MaaVilakku

sri,
Thanks u somuch for replying to me, so this yr,when u r dng, as i have no idea abt this, so when u r dng this, & can we soak rice ,etc on friday itself & use this on saturday aa? , & do anyone have any idea of when's koti somavaram falling this year??

 

Some general info on maavillaku, as practised in North Arcot Smartha brahmin families:

It is held a number of times every year:
- a Thai veLLI and Aadi veLLI (a Friday in the month of Thai and Aadi) for amman
- a Purattasi sani (Saturday in the month of Purattasi) for Lord Venkataramana
- on Karthigai festival day in the month of Karthigai for Muruga

The method is the same, the purpose is to offer worship to the corresponding deity in the form of a jothi (light). I have always been touched by the fact that the worship is offered through common and relatively cheap food items available in every home- rice flour, jaggery, ghee (which is probably the one expensive item, but one can use it sparingly- see below).

Usually the rice flour is prepared at home the previous day. Have a headbath, soak rice in water, semi airdry and powder it. My mum used to say it should be one aaL arisi (enough to feed to feed one person)- so at least one cup. Airdry the rice powder.

The next day, the rice flour and powdered jaggery (no particular measure, just eye measure as we say, enough to sweeten the rice flour) are mixed in a thambaLam (brass plate). TWO small agals (lamps) are made from the mixture, into which ghee is poured, wicks (jothi thiri) added. Other normal pooja accoutrements are set out- vettrilai, paaku, manjal, chandanam, fruits, flowers, coconut etc. The lamps are then lit. Nivedhya is:
- chakkarai pongal and uLLUtham vadai for Lord Venkataramana
- any vella payasam and vadai for the others
When the lighted agals are just about to extinguish themselves (this is called viLLaku malai eruthal), karpura arati is done.

That is all. Very simple, the point is all in the faith that drives it. The custom is handed over from MIL to DIL.

Later in the evening, the burnt out wicks may be removed, the ghee soaked agals crumbed into the remaining flour, cardamom powder If not added earlier) and scraped coconut (from the morning's nivedhya) mixed in, and the whole rolled into balls, which are then distributed to family members, neighbours etc- that is a unique taste!

I believe that the benefit is in the personal discipline and good thoughts that it encourages in the practitioner, more than anything else.

 

Thanks. To add to my previous info:
- the actual day chosen should be auspicious- no ashtami or navami, and have good yogam (siddha or amruta yogam)
- the Purataasi sani should NOT be during mahalaya paksham- in some years, it is quite difficult to find a `good' Saturday!

By the way, maviLakku is also done during Swami samaradhanai events in North Arcot homes- whatever the kula deivam (I am familiar with Tirupati Venkatachalapathi, Tiruttani Muruga as well as Sholingur Narasimha samaradhanais- for all, maviLakku is performed) . Usual samaradhanai puja is done, with maviLakku placed along with the God's picture during pooja.

 

In some smartha families, there is a custom to put maavilakku in any friday except third friday in the month of thai or aadi. Usually, there will be four fridays in the month. Sometimes, there may be five fridays also.

 

i've seen ppl doin maa vilaku without adding jaggery n other stuffs mentioned. just the rice flour itself to make the vilaku. how to make it into a dough?

can i do this on friday regardless any mth ?

thanks