Karadayan Nonbu or Savitri Vratham is a traditional Tamil Nadu festival of fasting wherein married women will pray for the wellness and long life of their husbands. This nonbu or vratam should be done exactly in the time when Tamil month ‘Masi’ ends and the next month ‘Panguni’ starts. The reason why this fasting is carried out is that “Savithri fought with Yama to save her husband’s life”, the same way the married women should fast on this auspicious day for long life of their husbands.
Married women worship Mahalakshmi, Goddess Gauri or Parvathi or Shakti for marital bliss and better health of husband and children. Unmarried girls perform the vratam to get ideal person as their husband.
Karadayan Nonbu is similar to that of Soubhagya Gauri Vratam or Gauri Tritiya Vratam of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Gangaur vrat of Rajasthan, Jyeshta Gauri Vrat of Maharashtra, Jitiya Puja of Bihar, Karva Chauth of all other North Indian States’ festivals. This vratham is very much similar to Vat Savitri Vrat observed in Bengal, Orissa and some other places of India.
Savitri Story:
Savithri was the daughterof the King Asrapathi. When her father asked her who she wished to marry she pointed to Sathyavan who lived in the forest. Despite being warned by Narada that he would die within a year of marriage, she married Sathayavan.
In the jungle Savithri began to pray for her husband’s life. Her offerings were durwa grass and peepal leaves. She performed neivedhyam with wild rice and toor dal (Tamil word, Kara Adai). That is kaara arisi and thuvaram parrupu that is why this vratham is known as karadayan nonbu.
The predestined last day of Sathayavan dawaned. Savithri stayed by Sathyavan’s side.
The Lord of death came. But he was pleased with her nonbu he wanted to grant her something excepting her husband’s life. Savitiri expressed her desire to be the mother of (100) children.
Yamadharme realized that in order to grant Savitiri’s wish he would have to spare Sathyavan’s life. So he granted her wish to honour her courage and devotion to her husband. So this karayadan nonbu protected her husband.
Procedure:
Prayers are offered to Gowri Devi / Mahalakshmi and women meditate on Savitiri and wear a yellow thread round their neckas.
They chant the following sloka,
‘Throram Krishhnami subhake saharitham Dharami aham bharthu Ayushya Sidhartham supreethabhava sarvadha’
The following is the Tamil chant,
‘உருக்காத வெண்ணையும் ஓரடையும் நான் நூற்றேன்
ஒருக்காலும் என் கணவர் என்னை விட்டு பிரியாதிருக்க வேண்டும்’
( ‘நூற்றேன்’ என்பதற்கு ‘தருவேன்’ என்று சொல்வதும் உண்டு)
‘Urukaddha Venneyum oradaiyum naan nootren
Orukkalum en kanavar ennai vittu pririyadhirukka vendum’
Which means the following,
‘I offer butter and the rice made out of kaara arisi bless me that i live happily with my husband.’
Neivadhayam is made of betel leaves a adai made out of rice and butter.
The neivehdyam for this fasting is Karadayan Nonbu Adai with butter along with vetrilai, pakku, pazham and coconut. We should get yellow rope that has to be tied by all the women in a house. In each of the rope small flower is tied and one rope should be put in the Kamakshi amman picture and the rest should be tied up by all women in the house.
