Because most 'Hindu' girl names come from here named after Devi!īut in the last 12 years, I have read only the stothram form that too once in a long time. But I think if we do that we will never learn - Devi will pardon mistakes if we are actually trying to do it better. The initial ones were the toughest to pronounce - I had a sigh of releief after those were done! The conductor asked us to just say 'devyai namaha' if we cannot pronounce something instead of saying it wrong. Initially, we used to repeat each naamam after the lead. There used to be just around 10 - 15 people - started at 5 PM- the lead would start with some slokas ( most of the days either I would have delayed my mother or my mother would have delayed me and always reached only after that!). sri maathaa becomes Oam sri maathre namaha. So each 'naamaa' will be preceded by 'oam' and succeeded by namaha. My mother and I used to get 'anjuroopaikku thaamara ilaiyil pothunju kettiya aralippovvu' each - now it is only carry bags (in fact they have switched from flower archana to Kungkuma archana for the vilakku pooja for convenience). In Elangom Sreedevi temple, every Pournami evening a vilakku poojai used to be conducted in which the Lalitha sahasranamaavali was recited in the manthra form as an arachana. Okay that said about the background, let us come to my experience with Lalitha Sahasranamam. It comforts me when I feel desperate - makes me believe that God has a plan. Of course, the faith in something builds 'Hope & Confidence'.

I feel religion must have started as a means to bring in justice - to instill the fear in people to do wrong.may be that is why people rely more on the'God fearing ' people! Even with all the scientific reasoning, religion inculcates several good habits in us - daily prayer which demands personal hygiene and cleanliness of the house gets us organized and disciplined. And then there were visits to the native temples to fulfill any 'venduthals' and annual functions and religious commitments. I even used to follow the local custom of getting the pen blessed from Ilangathu (pena pujicchu kondu pogum) before the exam. Before any exam, Ilangon, maadan, ujjaini and mutharamma were all paid their due respect.

Pillayaar, Krishnan kovil, Shivan kovil, Sharadaambika madam, the river bank Subramanya kshethram and Shaasthaankovil - actually 11 a resurrected small hanuman temple. But most of us have grown up quite religiously in India especially for me it was hard to ignore God we were surrounded by 10 temples within a quarter km radius (yes km) - Ilangom Sreedevi temple, Kazhugu Maadan thampuraan, Ujjaini Maakaali amman, Mutharamman, D.B.st. Unfortunately, I get practical and flexible when it comes to rules (bhayamum bhathiyum manasaila iruntha pothumnu). Now, about being religious.I have never been religious in following religion. I wanted to but it was not so quick to write, then we moved and the project never took off.but always in mind as a promise to God not fulfilled. Long time back, a neighbor in NH who did 'Lalitha Sahasranama' pooja regularly inviting friends asked me if I could write the 'lalitha sahasranamam' in Tamil (transliterated) for her so that her Tamil guests could read.

Lalitha sahasranamam chanting for job