Kartik Poornima (Nov-Dec)

Kartik Poornima

Vishnu Deepa also Aane (ಆ ನೆ)  Habba 

Kartik Poornima is celebrated on the full moon day, 15th lunar day of Kartik masa in Shukla Paksha (Nov-Dec). It is also known as Kiru Deepavali. (little Deepavali). Shiva is also known as Tripurantaka for killing demon King Tripurasura on this day. Karthik Poornima is also celebrated as the birthday of Matsya, Vishnu's fish incarnation. It is also the birthday of Vrinda (Tulsi) and Kartikeya(son of Shiva).

Tradition:

Traditionally, entry hallway (vestibule)  is cleaned and decorated with rangoli and saal deepa (row lamps), nanda deepas (large lamps)  and all variety of deepas or diyas are placed on it and lighted. Clay/Mud elephants are also part of all this. In the evening, poojas are offered with haladi, kumkum, akshataes(turmeric colored rice) to the base of the lamps and the mud elephant. Arathi is performed and pori  undae (sweet puffed rice ball) are distributed to all invities, specially ladies.
Next day, drop off the clay/mud elephants under a tree with a little curd rice.
(Fot practical purposes, you can use metal or other elephants you have for pooja, drop them off at a potted plant in your house for a day or so.)



Lighted Lamps and Aane Poojae



ಆ ನೆ /Elephant drop off





ಆ ನೆ /Elephant Pooja

Side Reel(my take):

Ane Habba (festival) is celebrated only among communities from the Mysore area in Karnataka on Kartik Poornima. Just like in the movies, a long long long long time ago, during the winter months when there is scarcity of food, elephants came into villages looking for food. The kind hearted villagers gave food for the elephants. Later as the villages grew, the elephants were driven deeper into the forests. So the villagers took food to the edge of the forest for the elephants and also packed mixed rice for their own consumption. Years rolled by, villages became towns and the elephants were driven further deeper into forest. Now, this became a yearly ritual to take picnic baskets to the edge of the forest, make elephants out of dirt/clay, with eyes made of cotton seeds. Then symbolically leaving behind these clay elephants with a little mixed curd rice tied to the stomach.This ritual is still followed by the descendants of this region.  These days, just like the Ganesha festival, clay elephants are sold in stores during this festival season.