Karadayan Nonbu

Karadayan Nonbu, or SavitriNombu is a vow observed in Tamil Nadu on the last day in Maasi masam or the Masi month in Tamil calendar. This festival also marks the Meena Sankramanam or the transition of Sun into Meena Rasi (Pisces) from Kumbha rasi (Aquarius). In 2015, Karadayan Nonbu date is March 15 ( Early Morning 04.05 to 05.10 Hrs).

Married women worship Goddess Gauri or Parvathi or Shakti for marital bliss and better health of husband and children. Unmarried girls perform the vratam to get ideal person as their husband

Karadayan Nonbu is similar to that of sowbagya Gouri vratam or Gauri Tritiya vratam of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Gangaur vrat of Rajasthan, Jyesta gouri Vrat of Maharashtra, Jitiya Puja of Bihar, Karva Chauth of all other North Indian states’ festivals.

This vratham is very much similar toVat Savitri Vrat observed in Bengal, Orissa and some other places of India.

An ideal husband is one who can understand his wife's moments of happiness .sadness  .worry, fear and other emotions. He will stand by her come what may. The word kannavan meaning husband in Tamil is derived from the word kan.

During karadayan nonbu women invoke the blessings of Gowri devi to attain such a husband for all seven births. Unmarried girls pray for a good husband and married women pray for their husband.s long life

Story Behind Nombu

Savitri and Satyavan (Satyavan Savitri)

The oldest known version of the story of Savitri and Satyavan is found in "The Book of the Forest" of the Mahabharata.

The story occurs as a multiple embedded narratives in the Mahabharata as told by Markandeya. When Yudhisthira asks Markandeya whether there has ever been a woman whose devotion matched Draupadi’s, Markandeya replies by relating this story:

The childless king of Madra, Asvapati, lives ascetically for many years and offers oblations to Sun God Savitr. His consort is Malavi. He wishes to have a son for his lineage. Finally, pleased by the prayers, God Savitr appears to him and grants him a boon: he will soon have a daughter. The king is joyful at the prospect of a child. She is born and named Savitri in honor of the god. Savitri is born out of devotion and asceticism, traits she will herself practice.

Savitri is so beautiful and pure, she intimidates all the men in the vicinity. When she reaches the age of marriage, no man asks for her hand, so her father tells her to find a husband on her own. She sets out on a pilgrimage for this purpose and finds Satyavan, the son of a blind king named Dyumatsena, who after he had lost everything including his sight, lives in exile as a forest-dweller.

Impressed by Satyavan’s devotion towards his blind parents, Savitri decides to marry him.

Savitri returns to find her father speaking with Sage Narada who announces that Savitri has made a bad choice: although perfect in every way, Satyavan is destined to die one year from that day. In response to her father’s pleas to choose a more suitable husband, Savitri insists that she will choose her husband but once. After Narada announces his agreement with Savitri, Ashwapati acquiesces.

King first refused to the marriage but Savitri was adamant. Finally, the King relented and the marriage was conducted and the couple left for the forest.

They led a happy life and soon a year passed and Savitri realized that Satyavan would die any moment. So she kept fast and always followed him. Her offerings were durwa grass and peepal leaves.She performed neivedhyam with wild rice and toor dal. that is kaara arisi and thuvaram parrupu that is why this vratham is known as karadayan nonbu.

Next day, she followed Satyavan to the forest. While cutting woods, he fell down and fainted. Soon, Savitri realized that Satyavan is dying. Suddenly she felt the presence of Yama, the god of death. She saw him carrying the soul of Satyavan and she followed Yama.

Yama first ignored Savitri thinking that she will soon return back to her husband’s body. But she persisted and kept on following him. Yama tried few tricks to persuade her but nothing worked. Then Yama said that it is impossible for him to give back the dead as it is against the nature’s law. Instead, he will give her three boons.

Savitri agreed with the first boon she asked for a son for her father. With the second boon she asked that her in-laws be reinstated in their kingdom with full glory.

Finally, for the third boon she asked ‘I would like to have children.’

Yama immediately said ‘granted.’ But soon Yama realized that he had been tricked by Savitri.

Yama remained silent for a minute and then smiled and said ‘I appreciate you persistence. But what I liked more was you readiness to marry a man whom you loved even though you knew that he would only live for a year. So this karayadan nonbu protected her husband.

Prayers are offered to GowriDevi and women meditate on Savitiri and wear a yellow thread round their neckas they chant the following sloka

Throram Krishhnami subhake saharitham

Dharami aham bharthu

Ayushya Sidhartham supreethabhava sarvadha

தோரம் க்ருஹ்ணாமி ஸுபகே ஸஹாரித்ரம்தராம்யhஹம்
பர்த்து; ஆயுஷ்ய ஸித்யர்த்தம் ஸுப்ரீதா பவஸர்வதா

The following is the tamil chant

உருக்காத வெண்ணையும்
ஓரடையும் நான் தருவேன்,

ஒருக்காலும் என்னைவிட்டு என்
கணவர் பிரியாதிருக்க வேண்டும்.

Urukaddha Venneyum oradhayam naan nootren

Orukkalum en kanavar ennai vittu  pririya dhirukka vendum

which means I offer butter and the rice made out of kaara arisi bless me that i live happily with my husband.

Neivadhayam is made of betel leaves a adai made out of rice and butter.

On this occasion let me wish all the ladies a happy karadayan nonbu.

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Karadayan Nonbu Adai

There are certain dishes that are invariably made specifically in a year, on particular days, like Poornam Kuzhakattai for Ganesh Chathurthi, Kali for Thirvadarai, Cheedai for Janmashtami, Pori urundai for Karthigai and this particular adai for Karadayan Nonbu. Though the dishes prepared in some other days also as a general dish generally people don’t make Nonbu Adai on a day to day basis. That’s what makes them so special.

Ingredients

1. Rice Flour – 1 cup

2. Grated or powdered Jaggery – 1 cup

3. A handful of cowpeas or Karamani

4. Cardamoms – 3 -4

5. Coconut cut into small pieces – a handful

6. Ghee – 1 tsp

7. Water – 1 1/2 cup

Method

Dry roast the rice flour till brown on medium heat. (You should be able to put lines with the flour like you do with kolam maavu). Pressure cook the Karamani, mash them coarsely and keep it aside.

In a Kadai, heat the said 1 ½ cups of water with the grated jaggery. Once the jaggery dissolves completely, remove from heat. Strain impurities and place it on heat again. Let it start boiling. Once the jaggery water starts boiling add the cooked cowpeas, coconut pieces and roasted rice flour. Mix well without forming any lumps. Add a tsp of ghee and mix well. The whole flour should become a round mass. Remove from heat. Let it cool a little.

Grease idly moulds. Make small balls out of this mixture and flatten them. Make a small hole with your finger in the middle. Place in idly moulds and steam for about 10 mins. Once cooked the Adais will have a shiny appearance.

Karadayan adai is ready.

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