Atla Tadde is a traditional festival celebrated widely in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
This festival is celebrated by married Hindu women of Andhra region in Andhra Pradesh, for the health and long life of their husbands.
Atla Tadde occurs on the third night after the full moon in Aswiyuja month of Telugu calendar. Atla Tadde falls in either September or October in the Gregorian calendar.
Atla Tadde is the Telugu equivalent of Karva Chautha festival celebrated by the North Indian mostly.
Atla Tadde is celebrated by north Indian women the following day. Atla Tadde was extinct in Andhra Pradesh, as a result of western culture influence among younger generations. In Rome, there is a similar festival named St. Agnes Eve celebrated each 21st January.
The Telugu woman marks Atla Tadde by keeping a day-long fast without food or water. In the evening, women perform puja, and after looking at the moon, they break the fast by having tiny "atlu" (miniature dosas).
Atla Tadde festival is celebrated by women and children of Andhra Pradesam. In the evening of this day, they apply Gorintaku (Mehndi) on their palms. The women and children wake up in the early morning before the sunrise, and have "suddi" (rice cooked day before night) with "perugu" (curd) and Gongura chutney. The unmarried girls and children will play on the streets singing Atla Tadde Song after having "suddi" until the sun rises. The people swing in the "uyyala" or dolna. The people watch the moon in nearby pond or lake after the sunrise welcoming the day. The "Paltalikelu" (sweet made with rice flour, jaggery, and milk) is offered to every one.
On this day of Atla Tadde, some have a custom of preparing "atlu" ort dosas and keep those as offering to goddess Gowri, and after they will be distributed to relatives, neighbours as "vaayanam". The ceremony of Atla Tadde includes eleven ladies who already took this vayanam and the rituals. To these entire eleven ladies one give each eleven "atlu" with deepam, which is made up of rice flour and ghee and lit in front of goddess Gowri.
