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Folks, have you ever wondered why we worship our tools on the last day of Navratri? Ayudha Pooja 2023 is the time for you to know its significance. Ayudha Puja is a unique festival celebrated in India, especially in the southern states. It is a day when people worship and show respect to the tools and equipments that help them in their work. People from different professions celebrate this festival. Therefore, it is a time to honour and appreciate the tools that help us in our daily lives. Continue reading to know when is Ayudha Pooja this year and how to celebrate it!
Ayudha Pooja Date: 23 October 2023, Monday
Ayudha Pooja Time: 2:05 PM- 2:53 PM
Tithi Starts: 7:58 PM on October 22 2023
Tithi Ends: 5:44 PM on October 23 2023
What is Ayudha Pooja?
Ayudha Pooja is an important ritual of Navratri. It is celebrated on the ninth or last day of Durga Pooja. It is a ritual which gives us various essential life lessons. The word Ayudha means weapons, and Pooja means worship. In certain parts of India, people worship only weapons on Ayudha Puja. However, in southern India, they worship any tools related to their professions.
Our tools support our jobs and livelihoods. Therefore, Ayutha Pooja is a way to thank our tools. People clean and decorate their tools, and then they offer prayers. They also do rituals to seek blessings for success and prosperity in their work. It is also a reminder to use our tools responsibly and with gratitude.
The puja ceremony involves chanting mantras, offering prayers, lighting incense sticks, and applying sandalwood paste or Kumkum on the tools. Flowers, fruits, and other offerings are also made to honour the tools. In some places, people also come together to perform Ayudha Puja in workplaces, factories, or educational institutions.
Significance of Ayudha Pooja Festival in Hinduism
Ayudha Pooja is a way of recognising the importance of tools in our lives. People believe that the tools we use in our respective professions embody divine energy. By performing the pooja, people express their gratitude and seek blessings for their tools. They also pray for their efficient use.
On this festival, we seek divine blessings for success and prosperity in our work. By worshipping the tools, individuals invite positive energy into their lives. Therefore, these blessings can enhance their skills, creativity, and productivity. It also is a way to gain divine benefits for success in their respective professions.
Ayudha Pooja symbolises the victory of knowledge as well as skills over negativity. It also represents the triumph of good over evil. This is because it is celebrated during the Navaratri festival, which celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. The tools are seen as a reflection of the divine power that enables individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve success.
Also Read: Mahalaya Amavasya 2023: Blessings From Maa Durga And Ancestors!
Rituals to Perform During Ayutha Pooja 2023
India is a country with many cultural variations. Therefore, different parts of the country celebrate festivals in their own ways. Because of this, many people follow many various rituals to celebrate Ayudha Puja. To make your celebration of Ayudha pooja 2023 more meaningful, you can follow these rituals.
- People wake up in the morning and remember their God. They do this to ask for blessings during this divine time.
- People decorate an altar and cover an altar with a clean cloth and decorate it with flowers. People also put photos of different deities on their altars.
- Afterwards, they wash their tools and clean them. People do this with a pure heart as well as gratitude towards their tools.
- Devotees put turmeric and sandalwood on their tools after cleaning them properly. They also put Kumkum on the tools because it holds auspicious energies in Hinduism.
- Furthermore, people worship goddesses Laxmi, Saraswati and Parvati while performing Ayudha Puja. Goddess Laxmi is the goddess of wealth, Goddess Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, and Goddess Parvati is the mother Goddess.
- People do this to receive blessings from these goddesses in their respective fields. Devotees also pray to these goddesses because it is the last day of Navratri, the festival of divine female energy.
- Shopkeepers clean their shops as well as their instruments. They do this to impress goddess Laxmi. They seek for her to continue showering their business with gains as well as fortune.
- Children on this day worship their books and tools related to their education. They seek blessings as well as wisdom from the goddess Sarasvati. On this day, children do not study or open their books as they spend their day appreciating the value of knowledge in their lives.
The Story Behind the Ayudha Pooja Festival
There are various interesting stories behind the Ayudha Poojai festival. Knowing about these exciting stories and tales behind our festivals gives us a deeper understanding of various cultures. This is also a great way to engage younger generations and tell them about the wonderful lessons our festivals teach us.
1. Tale of Maa Durga
The reason why people worship their Astras or weapons on this day is because of the tale of Maa Durga. Durga Puja, or Navratri, is a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. This is because Maa Durga killed the demon Mahishasur who caused great damage to the universe.
When the gods created the goddess, Durga, they blessed her with various weapons. Therefore, her weapons had the qualities and strengths of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. These weapons were an important part of Mahishasura’s defeat.
Therefore, we worship our weapons during this day to remind ourselves of the power of our beloved goddess. We also thank them for protecting us and for helping us sustain our lives.
2. Mahabharat
Ayudha Pooja also derives its meaning and importance from an important sacred text Mahabharata. In Hinduism, Mahabharata teaches people various meaningful life lessons. According to the story, the Pandavas had to go for a Vanvaas.
Before the Vanvaas, Arjun buried his weapons under a tree. On the last day of Navratri or the day of Dussehra, Arjun got his weapons back after completing the Vanvaas. Additionally, before the epic battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas worshipped their weapons to support them during the war.
Also Read: Hariyali Teej 2023: Secret to a Happy Married Life
In ancient times, it was a common practice for warriors to offer prayers to their weapons before going to war. The belief was that by doing so, they would not only receive divine protection but also blessings from the Gods. This ritual was seen as a way to ensure victory and honour on the battlefield.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ayudha Pooja holds great significance as a festival that tells us about the importance of tools in our lives. It is a time when people come together to express gratitude for their tools and seek blessings for success and prosperity. Therefore, by worshipping their tools, people recognise the divine energy present in them. They also vow to use their tools responsibly. Therefore, this festival reminds us to use our skills and tools for the welfare of society. We encourage our readers to learn more about these unique festivals. To read more, visit the InstaAstro website and download the app!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Ayudha Pooja tradition?
2. Is Saraswati Puja Ayudha Pooja 2023 same?
3. What we should do in Ayudha Pooja?
4. What are the different names of Ayudha Puja?
5. Can we eat non veg on Ayudha pooja 2023?
6. Who is the god for Ayudha Pooja?
Also Read: Dashama Vrat 2023: Sacred Practice For Divine Blessings!
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