CALVIN
CALVIN - THE KING
Thursday 16 October 2008
KARWA CHAUTH
In India from time immemorial, the welfare of husbands has always been of prime importance for all married women. Nine days before Diwali, some time in October or November, on the Kartik ki Chauth, Karwa Chauth is undertaken. A fast is undertaken by married Hindu women who offer prayers seeking the welfare, prosperity, well being and longevity of their husbands. It is probably the most important fast undertaken by women of North India.This fast begins before sunrise and ends after worshipping the moon. During the interim no food or water is ingested. The preparation of the puja begins around 4 or 5 p.m.. A sari known as baya is sent to the married woman by her mother. The eldest lady of the house, usually the mother-in-law then presents the baya to her daughter-in-law. A place for the puja is prepared such that all the women invited for the puja can be accommodated. Maybe a courtyard or a terrace or even a verandah will do. A chowk like in any other puja - is decorated on the floor. This whole chowk should ideally be placed against a wall where on a really well decorated patta the Gaur Mata is seated. Earlier the Gaur Mata used to be made with cowdung in the shape of a human figure, just about two inches tall. Nowadays, a picture or an idol of Parvati , Lord Shiva’s consort, is placed on the patta.just about an hour or so before moonrise. Those who have observed the fast known as vrat in Hindi, dress up again in their chunris or in red or pink clothes with chonp and bindi on their foreheads. The baya of the lady who is observing the fast is kept on a thaali (plate), over the karva, with a little water and seven pieces of pua in it (seven broken from one big pua). The karva itself is imbued with kharia, aipun and a little roli.A strand of (red thread) of any thickness is tied around the part of the karva. There is no taboo on widows doing the puja and during the ceremony, all the women sit facing the lady whose karva it is and chant and narrate the story. This is known as man which means to give away and never take back. First of all, roli teeka is applied on the forehead of Gaur before the start of the puja. All the women doing puja also apply roli teeka on their foreheads and parting (known as maang). Everyone does puja by dipping the third finger of the right hand in water sprinkling it with the help of the thumb three times over the deity; the same procedure has to be repeated with the aipun and roli and, lastly, the rice is showered.
KOJAGORI LAKSHMI PUJA
Lakshmi Puja is another Bengali festival that is celebrated in every household. Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth is worshipped just after Durga Puja. Lakshmi is one of the daughters of Durga who symbolizes wealth, peace and prosperity. On a full moon night people worship her at their homes and pray for her bessings. All the rites performed during the
Lakshmi Puja are followed with utmost care and the Lakshmi Puja time schedule is also maintained well by the devoted. Delicious Bengali Recipes on Lakshmi Puja night are cooked and are then given to Goddess Laxmi as an offering.It is considered that Goddess Lakshmi visits homes of the devotees and replenishes them with wealth.
The Myth______________________________________________
Goddess Lakshmi is generally represented as a beautiful golden woman, usually sitting or standing on a lotus, her symbol. She is also known as Sri and attained importance as the consort of Vishnu.
Goddess Lakshmi has generally been thought to have existed first as the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and to have taken refuge in the ocean of milk during a period when the gods were exiled from their kingdom as a result of a rishi's curse. She was reborn during the churning of the milk ocean as Lakshmi, one of the fourteen precious things.The Goddess of Wealth, emerged from the ocean forth fully grown
and radiant, bearing a lotus in her hand. Goddess Lakshmi was then married to Vishnu and has a clear share in Vishnu's activities as preserver, and this reinforces her earlier character as goddess of fortune and giver of wealth.
Accessories required for Kojagari Lakshmi Puja______________
Adibas dalaOil, Turmeric, River soil from the Ganges, Perfume, Stone, Grain, Dubba (a type of grass required), Flowers, Fruits, 1 dozen bananas in one stem, Curd, Ghee, Sindur, Swastik Pituli, Conch Shell,Kajol (corrilium), Gorachana (cow urine), White mustard seeds, Gold, Silver, Copper, Mirror, Alta, Yellow thread, Iron metal, Chamor (a kind of fan, a fly-whisk made of yak's tail used for fanning), Dip (Earthen Lamps), Arrows, Panch pradip (for aarati). Sindur (vermilion), Til (Sesame), Horitoki (myrobalan), Ghat (pot), an earthen bowl full of atop (a type of rice), 1 Gamcha -To cover the ghat a piece of cloth, 1Kundohari, 1 Tekatha - A triangular frame work of 3 pieces of wood, 1Mirror,Panchabarner guri (5 coloured dust) -Turmeric powder, rice powder, kusum flower/ red aabir, rice chaff or coconut fiber burnt for the dark colour, powdered wood apple leaves (bel pata) Pancha ratna (5 gems)-Gold, Silver, Emerald, Pearls, Jewel. (Original- Gold, Diamond, Sapphire, Rubi, Pearl). Panchagobbo (5 extracts of the cow)- Milk, Pure Ghee, Curd, Cow Dung and Cow's urine, 4 arrows, Green coconut with stalk, Flowers and Durba (a kind of grass having three pointed tips) etc. 3 Aashonanguriuk (Finger ring made of koosh), 3 bowls of Madhupakka (a mixture of honey, curd, ghee, sugar for oblation), Curd, Honey, Ghee, Sugar, 3 big Noibiddos,1 small Noibiddo.A sari (for Laxmi), 2 dhoties (for Vishnu and Pechok or Owl). Loha (iron), Shankha (Conch Shell), Noth (nosering), Sindur chubri (a cane basket having a small mirror, a comb, two conch shell bangles, one iron bangle, two coral bangles, alta (lac-dye used to paint border of feet), vermilion and few kories). Chandmala (Dangler with circular sponge decorations), Bhoger drobbadi (materials for the feast),Things for Homn (fire for yagna) - sand, wood, khorke (a kind of twig), Ghee -1 bottle, 28 Bilyapatra (wood apple leaves), Karpur (camphor), Chipitak/Chire (thatched rice), Coconut, Tambul/Pan( Beetle leaves), Pan masala (ingredients used in preparing a beetle leaf), 1 wooden plate, 2 Ghoti (a type of pot), Rachana (cow urine), flower garland, 1 Purnapatro (full pot), Dakhina (offerings in cash and kind to the priest).
Goddess Lakshmi has generally been thought to have existed first as the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and to have taken refuge in the ocean of milk during a period when the gods were exiled from their kingdom as a result of a rishi's curse. She was reborn during the churning of the milk ocean as Lakshmi, one of the fourteen precious things.The Goddess of Wealth, emerged from the ocean forth fully grown
and radiant, bearing a lotus in her hand. Goddess Lakshmi was then married to Vishnu and has a clear share in Vishnu's activities as preserver, and this reinforces her earlier character as goddess of fortune and giver of wealth.
Accessories required for Kojagari Lakshmi Puja______________
Adibas dalaOil, Turmeric, River soil from the Ganges, Perfume, Stone, Grain, Dubba (a type of grass required), Flowers, Fruits, 1 dozen bananas in one stem, Curd, Ghee, Sindur, Swastik Pituli, Conch Shell,Kajol (corrilium), Gorachana (cow urine), White mustard seeds, Gold, Silver, Copper, Mirror, Alta, Yellow thread, Iron metal, Chamor (a kind of fan, a fly-whisk made of yak's tail used for fanning), Dip (Earthen Lamps), Arrows, Panch pradip (for aarati). Sindur (vermilion), Til (Sesame), Horitoki (myrobalan), Ghat (pot), an earthen bowl full of atop (a type of rice), 1 Gamcha -To cover the ghat a piece of cloth, 1Kundohari, 1 Tekatha - A triangular frame work of 3 pieces of wood, 1Mirror,Panchabarner guri (5 coloured dust) -Turmeric powder, rice powder, kusum flower/ red aabir, rice chaff or coconut fiber burnt for the dark colour, powdered wood apple leaves (bel pata) Pancha ratna (5 gems)-Gold, Silver, Emerald, Pearls, Jewel. (Original- Gold, Diamond, Sapphire, Rubi, Pearl). Panchagobbo (5 extracts of the cow)- Milk, Pure Ghee, Curd, Cow Dung and Cow's urine, 4 arrows, Green coconut with stalk, Flowers and Durba (a kind of grass having three pointed tips) etc. 3 Aashonanguriuk (Finger ring made of koosh), 3 bowls of Madhupakka (a mixture of honey, curd, ghee, sugar for oblation), Curd, Honey, Ghee, Sugar, 3 big Noibiddos,1 small Noibiddo.A sari (for Laxmi), 2 dhoties (for Vishnu and Pechok or Owl). Loha (iron), Shankha (Conch Shell), Noth (nosering), Sindur chubri (a cane basket having a small mirror, a comb, two conch shell bangles, one iron bangle, two coral bangles, alta (lac-dye used to paint border of feet), vermilion and few kories). Chandmala (Dangler with circular sponge decorations), Bhoger drobbadi (materials for the feast),Things for Homn (fire for yagna) - sand, wood, khorke (a kind of twig), Ghee -1 bottle, 28 Bilyapatra (wood apple leaves), Karpur (camphor), Chipitak/Chire (thatched rice), Coconut, Tambul/Pan( Beetle leaves), Pan masala (ingredients used in preparing a beetle leaf), 1 wooden plate, 2 Ghoti (a type of pot), Rachana (cow urine), flower garland, 1 Purnapatro (full pot), Dakhina (offerings in cash and kind to the priest).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)