Pacchai Pattini Vratham –

Starting the Vratham – lifestyle discipline to be observed

• Devotees can wear the Mariamman mala on their own at home, or go to the nearby Mariamman temple and wear it from there.
• Once you wear the mala and start, avoid non-veg food, smoking, drinking (consumption of alcohol), keep your house clean, no physical relationships.

Starting the Vratham – First Day Rituals

•  7 March 2021 – Start of Samayapuram Mahamariamman’s Pacchai Pattini Vratham. (Total of 28 days)
•  Samayapuram Mahamariamman Temple Schedule (as received from Samayapuram Mahamariamman temple):
  •  4:30am IST:  Ganesha puja
  • Punyaha vachanam
  • Vaastu shanti puja
•  Following this, in Samayapuram, on elephant-back, they carry the flowers for Maha Mariamman in bamboo baskets and come in a ceremonious procession in mada veethi (four perimeter streets surrounding the Maha Mariamman temple) and then offer the flowers to Maha Mariamman through a ritual called ‘Poo sorithal’ (offering all the flowers).  Poo sorithal continues whole day and night of Sunday (7th March) until till Monday 6 am.
•  Every Sunday of the 28 days of the Pacchai Pattini Vratham, Poo sorithal happens whole day and night. (The procession on elephant-back is only on the first Sunday – ie., 7th March).
• The Kaappu Kattuthal is the ritual for starting the vratham. Naivedyam is offered along with this ritual to Maha Mariamman, after which the devotees start the Vratham fasting.

More specifics on Naivedyam offering

• All six kala pujas:
  Tender coconut water, Tullu Maavu without salt, with jaggery (Soak some raw rice for an hour or two, then powder it. With that rice powder, add country jaggery) Moong dal, sugarcane juice or pieces.
• Afternoon:
  To cool her ugra nature – buttermilk (without salt) and paanakam additional to above items
• Evening puja:
  Additionally, fruits variety (except watermelon).
  Can add Neem juice and Cucumber juice also

Daily puja and rituals

During the 6-kala puja (regular 6-kala puja at 6am, 8am, 12 noon, 6pm, 8pm, 9pm to Mariamman and all surrounding deities.)
At 6 pm, the temple offers a special puja to Devi and offer lots of fruits and lots of above items including neem leaves. (Before the 6pm puja, they wash the surrounding areas everyday).  They chant the Durga stuthi and Devi Khadgamala (Mantras given).

Concluding rituals

Mala has to be removed on the starting of the fifth week. On that day, the temple will hoist the flag for the Tiruvizha.
Then on Chithirai month first Tuesday, there will be ratha (thaeru)