Ugadi - Kannada new year celebrations - Pittsburgh, San Diego, Greenville, Washington DC, New England, Boston, Austin, Chicago

Ugadi marks the new year for Kannada people all around the world. Kannada people observe Ugadi by - buying new clothes, Neem flower and leaf "bevu bella" preparation, oil bath and Ugadi Panchanga Sravana. Here are some of the Yugadhi special recipes for Karnataka Dishes. Besides, you can attend the Ugadi celebrations at the local Kannada Koota too. Below are some of the listings:

• Sangama of Pittsburgh - Kannada Ugadi celebrations March 28t
• Kannada Ugadi 2009 at Austin by AKS on April 11th
• Kannada Ugadi 2009 at Greenville SC by KAGG - March 28
• Ugadi festival 2009 celebrations in Boston - May 11th - sihi kahi chandru, Jambavati kalyana
• Ugadi 2009 by New England Kannada koota Mandara on May 16th
• Ugadi 2009 by Kannada Kasturi in San Diego - yet to update the pages
• Kannada Ugadhi in Washington DC on April 4th - RSVP for Yugadi in DC
• Ugadi in CHicago Illinois on April 19th vidyaranya kannada kuta
  

Read More

Ugadi - Kannada new year celebrations - Pittsburgh, San Diego, Greenville, Washington DC, New England, Boston, Austin, Chicago

Ugadi marks the new year for Kannada people all around the world. Kannada people observe Ugadi by - buying new clothes, Neem flower and leaf "bevu bella" preparation, oil bath and Ugadi Panchanga Sravana. Here are some of the Yugadhi special recipes for Karnataka Dishes. Besides, you can attend the Ugadi celebrations at the local Kannada Koota too. Below are some of the listings:

• Sangama of Pittsburgh - Kannada Ugadi celebrations March 28t
• Kannada Ugadi 2009 at Austin by AKS on April 11th
• Kannada Ugadi 2009 at Greenville SC by KAGG - March 28
• Ugadi festival 2009 celebrations in Boston - May 11th - sihi kahi chandru, Jambavati kalyana
• Ugadi 2009 by New England Kannada koota Mandara on May 16th
• Ugadi 2009 by Kannada Kasturi in San Diego - yet to update the pages
• Kannada Ugadhi in Washington DC on April 4th - RSVP for Yugadi in DC
• Ugadi in CHicago Illinois on April 19th vidyaranya kannada kuta
  

Read More

Maha Shivaratri - Rudra abhisheka - pooja process

Maha Shivratri or Maha Sivaratri or Shivaratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva") is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the "Hindu Calendar" (that is, the night before and day of the new moon). The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil.

"Shivaratri 2009 is on February 23, Monday"

• Shiva pooja vidhana (Rudra Abhisheka - pooja process) in Kannada
• Songs on Lord Shiva with Lyrics- Bhakthigeetha Blog
• Shiva Smarane - Songs on shiva
• Songs on Shiva by SPB

Shivaratri the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Many however, believe, Shivaratri is the night when Lord Shiva performed the Tandava Nritya - the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. Celebrating the festival in a customary manner, devotees give a ritual bath to the Lingam with the panchagavya - milk, sour milk, urine, butter and dung. Celebrations of Shivaratri Festival mainly take place at night. Devotees of Lord Shiva throng Shiva temples across the country and spend ‘the Night of Lord Shiva’ by chanting verses and hymns in praise of the Lord. The festival holds special meaning for the ladies. They pray to Goddess Parvati also called 'Gaura', the giver of 'suhag' for good husbands, marital bliss and a long and prosperous married life.

Send Telugu Shivaratri greetings, Ecards, SMS messages to family and friends
Send Free Kannada Maha Shivaratri greetings, ecards, SMS messages
Tamil sivaratri greetings, SMS messages

Read More

Ugadi or Yugadi - Kannada and Telugu new year

Yugadi or Ugadi (ugadhi) falls on Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami or the first day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Chaitra. This generally falls in the months of March or April of the Gregorian calendar. While the people of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh use the term Ugadi for this festival, the people of Maharashtra term the same festival, observed on the same day, Gudi Padwa. Sindhis, people from Sindh, celebrate the same day as their New Year day Cheti Chand. Ugadi is celebrated on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March/April) and Ugadi marks the first day of the new year.

Send Telugu Ugadi greetings, Ecards, SMS messages
Send Free Kannada Ugadi (new year yugadi) greetings, ecards, SMS messages
Tamil Ugadi greetings, SMS messages

On Ugadi day, people wake up before the break of dawn and take a head bath after which they decorate the entrance of their houses with fresh mango leaves. The significance of tying mango leaves relates to a legend. It is said that Kartik (or Subramanya or Kumara Swamy) and Ganesha, the two sons of Lord Siva and Parvathi were very fond of mangoes. As the legend goes Kartik exhorted people to tie green mango leaves to the doorway signifying a good crop and general well-being.

The celebration of Ugadi is marked by religious zeal and social merriment. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion. In Andhra Pradesh, dishes such as "pulihora", "bobbatlu" and preparations made with raw mango go well with the occasion. In Karnataka too, similar preparations are made but called "puliogure" and "holige" or "obbattu". The Maharashtrians make "puran poli" or sweet rotis. Delicious recipes for Ugadi festival can be found here.

Read More

Pongal recipes - sweet or khara - sakkarai or ven or chakkara

Want recipes to cook for Makara Sankranthi or Pongal? here are some of the delicious Pongal recipes - sakkarai or ven or chakkara or khara or sakkara.

Pongal Recipe (khara) for pongal valthukkal
Khara spicy pongal - kannada style
Pongal khara recipe
Sakkarai Pongal (sweet) - south Indian style
Sweet Pongal dish - Tamil style
Sweet dish recipe for Makara Sankranthi
Tamilnadu style Pongal recipe
Ven Pongal recipe (sweet)
Makara sankranti recipes - 3 delicious dishes

Read More

Celebrate "Ugadhi or Ugadi or Kannada/Telugu new year"

Yugadi or Ugadi (ugadhi) falls on Chaitra Shudhdha Paadyami or the first day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Chaitra maasa. Kannada people observe Ugadi by - buying new clothes, Neem flower and leaf pachadi preparation, oil bath and Ugadi Panchanga Sravana. People call each other to wish and greet "Indian New year" on Ugadi Kannada or new year wishes/greetings in Telugu.

Ugadi Puja

The eldest female member in the house usually prepares for the Ugadi puja. House is thoroughly cleaned. Mango leave festoons or other decorations are installed on doors and windows.

"bevu bella" (neem flower with jaggery) or "pachDi" is made.

New clothes for family members are arranged before the deity or in the puja room. A small mark using a pinch of turmeric and kum kuma is made on the new clothes, mostly on those areas which is not easily visible.

Next is the oil bath. A through oil bath with sesame oil or other hair oils is a must on Ugadi. Usually children are given a good scalp oil massage by mothers.

The Panchanga Puja (for new year) is performed. Copies of New Panchanga are placed on a stool and is decorated with turmeric, sandalwood paste and kumkum. Some flowers, uncooked rice and turmeric are placed on the panchanga.

Youngsters take the blessings of elders. Next Ugadi pachadi is eaten on empty stomach. Next read the panchanga especially the part which contains next year’s predictions.

The traditional puja ends here. There are many Hindus who perform the Navagraha puja on Ugadi day.

At night, it is considered highly auspicious to look at the moon. This is referred as Ugadi Chandra Darshana.

Read More

Kannada and Telugu New Year - Ugadi Recipes, dishes

Ugadi is a big festival (marks new year) in Karnataka and Andhrapradesh. People make delicious "obbattu" or "holige" or "bobbattlu" or "puran poli" and many other delicious dishes on this day. Here are ways to spice up your Ugadi day celebrations:

Preparing "bevu bella" for Ugadi "sihi kahi"
Ugadi special obbattu - BeLe hoornada holige - Kannada Style
Spicy dish for Yugadi - Ambode - Southern spice
Karnataka recipe for spicy Ambode - yummy
Pachdi for Ugadi celebrations - Andhra recipe
Paramannam - Andhra dish
Kannada style recipe for Kesari bhath
Karnataka special cuisine for Ugadi - Bisi bele bhath



Send Telugu Ugadi greetings, Ecards, SMS messages to family and friends
Send Free Kannada Ugadi (new year yugadi) greetings, ecards, SMS messages
Tamil Ugadi greetings, SMS messages

Read More

Makara Sankranthi or Pongal festival - greetings, SMS, text messages

Sankranthi, or Sankranti, is a festival that signifies the beginning of the harvest season for the farmers of Indian Sub-Continent. Makara Sankranti has special geo-agri-economical significance to people of Indian Sub-Continent. Makara Sankaranti is about transition of Sun into Capricorn on its celestial path.(Sankarnti being Sanskrit for transition ). This is significant considering Winter Solstice marking gradual increase of duration of day. Also traditionally this has been one of many (considering vastness of land and climatic variation ) harvest days.

The day on which the sun begins its journey northwards is referred to as Makara Sankranti. Sankramana means "to commence movement" and hence the name Makara Sankranti given to one of the largest, most auspicious, but varied festivals in the Indian subcontinent. It usually falls in the middle of January. Because of the geography and size of India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons depending on the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background and position in the context of north or south of India.

Makara Sankranthi is technically same as “Winter Solstice.” It is supposed to be the day sun starts growing larger in the northern hemisphere of our planet. So that should be December 22nd. Why did it fall 24 days behind? Well, this is due to an error in Surya Siddhanta. As a result of this error, Makara Sankranthi falls a day behind every 72 years.

Send Makara Sankranthi greetings in Telugu
Makara Sankranti cards, greetings & wishes in Kannada
Send Sankranthi or Pongal greetings, cards & wishes in Tamil

Read More

Hindu Festivals, Indian Holidays and calendar 2009

Hindu Festivals 2009
Makar Sakranti	Wednesday	14-01-2009
Vasant Panchami	Saturday	31-01-2009
Maha Shivaratri	Monday	23-02-2009
Holi	Wednesday	11-03-2009
Hindi New Year	Friday	27-03-2009
Ramanavami	Friday	03-04-2009
Hanuman Jayanti	Thursday	09-04-2009
Raksha Bandhan	Wednesday	05-08-2009
Krishna Janmashthami	Friday	14-08-2009
Ganesh Chaturthi	Sunday	23-08-2009
Pitr-paksha	Saturday	05-09-2009
Navaratri	Saturday	19-09-2009
Saraswati Puja (Forms part of Navaratri)	Friday Saturday	25-09-2009 26-09-2009
Vijay Dashami (Dasera)	Monday	28-09-2009
Deepavali (Diwali)	Saturday	17-10-2009

Read More