Sunday, July 19, 2009

Thanvi Amavasyaor Bhimana amavasya

This festival falls on ASHADA AMAVASYA. This festival is also known as Pathi Sanjivani vratha or JothiBhimeshwara Vratha.

The story behind this festival is as follows. A very poor brahmin with many children gave his daughter in marriage to a very sick prince who was about to die. He then abandoned her to her fate at the banks of a river and left. the young girl alone and afraid of the dark, made a Shiva Linga out of the sand available and performed puja with great faith. Lord Shiva and Parvathi were very pleased with the girl and appeared before her and restored her husband to life.

There fore on this day, women make two rectangular peices in clay, and decorate it with lime and red color. After the clay pieces are a little dry, tie them together with a piece of turmeric around them.

This symbolises Lord Shiva and Parvathi. These are placed on a plank with a little rice arround it

On the day of the puja the ladies and girls in the house have to take oil bath .Perform the puja as usual with haldi kumkum , geja vastra gandha and flowers. For naividya soaked chana is offered. Near the idol threads , coloured yellow with haldhi and nine knots is kept and this also is worshipped. The threads placed in front of god should be for one for each lady and girls in the house. After the puja is over, all the women should wear tie thread on their right hand. This gowri is worshiped by women for the longevity of the husband and unmarried girls for a good husband.If clay is not available, the mangala gowri given at the time of marriage can be worshiped or a pair of silver or pithal lamps kept over a little rice with ghee for wicks can be worshiped.

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