Today is the first day of the month of 'Karkkidakam' on the Malayalam calendar.
And the 'mallus' the world over also call this month the 'Ramayana maasam'. In almost every household, the matriarch would begin reciting the Ramayana, from cover to cover, so as to go through the entire epic by the end of this month.
The reason is quite simple. Lord Sri Rama was born in this month, as per the Malayalam calendar and his star was 'Punartham'. And as all are aware, this was one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu as a human being, to cleanse the world and its inhabitants of all the evils!
At home, my mom religiously goes over the recital of the Ramayana and as a rule, she usually does it late in the evening after she's finished her chores. I've been seeing this ritual since my childhood and have always felt that her prayers give the family the strength to ward off all evils - a 'raksha kavach' of sorts!
The 'mallus' also call this as the 'panja maasam' - when the households have come to the reserve stock of their foodgrains and other resources and are literally scooping out the last bit of grain from their domestic granary. The following month is 'Chingam' and the time for harvest, the piling up of yet another fresh stock of grains and other resources.
And the rains continue in full fury only to taper, in intensity, by the end of the month.
Tailpiece.
All the Malayalam channels on the television have a half an hour slot in the morning, earmarked for the Ramayana recital. It was nice to hear the rendition but in no way can substitute the way mom does!
And the 'mallus' the world over also call this month the 'Ramayana maasam'. In almost every household, the matriarch would begin reciting the Ramayana, from cover to cover, so as to go through the entire epic by the end of this month.
The reason is quite simple. Lord Sri Rama was born in this month, as per the Malayalam calendar and his star was 'Punartham'. And as all are aware, this was one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu as a human being, to cleanse the world and its inhabitants of all the evils!
At home, my mom religiously goes over the recital of the Ramayana and as a rule, she usually does it late in the evening after she's finished her chores. I've been seeing this ritual since my childhood and have always felt that her prayers give the family the strength to ward off all evils - a 'raksha kavach' of sorts!
The 'mallus' also call this as the 'panja maasam' - when the households have come to the reserve stock of their foodgrains and other resources and are literally scooping out the last bit of grain from their domestic granary. The following month is 'Chingam' and the time for harvest, the piling up of yet another fresh stock of grains and other resources.
And the rains continue in full fury only to taper, in intensity, by the end of the month.
Tailpiece.
All the Malayalam channels on the television have a half an hour slot in the morning, earmarked for the Ramayana recital. It was nice to hear the rendition but in no way can substitute the way mom does!
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