Rice maavilakku | thambittu | simple Balaji aarti song

Maavilakku is a beautiful tradition followed in many parts of India.  It is offered for Lord Venkateswara ,  Goddess Amman .  There may be different methods of preparing and offering maavilakku ( we call it thambit or thambittu ), as usual I share the method I follow.

• Take raw rice in a bowl and mix water, soak for 30 to 45 minutes
• clean , drain the water
• Spread the rice on a clean dry cloth and allow it to dry in shade
• We need not dry it too much , some moisture is to retained
• Dry grind in a mixer into a fine powder.
• Sieve the rice flour well to get a finer powder or flour
• For one measure of rice flour add around three fourths measures of jaggery and mix thoroughly
• Since jaggery is some what deliquescent ( ability to give out water ) it mixes well with rice flour
• Add a little cardamom powder and ghee also.
• Some add grated coconut also.
• A little milk  around one tea spoon can be added to help mixing and binding of the ingredients
• Finally we get a semisolid shaped thambittu or maavu 
• Make two big spheres using the maavu and place them on the aarti plate.Make two hollows at the centre of the vilakku and place cotton wicks ( phool vati )
• Add ghee to both wicks so that they get soaked thoroughly
• Apply tiny kumkum tilak on four sides of the diyas. A little will do because this is offered as prasadam after the aarti ( Take care to remove the kumkum applied portion while offering aarti
• Light the diyas or vilakku and offer aarti to Lord Venkateswara
• There is a tradition of offering thambittu aarti or arisi maavilakku aarti during Naga Chaturthi also.
• The aarti used for Jeevthi Puja that is performed for the welfare of children is made from pooran and hence called pooran aarti.  I have shared information on this also below.

Akki thambittu / rice maavilakku recipe preparation images

Simple and easy haarti for Lord Balaji

Jaya Jaya aarti Venkataramana

Venkatramana Sankata harana

Sankata harana Seetha Rama

Seetha Rama Radhe Shayama

Jaya Jaya haarti !

While this aarti can be offered on Wednesday and Saturday , it is very special during Purattasi month Saturday ( Purattasi Sanikizhamai ) and also for Naga Chaturthi and Panchami

Puran aarti for Sravan Sukravar or Friday Jiviati Pooja

Another type of aarti is prepared with puran or pooran particularly during the month of Sravan

Aarthi is performed with pooran filled with ghee.  Pooran is made with gram dhal, jaggery in the ratio 3:1 (approximately, according to one's taste), Gram dhal is cooked and ground in a mixer . The excess water is drained.. Heat a kadai (a flat vessel ), one teaspoon ghee is added , and then the mashed gram dhal and powdered jaggery are added and cooked on a low flame and stirred till it reaches a stage that it does not stick to the vessel. The pooran is then in the shapes of lamps ( five nos) filled with ghee, wicks are placed in the lamps.