The Sunday column: festivals and rituals meeting ordinary weeks
Manikandan writes the Sunday column, where festivals and rituals meet commutes, hospital corridors and video calls with parents far away. Each piece closes with one small thing to carry into the week ahead.
Uttara Phalguni nakshatra, Uthiram in Tamil: Aryaman and Surya, the star of promises, Panguni Uthiram weddings of the gods, and the Edayathumangalam temple.
Ekadashi fasting at work in the US: keeping the fast through meetings, lunch invites and long commutes, what to tell colleagues, and how to be kind to yourself.
Tiruvannamalai Deepam, watched from far away: an NRI reflection on the Arunachala beacon, livestreams at odd US hours, and lighting one lamp to join in.
Tulsi vivah, the wedding of the tulsi plant to Vishnu: the Vrinda story, the South Indian amla-branch version, and keeping it with a potted tulsi in a US home.
Namakaranam, the Hindu naming ceremony: how families in America pick a name by birth star, hold the ritual at home and bring in relatives from far away.
Thaipusam kavadi meaning: why devotees carry the kavadi to Murugan in the month of Thai, the story of Idumban, and what it says about the burdens we all carry.
A housewarming puja in the USA, whether you rent or own: what to keep, what to skip, smoke alarms and all, and how to bless a new home far from your family.
How to find your nakshatra: you need your date, time and place of birth, because the Moon's position decides your birth star. Three quick ways to check.
Naraka Chaturdashi and the Deepavali oil bath: the Narakasura story, why Tamil families rise before dawn for Ganga snanam, and keeping it far from home.
Horoscope matching porutham, calmly: the ten traditional checks, what each one looks at, why rajju gets attention, and how families weigh a match wisely.
A pooja for conceiving a baby can hold hope during a hard wait. A gentle column on prayer, patience and care for couples trying to conceive, beside medicine.
Vidyarambham is when a child writes first letters in a plate of rice on Vijayadashami. What the ritual means, how families do it, and how to hold it anywhere.
Prayer for your child's exam, from a parent's side: handling worry, what a lamp and a verse can do for you, and how to be calm company during exam season.
Kanya puja meaning in Navratri: why families wash the feet of young girls and feed them as the Goddess, and how to keep the ritual kind, modern and respectful.
Amavasya significance for ancestors: why the new moon is set aside for tarpanam and remembrance each month, and small ways to honour family who came before.
When a parent dies in India and you live abroad: a gentle guide to Hindu last rites for NRIs, what can wait, what you can do from afar, and the first year.
Pitru Paksha for NRI families: how to honour ancestors from the USA with tarpanam at home, a temple rite in India in their name, and food given in memory.
Manikandan ·
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