Margazhi, the month I adore....

Margazhi is the month for andal. The whole month is usually engrossed with Thiruppavai, hot pongal and big kolams in embellished front of everyone’s house. The story ensuing Margazhi is that, Goddess Lakshmi incarnated as "Andal" in the earth, which is now called as holy place "Srivilliputhur”.  The month starts with

Margazhi Thingal denotes Margazhi month, in Tamil "Thingal" indicates month.  After a certain phase, Andal aspires to marry Lord Vishnu. So, she incited Vrata called as Margazhi Nonbu (Pavai Nonbu) during this month. She chose Margazhi because in Bhagavat Geetha Lord Krishna has reminisced that he is Margazhi among months.  All the days in this month she wakes up early in the morning and sing (pasurams) songs on Lord Vishnu called as "Thiruppavai" with her friends. Finally, she got married with Lord Vishnu. Every pasuram has its own allusion and consonance in it.   

Margazhi in my yesteryears:

Margazhi just passed by, such a refreshing and an affable month. The overture of the month gives me an awesome feel. After a sturdy karthigai rain comes the unruffled month. One of the exquisite things I esteem in this month is the weather and the kolams.

The day customarily instigates early in the morning with hot pongal and a big kolam, then amma reciting “kathiravan gunathisai” and all the 30 pasurams. Amma and appa used to edify and profess about andal and her pasurams everyday in this month.  Andal’s love and devotion for Krishna is sung in each and every pasuram. I habitually go to the temple both in the dawn and dusk. We used to have a lot of talks about andal during this month.

Every pasuram has its own implication. On each day pongal is done for perumal excluding “karavaigal” and “koodarai vellum”.  Dhadhiyonam n sweet pongal is prepared on these days correspondingly.

This was the first Margazhi in New Jersey. We celebrated and commemorated the same way our parents did. Snow was in progress by this juncture. It was exorbitantly frosty. I had unconditionally a distinctive ambiance.  Me and Manoj woke up early in the morning, recited Thiruppavai and had pongal. The unmitigated house was crammed with divinity. We were here only for 10 days in Margazhi and we had to leave for India, the rest of the days in Margazhi were apportioned in Chennai. It was so congenial and amusing there. We went to a lot of temples in order to rejoice commemorate Margazhi  and had a nostalgic Margazhi this time. End of Margazhi comes Thai- Sankaranthi festival. This is one of the important festivals for tamilians.