Sairam friends,
This Pongal festival started late in the morning. I woke up late and asked my parents why they didn’t woke me up early. On Sunday, I bought some flowers and the Manjal – Turmeric with leaves in the market. The shop keeper said its 30 Rupees each and I bought 3 of them. A lady asked the price and went away scolding him…he he…. I thought am the only person buying from this man as he looks at my face and knows I won’t bargain.
I thought everything is arranged for the Pongal festival and woke up late.
My Amma asked me to get a Banana leaf from the shop. I got irritated and asked her how many times I asked you another day anything else to buy for Pongal? She said, If I ask you to do something, just say Yes and go.
My Amma usually shows anger on me if things are getting late. So I quickly got it for her.
Now the next task to show as if I am helping my parents and I really did. I swept all the rooms clean and decided to do Abishekam – Holy bath for our Ganesha, Sai, Dattatreya, Mahalakshmi, Saraswathi, Shivalingam, and Annapurna. I was in a hurry as my parents wanted to start cooking Pongal at least at 10.30.
I did a holy bath for all Gods, Sai, and offered flowers. Then I lit all 7 lamps and did prayers.
Once all this was done, I quickly charged my Camera and took pictures with my mobile camera too. I sent a message in Watsup to my friends with the below Photo I took from the plant in front of our house from which I offer flowers to all Gods.
“Thank Goddess of Nature and Lord Surya for all they have blessed us with. May this Pongal bless us all with peace and happiness”
Surya Dev is the only God whom we can see with eye and worship. Lord Surya is pleased with Bow. – Surya Namaskaram
I was happy that some devotees have gone through one of my blogs on Lord Surya learned the greatness of Bowing to Surya Dev. I request this to many devotees. Whenever you get a chance, every morning, join your palm together and Bow your head looking at Lord Surya. If you do it 7 times, Surya dev will be pleased and bless you with a good life.
I received a mail from a devotee Prashanth
Since Pongal is a Thanksgiving festival to Mother Nature and Lord Surya, I wanted to do something good today. I will tell about it later.
Now we will see how we celebrated Pongal with Natural fire in our house.
My parents and my old friend Dhottapa who comes to our home to help us with house old work for over 20 years has cleaned the front portion of the home with cow dung. Then we draw a line with Saffron color ( Kavi) on the floor like a house. Over than Amma makes Kolam in white color.
This morning, my parents kept the pot over some sand and also the wooden logs Dhottapa collected to lit the fire.
3 Pongal pots beautifully kept over the mud stove – I love the way it is arranged
I asked my Father why we keep 3 pots. One for Lord Ganesha, one for Amman, and the center pot is the Sakarai Pongal to celebrate the Pongal festival.
I was too busy taking pictures and at least last year I helped my parents in Cooking Pongal. This year, I was just roaming here and there and just made sure, I helped them do some odd works. My father took care of keeping the fire burning in the stove. He broke small sticks and dropped it in the mud stove. It was really hot and my father was sweating and looked very tired. I kept asking him to get up and have some water.
I offered water to Sai, mixed Udi and the prasad I got from Hanuman, and gave it to parents so they will feel healthy.
My father burning the natural mud stove in Hot sun. Amma taking care of Pongal in pots.
I have always been fascinated by fire. Many of you following StarSai know that I used to clean the holy fire of Sai – Dhuni in Shirdi Saibaba temple in our home town. So I have always seen Fire God – Agni dev as a form of Sai himself. I used to sit inside the Dhuni tank and scream if its too hot – Saibaba….saibabaaaa… You can have a look at my love for the Sacred fire of Sai at ShirdiSaibabaDhuni.com
So I also wanted to take photos of Sacred fire which is cooking our Sweet Pongal! here it is for you..
Cooking Pongal with Natural sacred fire
Only my Amma knows how to Cook Pongal and someday for sure, I will tell you the recipe in StarSai for devotees who don’t know to cook. She really has to strain a lot for making Pongal outside the home. She has to run between the kitchen and this place where we cooked. As she gets tired, she argues with me and my Appa that we made it late this year, and it’s too hot now to cook outside.
I wonder how my Father managed to sit in front of this fire during Hot day and dropped the sticks. I took an umbrella, stood near him, and made sure my Father gets some shadow. My Father asked me to break a stick into two pieces. I kept breaking and it was never broken. Finally, my father broke it and we used it to burn.
Soon Pongal was made. Amma kept stirring the Pongal in the pots to cook it properly.
Amma stirring Sweet Pongal to Cook them nicely
Amma asked me to break the Vellam into pieces and as she wants to make paagu to pour into the sweet Pongal. So I broke it and came back outside quickly to take Photos.
Amma cooking sweet Pongal
Finally, by Sai grace, all the Pongal was made. I felt happy that though we started late and it was too hot, we made it nice and came inside the home. My Amma kept the Banana leaf in front of Gods, Sai, Dattatreya and we did Pooja.
I like to show you a photo of our Shirdi Saibaba smiling. I hope he had Tasty Sweet Pongal my parents made.
Shirdi Saibaba in my house smiling. I believe he liked Amma’s sweet Pongal
This year Pongal has lots of arguments between me, my parents, between them especially because of starting to cook late and this being a hot day. Anyway, we enjoyed the holy day and also sweet Pongal. Probably this is what happens in every ordinary Indian family. There’s not a festival without little arguments and then we pacify ourselves.
Every year I used to give a pose as if I am cooking Pongal myself. This year, I am not going to show any photos of mine.
I wrote a article yesterday – Click here to read about how upset I was that all my friends at office came to know about StarSai just because I had my picture in it.
Anyway, I tried to hide StarSai with lots of smart ideas. Making different Gmail IDs for office friends, never using Facebook like buttons on StarSai, etc but seems Sai can’t help me this time. My parents and sister always advise me never to show your devotion to Sai at workplace as its a mechanical world and people won’t understand you. So I tried my maximum.
I usually start writing an article with a heading and at times change the heading by the time I completed. So what’s the heading of this article?
Helping parents cook Pongal on a hot day and Salutations to Goddess of Nature, Surya Sahasranama
Did I cover everything I promised in the title?
I have to present to you the Surya Sahasranama download link courtesy of singers and respective producers. Kindly purchase the original DVDs to encourage these singers to do divine songs.
Surya Sahasranama – 1008 Sacred names of Lord Surya
Click here for Surya Sahasranama mp3
I found it from Youtube courtesy of devotee who uploaded it and the respective singers – Surya Sahasranama on youtube
I wrote to you early that as its a very sacred day and also an ancient south Indian celebration to Thank Lord Surya and Mother nature, I wanted to do something good.
In 2013, I created a website to spread the greatness of Giving Food. I didn’t had time to work on it but it’s doing its work by inspiring few people once in a while to learn the greatness of Giving food and involving in any good deeds.
Whenever my Mother gets upset that water isn’t coming properly, I used to think Water really is a big issue in the years to come. We have to take care of our Sea, Rivers, and Lakes and keep our environment. It’s also a blessing to give water when someone comes thirsty to you. So make use of any opportunity to give water to people who come to you.
That’s it friends. Please contribute any information or experiences related to Water issues, Rivers, and Ocean.
This evening, my uncle who helped me getting introduced to people I worked with in the Film industry ( Before many years) saw my Short film on Youtube and called me. He was happy for it and said keep working on it. If you are destined to be a filmmaker, you will.
I don’t want to remember my past year’s goals and dreams. I just wish to sail in the Ship of Sai.
I simply believe in Sai and let Sai take me where he wishes to take me.
I am going to Saibaba temple now
Take care
Happy Pongal to all my Sai friends in StarSai family
C.Venkatraman
Always in the holy feet of Shirdi Saibaba
14/1/2014
