Gauri Puja

What is the story behind Gauri Puja?

The celebration of Gauri Puja dates back to the time when a girl named Sati was in love with Lord Shiva and wanted to marry him. Sati was a daughter of Daksha Prajapati, who was a great scholar. On hearing about his daughter's love for Lord Shiva, he was against it because Sage Daksha was a great follower of Lord Shiva and considered him a deity.

Furthermore, Sati started showing a lot of dedication and perseverance in getting married to Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, Lord Shiva was extremely impressed with the faithful commitment and determination of Sati, so he decided to get married to her. However, Sati had to take a rebirth to get married to Lord Shiva, so she was reborn as a daughter to a Himalayan king, Himavan and his wife, Queen Mainavati. This is the reason this festival holds great significance for married women to keep their married life filled with bliss and harmony.

Furthermore, this festival also brings up another story from Hindu mythology that makes this festival more unique and special. Lantern, when Lord Shiva was impressed by Sati, he decided to appear before her and get married to her. So this festival is also celebrated as the union of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva and the homecoming of Goddess Gauri as an incarnation of Goddess Parvati.

What is the significance behind Gauri Puja?

The festival of Gauri Puja reminds us about the union of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Moreover, on this festival, the married women observe fast and puja to have a blissful and harmonious married life. Also, during this festival, unmarried women also perform Puja with devotion as an opportunity to pray for a good spouse. Moreover, this festival also reminds us to celebrate the role of women in society and the power of feminine energy.

Furthermore, the reason behind the celebration of Gauri Pooja in the state of Maharashtra is that this festival holds a great historical story from the state. There used to be a Maratha king named Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, along with his mother, who was a great devotee of Goddess Gauri. So, this is how the celebration of Gauri Puja became famous in the state of Maharashtra.

Many people perform Puja at their homes by keeping the idol of Goddess Gauri and offering prayers, bhajans and vrat katha. On the auspicious occasion of Mangala Gauri, women take part in the traditional games, which are known as Phugdi and Zhimma, to make the festival more energetic and enthusiastic. So, get ready to be a part of the celebration in the year 2023 and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

What are the Rituals and Remedies involved in Gauri Puja?

On this day, devotees follow certain rituals that make the celebration and puja complete. All the festivals and celebrations need to be followed by some rituals on the auspicious day. Read below the following rituals so that you can follow the ritual's steps correctly and perform the rituals properly.

Gauri Puja Rituals

• The celebration starts with preparing a beautiful idol of Gauri mata to perform certain rituals and puja.
• The idol is then decorated and adorned with red and yellow cloth, followed by performing mantras and offerings to welcome the three-day event of Gauri Pujan.
• All the devotees, including the committee members and all the people in and around, come to perform Gauri Pujan by offering Prasad, lighting diya and offering prayers.
• Many people also observe fast by just eating one meal a day, while some people do not eat anything for the entire day.
• As an offering on the special Gauri Puja day, Gauri mata is offered with haldi, kumkum, coconut and betel leaves.
• People wake up all night to celebrate Gauri Puja before the last Visarjan day, accompanied by religious hymns, prayers and dance.
• Finally, on the last day, Gauri mata is immersed in the water, praying for her safe journey towards Kailash.

Gauri Puja Remedies

• On this day, people can observe fast, known as the Shodash Uma Vrat, offer prayers and perform rituals.
• On this day, you must prepare 16 types of food items and perform Aarti by lighting 16 diyas.
• Performing Abhishek to Gauri mata with milk, curd, honey, and water is very beneficial to devotees.
• On the second day of Gauri Puja, you can perform the Satyanarayan Puja at your home to seek the blessing of Lord Vishnu for prosperity and well-being.

Conclusion

So, this was all about the celebration, rituals, story and significance of Gouri Puja. So, make sure to read all the important information in detail so that you are aware of what makes this festival more special and unique. Celebrate the auspicious occasion of Gauri puja for marriage and make your married life harmonious and blissful.