Gowri Habba - Swarna Gowri Vratha Rituals

Swarna Gowri Vratha Rituals

On this day, married women, after bathing, wear new or smart clothes and dress up the young girls of the family. Then they do the 'sthapana' of either jalagauri or arishinadagauri (a symbolic idol of Gowri made of turmeric). These days beautifully painted and decorated clay idols of Goddess Gowri can be bought at the local market. The goddess' idol is mounted in a plate, with a cereal (rice or wheat) in it. As this 'puje' or ritual is to be performed with 'suchi' (cleanliness) and 'shraddhe' (dedication), the ladies go to temples or to another person's house, where it is performed according to set procedures or they can perform the ritual in their own homes.

A mandapa, generally decorated with banana stem and mango leaves, is built around the idol. The Gauri is decorated with garlands, decorations made of cotton, and ladies have a 'gauridaara' (sacred thread with sixteen knots) tied to their right wrists, as blessings of gauri and as part of the vratha. Each of the sixteen knots is worshipped with mantras during the performance of the religious practice.

The most interesting part of the festival is probably offering the baagina. At least five baaginas are prepared as part of the vratha. Each baagina usually contains a packet of arshina (turmeric), kumkum, black bangles, black beads (used in the mangalsutra), a comb, a small mirror, baLe bicchoLe, coconut, blouse piece, dhaanya (cereal), rice, toor dal, green dal, wheat or rava and jaggery cut in a cube form. The baagina is offered in a traditional mora (winnow painted with turmeric). One such baagina is offered to Goddess Gowri and set aside. The remaining Gowri baaginas are given to the married women.