Hosthilu Pooja

Hosthilu Pooja is a festival of the Saraswat Brahmins celebrated by married women, after observing the Choodi Pooja. Rangolis are drawn on either sides of the threshold of the main door. The women place Choodi Kattu (bundles of flowers and Kadire grass), betel leaves and arecanut and perform Aarti. The same procedure is adopted when inviting Goddess Lakshmi into the home. After Choodi Pooja and Hosthilu Pooja, the women hand over the Veelya (containing betel leaves and betel nuts) to their husbands, fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law or any other elder member in the family and seek their blessings.