MUMBAI: The beautiful South Indian style temples of Matunga lit up with colourful lights as the festival of Karthigai deepam got under way Friday. This festival is an extension of Diwali.
"Rows of 'agal vilakkus' (oil lamps) are lit in every home to bring happiness. This festival is also similar to Bhai Dooj or Raksha Bandhan. Sisters pray for their brothers' well being and brothers promise to safeguard their sisters in times of trouble. People light lamps at homes, in temples and at the workplace,'' said Matunga resident K A Viswanathan.
The first day of the festival which falls December 5 this year is called 'Bharani deepam' after Bharani nakshatra which falls this day. Saturday will be celebrated as 'Karthikar deepam' while Sunday will be observed as 'Sarvalaya deepam'.
The purpose behind Karthigai deepam is to keep bad things away and welcome goodness and holiness. This festival occurs on Purnima or full moon day when the moon is in line with the six-star constellation called Karthigai. The constellation is named after Kartik which is another name for Lord Subramanya, the son of Shiva and Parvati.
"Women wear new clothes and tidy up the home before inviting their brothers. They make sweet balls of puffed rice, jaggery and ghee called 'aval pori' and 'nel pori'. Sweet 'nei appam' is prepared from jaggery, rice and wheat flour and adai is cooked with boiled rice and dal. Many families also prepare kheer. Children burst firecrackers and make merry. In the evening, women draw 'kolam' (rangoli) at the entrance of the house and place oil lamps upon it. Diyas are lit in the puja room and on window sills just like Diwali," said Viswanathan.
In Matunga, particularly, groups of women dressed in beautiful silk sarees began visiting temples like Shankar Mattham and South Indian Bhajana Samaj in the evening to light lamps.
South Indians also follow the custom of presenting elephant-shaped lamps called 'yanai vilakku' to their daughters for prosperity.
Viswanathan says not many people are aware that Karthigai Deepam is one of the oldest festivals of this region, perhaps even before they started celebrating Diwali and Navratri. It datesback to the Sangam age of 200 BC to 300 AD.
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