Ganesh Festival is celebrated with lot of fervor across the country but in Karnataka and few parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, the festival is celebrated as a two day festival of Mother and son. Ganesha Festival is a two day festival known as “ Gowri Ganesha Habba”. On day 1, Pooja of the Swarna Gowri vratha is performed and on second the Ganesha Chathurthi celebration.
This year, Gauri Habba is being celebrated on August 24 with Vinayaka Chaturthi starting on 25th August. On this day Goddess PArvathi is worshipped as Gowri, the consort of Lord Shiva She is Shakti, the concept or personification of divine feminine creative power. During Gowri Habba, it is believed that on Thadige, or the third day of the month of Bhadra (August-September in the Gregorian calendar), Goddess Gowri visited her parents’ home like any married woman. A day later, her son Lord Ganesha comes to take her back to Mount Kailasha, the abode where Lord Shiva resides with his family.
It is also called as Hartalika Teej in states such as Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
On this day married women carry out Swarna Gowri vratha rituals on shubh muhurat timings to appease Gowri who is the very incarnation of Aadhi Shakthi Mahamaya. Women observe Swarna Gowri Vratha to seek blessings from Goddess Gowri for marital bliss. The rituals of Vratha and complete celebrations are carried out with joy and fervour.
Women and young girls in new traditional attire make either jalagauri or arishinadagauri (a symbolic idol of Gowri made of turmeric) and bestow her for Puja. The goddess’ idol is mounted on a plate, with cereal (rice or wheat) in it. According to the Vrata, Asthis pooja is to be performed with ‘suchi’ (cleanliness) and ‘shraddhe’ (dedication). A mantapa,is decorated with banana stem and mango leaves, for the idol. The Gauri is decorated with decorations made of cotton, saree, flower garlands, and ladies get their ‘gauridaara’ (a sacred thread with 16 knots ) tied to their right wrists, as blessings of Gauri (Gowri Mata) 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.
Gowri Habba or Gauri festival is observed by all the married women to seek blessings from the supreme Goddess. It is believed that Goddess Gauri blesses women and their husbands with a long and prosperous life. She also blesses women with fertility and blissful married life.
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