Atla Taddi

Introduction

Atla Taddi is one of the most cheerful festivals of Telugu women and girls. It falls on Ashwayuja Bahula Tadiya – the third night after the full moon of Ashwayuja, a few weeks after Dasara. Married women keep it praying for the health and long life of their husbands and the happiness of their families, and young girls keep it praying for a good husband. The day is full of fun as well as devotion: it begins before dawn with a special meal, continues with swings, games and songs, and ends after moonrise with the worship of Goddess Gauri and an offering of attlu – the soft dosas that give the festival its name. Because of the swings and the mehendi, it is also lovingly called the Uyyala Panduga (swing festival) and the Gorintaku Panduga.

Significance and Legend

Atla Taddi is a vratam (nomu) dedicated to Goddess Gauri – Parvati, the ideal of a devoted wife and the Mother who blesses married life. According to tradition, it is believed that observing this vratam with faith brings a happy and lasting married life, and many families also read or listen to the Atla Taddi vratha katha during the evening puja. Atla Taddi is often described as the Telugu counterpart of the Karva Chauth observed in North India.

How it is Celebrated in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

• Gorintaku the day before: on the evening before Atla Taddi, women and girls decorate their hands with gorintaku (mehendi).
• The pre-dawn meal: before sunrise, women and children wake up and eat a meal of rice with curd and gongura pachadi, after which the day's fast begins.
• Swings and games: through the day, girls and young women play on swings (uyyala) tied to trees, play traditional games and go around the streets singing the playful festival song "Atla Taddoy, aaratloy, muddapappoy, mudatloy".
• Fasting until moonrise: the women who keep the vratam – and those who receive the vayanam – fast until the Moon is seen in the evening.
• Attlu in the evening: after moonrise, fresh attlu are made at home, offered to Goddess Gauri and shared.

Rituals and Puja

• The evening puja begins with Pasupu Ganapati (a small turmeric Ganesha), followed by the worship of Goddess Gauri with turmeric, kumkum, flowers and the recitation of her names (Gauri Ashtottaram).
• After sighting the Moon, the women offer attlu to the Goddess as naivedyam – commonly ten – and light the harathi.
• Vayanam: a married woman is given a vayanam of attlu – again commonly ten – with turmeric, kumkum and tamboolam, and the vratha katha is told.
• The fast is then broken with the attlu prasadam. The exact number of attlu and the details of the puja vary from family to family.

Foods and Offerings

• Attlu – soft dosas made at home after moonrise; the central offering of the festival.
• The pre-dawn meal of rice with curd and gongura pachadi.
• Many families also prepare muddapappu (soft-cooked dal), remembered in the festival song.

Temples and Atla Taddi

Atla Taddi is celebrated in homes, courtyards and streets rather than at temples, and no temple on this site is especially associated with it.

The Atla Taddi dates are shown in the festival dates above. It falls on Ashwayuja Bahula Tadiya as per the Telugu panchang.