tadka. I usually prefer making batata hinga udda or ghashi which calls for simple tadka. Chappi Kheeri and patoli is made religiously on this day back home. Unfortunately I have never found turmeric leaves here. The ones in my pot are still sprouting. So I decided to make khashi halwa ( kuvvale in konkani and winter melon in english).

Its been ages I have not been present in my hometown Thirthahalli or in Mangalore during this festival and thus I do not have any picture for this day. I still wanted to write about this as a record of what our ancestor Sampradaya’s are. There are tons of recipes and also rituals which are forgotten. This is my humble effort of jotting down of our tradition.

Konkani Sampradaya/Tradition

Until I completed my 12th grade or 2nd PUC is what it used to be, I grew up in a joint family. A very big and 70 year old house with 14 people living in it is how I remember my childhood. Memories of my maternal grandmother, 3 uncles and their families, then 3rd generation (which I belong to) are a lifetime treasure to me. In the midst of love affection and complexity of living in such a big family I have enjoyed every festival of our community. My grandmother, a woman with such a beautiful heart though not very rigid with tradition, celebrated, rather I would say kept all our tradition/sampradaya alive for many years. Blame it to my childhood, innocence or ignorance I did not record any of what was done at our house. When I got married I stepped into a house, where everyone are equally traditional yet modern people. All the festivals are celebrated with no compulsion.