Festivals in Odisha Lord Jagannath-The-God-of-the-Universe Odisha Village

Manabasa Guru Bara and Lakshmi Puja

festivals of odisha/orissa

As per Odia Calendar “Panji” Margasira/Magusura masa(Month) Goddess Lakshmi is being worshiped almost by every Odia’s in the festival called “Manabasa Guru Bara”. The Festive is one of the biggest festivals of the State. The beauty of the eve is mostly witnessed in villages of Odisha where the day starts with cleaning the house with broom-sticks, as it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi would never visit the house if the house in dirty and untidy.

The house entrances, as well as the doorsteps of the house, are plastered with either cow-dung paste or red soil &  the house is decorated with artistic Odia’s alpana (called chita). A pot made of bamboo canes (called adda diba) used in the olden days for measuring paddy (known as mana) is filled up to the brink with freshly harvested paddy. Beautiful sketches are drawn on it to welcome the Goddess. This is called ‘Jhoti’ in Odia (Like you can see in the above picture by Priti Art and Graphics).

Popular contents of ‘Jhoti’ include ‘Lakshmi-Paada’, the footprint of Maa Lakshmi, Lotus, Her favorite flower, and other beautiful creations. Western Odisha people used to call it ‘Margasira Gurubar’ or more clearly, ‘Magsir Gurbar’ or “magusura gurubara”.Women folk practices wrath called “Margashira Gurubar Brata/Osa.In Odisha, it is believed that “as Maa Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, visit every home who calls her with heart in Margasira month.

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Manabasa Guru Bara and Lakshmi Puja

There are certain rules and regulations of offering the Puja known as Puja vidhi as per Balarama Das’s Mahalakshmi Purana. The rules are like mentioned  below :

  •  Wash the floor and decorate it with jhoti /chitta painting of rice paste as in the above Picture/Image.
  •  On a low table (khatuli i.e the Puja table), spread some newly harvested paddy grains of white color.
  • Fill mana (a measuring pot made of cane and Bamboo) with such grains and place it on the low table.
  •  Wash three betel nuts in turmeric water and place them on the mana dhana.
  •  Decorate the place with vegetables, flowers, and colored cloth.
  • Then invoke MahaLakshmi with lamp and incense and offer three offerings of meals in puja.”
  • Read out the MahaLakshmi Purana written by ancient poet Balaram Das while performing the puja.

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