Atla Tadde
Atla Tadde is a traditional festival
celebrated by married Hindu women of Andhra region inAndhra Pradesh, India,
for the health and long life of their husbands. It occurs on the 3rd night
after the full moon in Aswiyuja month of Telugu calendar, and falls in either
September or October in the Gregorian calendar. It is the Telugu equivalent
of Karva Chauth, which is celebrated by north Indian women the following
day. Atla Tadde was extinct in Andhra Pradesh, as a result of western culture
influence among younger generations. In Rome, there is a similar festival
named St. Agnes Eve celebrated each 21st January.
The Ritual
Telugu woman
mark Atla Tadde by keeping a day-long fast without food or water. In the
evening, women perform pooja, and after looking at the moon, they break the
fast by having tiny atlu (miniature dosas).
Following
are customs in some places of Andhra Pradesh, India:
- This festival is celebrated by women and children.
- On eve of this day, they apply Gorintaku (Mehndi) on their
palms.
- Women and children wake up in the early morning before the
sunrise, and have suddi (rice cooked day before night) with perugu (curd)
and Gongura chutney.
- People swing in the uyyala (Swing (seat)).
- In the evening, preparing sambar (with 11 varieties of
vegetables).
- Paltalikelu (sweet made with rice flour, jaggery, and milk)
- Mudda pappu (plain dal)
- Curd
- Gongura pachadi
- Kudumulu (5 for gauri devi) (for yourself and other
muttayuduvu 5 each and on 4 kudumulu you place one on top of the 4 and
make it as deepam and eat the same after your pooja when the deepam is
still lighting)
- 11 small Dosas (for each)
- Tamarind pulihora
- Toranam for hand (with 11 nots for atla tadde n 5 nots
toranam for Undralla tadde)
On this day,
Some have a custom of preparing atlu and keep those as offering to goddess
Gowri, and after they will be distributed to relatives, neighbors as vaayanam.
For each muttayduvu (these ladies/relatives fast along with the one who is
having this pooja perform). The ceremony includes 11 ladies who already took
this vayanam and if your menatta (aunt of your mothers side) took this vayanam
the rituals continues. To all these 11 ladies you give each 11 atlu with deepam
(made of rice flour and ghee and lit in front of goddess Gowri) you offer each
lady the vayanam by holding with your sarees pallu... you utter these words
...istinamma
vanayam (i gave her the vayanam) ...puchukunna amma vayanam (lady
says: i took the vayanam) ...mummatiki ichindamma vayanam (or)
andinchinamma vayanam (i gave her the vayanam) ...mummatiki muttindamma
vayanam (or) andindamma vayanam (lady says: i received the vayanam)
...vayanam puchukunna vanita evaro (you ask/pose a question saying who took
the vayanam) ...ne ne namma gowri parvati (lady says: she says its me
GowriParvathi)
and they
then break the fast along with you by having all the dishes made and some also
make sweet called palatalikalu (made with milk and rice powder) and they also
eat the deepam and take home those atlu and eat later with family members.
Pooja Ceremony:
- Prepare kalisam on rice, coins (inside kalasam water, kumkum,
turmeric, coin, and flower with 5 mango leafs or just water)
- Make pasupu ganapathi
- Gauri ashtotram
- Lalitha harathi/gauri harathi
- Story
People sing
folk songs like atla taddi aaratloi, mudda pappu mudatloi,....