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| Goddess Sheetla Mata |
The festival of Sheetala Ashtami is celebrated on Chaitra Ashtami after Holi. Many people called it Holi Asthami or Astha Dola. Specially this festival is celebrated in Gujarat, rajasthan and uttar pradesh. Now a days this puja is done in every corner, mother worship this puja for her children.
Goddess Sheetla is worshipped on this day. The fair is held on this day in Mata Sheetla temples across the country. This festival is known as Basoda. It is customary to offer stale food to Goddess Sheetla. On this day fresh food is not prepared in the house, women cook the food on the night before one day, with the same food, mata sheetla is worshipped. It is believed that mata Sheetla is the goddess of peace who protects the devotees from various types of diseases.
On this day, before sunrise women gets up and take a bath and what the prasad they preapre before night they offer to mata Sheetla. After this, they listen the story of Goddess Sheetla mata vrat,come to the home and both the hands are vaccinated with turmeric on put the hands on both sides of the main entrance in their home. The water brought from the temples splashes all over the house. This keeps the blessings of Mother Sheetla and protects the house from diseases.
It is believed that Shitala Mata is worshipped to protect from diseases like chicken pox, Small pox, and many more. Stoves or chullah are not lit in homes throughout the day. It is believed that Mata Sheetla gets angry with devotees by burning stove in homes or eating hot food.
On this day you can prepare puree, Suji halwa, dahi, Aloo sabji, Kichdi, Kheer etc. Goddess Sheetla mata is an avatar of Goddess Parvati.
Odisha Main festival special for married women Sudasha Brata osha, which is dedicated to Goddess Laxmi. On this day women keep fast the entire day and pray to Maa Laxmi for the well-being and prosperity of their family. This Osha special falls on Thursday Dashami tithi.
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| Goddess Laxmi |
On this special day, Hindu odia women worship to goddess Laxmi with rituals and tie a sacred thread(brata) on their right arm after giving the thread a ritualistic bath with turmeric water. On this thread we have to put 10 knots by chanting different names of Goddess Laxmi, one name for each knot. On this day every women wears the white red cotton saree or silk saree because on Manabasha gurubar puja Shreya Chandaluni wears the white red saree.
Now we discuss the 10 knots name of Maa Laxmi
First Knot(Prathama Ganthi)- Laxmi Narayani
Second Knot(dutiya Ganthi)- Kamalini
Third Knot(Trutiya Ganthi)- Srihari ra priyaa
Fourth Knot(Chaturtha Ganthi)-Padmalayaa
Fifth Knot(Panchama Ganthi)- Kamalaa
Sixth Knot(Sasthi Ganthi)- Chanchalaa
Seventh Knot(Saptama Ganthi)- Bighnaseni
Eighth Knot(Astama Ganthi)- Sindura Dulani
Ninth Knot(Nabami Ganthi)- Durgati Nashini
Tenth Knot( Dasami Ganthi)- Vishnu Patarani
Sudasha Brata Osha Book available online or in local market of odisha. You can get the details of Puja vidhi on this book.
On March 5th Sudasha Brata is there. Happy Sudasha Brata to all odia friends.
