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Mahesh
Gowri Habba or festival is celebrated a day before Ganesh
Chaturthi . It is a significant festival in parts of
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. Goddess Gowri, wife
of Lord Shiva, the mother of Lord Ganesha and Lord
Subramanya is worshiped through out India for her ability to
bestow upon her devotees power, courage, valour.
She is the most powerful of all the Goddess and is the very
incarnation of Aadhi Shakthi Mahamaya. It is believed that
on the thirteenth day Thadige of the month of Bhaadrapada
Goddess Gowri is welcomed at her patents’ house. The next
day Lord Ganesha, her son comes as if to take her back to
Kailasa. |
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The Swarna
Gowri vratha is performed on the occasion, to appease the
Goddess.
Swarna Gowri Vratha
On this day, Hindu women and young girts are in new/grand
traditional attire. They make either jalagauri or
arishinadagauri (a symbolic idol of Gowri made of turmeric)
and bestow her for Puja. These days ready-made beautifully
painted and decorated clay idols of Goddess Gowri can be
bought along with Ganesha statues, at the local market.
The goddess’ idol is mounted in a plate, with a cereal (rice
or wheat) in it. According to the Vrata, Asthis pooje is to
be performed with 'suchi' (cleanliness) and 'shraddhe'
(dedication). A mantapa, generally decorated with banana
stem and mango leaves, is built around the idol. The Gauri
is decorated with decorations made of cotton, vastra(silk
cloth/saree), flower garlands, and ladies get their 'gauridaara'
(a sacred thread with 16 knots ) tied to their right wrists,
as blessings of gauri and as part of the vratha. At least 5
baginas are prepared as part of the vratha.
Each baagina usually contains a packet of arshina
(turmeric), kumkuma(vermilion) , black bangles, black beads
(used in the mangalsutra), a comb, a small mirror, baLe
bicchoLe, coconut, blouse piece, dhaanya (cereal), rice, tur
dal, green dal, wheat or rava and jaggery cut in a cube
form. The bagina is offered in a traditional mora (winnow
painted with turmeric). One such bagina is offered to
Goddess Gowri and set aside. The remaining Gowri baaginas
are given to married women.
Gauri Habbada - Mangaladravya
Another specialty of this festival is that the 'tavaru
maneyavaru'(the married woman's parents / brothers) send
gauri habbada - mangaladravya to the married girls of their
family. Some send money as representation of mangaladravya.
In South India many sweet and savouries like the delectable
hoLige / Obattu, payasa, Huggi/chitranna and Bajji,
Kosumbari are prepared and offer to the Deity before family
and friends gather for a traditional get to gather. It
continues to the next day with the celebrations for Lord
Ganesha’s Festival .
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