Tamil month Purattasi is one of the very special months for Hindus. We Tamil people celebrate Purattasi sani in a grand manner by offering 5 rice varieties, sweet pongal, maa vilakku & Vada malai for Perumal. We call this offering as “Thaligai podrathu”( Thalu) . Purattasi month is called as Ashwin Month by North Indians. Mahalaya Paksha or Pitru paksha and Durga Navratri falls in this month.
Purattasi Sani is very special, because on this day, Shri Saneeswara Bhagvan is said to reduce his negative power and praying him helps us to get more benefits. Pooja on this day is believed to bless all those who suffer from chronic illness, financial losses and delay in marriage. Shani grants good health, longevity, leadership, authority, ambition, wisdom and immense wealth to his devotees. Worshipping Vishnu, Fasting on Purattasi Saturday would please Sani graha.
This year 2023, Purattasi month starts on 18th September and it lasts till 17th October. This year there are 4 Purattasi Saturdays (Sanikizhamai). So you can make this thaligai and do the pooja on 1st or 3rd of this month.
23 September 2023 – 1st Saturday
30 September 2023 – 2nd Saturday
07 October 2023 – 3rd Saturday
14 October 2023 – 4th Saturday
Disclaimer : Pooja vidhanam/Procedures I have shared here is based on our tradition. It may vary from place to place. So please ask the elders of your family and make changes as per your practice.
Pooja & Neivedyam Requirements
- One silver sombu/Pot or silver tumbler ( Use velli pathram) for drawing Namam, Sangu & Chakaram OR You can draw on walls too. It is assumed as the Lord. Invert the sombu and draw using Namakatti( a piece of chalk). Refer the picture for the idea.
- Vada malai with 11 or 21 pepper vadas (without onion)
- Raw rice for 5 Rice varieties ( Sweet pongal, Coconut rice, Tamarind rice, Black Sesame seeds/Ellu rice, Curd rice) OR No onion No garlic full meals
- Sundal ( White or brown Chana OR Chana dal/Kadalai paruppu sundal)
- Maavilakku
- Fruits, Betel leaves & Nuts
- Tulsi water for neivedyam ( Add tulsi leaves, crushed cardamom, cloves, a pinch of edible camphor (Pachai karpooram) to a cup of water)
- Tulsi leaves or garland
- Incense stick, camphor
- Flowers
How to Plan for Neivedyam & pooja
You should undergo fasting till you finish the pooja on Purattasi saturday. Making rice varieties for neivedyam is very easy . You can prepare pulikachal paste, ellu podi the previous day night. Soak chana for sundal, Urad dal for vada and coconut rice. Grind the urad dal and make the vada batter. Store in refrigerator till next day’s use. Keep a sombu ready & draw the sangu, chakkaram, namam using namakatti or rice flour paste and let it dry.
Wash the lamps and keep it ready by keeping sandal & kumkum dots.The next morning draw the Kolam. We usually draw Sangu, Chakkaram and Namam in the entrance and in pooja room. Take a pressure cooker and cook raw rice/pacharisi & dal for sweet pongal. In a small bowl or plate, take the soaked chana and cook along with rice and dal.
In another cooker, cook the raw rice for puliodharai, coconut rice, ellu sadam and curd rice. Remove 3/4th of the cooked rice and spread in a plate to cool down. Drizzle some sesame oil. Mash the remaining rice for curd rice. Add boiled milk, curd and salt to the mashed rice. Mix well and temper it. Temper and make the sundal. Grind the urad dal adding little water and make pepper vada batter if you din’t prepare the batter the previous night. Make 11 or 21 vada and tie in a thread to make vada malai. Do not use onions in this day for offering God.
Prepare maa vilakku by grinding grated jaggery & rice flour adding cardamom. Add ghee and make a ball. Put a dent, add ghee. Put a thread & kumkum dots. Keep it ready for pooja.
How to do pooja
You should do the pooja in the auspicious time of the day. Avoid Rahukalam and Yamagandam. So after preparing rice varieties, sundal, sweet pongal, vada malai and maa vilakku, arrange everything in a banana leaf or a plate and keep in front of silver pot/sombu. Place the fruits, betel leaves, nuts and coconut in a plate. Light the lamp. Keep tulsi water. Light maavilakku and do the neivedyam. Show dhoop & dheep. Finish the pooja and drink the tulsi water first. Then you can have the lunch. We enjoyed the variety rice with koozh vadam & potato chips.
Links for Neivedyam Recipes
Please refer the video below on how to cook these rice varieties easily. Please make tamarind rice instead of lemon rice for this festival.
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