Sri Rama Navami-Panakam & Vadapappu ( jaggery water & soaked dal)

Happy Sri Ram Navami To All..Sri Rama Navami festival is celebrating the birth of Lord Rama and Sita  Rama Kalyanam(marriage).
Panakam and VadaPappu are the spacial  Nivedyam for the Lord Ram and Sita.

Panakam Ingredients :
Grated Gaggery -1 tsp
Water -1 cup
Cumin seeds -1/8 tsp(optional)
Dri ginger,Pepper powder -1/4 tsp
Cardamom Powder-1/4 tsp
Method :
In a bowl or glass add water and jagerry,mix well and let the jaggery dissolve int the water.If any impurities in jaggery water then filter.add all the powders and cumin seeds,mix well.
Can also refrigerate it and serve chilled panakam.This is also best cooling drink in hot summer.

Vada Pappu Ingredients :
Yellow moong / Chana dal - 1/2cup
Grated coconut-2 tsp
Green chilly paste-1/4 tsp
Salt - 1tsp
Minced Coriander leaves-1 tsp
lemon - 1/2
Method :
Soak the dal for about 1 hr.wash and drain the water.In a bowl add soaked dal,grated coconut,chilly paste,salt and minced leaves mix well.squeeze the lemon on the top of vadapappu,mix well.
That's it Panakam and vadapappu are ready for nivedyam.

Happy Sankranthi

Sankranthi festival is a big festival for Telugu people.It is 4days festival in AP and celebrated in January 13,14,15 ,16days..Sankranthi festival is celebrated in harvest season.farmers pray the sankraanthi laxmi(dhanya laxmi) with new crop.It is also known Harvest festival.
4 days of sankranthi  :
  1 day-Bhogi
  2 day-Sankranthi
  3 day-Kanuma
  4 Day-Mukkanuma
Sankranthi celebrations mainly includes bhogi mantalu(bon fire),muggulu decorate with gobbemalu(cowdung balls)and flowers, rice,lentils(nava dhanyalu),bogi pallu,laxmi pooja,sweet pongal made with new rice and offered as nivedyam for laxmi,at evening people fly kites,.....
variety recipes(pindi vantalu) are made During sankranthi like ariselu, sakinalu(chakkilalu),kajikayalu,murukulu,garelu,sweet pongal,nuvvula(sesame seeds)laddu,...
Here is my Sankranthi recipes are which I prepared  sweet pongali,sakinalu,murukulu.

my rangoli on sankranthi.

I drawn the above rangoli  when I was in India on Sankranthi.
now here is my rangoli.I draw this rangoli at my balcony. actually I don't have colors to fill. :(

 of course I didn't get a neat rangoli,at that time the out side temperature is in minus degrees.so...I satisfied with this rangoli...

We miss lot of Festival enjoyments in US.

My Diwaali celebrations

 Diwaali is festival of "Full of lights"I think everyone celebrated diwaali with full of lights and sweeeeets..I enjoyed this deepawali with bright lights and friends...
I did laxmi pooja on Deepawali..

and evening I decorated my home with  lamps and candles ....
at dining area..

at center of the hall..

on bookshelf....
                                       
Really I missed the crackers in US......but except crackers I celebrated everything(pooja,sweets,snacks.... )as in India...

Vinayaka Chavathi

I hope u all are celebrated this vinayaka chavithi festival colorfully..I made ganapathi idol at home.I bought clay at Michaels craft store and I made my own ganapathi...

first I made the clay ganapathi and I wait until dry the idol then painted.I used Acrylic colors for body , dress,eyes  & gold glitter for jewelery and crown....I prepared this ganapathi before day of vinayaka chavithi.                                         

            

My Ganesha is ready to get pooja...                                                             

  

I didn't find mango leaves at my nearest Indian store...so I made toranamu  with green paper by cutting paper into leaves shape and attached to a thread..below photo is taken after done the pooja....