Saraswathi Pooja - Ayudha Pooja Importance & Recipes

Saraswathi Pooja Recipes / Ayudha Pooja Recipes
Saraswathi pooja is considered to be a very auspicious day which is celebrated on the 9th day of the Navrathri. On this auspicious day, students offer their books to the Goddess Saraswati who is known to bestow knowledge and wisdom to all of her worshippers.Not only do the students offer their books at the deity's feet but they also neatly cover them and make them look as good as new.It is popular belief that students are forbidden to read on that day; the next day which is Vijaya Dashami is when they should re-open their text books and read thereby invoking the blessings of the Goddess of learning.

"Saraswathi namasthubhiyam varadekamarubhini vidhyarambham karishyami siddhibhavatume sada"

For others the day has special meaning . To all the workers the worship of their tools is a must on this day.This day is celebrated as Ayudha Pooja .People worship Vishwakarma who was the architect of the world . All the tools ,machines etc are cleaned ,painted and well polished after which they are smeared with sandalwood paste and vermilion with great care.

Saraswathi Pooja Recipes:
For Neyvedhyam : Usually we make one payasam, medhu vada and chole sundal and offer the same as neivedhyam to Saraswathi on the Saraswathi pooja. The receipes for the same are given below
Medhu Vadai
Sarkarai Pongal
Chole Sundal
Saraswathi Pooja Lunch Menu
For Lunch, we usually prepare one pachadi, curry, kootu, more kuzhambu, and rasam. We can use the vadai and sarkarai pongal which we made for neyvedhyam and serve the same for lunch as well.

The below video was created while doing Saraswathi Pooja at Madras University Vaishnavism Department. This will be useful to get an idea to do Saraswathi Pooja in Vaishnava Paththathi.






[CENTER]The importance of Saraswathi Puja and Ayudha Puja:[/CENTER]


In our culture, from an early age, we are taught not to touch, books or any paper with our feet. It is considered a violation of doing things the right way. Any book is a symbol of knowledge and therefore sacred. We immediately touch the trampled book or any educational object with our hands and keep them in our eyes as a mark of our apology. Why do we do this ?

We consider knowledge, very sacred and [COLOR=#009900 !important]divine[/COLOR]. For Hindus, Goddess Saraswathi is [COLOR=#009900 !important]the Goddess[/COLOR] of learning and we pray to her for academic as well as spiritual knowledge. We also believe that she bestows on us clarity of thought and nobility of ideas. We pray to her to gain knowledge, dispassion, devotion and prosperity. When we keep knowledge on a pedestal, how can we trample on paper which stands for Saraswathi ?

On Saraswathi puja day, we keep all books in the prayer room, evoke Knowledge in the form of Saraswathi and do puja.
The following prayer is chanted to her before starting our studies:

Saraswathi namasthubhyam varadae kaamaroopinee
Vidhyaarambham karishyaami siddhir bhavathumae sadaa

I prostrate to you, Goddess Saraswathi. You give boons and fulfill our wishes.
I pray to you to grant my wishes when I start my studies.

Goddess Saraswathi presides over and protects every form of art. So, on this day, consecrated to Saraswathi, the[COLOR=#009900 !important]musical instruments[/COLOR] in the house are cleansed, placed on an altar and devotedly worshipped, these being the abode of this Goddess.

Besides, on that day Ayudha Puja is also celebrated. This is, worshipping whatever [COLOR=#009900 !important]implements[/COLOR], one uses in livelihood. If one can make a conscious effort to see the divine in the tools and objects, one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. It will also help one to maintain constant remembrance of thedivine. This is an expression of [COLOR=#009900 !important]gratitude[/COLOR] to God for helping one to fulfill one's duties.

Yet another prayer to Saraswathi, to be blessed with brilliance, knowledge and talent is:
Yaa daevee sthooyathae nithyam vibhudhair vaeda paaragaih
Saa mae vasathu jihvaagrae brahmaroopaa saraswathi

May Saraswathi, the Goddess of knowledge, who is ever praised by the wise, who have mastered the [COLOR=#009900 !important]scriptures[/COLOR], who is the embodiment of the Vedas ( or the consort of Lord Brahma ), live on the tip of my tongue.

What better prayer can there be, to ask for, to the giver of all knowledge and wisdom?

Love & Regards,
Chithra
[This Article found at Indus Ladies]