PILLAYAR NONBU – POIGNANT STORIES

 

PILLAYAR NONBU –  POIGNANT STORIES



On 21st day after Maha Deepam, Karthika day, the zodiac signs sashti and sathayam converge.  This is the holy day for all Nagarathar Community people.  More than Vinayagar Chathurthi in Aug, Sep, what Nagarathar celebrate without fail wherever they are in the world is what is famously known as Pillayar Nonbu.

What is not known to many in current generation is the background, tradition of celebrating such exclusive festivals, ceremonies like Pillayar Nonbu.  Many of the aeons old tradition we come to hear of from our elders in the family.  If they miss to tell the story to the posterity,  chances are we may totally miss them.  Thank God, there were elders, who had taken pains to carry the legacy to later generations.

And good writers did a good job in narrating the story.  Links to a few is herein:

 

https://elvisalakshi.blogspot.com/2011/04/pillayar-nonbu-part-1.html

https://elvisalakshi.blogspot.com/2011/09/pillayar-nonbu-part-2-origin-of.html

As the stories go, we are supposed to take just one meal a day since Karthikai Maha Deepam day till the 21st day after it.  This vrata, is in Tamil we call it nonbu – upavasam.   We wait for the 21st day not just to end the vratam.  It’s to offer our prayers to Lord Vinayaka, the small silver one on sampadam – small measuring round shaped vessel- spread over with a tiny fresh silk cloth sheet.   The auspicious flower is not any usual one used during Pujas, but avaarampoo.  Naivedya comprises of a wide spread of food items, to name a few:  Karuppatti Paniyaram, the unique Nagarathar food Vellaip Paniyaram, Groundnut jiggery mixed ball – urundai, Ellu Urundai etc.

 

The significance of avaarampoo is related to the story behind the whole festival.   Those days adhering to the dictum you must earn even if you to cross seas to earn a livelihood.  Those era, almost every Chettiar, attaining age, went on ships to Malaysia, Burma, Singapore and other Asian Countries to do business, mainly  money lending.  On one such sail, there was a turbulent storm in the sea for days.  All the Chettiars just kept praying the Maragatha Vinayagar.  Each day they pulled out one thread from their Dhoti for 21 days.  The all Powerful Vinayaga showered compassion on 21st day, being the day when zodiac signs, viz., sashti and sathayam merged.  They could find an island to get down from the ship.  To thank God, they used the rice and jaggery which they carried as food during their sail in the ship.  The rice was ground and mixed with jiggery to make small mount.  The 21 threads turned wick.  They used the wick in the small mount to light a lamp.  This was offered as naivedya to Lord Maragatha Vinayaka.  To decorate him they searched for flowers in the tiny island.  They could get only the aavarampoo.  This is how Avarampoo became the flower to decorate Vinayaga on this occasion of Pillayar Nonbu.

 

Happy Pillayar Nonbu.

May Vigna Vinayaka remove all our vignams – the troubles, difficulties – and bring Peace and harmony.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

END OF AN ERA…..FONDLY ANNA

Image
END OF AN ERA…..FONDLY ANNA 03 RD December, 2025. Auspicious Krithika thithi -   . Lord Kaleesa must have thought it an apt day to merge Mama, அத்தை’s spouse     - ANNA, Soma Navanna, as fondly all his beloved know him – in His heavenly abode. Mama’s whole life was in the service of Lord Shiva, though he was pet Narayana to Kanchi Sankaracharya Swamiji Shri Jayendra Saraswathi.    It was during Periyava’s challenging time, Periyava wanted to offer a Golden Nagabarana to Lord Ramanathaswamy at Rameswaram.   Fearing the unwritten diktat at that time not to honor the Acharya in our Temples, the Priest at the Sanctum hesitated to accept the Periyava’s Offering and decorate the Deity there.    Periyava just turned and called accompanying Mama, “ Narayanaa……”.   Just that one address would suffice.   Mama’s turn, he spoke to the Priest, “ Ayya, please accept and adorn the Lord with the Nagabaranaa.     Don’t be afr...
Read more

இலக்கிய உலகில் ஓர் அருணோதயம்...Arunan Ayya. ...1924-2023

Image
Dec, 2024. Centenary celebrations of the legend, pioneer in publishing arena from Chettinad, Shri Arunan. His love for the language Tamil wanted to see him as a poet. But Almighty had a grander plan that He wished Ayya Arunan to be shining Publisher. The list of Authors he introduced reads the who's whos in the literary world. Right from legend poet Kaviarasar Kannadasan, popular and famous Novelists Madam Ramani Chandran, Pattukkottai Prabhakar and many more. In felicitation function Shri Prabhakar referred to a famous saying of Prophet Mohammad. The crux of the saying is you shouldn't keep the tiller of your field waiting for his wages. He should be paid his due wage so fast before the sweat drops on his forehead fall on the land. The writer recalled Ayya Arunan literally living the adage of Prophet Mohammad. Ayya, in fact, paid the writer instantly even before the writer's work was sent for printing. Ayya had rare acumen. Any one - with flair for writing ...
Read more

An Eswaran Temple very near Thirunallar - THAKKALUR THIRULOGANATHA SWAMY TEMPLE

Image
தக்களூர்  (Thakkalur)   Ruling Lord’s Name         :               Thirulokanathar Consort’s Name               :               Dharmasamvardhini   ‘Thiruppani’,  in Tamil,  திருப்பணி is to denote the Temple construction and establishment work.  The community, viz., Nagarathar, is so micro in size but well known for its yeoman services.   They hail from a Southern Tamilnadu, Sivaganga, Pudukkottai Districts.  They expanded their business empires all across the globe.   Out of their earnings, it is their tradition, custom and practice to allocate a portion of it to do religious and charity works.  Wherever they set their feet, ke...
Read more