Vanabhojanalu are organised in the month of karthika of Telugu calendar. This is a ritual that is being followed from many years. The speciality being that one should have food in a forest or a garden or a park in which a Amla tree must be present. One should eat under the amla tree and should eat in a plate made from the leaves of jack fruit tree(panasa aku).
Beofre eating one should offer prayers to the lord Vishnu or lord shiva whose picture is to be kept under the Amla tree.
vanabhojanam
we start by praying to the Amla tree by reciting the following 21 names:
sri Dhatraiah namaha,sri Methaiah namaha,sri Prakrutaiah namaha,sri Mahalakshmaiah namaha,sri Kamalaiah namaha,sri lokamatrai namaha,sri kamaneeiaiah namaha,sri Jagadatraiah namaha,sri sudhatrai namaha,sri viswarupayaiah namaha,sri Shantaiah namaha,sri kanthiah namaha,sri vishnupatniainamaha,sri ramaiah namaha,sri indiraiah namaha,sri kalyaniah namaha,sri gayathriah namaha,sri avyaktaiah namaha,sri surupayaiah namaha,sri aabdhibhavaiah namaha.
after this one should pray to lord shiva or vishnu
then circle around the amla tree fro nine times reciting the following:
dhatri devi namstubhyam sarvapapakshyankari
putraandehi mahapragney yashodehi balam cha may
praagnam maadham cha soubhagyam vishnu bhaktinka sasvatam
neerogam kurumaam nithyam nishtapo kuru sarvada
