Ganesha Chaturthi (Gaṇēśa Caturthī or Vināyaka Caviti) is the Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the god Ganesha, the elephant-headed. The festival, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi
(fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between
August and September. The festival usually lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).
The modern festival involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines), which are worshipped for ten days. These are immersed at the end of the festival in a body of water such as a lake, along with the idol. Some Hindus also install the clay images of Ganesha in their homes. The festival was celebrated as a public event since the days of Maratha King Shivaji (1630–1680). However, the public festival as celebrated in Maharashtra today, was introduced by Bhausaheb Laxman Javale in 1892 by installing first Sarvajanik (Public) Ganesh idol- Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati, Bhudwar Peth, in Pune. The first meeting regarding starting the Sarvajanik Ganesh utsav took place under the leadership of Bhausaheb Laxman Javale at his residence (Bhudwar Peth) now known as Bhau Rangari Bhavan. In 1893 Lokmanya Tilak praised the concept of Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav in Kesari Newspaper. In 1894, he installed Ganesh idol in Kesari wada, Pune too and started preaching Ganesh Utsav.
While celebrated all over India, it is grandest and most elaborate of them especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and in other parts of Western India and Southern India. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Terai region of Nepal and by the Hindu diaspora in the United States, Canada, Mauritius, and other places.
Traditional Hindu about Ganesha tell that Parvati, the consort of Shiva, created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him the task of guarding her door while she bathed. Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn't know him, didn't allow him to enter. After the combat between Ganesha and Shiva Ganas, finally angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged and Shiva then promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North, but they found only the head of an elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child's body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha (Gana Isha : Lord of Ganas).
According to the Linga Purana, Ganesha was created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati at the request of the Devas for being a Vighnakartaa (obstacle-creator) in the path of Rakshasas, and a Vighnahartaa (obstacle-averter) to help the Devas achieve fruits of their hard work
The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi, the fourth lunar day of the waxing moon fortnight.[8] The date usually falls between August and September. The festival lasts for 10 to 12 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi.
Weeks or even months before Ganesha Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated and depict Lord Ganesha in vivid poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 70 feet.[citation needed]
Ganesha Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesha statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by collecting monetary contributions and are decorated specially for the festival, by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. and at times have theme based decorations.
The priest then with the chanting of mantras invokes the presence of Ganesha using the statue as a channel, or body for his energy. This ritual is the Pranapratishhtha. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, modaks, durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of kumkum and sandalwood paste. Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.
Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival of Maharashtra. It is celebrated by most Hindu households of Maharashtra.[9] In Maharashtra, most Hindu families install their own small clay statues for worship on Ganesh Chaturthi. The idol is worshiped in every morning and evening until the departure. The worship involves various offerings to the idol including flowers and durva. Each durva bunch has 21 shoots and the shoots have either three or five strands. Other offerings like modak also have to number 21 in Ganesh worship,[10][11] The daily worship ceremonies ends with the worshipers singing the Aarti in honor of Ganesh, other Gods and saints. The Ganesh aarti sung in Maharashtra was composed by the 17th century, saint Samarth Ramdas. As per the tradition of their respective families, the domestic celebrations come to an end after 1, 3, 5, 7 or 11 days when the statue is taken in a procession to a large body of water such as a lake, river or the sea for immersion. Due to environmental concerns, a number of families now avoid the large water bodies and instead let the clay statue disintegrate in a bucket or tub of water at home. After a few days the clay is used in the home garden. In some cities, a public eco-friendly process is used for immersion.
Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular especially in Maharashtra. These are organised by local youth groups (Tarun Mandal), neighborhood associations or group of traders. An example of the latter is the celebrations organized by the vegetable market traders in Pune. The Mandai Ganpati as it is called has been installed every year since the 1890s. The funds for the public festival are collected from members of the association arranging the celebration, local residents or local businesses The Ganesh and accompanying statues are installed in temporary shelter called mandap or pandals. The local Festival Committees vie with each other to put up the biggest statue and the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, and charity for the poor.
Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Many artists, industries, and businesses earn a significant amount of their living from this Festival. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. In Maharashtra, not only Hindus but many other religions also participate in the celebration like Muslims, Jains, Christian and others.
The most serious impact of the festival on the environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the idol was sculpted out of mud taken from nearby one’s home. After the festival, it was returned to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle was meant to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature.
However, as the production of Ganesh idols on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi and banka matti in Telugu) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man-made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster is non-biodegradable, and insoluble in water. Moreover, the chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, causing water pollution. Also, on immersion, non-biodegradable accessories that originally adorned the idol accumulate in the layers of sand on the beach.
In the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Radio Jaagriti, the leading Hindu radio station in the country, has actively educated the public of the environmental implications of the use of plaster of Paris murtis. Clay Lord Ganeshas have been encouraged to be used for immersion into the water courses to prevent any harmful environmental impacts. Ganesh Chaturthi is a widely celebrated Hindu Festival in Trinidad and Tobago.
In Goa, the sale of Ganesh idols made from Plaster of Paris (PoP) is banned by the State Government. People are urged to buy traditional clay idols made by artisans.[33]
Recently there have been new initiatives sponsored by some state governments to produce clay Ganesha idols.[34]
On the final day of the Ganesh festival thousands of plaster idols
are immersed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of
acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals.[35]
Several non-governmental and governmental bodies have been addressing
this issue. Amongst the solutions proposed are as follows:
CELEBRATION BY KASHMIRI PANDITS
Pan Dyun: 'Ryetav manza ryethah, Baedearpyethah, Venayka Tsoram to Aathvar'- The month is Bhadrapada, the day fourth day of the bright fortnight and hopefully a Sunday. This is the festival known all over the country as Ganesh Chaturthi and celebrated in Kashmir in a unique way. Early morning a metal pot is cleaned and placed at a suitable clean place, with some water filled in it. The ladies of the house prepare a sweet pancake called 'Roth'. Poppy seeds are fixed over these on both the sides. The family members sit near the pot and the lady of the house narrates a story of Beeb garaz Maej (click here). This story has a moral that by performing pooja of Shri Ganesha on this day, preparing sweet pancake and offering the same to the deity, poverty and the miseries of the person are removed and one lives a pious life full of comfort. The story is very similar to the one narrated on the occasion of the Satya Narayana Pooja. After listening to the story, all the members fill the pot with flowers and a specific variety of green grass, which they hold in their hands throughout the narration of the story. The sweet pancake prepared on this day becomes the prashada and is distributed among relatives, friends and neighbours. Distribution of such things as Tahaer, Roth, Yogurt, cakes, walnuts is a common feature of the Kashmiri life and helps make it a close-knit community bound by love, concern and care for each other.
PAN
DUEN is another important festival of Kashmiri Pandits celebrated since
time immemorial. The festival though different of its kind enjoys
tremendous reverence and popularity in all KP families wherever they’re.
It’s celebrated by making a special bread cake called ROTH in Kashmiri.
The wheat floor in sufficient quantity is mixed with ghee, sugar,
cardamom and poppy seeds and made into dough before thick Roties are
rolled and deep-fried in ghee on low heat. The quantity of the material
depends mainly on the tradition of the house and the strength of the
family and its extension as the Prasad has to be shared with all
relatives and friends after the Pooja concludes. The auspiciousness of
the occasion demands enough preparation from vigorous cleaning of the
whole house especially the kitchen place to a get together of all the
members of family to give the process enough sanctity. The head lady of
the house takes full charge of the occasion with the juniors working
under her and the work is started early in the morning after doing all
washing and collecting fresh water as everything has to be done with
extreme purity of hand and heart as well. The recitations of holy
mantras continue throughout the process as no gossips are allowed
considering the sanctity of the occasion.
The Mahurat (auspicious occasion) for PAN DEUN are a few dates in the bright lunar fortnight of Bhadroon around Ganesh Chuturthi festival celebrated throughout India with full gaiety and devotion. In Kashmir the festival is celebrated by the name Vinayak Chorum and the most favoured Mahurat for PAN DEUN especially if it’s a Sunday lovingly called Vinayak Choram Te Aathwaar. This year interestingly Ganesh Chaturthi was on Sunday but Chorum (4th day of the lunor fortnight) was missing in the calendar. It was the 3rd lunar day so not favoured for PAN DEUN.
Now after the recipe (PAN ROTH) is ready there is a ceremonial ritual considered very auspicious. All the prepared PAN ROTH are kept in a large wicker basket and covered with a freshly washed clean cotton cloth. A big Lota (Gadvei) of brass, now stainless-steel is filled with fresh water and after decorating it with a flower garland, Naervan (moli), sindoor, etc it is covered with a big size ROTH and a couple or more small ones and some dry fruit, shelled walnuts and some sugar candy for Prasad and kept ceremoniously on the floor while all the family members surround it with folded hands facing East. The head lady ties Naerwan and puts Tikka on the forehead of all the members and takes in her hand the cotton thread which she had been keeping on her right ear during the making of PAN ROTH. The cotton thread is mainly significant in this ritual. In olden days the cotton thread was especially twisted for the purpose out of fresh cotton wool grown in Kashmir by an unmarried young girl on the family Charkha as Goddess Durga was worshipped in her maiden form on the occasion. The thread is called PAN in Kashmiri.
All the members take in their folded hands some washed grains of rice, barley and flowers along with a little of fresh washed running grass with roots (Dramun) which grows wildly everywhere on roadsides and parks and the head lady with all sanctity relates a traditional story of a woman of yester-years called Bib Dhara Maej who used to observe the ritual with all sanctity and was very prosperous enjoying all the blessings of the Lord. Unfortunately one such day while preparing PAN ROTH with all sanctity along with her unmarried young daughter, her husband, a rich man and too conceited came in the house unexpectedly and the fit of some anger spoiled the sanctity of the ritual and left the house. Within no time the worst misfortune overcame him and the whole family. He was deprived of all his riches, name and fame till the situation reached that the family were reduced to penury. The lady couldn’t forget the episode and in most deprived conditions arranged for the ritual the next year and surprisingly their misfortune was replaced by former riches and glory once again. As the story is ceremoniously related in full the head lady opens the lid of the Lota and offers the rice and barley grains with flowes in her hand to the Lord followed by all other mambers of the family. Thus is ritual ends with everyone wishing for good heath and prosperity and the Prasad is taken.
Now the PAN NAVEED as it’s called is to be shared with all relatives and friends and the main share is given to the married daughters and sisters in the family along with the Tikka and Naerwan from the Pooja within next few days. After the displacement of Pandits from Kashmir the new found non-Kashmiri relatives, friends and neighbours eagerly wait for the PAN NAVEED for its sanctity and high taste.
POSTED BY ...VIPUL KOUL
EDITED BY......ASHOK KOUL
The modern festival involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals (temporary shrines), which are worshipped for ten days. These are immersed at the end of the festival in a body of water such as a lake, along with the idol. Some Hindus also install the clay images of Ganesha in their homes. The festival was celebrated as a public event since the days of Maratha King Shivaji (1630–1680). However, the public festival as celebrated in Maharashtra today, was introduced by Bhausaheb Laxman Javale in 1892 by installing first Sarvajanik (Public) Ganesh idol- Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati, Bhudwar Peth, in Pune. The first meeting regarding starting the Sarvajanik Ganesh utsav took place under the leadership of Bhausaheb Laxman Javale at his residence (Bhudwar Peth) now known as Bhau Rangari Bhavan. In 1893 Lokmanya Tilak praised the concept of Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav in Kesari Newspaper. In 1894, he installed Ganesh idol in Kesari wada, Pune too and started preaching Ganesh Utsav.
While celebrated all over India, it is grandest and most elaborate of them especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and in other parts of Western India and Southern India. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Terai region of Nepal and by the Hindu diaspora in the United States, Canada, Mauritius, and other places.
Traditional Hindu about Ganesha tell that Parvati, the consort of Shiva, created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him the task of guarding her door while she bathed. Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn't know him, didn't allow him to enter. After the combat between Ganesha and Shiva Ganas, finally angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged and Shiva then promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North, but they found only the head of an elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child's body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha (Gana Isha : Lord of Ganas).
According to the Linga Purana, Ganesha was created by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati at the request of the Devas for being a Vighnakartaa (obstacle-creator) in the path of Rakshasas, and a Vighnahartaa (obstacle-averter) to help the Devas achieve fruits of their hard work
The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi, the fourth lunar day of the waxing moon fortnight.[8] The date usually falls between August and September. The festival lasts for 10 to 12 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi.
Weeks or even months before Ganesha Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated and depict Lord Ganesha in vivid poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4 of an inch to over 70 feet.[citation needed]
Ganesha Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesha statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by collecting monetary contributions and are decorated specially for the festival, by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. and at times have theme based decorations.
The priest then with the chanting of mantras invokes the presence of Ganesha using the statue as a channel, or body for his energy. This ritual is the Pranapratishhtha. After this the ritual called as Shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut, jaggery, modaks, durva (trefoil) blades of grass and red flowers are offered. The statue is anointed with red unguent, typically made of kumkum and sandalwood paste. Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, Upanishad, and the Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.
Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival of Maharashtra. It is celebrated by most Hindu households of Maharashtra.[9] In Maharashtra, most Hindu families install their own small clay statues for worship on Ganesh Chaturthi. The idol is worshiped in every morning and evening until the departure. The worship involves various offerings to the idol including flowers and durva. Each durva bunch has 21 shoots and the shoots have either three or five strands. Other offerings like modak also have to number 21 in Ganesh worship,[10][11] The daily worship ceremonies ends with the worshipers singing the Aarti in honor of Ganesh, other Gods and saints. The Ganesh aarti sung in Maharashtra was composed by the 17th century, saint Samarth Ramdas. As per the tradition of their respective families, the domestic celebrations come to an end after 1, 3, 5, 7 or 11 days when the statue is taken in a procession to a large body of water such as a lake, river or the sea for immersion. Due to environmental concerns, a number of families now avoid the large water bodies and instead let the clay statue disintegrate in a bucket or tub of water at home. After a few days the clay is used in the home garden. In some cities, a public eco-friendly process is used for immersion.
Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular especially in Maharashtra. These are organised by local youth groups (Tarun Mandal), neighborhood associations or group of traders. An example of the latter is the celebrations organized by the vegetable market traders in Pune. The Mandai Ganpati as it is called has been installed every year since the 1890s. The funds for the public festival are collected from members of the association arranging the celebration, local residents or local businesses The Ganesh and accompanying statues are installed in temporary shelter called mandap or pandals. The local Festival Committees vie with each other to put up the biggest statue and the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, and charity for the poor.
Today, the Ganesh Festival is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Many artists, industries, and businesses earn a significant amount of their living from this Festival. Ganesh Festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public. In Maharashtra, not only Hindus but many other religions also participate in the celebration like Muslims, Jains, Christian and others.
The most serious impact of the festival on the environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the idol was sculpted out of mud taken from nearby one’s home. After the festival, it was returned to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle was meant to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature.
However, as the production of Ganesh idols on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi and banka matti in Telugu) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man-made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster is non-biodegradable, and insoluble in water. Moreover, the chemical paints used to adorn these plaster idols themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, causing water pollution. Also, on immersion, non-biodegradable accessories that originally adorned the idol accumulate in the layers of sand on the beach.
In the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Radio Jaagriti, the leading Hindu radio station in the country, has actively educated the public of the environmental implications of the use of plaster of Paris murtis. Clay Lord Ganeshas have been encouraged to be used for immersion into the water courses to prevent any harmful environmental impacts. Ganesh Chaturthi is a widely celebrated Hindu Festival in Trinidad and Tobago.
In Goa, the sale of Ganesh idols made from Plaster of Paris (PoP) is banned by the State Government. People are urged to buy traditional clay idols made by artisans.[33]
Recently there have been new initiatives sponsored by some state governments to produce clay Ganesha idols.[34]
Artificial pool created to immerse Plaster of Paris idols.
- Return to the traditional use of natural clay idols and immerse the icon in a bucket of water at home.
- Use of a permanent icon made of stone and brass, used every year and a symbolic immersion only.
- Recycling of plaster idols to repaint them and use them again the following year.
- Ban on the immersion of plaster idols into lakes, rivers and the sea.[36]
- Creative use of other biodegradable materials such as papier-mâché to create Ganesha idols.
- Encouraging people to immerse the idols in tanks of water rather than in natural water bodies.
CELEBRATION BY KASHMIRI PANDITS
Pan Dyun: 'Ryetav manza ryethah, Baedearpyethah, Venayka Tsoram to Aathvar'- The month is Bhadrapada, the day fourth day of the bright fortnight and hopefully a Sunday. This is the festival known all over the country as Ganesh Chaturthi and celebrated in Kashmir in a unique way. Early morning a metal pot is cleaned and placed at a suitable clean place, with some water filled in it. The ladies of the house prepare a sweet pancake called 'Roth'. Poppy seeds are fixed over these on both the sides. The family members sit near the pot and the lady of the house narrates a story of Beeb garaz Maej (click here). This story has a moral that by performing pooja of Shri Ganesha on this day, preparing sweet pancake and offering the same to the deity, poverty and the miseries of the person are removed and one lives a pious life full of comfort. The story is very similar to the one narrated on the occasion of the Satya Narayana Pooja. After listening to the story, all the members fill the pot with flowers and a specific variety of green grass, which they hold in their hands throughout the narration of the story. The sweet pancake prepared on this day becomes the prashada and is distributed among relatives, friends and neighbours. Distribution of such things as Tahaer, Roth, Yogurt, cakes, walnuts is a common feature of the Kashmiri life and helps make it a close-knit community bound by love, concern and care for each other.
PAN
DUEN is another important festival of Kashmiri Pandits celebrated since
time immemorial. The festival though different of its kind enjoys
tremendous reverence and popularity in all KP families wherever they’re.
It’s celebrated by making a special bread cake called ROTH in Kashmiri.
The wheat floor in sufficient quantity is mixed with ghee, sugar,
cardamom and poppy seeds and made into dough before thick Roties are
rolled and deep-fried in ghee on low heat. The quantity of the material
depends mainly on the tradition of the house and the strength of the
family and its extension as the Prasad has to be shared with all
relatives and friends after the Pooja concludes. The auspiciousness of
the occasion demands enough preparation from vigorous cleaning of the
whole house especially the kitchen place to a get together of all the
members of family to give the process enough sanctity. The head lady of
the house takes full charge of the occasion with the juniors working
under her and the work is started early in the morning after doing all
washing and collecting fresh water as everything has to be done with
extreme purity of hand and heart as well. The recitations of holy
mantras continue throughout the process as no gossips are allowed
considering the sanctity of the occasion.The Mahurat (auspicious occasion) for PAN DEUN are a few dates in the bright lunar fortnight of Bhadroon around Ganesh Chuturthi festival celebrated throughout India with full gaiety and devotion. In Kashmir the festival is celebrated by the name Vinayak Chorum and the most favoured Mahurat for PAN DEUN especially if it’s a Sunday lovingly called Vinayak Choram Te Aathwaar. This year interestingly Ganesh Chaturthi was on Sunday but Chorum (4th day of the lunor fortnight) was missing in the calendar. It was the 3rd lunar day so not favoured for PAN DEUN.
Now after the recipe (PAN ROTH) is ready there is a ceremonial ritual considered very auspicious. All the prepared PAN ROTH are kept in a large wicker basket and covered with a freshly washed clean cotton cloth. A big Lota (Gadvei) of brass, now stainless-steel is filled with fresh water and after decorating it with a flower garland, Naervan (moli), sindoor, etc it is covered with a big size ROTH and a couple or more small ones and some dry fruit, shelled walnuts and some sugar candy for Prasad and kept ceremoniously on the floor while all the family members surround it with folded hands facing East. The head lady ties Naerwan and puts Tikka on the forehead of all the members and takes in her hand the cotton thread which she had been keeping on her right ear during the making of PAN ROTH. The cotton thread is mainly significant in this ritual. In olden days the cotton thread was especially twisted for the purpose out of fresh cotton wool grown in Kashmir by an unmarried young girl on the family Charkha as Goddess Durga was worshipped in her maiden form on the occasion. The thread is called PAN in Kashmiri.
All the members take in their folded hands some washed grains of rice, barley and flowers along with a little of fresh washed running grass with roots (Dramun) which grows wildly everywhere on roadsides and parks and the head lady with all sanctity relates a traditional story of a woman of yester-years called Bib Dhara Maej who used to observe the ritual with all sanctity and was very prosperous enjoying all the blessings of the Lord. Unfortunately one such day while preparing PAN ROTH with all sanctity along with her unmarried young daughter, her husband, a rich man and too conceited came in the house unexpectedly and the fit of some anger spoiled the sanctity of the ritual and left the house. Within no time the worst misfortune overcame him and the whole family. He was deprived of all his riches, name and fame till the situation reached that the family were reduced to penury. The lady couldn’t forget the episode and in most deprived conditions arranged for the ritual the next year and surprisingly their misfortune was replaced by former riches and glory once again. As the story is ceremoniously related in full the head lady opens the lid of the Lota and offers the rice and barley grains with flowes in her hand to the Lord followed by all other mambers of the family. Thus is ritual ends with everyone wishing for good heath and prosperity and the Prasad is taken.
Now the PAN NAVEED as it’s called is to be shared with all relatives and friends and the main share is given to the married daughters and sisters in the family along with the Tikka and Naerwan from the Pooja within next few days. After the displacement of Pandits from Kashmir the new found non-Kashmiri relatives, friends and neighbours eagerly wait for the PAN NAVEED for its sanctity and high taste.
POSTED BY ...VIPUL KOUL
EDITED BY......ASHOK KOUL
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