Saraswathi Pooja and Ayudha Pooja
The ninth day of Navarathri. Vijayadasami is the next day.
Next: 9 October 2027, Saturday · Purattasi 22
Significance
A day to honour and thank the books, tools and vehicles that help us in our studies and work. It is celebrated in homes, shops and factories.
Things you need
- Picture of Saraswathi
- Books, musical instruments, pens and other writing things
- Work tools, vehicles
- Turmeric, kumkumam, sandalwood paste, flowers
- Pori (puffed rice), kadalai (roasted gram), aval, jaggery
- Sundal, fruits, payasam
- Coconut, lamp, camphor
How to do it
- The day before, wash and clean the tools and vehicles.
- Place the Saraswathi picture on a manai and arrange the books and musical instruments in front of it.
- Put a pottu of sandalwood paste and kumkumam on the tools and vehicles, and place flowers on them.
- Light the lamp and do archanai with flowers.
- Offer pori, kadalai, sundal and fruits, break a coconut and show the aarathi.
- Share the prasadam with your office staff and workers.
- The custom is to keep the books in the pooja on this day and take them out to read the next day, on Vijayadasami.
- On Vijayadasami, it is special to do Vidyarambam, where small children write their first letters, and to start learning a new art.
Please note
- Do not break the thirushti poosanikai (ash gourd broken to remove the evil eye) on the road. Its pieces can cause accidents for two-wheelers. Break it at the side of your house and clear the pieces away.
This is only a general guide. If your family custom is different, follow that. Ask your elders and your priest.