Celebrating Makairam – Thiruvathira

Dashapushpam Nedikkal (Placing 10 sacred herbs to Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathy)

*27 stars and *Arundhati joined me
We are celebrating
Moon, Earth, and sky,
Watching our dance
For health, peace, and long life of our dear ones,
We pray and dance and fast these days 😊

Thiruvathira in the month of Dhanu (Sagittarius) is the celebration of birthday of Lord Siva. It’s a full moon day. Sky will be bright with cooling light of moon. If you were in village, you could hear Thiruvathira songs from nearby. Since I am in city, we few people celebrate this.

After the death of Sati, she reborned as Parvathi. In order to get Lord Siva as husband, she took fasting on this day and got Siva as her husband.

We, Kerala women celebrate this beautiful tradition with prayers, dancing (Thiruvathira kali), putting Dashapushpam (10 medicinal plants) on hair, make special foods – Thiruvathira puzhukku (8 types of vegetables cooked in coconut gravy) along with Gothambu kanji (broken wheat porridge cooked in coconut milk) and Koova kurukku ( Arrowroot pudding). We do not take rice in any form.

Just the day before Thiruvathira is Makairam (Both are stars among the 27 stars who are the wives of Moon). On Makairam, we start the preparation for Thiruvathira. We take rice only once and take fruits or light food. We pluck 10 medicinal plants – Karuka, Nilappanna, Cheroola, Vishnukranthi, Mukkutti, Muyal cheviyan, Valliuzhinja, Kayyunyam, Thirithaali, and Poovamkurunnila. These are regarded as sacred plants.

This beautiful tradition is followed by women of all ages of orthodox Hindu families. We believe girls will get good husbands, married women will have long happy married life with their husbands, and all who participate in this celebration will get Lord Siva’s blessings. Though it’s a celebration of women and nature and moon, everyone can participate and get blessed.

Getting up early morning, bathing, putting sacred herbs on hair, preparing special foods, dancing under moonlight bring good health and beauty to women. Makairam and Thiruvathira are beautiful days in which women come into close contact with nature. Getting moonlight on skin decreases body heat, increases fertility, gives glow to skin, balance hormones, calms mind, and bring joy to mind. Not only on Thiruvathira, allowing moonlight to fall on body on any full moon day is very good for both women and men.

*27 stars (nakshatras): Ashwini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrighasira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesha, Magha, Purva Phalguni, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Vishaka, Anuradha, Jyestha, Moola, Purvashada, Uttarashada, Sharavan, Dhanishta, Shatabisha, Purvabhadra, Uttarabhadra, and Revati. According to the birth time of an individual and with the position of Moon at that time, an individual’s the birth star is determined according to Astrology.

*Arundhati: Wife of Sage Vashita. Arundhati and Vashita are ideal couples in Hindu mythology. Vashita is one among “Saptarshis” (7 sages) and Arundhati is his chaste and revered wife. Along with Saptarshis, we can see Arundhati star in a clear, cloudless sky. It is called as “Great Bear” or “Ursa Major” constellation. In order to have a long, happy, and ideal family life, we women of India look upon Arundhati and Vashita stars to get their blessings on wedding day.

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