Pillayar Chathurthi

Vinayaka Chathurthi is dedicated to Lord Ganesh son of Shiva, the elephant -headed god of all good beginnings and success. This Festival is celebrated on the month of avani during chathurthi thithi following new moon day.


During this festival event clean the house and frontage with water and draw kolams with kavi. Draw kolams on pooja room and also on the small plank,place idol of lord ganesh made of clay and perform pooja.Pooja room will be decorated with thoranams,plaintain saplings ,neem leaves etc.

For pooja we may require a small flower garland made of villva leaves and arugam pullu,we can also use erukampoo garland if available. Some will worship home made ganesh idols, many will buy moulded one from shops. Small decorated umbrella's are kept behind the idol, to make lord more decorative.In some houses,special small towels (pillayar thundu) will be placed around ganesh idol.


Main offerings for the lord ganesh is kozhukattais, five varieties of kozhukattai's (coconut,Black gram,Gingelly seeds, modakam, round),raw rice idlis,vadai,payasam,and maha neivedyam 'cooked rice with ghee on the top' ,Appam,Gingelly seed balls are the usual items to be prepared.

Pooja also requries betel leaves, betel nuts, coconut,plaintain fruits,guava, country apple,navan fruit, tender cumcumber and wood apple for neivedhyam.


On the next day you have to do punar pooja with betel leaves,fruits etc as offering's then remove ganesh idol and immerse in well or river as per the family tradition.

Popular Tamil slogam to pray lord ganesh is ,

Vaakundam Nalla Manamundam, Maa MalaraalNokundam,
Meni Nudangaadu Pookondu,Thuppar Thirumeni
Thumbikaiyaan Paadham,Thappamal Saarvaar Thamakku.


Kozhukattai Recipe




U need

1.Rice flour-1 cup

2.Water-2cup

3.Sesame oil-1tsp

4.Grated coconut-1 cup

5.Powdered jaggery-1/4 cup

6. Bengal gram dhal-1cup

7.Powdered cardamon-1/2tsp

8.Salt

Method of Preparation

Making outer layer

1. Boil water in a kadai, add salt for the dough and few drops of sesame oil.

2.Add little by little rice flour to the boiling water, without forming any lumps.

3.knead finely,keep it aside and allow to cool.

Making Filling /poranam

1. cook bengal gram dhal in cooker adding enough water, do not over cook , when it is done, spread over a cloth and let it to dry.

2. In a mixer first mash cooked dhal then add cardamom, jaggery,coconut and mash for a minute.

3. Make out small balls out of this grinded stuff.

then to make kozhukattai, smear your hands with sesame oil, take a little dough, make small balls,press the balls to form a round,shape them into cup like shell and fill the shell with poranam. steam these balls in cooker for 10 minutes till the dough does not stick into Ur hands.