Karadian nombu is celebrated by ladies of the iyer community during the transition of the Malayalam Month Kumbam into Meenam(Tamil Month Maasi into Panguni). The ladies make the nombu adai and offer it to God along with butter.
Also known as Savitri Vrat, Karadian Nombu ritual is observed by all married women for the well being of their husbands and to pray that they as couples should remain together always. Unmarried women also observe Karadian Nombu and pray to Goddess Shakti to identify a good man for a life partner.
Karadian Nombu is celebrated in honour of Sathi Savithri’s success in bringing back her husband Sathyavan’s life from the hands of Yama Dev, the God of Death. This is why the ritual is known as Savithri Nombu.
On the appointed day, women prepare the sweet adai made of rice flour and Vellam(jiggery) and savory adai with green chillies. Each lady sits behind a banana leaf placed on a kolam. She is served adai and butter, and betel leaves and nuts and fresh flowers and one banana are also placed before her. She also places the Nonbu sharadu – a sacred cotton thread dipped in turmeric. At the exact time specified, all the ladies symbolically offer all that is placed in front of them to the Goddess Gowri or Shakthi, with the words:
“Urugada Vennaiyum Oradaiyum Naan Tharuven
Orukaalum En Kanavar Ennai Piriyadirukkanum”
After this, Nombu Charadu is tied around the neck, the ladies partake of the prasadam of adai on their leaves.
The charadu should ideally not be removed until the next Karadyan Nombu. The tradition of Kaaradian Nombu every year is believed to attain a long married life.
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