Celebration of Karthika Masam Vanabhojanam and November Birthdays! – 2019.

 

VIDEO:

The Telugu lunar month of Karthika Masam is considered very auspicious; it starts a day after the major festival of Deepavali. A popular ritual/tradition practised in this month is ‘Vanabhojanalu’ literally meaning having food in gardens. Most families in the Telugu-speaking States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; as a group of relatives or as members of a large association go on picnics in this month and spend the whole day in a garden or in the wilderness, under trees. They have a good time chitchatting, playing games, loitering around and enjoying the foods most liked by them.

While my father was working in Singareni Collieries at Kothagudem, persons of our community used to organize ‘Karthika Vana Samaradhana’ on a large scale in our 5-acre mango garden. There used to be a puja to the Usiri/Amla tree, lots of entertainment and rich foods for close to 150 people. This tradition continued for over 15 years until my father retired from service and sold the garden before shifting back to Secunderabad. This practice and the pleasure we derived from such daylong picnics have kept the tradition of Vanabhojanalu going on in our family. Mango gardens and farmhouses owned by friends or resorts around the city of Hyderabad help us in this celebration.

This year’s Karthika Masam commenced on 29th October 2019 and ended on 25th November. So on a recent Sunday, 17th November, we went out for Vanabhojanalu with the families of my siblings, as usual. This time the venue was a huge 35-acre orchard and farmhouse owned by a known family and located 65 km away from our house in a very serene and lovely place along the Srisailam highway.  Among the many fruit and vegetable plants, there were many Usiri trees/Amla trees considered were auspicious along with Neem, Tamarind and other trees. It was a potluck party with all families participating in it. Everyone enjoyed the picnic in that calm and lovely environment walking amidst trees, plucking and relishing the fruits and with lots of games in the open, under the trees and some indoors, with good food, and a group-birthdays celebration.

When Karthika Masam coincides with a part of November month; we also celebrate the birthdays of nine family members born in November (including mine), during this daylong Vanabhojanala function.

The attached pictures are of this year’s Vanabhojanam and Birthday celebrations. These pictures and the video say it all, about the tradition, camaraderie and enjoyment of Vanabhojanalu.

May GOD’s blessings and your good wishes be with our families forever.

PS:

Importance of Usiri Chettu/Amla tree in the month of Karthika Masam:

The popular belief is that during the month of Karthika Masam Gods and Sages reside at the Usiri Chettu/Amla tree. Therefore, worshipping Amla during this period can help absolve sins and fulfil wishes.

The Puranas also equate Amla Tree with Goddess Lakshmi.

Amla is also known as Dhatri (Earth and Goddess Parvati) and thus the worship is essentially for prosperity and auspiciousness. The Usiri Kaya/Amla fruit ripens during this period and therefore it is also a thanksgiving time to Nature. The medicinal and therapeutic value of Amala is very famous and is used in our country for various medicinal purposes, especially in Ayurveda.