Sampath Krishna Jois Panchanga
We have been using this Panchanga for Generations and Depend on this for everything like when to
celebrate Pandige, Naming the new borns, Horoscopes etc.
Virodhi Samvatsara - March 2009 -March 2010
Front
Back
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SriVaishnava's Did not Eat Onions (Among many such other eatables)
It is a belief or some may even call it a myth in our Culture, that Traditional/Orthodox and Sathvik Srivaishnavas
do not eat Onions and Garlic. My Grandfather and Father would never eat that but they could not prevent us
from doing just that. My mother would very carefully make their Plain Menthya Dosai and Serve them first.
Then she would use a different Tava to make Masala Dosai for Us.(of course no Garlic)
I asked once why and got yelled at by my Granfather.
My Dear Mother passed on this explanation to me as was handed down to her from earlier generation.
When you Cut Onion Across, you Cut the Chakra and when you cut along shoot side you cut the Shanka.
No Sriviashnava will want to do that.
 Onion Chakra | 
Onion Shanka |
I was also told that to prevent sensous thoughts, bad mouth smell, body odour may also have attributed to this idea.
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Kadaaru/Hande and Weekly Oil Bath Ritual
From my Childhood memories I distinctly remember my Mother religiously preparing us and giving us Weekly Sunday Oil Bath.
Among other things it involved storing Castor Oil, Saude (Fire Wood) and well maintained Kadaru (A Very Large Capacity Copper Vessel)
and a Square Cement "Thotti" full of Water and of course Chika Pudi/Seege pudi/Shikakai - Soap Nut Powder.
The Bathroom was a very Big room in our home. The Water would be quite hot and Oil would be applied from hair tip to toe nail.
She would let us soak it in for atleast 5 to 10 minutes. She would make us say the following sloka after we use our Ring Finger
of the right hand to dip it in Oil and make 5 Spots on the right thigh.
Aswathama, Balir Vyasa, Hanumath sahita Vrukodara Chiranjeevinaha.
She would then bless us her Aashirwada for Aayuh and Arogya and let us apply Oil all over us.
After the Hot bath and drying up she would ask us to rest and study and after an hour or so we could eat.
Going out of home for 3 or 4 hours after the bath was prohibited. But I remember being very sharp, active and full of life after that.
I used to also attend to my father when he used to have his bath and fill the Bucket when it used to become empty.
I think it would be atleast 6 or 7 Buckets of Water.
Can this ritual be done even today?
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When some body sneezes, suddenly you would see even strangers utter 'Bless You'.
But our Mothers and Grandmothers would shower all their love and affection, whenever their Baby or kids sneezed
by their Aashirwada. First Sneeze would evoke "Dheergash", Second one "Sataish" and Third one "Kotiaish"...
Toddlers never stop with one sneeze and so this ritual is a quite a treat to watch by family members and all do become happy.
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Before Sleeping we have children recite this prayer to drive away any bad dreams
Ramaskandam Hanumantham Vainetheyam Vrukodaram
Sayane Tasmare nityam
Duswapnam Tasya Nashyati
First Prayer when one wakes up
Hold both your palms together and recite the following prayer
Karagre Vasate lakshmi
Karamule saraswati
Karamadhyetu Govindam
Prabhate Kara Darshanam
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Old iron Coffee Roaster - Multipurpose
My cousins were all born in 60's and at that time it was joint family system presided over by our Grand Mother Smt.SeethaLakshmi.
I remember her as a very great lady full of love and affection and simple way of life. She understood the reuse of objects even in
those times. They had a old iron coffee roaster with a cylindrical holder with tiny holes for coffee seeds that had a handle.
This would sit on a groove on a rectangular bottom that held red hot coals and a bottom most part to catch the ashes. A servant
would make the coals burning red hot first thing in the morning. Coffee seeds would be roasted first for the day's coffee. The infants
would wake up and needed to given bath. Any 2 women would perform the bath ritual singing songs. Then my dear Grandma would use
the red hot coals in the same old rectangular iron and spread "Sambrani" powder and generate a thick cloud of pleasant fragrance and
hold the infants with both her hands and move the baby back and forth over that while singing some song and covering the infant's face
with a towel/cloth. Afterwards every adult would love to hold the infant and muddadufy !!
During Sankaranti times the same coffee roaster was used for roasting kadalekai. Typical Iyengar Prudence, one would think !!
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Mothers Always Apply Oil on Childeren's Head
Our mother always used to insist that we apply hair oil after our bath and it had become a habit hard to shake off.
Much Later in life after marriage I at least started to become lazy and allowed my lovely wife to 'Apply' oil on my head.
The reason perhaps was I changed to coconut oil and in winter that would solidify and an extra work of melting was involved.
My dear Mom would admonish my wife saying 'Aayuh kadame aayidranna. Amma, Pati thodkilla, nee thodkivenda'.
I used to say that Aayuh is HIS will !! Why do you even believe this. But she would say that it is being told from generations......
Now I am balding but I always joke about this with my dear Mom, even now.