Atla Taddi, a festival Telugu women celebrate with great enthusiasm, falls on Wednesday, October 28 this year. According to the Prokerala panchang, the Tritiya tithi begins at 4:07 AM on October 28 and ends at 1:07 AM on October 29, with moonrise at 7:31 PM on the 28th. Timings vary slightly by place.
Why it matters
Married women observe the vratam to seek Goddess Gauri's blessings for a happy and long married life. Young girls join in the songs and games.
How it is celebrated
- Women apply mehendi on the night before.
- They bathe at dawn and eat rice, curd and gongura chutney before sunrise.
- They fast through the day without even water, and spend it on swings and singing folk songs.
- In the evening, after seeing the moon, they offer ten dosas (attlu) to Goddess Gauri. Dosas and a sacred thread (thoram) are then given to other married women as vayanam.
The puja uses a kalasam set on rice and decorated with coins, flowers, mango leaves, turmeric and kumkum. Traditional dishes include paltalikelu, a pulusu made with eleven vegetables, and gongura pachadi.
