Swarna Gowri Vratha

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 worshipped throughout India for her ability to bestow upon her devotee’s 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 Third day Thadige of the month of Bhaadrapada Goddess Gowri is welcomed at her parents’ house. The next day Lord Ganesha, her son comes as if to take her back to Kailasa. The Swarna Gowri vratha is performed on the occasion, to appease the Goddess.

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.

Customs

Newlywed couples are invited to the house of their in-laws and served with festive food. In the olden days, newly-wed couples had to wait till Gowri Habba to consummate their marriage. The logic behind this practice is that if a child is conceived during Gowri Habba, which falls during the winter, the child would be born nine months later, during the summer, when it would be less prone to infections. This practice has been in place for years but has declined in recent times due to modernisation and wide contraceptive options.

Swarna Gowri vratha rituals

On this day, married women, after bathing, wear new or smart clothes and dress up the girls of the family. Then they do the 'sthapana' of either jalagauri or arishinadagauri (a symbolic idol of Gowri made of turmeric). Painted and decorated clay idols of 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 puja or ritual is to be performed with 'suchi' (cleanliness) and 'shraddhe' (dedication), the women 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 mantapa, generally decorated with banana stem and mango leaves, is built around the idol. The Gowri is decorated with garlands, decorations made of cotton, and women 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.

An offering of baagina occurs during the festival. 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 Gowri and set aside. The remaining Gowri baaginas are given to the married women.

Unmarried girls (kanya) in the house also wear a gauridaara, but it doesn't have knots, just 16 strand cotton thread dipped in turmeric and a yellow chrysanthemum looped in it. These girls must give a variant of baagina to their own sisters, (and optionally to cousins whose mothers perform the Vratha). This childrens' baagina consists of the decorative ornamental items (metal plastic or glass bangles, metal earrings, wearable necklace, in addition to comb, mirror, biccholay) the food items are omitted. This is given along with kumkuma (vermilion), betel leaf, betel nut, and fruit (small fruit other than coconut), and dakshine in small amount (gift money).