VAT SAVIRITI-HOW TO OBSERVE

VAT SAVITRI

This year was going to be mine 2nd Vat Savitri. I was very confident that i must have updated each and every thing how i have performed this puja for the first time in my blog. But to my surprise i haven't written anything for this puja in my blog. Neither i have drafted anything for this. So this time i have decided i will upload as soon as i will get time to write about my this Puja. So here i got time and i am saying how to observe this Puja:

STORY BEHIND OBSERVING VAT SAVITRI:

The vrata has been named after Savitri. Savitri was the beautiful daughter of king Aswapati of Madra Desa. She selected Satyavan as her life's partner, a prince in exile who was living in the forest with his blind father Dyumatsen. She left the palace and lived with her husband and the in-laws in the forest. As a devoted wife and daughter in-law she took all pain to take care of them. One day while cutting wood in the jungle Satyavan head reeled and he fell down from the tree and then breathed his last on the lap of his beloved wife, Savitri. Then appeared Yamraj, the death God to take away the soul of Satyavan from his body. Deeply hurt Savitri, pleaded to Yamraj not to be separated from her husband. If at all he would take away the soul of her husband she would also follow. Yamraj, moved by the devotion of Savitri returned the life of her husband. Satyavan got back his life again and both of them lived happily thereafter

How to Observe This Vrat:

Vat Savitri Puja is mainly observed to pray for a long and healthy life for husbands. 
I have seen my mom,sister and also have been told by mom-in law we have to prepare special bhog to give to the Devi.
Note: We have to make Puri (should be deep fried in Ghee, preferably  and we have to make a tough dough of Wheat flour with jaggery water i.e.the Wheat flour should be kneaded with water with jaggery mixed in it.

• One night before the vat savitri soak red chana in water and next morning take the Red chana out from the water and keep aside for prasad.
• I got up earling morning after taking bath. I keep the jaggery in little water and keep it aside for 15 minutes so that the jaggery is fully dissolved in water.
• Meanwhile i prepared the dough for my Puri and prepared 4 puri for the bhog (and rest for giving other members in the family as prasadam). 
• When the jaggery is fully dissolved in water knead another dough. It should be hard enough. Make 12 small balls of equal size and deep fried this Ball in ghee( to be given to the goddess as Bhog) Rest you can make to give other members of your family as Prasad. This deep fried balls are called as Bargadahi.
• Your Prasad and bhog are ready that you have to give for the puja.
• We also have to give the goddess all Singar items like Sindoor, Mehndi,Small mirror, Comb,or anything you want we can take.
• WE have to go around the Banyan Tree and tie a sootha. This is called as kaccha sootha. This sootha should be kept in turmeric paste so that the sootha can get yellow colour.

Image of Banyan Tree

• Soak little bit of raw rice in water one night before and grind it to a smooth paste.
• Take flower and jal also along with you.
• Now my preparation was all over.
• Wear new saree or suit along with bangles and do a sola singaar.
• Go to a temple or anyplace where you can find Banyan Tree as during Vrat Saviriti we mainly worship Banyan Tree.
• Take out all your preparation. Also pick banyan leaves tree and keep one leave in your hair. rest 4 banyan tree leaves place in them on floor near banyan tree.
• Keep one puri on each banyan tree leaves and on the top of each puri keep 3 bargadi (balls prepared by jaggery )and soaked red chana.
• Pour wate on the roots of the banyan Tree
• Add a little turmeric to the rice paste and do the tilak of Banyan Tree with this paste.
• Light a diya and agarbatti and worship the banyan tree.
• Then offer the banyan tree all 4 banyan leaves on which we have kept puri and bargadhai
• now tie the sootha along the banyan tree and take 7 rounds of of Banyan Tree
• Now recite or listen to the Vat Saviriti Katha . while listening or reciting the katha keep flowers in your hand and once the katha is over give the flowers to banyan tree.
• Take blessings from your elder ones and husband and give each member of the family with Puri,bargadahi and red chana as Prasad.
• Many Women observe the fast after doing the Puja.
• My mom, sister and mom-in-law also have never observe fast after doing the Puja.So same was applied to me.
• I was not supposed to observe the fast after doing the Puja.
• But whatever we will prepare it should be without onion and garlic.
• So i have prepared red chana and Potato gravy along with Puri.
• Thus i have done my Puja successfully.
• Note: Once you have completed 7 rounds of banyan tree and if some sootha is remaining do not break it just insert it where you have completed the rounds.

16 Steps in Hindu Puja

Hindu scriptures define numerous steps that are part of a Hindu Puja. Normally, only sixteen Upacharas are followed and it is known as Shodashopachara Puja. Some Hindus limit it to five steps of worship and it is known as Panchopachara

Here are the Sixteen Upacharas:

1. Seating of the deity
2. Welcoming of the deity
3. Offering water to wash the feet
4. Offering water to wash the hands
5. Offering water to sip and rinse the mouth
6. Providing a bath
7. Offering fresh clothes and decorations
8. Offering fresh sacred thread
9. Offering aromatic substance like sandal paste etc
10. Offering of flowers
11. Burning incense
12. Waving lights
13. Offering food
14. Offering betel leaves, betel nuts, camphor etc
15. Prostrations before the deity and circumambulations
16. Sending off

Hi Friends,


This is going to be my first DIWALI after my marriage. I am very excited aboth this Festival. Coz from the begining I Love the Festival of Diwali. So i have gathered all the information from my mom,sisters and in-law about how to do this Puja and want to share it with you all.
As we all know during Diwali We Worship Lakshmi and Ganesha. Lakshmi is known as the Goddess of Wealth. So herre is the way how we should perform this Puja


पूजा की सामग्री


1. लक्ष्मी व श्री गणेश की मूर्तियां (बैठी हुई मुद्रा में)
2. केशर, रोली, चावल, पान, सुपारी, फल, फूल, दूध, खील, बताशे, सिंदूर, शहद, सिक्के, लौंग
3. सूखे, मेवे, मिठाई, दही, गंगाजल, धूप, अगरबत्ती, 11 दीपक
4. रूई तथा कलावा नारियल और तांबे का कलश चाहिए.

पूजा की तैयारी

• चौकी पर लक्ष्मी व गणेश की मूर्तियाँ इस प्रकार रखें कि उनका मुख पूर्व या पश्चिम में रहें. लक्ष्मीजी,गणेशजी की दाहिनी ओर रहें.
• 
  
• कलश को लक्ष्मीजी के पास चावलों पर रखें. 
• जल से भरा कलश Kalash भी चौकी पर रखें.नारियल को लाल वस्त्र में इस प्रकार लपेटें कि नारियल का अग्रभाग दिखाई देता रहे व इसे कलश पर रखें. यह कलश वरुण का प्रतीक है.
• चित्र को पुष्पमाला पहनाएं
• इसके पश्चात धूप, अगरबती और ५ दीप (5 deepak) शुध्द घी के और अन्य दीप तिल का तेल /सरसों के तैल (musturd oil) से प्रज्वलित करें
• तत्पश्चात श्री गणेश जी को, फिर उसके बाद लछ्मी जी को तिलक करें और पुष्प अर्पित करें। इसके पश्चात हाथ में पुष्प, अक्षत, सुपारी, सिक्का और जल लेकर संकल्प sankalp करें।

Sankalp

मैं (Tell your name), सुपुत्र श्री (Fathers Name),  पता (Tell your full Address) अपने परिजनो के साथ जीवन को समृध्दि से परिपूर्ण करने वाली माता महालछ्मी (MahaLakshmi) की कृपा प्राप्त करने के लिये कार्तिक कृष्ण पक्छ की अमावस्या के दिन महालछ्मी पूजन कर रहा हूं। हे मां, कृपया मुझे धन, समृध्दि और ऐश्वर्य देने की कृपा करें। मेरे इस पूजन में स्थान देवता, नगर देवता, इष्ट देवता कुल देवता और गुरु देवता सहायक हों तथा मुझें सफलता प्रदान करें।यह संकल्प पढकर हाथ में लिया हुआ जल, पुष्प और अक्षत आदि श्री गणेश-लछ्मी (Shree Ganesha-Laxmi) के समीप छोड दें।.

Aarti and Pushpanjali

गणेश, लछ्मी और भगवान जगदीश्वर की आरती Aarati करें। उसके बाद पुष्पान्जलि अर्पित करें, छमा Kshamaa प्रार्थना करें

Navratri

The Navratri (nine nights) festival which marks the onset of autumn is celebrated in different ways all over the country. It is a festival of worship, dance and music and is celebrated from the first to ninth date of Ashwin Shukla Paksha of the Hindu Calendar for the worship of Goddess Durga. North Indians celebrate the 9 days of Navratri watching the annual Ramlila performances under the post-monsoon skies full of twinkling stars. For 9 days, women wear their best saris and beautiful jewellery, and attend late night cultural programmes of music and dance. Coconut laddoos, payash, bundi sweets are typical Navratra food preparations.Navratri 2010 will be celebrated from September 28 to October 6th 2011


i really loved this festival.

Navdurga" The Nine Forms

Hello  Friends,


As We all know Navratri ,dusshera or Durga Puja is coming. I observed fast for 9 days during Navratri. So I thought of Sharing with you all about the "NavDurga"-The nine Forms of Maa Durga that are worshiped for 9 Days during Navratri:


Maa Durga is worshipped in different forms. She is a form of "Shakti". The evolution of Shri  Maha Saraswati, Shri Maha Laxmi and Shri Mahakali (the 3 main forms of "Shakti") took place from Shri Brahma, Shri Vishnu and Shri Mahesh respectively. Each of these 3 deities gave rise to 3 more forms and hence in all, these 9 forms together are known as NavDurga.


1) Durga Shailputri (Daughter of Mountain) : "Shail" means mountains, "Putri" means daughter. Parvati, the daughter of the King of the Mountains Himavan, is called 'Shailputri". The first among nine Durgas and 1st night of Navratras is devoted to the puja of Shailputri . Her two hands display a trident and a lotus. Her mount is a bull.


2) The second Durga Shakti is Brahamcharini. Brahma that is who observes penance(tapa) and good conduct. Here "Brahma" means "Tapa". The idol of this Goddess is very gorgeous.One hand hold a "Kumbha" or water pot, and the other holds a rosary. She personifies love and loyalty. Bhramcharini is the store house of knowledge and wisdom. Rudraksha beads are Her most adored ornaments!


3) The name of third Shakti is Chandraghanta. There is a half-circular moon in her forehead. She is charmful and bright. She is Golden in color, possesses ten hands and 3 eyes. Eight of her hands display weapons while the remaining two are respectively in the mudras of gestures of boon giving and stopping harm. Chandra + Ghanta, meaning supreme bliss and knowledge, showering peace and serenity, like cool breeze in a moonlit night. This Durga Shakti rides a tiger. She is mainly worshipped in Tamil Nadu.


4) With the fourth night begins the worship of Kushmanda, possessed of eight arms, holding a weapons and a mala ( rosary), her mount is the tiger and She emanates a solar aura. "Kumbh Bhand" means to see the cosmic dance in the form of Pindi; the knowledge of cosmic intricacies in the human race. The abode of Kushmanda is Bhimaparvat !


5) Fifth name of Durga is "Skanda Mata". Rising a lion as Her chosen vehicle, She holds Her son skanda on her lap. She displays three eyes and four hands; two hands holds lotuses while the other two hand display defending and granting mudras, respectively. Its said, by the merch of Skandmata, even the fool becomes an ocean of knowledge.


6) Kaatyani: Kaatyayni stayed in Ashram of Sage Katyayan for penance. Hence She name as Kaatyayani. This 6th Shakti is also astride a lion with 3 eyes and 4 arms. One left hands hold a weapon and other a Lotus. The other 2 hand respectively display defending and granting gestures. Her Complexion is Golden Cloured.




7) Black (or blue ) skin with bountiful hair and 4 hands, 2 clutching a cleaver and a torch, while the remaining 2 are in the mudras of "giving" and "protecting". Her vehicle is a faithful donkey. The destroyer of darkness and ignorance, Kaalratri is the seventh form of Nav-Durga meaning scourer of darkness; enemy of darkness.


8) The Eighth Durga is "Maha Gauri." She is as white as a conch, moon and Jasmine. She is of eight years old. With four arms and the fairest complexion of all the Durgas Shaktis, Mahagauri radiates peace and compassion. She is often dressed in a white or green sari. She holds a drum and a trident and is often depiected riding a bull.


9) Ninth Durga is "Siddhidatri". There are eight Siddhis , they are- Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Iishitva & Vashitva.It is said in "Devipuran" that the Supreme God Shiv got all these Siddhies by worshipping Maha Shakti. With her gratitude the half body of Shiv has became of Goddess and there fore his name "Ardhanarishvar" has became famous.Usually shown ensconced a lotus with four arms, She is the grantor of 26 different wishes to Her Bhaktas.