Maa Vilakku or Maav Vilakku is an edible flour lamp offered to the lord .
Maav in Tamil means flour and Vilakku is lamp . Maa vilakku is made from jaggery and rice flour .A soft dough is prepared using jaggery and rice flour along with some edible camphor and cardamom powder . Ghee is poured into a small dent made in the center of the dough and a wick is lit . This lamp is decorated with Flowers and haldi kumkum .
Maav vilakku is primarily offered to Devi and Lord Balaji . Tamil Months of Thai(Jan - Feb) ,Aadi (July - Aug) and Purataasi (Sept - Oct) are very auspicious for offering Maav Vilakku .
Maav Vilakku for Devi is offered during Thai and Aadi months as per Tamil almanac and for Lord Balaji Purataasi month is very auspicious.
Significance of Purataasi Sanikizhamai
- Tamil Brahmins whose family deity is Lord Srinivasa or Lord Uppiliappan,unfailingly offer Maav Vilakku in the Tamil month of Purataasi which is Mid August - Mid September as per Greogorian Calender .
- Saturdays are considered very auspicious for offering Maav Vilakku ,hence it is offered either on 1st or 3rd Saturday. Maav Vilakku is not offered during Mahalaya Paksha(Pitru Paksha) even if it falls in the holy month of Purataasi.
- There is a belief / aidheegam that the Lord Of 7 hills visits the Earth / Bhoolokam in this holy month and hence by offering this Maav Vilakku we invite him to our abode to bless us abundantly with his benevolent grace .
- There is a another myth that during Purataasi month ,especially on Saturdays,Lord Shani loses his power and there is no way he can bring about any hurdle during the offering of Maav Vilakku,another reason why we offer Maav Vilakku on Saturday .
How to make the Maav Vilakku ?
How to do Puja and offer Maav Vilakku ?
- Take a bath, clean the Pooja room, offer flowers to all deities, light the lamp as always.
- On Saturdays, we offer maav vilakku after 10.30 am since it is Rahu kaal from 9am to 10.30 am.
- Prepare the prasadams and also keep the maav vilakku maav ready so that soon after 10.30 you can light the lamp and offer.
- As for any puja ; betel leaves , betel nuts and banana along with coconut are to be offered .
- Prasadam for Maav Vilakku is normally Sakkarai Pongal ,Vadai ,Sundal , Ellu Saadham .Depending on the time and your personal constraints you can chose what you would like to offer . But ensure there is one sweet as prasadam. Onion and Garlic is avoided in the cooking on this day .A saatvik meal is cooked.
- Assemble all the family members, light the maav vilakku using Ghee ,chant Vishnusahsranama or any hymns in praise of Lord Vishnu / Balaji .
- Offer the prasadam you have made in a silver plate or banana leaf . Keep an eye on the lamp until it dies out ,this is called "Malai Yerardhu",meaning lord Balaji has blessed our home and is now proceeding to Vaikuntam. Once the lamp is about to die down, offer camphor or dhoop and distribute the prasadam to all the family members and partake the lunch.
Today , 8/10/22 at my home for Purataasi Sanikizhamai, I prepared the following prasadam.
Rice + Ghee + Paruppu
Curd
Interesting festival tradition Priya. I remember making wheat flour diyas with my grandmother. This Maav Vilakku is interesting as you've used rice flour and jaggery.
ReplyDeleteinteresting to note the "Shani" aidheegam for purattasi. We used to wait for Kamla pati to make it from scratch (pachamaavu) - wodnerful memories of this festival always for me.. We make the vilakku on any saturday (except Paksham) during purattasi - Kalyani
ReplyDeleteThis tradition is quite new to me. Good to know about it through your blog Priya. All the offerings look delicious.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best post I have seen on maa vilakku. It is well explained and i loved the detailed religious significance.
ReplyDelete