Kedhara Gowri Vratham or the Deepavali Nombu

Om Namah Shivaya!!!

Kedhara Vratam or Kedhara Gowri Vratam is celebrated all over India with great pomp and show. 

In this post , I have explained as how it is celebrated every year in a Arcot Mudhaliyar community.

This Vratam is one of the significant Saivite Vratams . It is celebrated on the Amavasya day which comes on or the next day of the Deepavali.

ENTRANCE OF THE HOUSE

The house is thoroughly swept and mopped clean and the holy turmeric water is sprinkled all over the house with mango leaves .The entrance door of the house is decorated with bright colorful kolams, mango leaves and palm leaves thoranam.

The day is split into two:

1.Amavasya poojai for Ancestors

2.Kedhara Nombu Poojai Preparations

 The pooja items for the Amavasya pooja can be bought the previous evening itself .The “NadduVeedu” also can be done in the previous day. It is set before the Deepavali poojai begins.

But the pooja items for the nombu, like nombu set, fruits and other archanai items should be bought only after the Amavasya pooja is over in the afternoon.

HOW THE DAY STARTS AND HOW TO OBSERVE THE FAST

The day starts with all the inmates of the house taking a head bath. After which the ladies of the house alone, will observe a full day fast till the Nombu is completed in the evening. If the women are unable to take a strict fasting they can consume beverages and fruits alone. Otherwise they should not consume any food except water.

Pregnant ladies and sick women are not supposed to observe the fasting.

The Nombu will be completed in the evening after visiting the temple and after the Kalasam pooja is done.

Some visit the temple and complete their Nombu, while few others set up Kalasam at home and observe the Nombu.

Here I have explained only for those who visit the temple and complete their Nombu.

In the first half of the day ,the usual Amavasya pooja is done to the deities in the pooja room and a padaiyal is offered .

WHAT TO OFFER FOR AMAVASYA POOJA TO THE DEITIES

Like the ususal padaiyal you can offer rice ,ghee and paruppu(Toordhal)Sambhar along with a vegetable subjee in a banana leaf.

You can make brinjal/vendakai sambhar and potatoe poriyal for the padaiyal.

Offer coconut,fruits and flowers to Lord Ganesha.

Its auspicious to add Pirandai Thuvaiyal on Amavasya day in the padaiyal.

This Amavasai Padaiyal is consumed only by the men of the house and women who do not observe the nombu.

Those ladies, who observe the nombu should not eat .They must not even touch this amavasay food. They can help in cooking though.

After the Amavasya pooja, wash the kitchen tops. See to that all the food cooked for the padaiyal are completely over and no food is remaining. The kitchen should be cleaned thoroughly before starting to cook the adhirasams and pooja neivedhyams for the nombu.

THE ADHIRASAMS

Now you need to get ready for preparing the Adhirasams and other food items for the Kedhara Nombu. It’s not required to count the number of adhirasams to be made.

Usually a considerable amount of rice flour and jaggery is taken and the adhirasams are prepared. The adhirasams used in the Nombu should be shared only with the inmates of the house and should not be given to other people.

You can make Adhirasams seperately for giving your friends and relatives. You can make them after making the adhirasams for the nombu.

Begin making the nombu adhirasam after a small prayer to Lord Ganesha.

The first Adhirasam is set aside for Lord Ganesha

After making the adhirasams , you can cook venpongal, chutney, Ulundhu vadai(without onions),and Semiya Payasam.

GETTING READY TO  THE TEMPLE

Once all the food items are prepared, you need to get ready to go to the temple.

Take the adhirasams to the temple along with other archanai items like coconut, turmeric powder ,Kumkum, camphor, agarbathi, flowers, loose flowers, pakku,betal,banana -1 dozen, Nombu Kairu(Sacred red threads) and Nombu set (kadholai and black bangles along with wooden comb ). The Nombu set will be available in all the markets on this day.

THE NOMBU KAIRU OR THE RED SACRED THREAD

The number of Nombu Kairu should be equal to the number of inmates of the house. Some families have separate Nombu kairu for men and separate nombu kairu for women. But as per the vratham explained in this article, the women’s Nombu kairu is used for men as well.  

 PREPARE THE NOMBU KIT

To prepare the Nombu Kit, place all the nombu Adhirasams in one big basin and cover the basin with a brass tambulam plate. Keep all the Archanai items along with nombu set in the brass tambulam and cover it with a clean holy or new cloth piece.

GOING TO THE TEMPLE 

All the Saivite temples will host the Kedhara Gowri Kalasam for people to come and complete their Vratham. So you need to take the Nombu kit there and complete the pooja.

The priest will do the archanai individually for each devotee. He will use the turmeric powder,kumkum powder, agarbathi ,flowers, coconut, and camphor to the Kalasam from your Archanai plate and will also offer your Adhirasams to the Kalasam and do the pooja.

Except the wooden comb , the priest will keep all the items from the Nombu set  with himself .The  wooden comb  will be returned in the tambulam plate along with the shelled coconuts and other archanai prasadams. You should not keep the tambulam plate or the Adhirasam basin in the floor anytime till you reach your home. Once picked from home, it should be kept down in your home only after you return from the temple.

AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM THE TEMPLE

After returning from the temple, you must complete the day by offering the padaiyal in banana leaf.You must offer venpongal, chutney ,Ulundhu vadai and semiya payasam along with the tamboolam plate offered in the temple.You must shell another coconut here and complete the day with arathi and poojai . After the poojai read the story of Lord Kedhareeshwarar and tie the red sacred thread in your wrist . Women should tie it on their left wrists and men should tie it on their right wrists.

The ladies can break their fast by consuming the banana in the tambulam offered to the temple Kalasam. After which they can have their meal.

You get small printed Kedhara Gowri Vratham story books in the devotional bookshops. You can purchase one and keep it beforehand. 

THE BHARANA NOMBU OBSERVED ON THE NEXT DAY

The Bharana nombu is observed next morning. The womenfolk who observed the Kedhara nombu wake up early next morning,take bath,clean entrance and do a regular simple Ganesha pooja. After which they make a banana leaf padaiyal and consume it after Arathi. For the Padaiyal ,you can make sambhar and vegetable subjee .

 Thus the kedhara Nombu is completed and ends with the Bharana nombu!!!

The Legend and the Kedhara Vrata Story

   There is a legend behind the Kedara Vrata. Once, a spiritual follower of Lord Shiva, Pramatha Gana performed His pradakshina, excluding Goddess Parvathy. This infuriated Goddess Parvathy and then Lord Shiva explained that since she had no powers she was not included in the pradakshina. Displeased by the explanation, Goddess Parvathy approached sage Gautama and asked for a means to become a part of Lord Shiva’s body. He then asked her to observe this Kedara Vratam. Goddess Parvati then observed the vrata with full devotion, and pleased by Her austerities Lord Shiva granted His left part. This form of Shiva was since then worshipped as ‘Ardhanaareeshwara’. Since then this vrata came to be known as Kedhara Gowri Vrata.

The Kedara vrata is observed for a period of twenty one days during the month of Purattasi that is from mid-September to mid-October according to the Gregorian calendar. It starts from the ashtami, the eight day of the Shukla Pakhsa (growing phase of moon). The final day of the vrata is known as Deepavali and is must be observed with full fervour and devotion. The Kedara Vrata is religiously observed in every part of the country and anyone who performs this vrata will attain fulfilment of all their desires.

 Om Namah Shivaya !!!!