Ettangadi, Thiruvathira and one of Kerala’s most feminine festivals

In Kerala, Thiruvathira is one of the few festivals where women are not participants on the margins but the centre of everything that unfolds. In the month of Dhanu, courtyards, kitchens and village spaces fill with women who fast, cook, sing, dance and pray together, often without men present. There are no temple processions or public spectacles. Instead, the rituals remain firmly in women’s hands, passed down through memory, practice and song.

This year, Thiruvathira is observed on Friday, January 2. It is observed on the Thiruvathira star day and is linked to the Ardra vratam, believed to mark the birth of Lord Shiva. For married women, it is a prayer for the long life and wellbeing of their husbands. For young girls, it is a hope for companionship and a good life partner. For all of them, it is a day that affirms community. Food, especially the offering of ettangadi, becomes the language through which faith, season and womanhood come together.

The day begins early. Women bathe before sunrise and begin the vratam, abstaining from rice until the ritual is complete. What they eat instead is closely tied to the season. Dhanu is also the time when tubers are harvested, and Thiruvathira food reflects this seasonal abundance. The dishes prepared are filling, warming and rooted in local produce, shaped by both belief and practicality.

Among all the foods associated with Thiruvathira, ettangadi holds special significance. Offering ettangadi is one of the most important rituals of the vratam. The name refers to a preparation made with eight key ingredients, though the exact list can vary slightly from place to place. Chena, chembu, cherukizhangu, koorkka, kaachil, raw nendran plantain, ripe nendran banana, vanpayar and jaggery form the core, often finished with tender coconut.

In earlier times, the making of ettangadi began in the courtyard. Women lit a small pit fire using dried husk and firewood. Tubers were roasted directly in the embers, their skins blackened before being peeled and chopped. This method gave the dish its smoky flavour and anchored it firmly in a pre-modern kitchen tradition. Even today, many remember this part of the ritual as vividly as the dance that follows. The roasted ingredients are then cut into small pieces. Ripe banana is chopped, jaggery is scraped, tender coconut is sliced. The ingredients are mixed together by hand. Before anyone eats, a lamp is lit and the ettangadi is offered to the deity, usually with Lord Ganesha invoked first. Only after this do the women sit together and share the dish, served in small portions on plantain leaves. Ululation fills the air, marking joy and completion.

Another dish closely linked to the day is Thiruvathira puzhukku, a no-rice preparation made with tubers such as purple yam, elephant foot yam, colocasia and koorkka. These ingredients are rich in carbohydrates and fibre, making the meal sustaining despite the fast. For generations, such food choices were instinctive, shaped by season and availability rather than nutrition charts.

As evening turns to night, women gather around a lit lamp to perform the Thiruvathira dance. Standing in a circle, they clap in rhythm and sing traditional songs that speak of devotion, longing and companionship. Elder women usually lead, guiding the steps and correcting the songs. Many recall learning these verses as children, accompanying a grandmother or neighbour, and later taking on the role of teacher themselves. In this way, Thiruvathira survives not through texts or formal training, but through repetition and memory.

For many women, the ritual continues beyond one day. If the Thiruvathira star does not fall on the day of ettangadi, women return home after the offering and gather again the next day. The space is cleaned, lamps are lit once more, and Ashtamangalyam is placed before the dance. Dashapushpam, the ten sacred herbs including karuka, cheroola, muyal cheviyan, poovamkurunnila, valiya uzhinja and nilappana, are gathered in advance. At midnight, these flowers are tied into a bunch and worn in the hair while women chant “Nama Shivaya”.

The legend behind ettangadi centres on Parvati. According to belief, she performed severe tapasya in the forest to win Lord Shiva as her husband, surviving on roasted seeds, fruits and tubers she found there. Seven other women are said to have joined her, bathing, singing and sharing the simple food. Thiruvathira and ettangadi recall this story of endurance, devotion and female companionship.

Below is the customary way ettangadi is made for Thiruvathira, as practised in many homes:

Traditional Ettangadi
Ingredients
Chena, chembu, cherukizhangu, koorkka, kaachil and raw nendran plantain
Ripe nendran banana, chopped
Vanpayar (cowpea), cooked
Jaggery, scraped or grated
Tender coconut flesh, sliced
yA little ghee, optional

Preparation
Roast the tubers and raw plantain over charcoal or embers until cooked through
If this is not possible, boil them until tender
Peel and cut into small pieces
In a large vessel, combine the roasted or boiled tubers with chopped ripe banana and cooked vanpayar
Melt the grated jaggery and add it to the tuber mix
Add the tender coconut pieces
Mix gently
Add a little ghee if desired.
Offer the ettangadi after lighting a lamp. Serve in small portions on plantain leaves.