AVANI AVITTAM

Avani Avittam is celebrated on a full moon day in the month of Sravana in South India. Also known as Upakarmam, this festival holds tremendous significance to Hindu Brahmin men, who change their old sacred thread and offer prayers to their ancestors and rishis of the past as a thanks giving for spiritual knowledge and for the vedas being bestowed upon them.

It is called Upakarma, and it is the most important 'Karma' (duty) for the one born as a Brahmin. It is said that the endowment of the sacred thread opens the third eye or the eye of wisdom. The celebration of Avani Avittam is a reminder of the spiritual significance of the sacred thread.

Followers of the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana) observe Avani Avittam on different days. Food being the integral part of every festival in India, and in keeping with the saying, Brahmano Bojana Priyaha...(Brahmins are fond of food), Avani Avittam is celebrated with its own set of special food preparations. The important ones being the Neiyyappam -sweet pancakes made of rice powder, jaggery and bananas; the Paruppu Vadai -a fried snack made of a combination of three lentils and the Paal Payasam -a sweet made with milk.

On the same day as Avani Avittam falls Raksha Bandhan. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated mostly in North India. On this day, sisters tie 'Rakhi' (a silken thread or bracelet) on the wrists of their brothers to protect them from evil. The origins of this practice is not known, however, legend has it that the Rajputs gave a lot of significance to this tradition. At the time of a war, the rajput women tied rakhis on the wrists of the Rajput soldiers; the Rakhis were considered a protection from the enemy's assault.

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