Worshipping a Devi

[Guest guest]

With India being a big country with a diverse

ethnic bacground, it is very interesting to see how the

same Goddess is worshipped in various parts of the

country. <br><br>I remember when in 1989 I happened to be

in Kerala, it was Durga Puja time. So we were

engrossed in the local Durga Puja . On the tenth day

(Vijaya Dashami day), well - no one was avaialble. Where

were my friends? New in Kerala, it was difficult to

move around. So,I called my friends and they said they

were busy with Saraswati Puja. Saraswati Puja in

October!! Bengalis worship Saraswati in Spring. Basant

Panchami is when the Goddess of learning is worshipped.

This opened up a whole path of learning about the

diversities of the cultures.<br><br>Moving forth, I found

that in north India, Lakshmi, the Goddess of Fortune,

was worshipped on Diwali (Deepawali day) - the first

new-moon (Amavasya) after Durga Puja. In Bengal, Lakshmi

Puja takes place on the full-moon night after Durga

Puja. Alpana (geometric drawings using rice flour)

would be visible everywhere. When I was in Pune, I had

seen people boiling milk in the open on the full moon

night. When I asked, what they were doing, I was told

that on that night the Goddess Lakshmi showered Amrita

(nectar) and they would catch it in the milk.<br><br>Kali

Puja is what I had always associted with Diwali. The

sounds of crackers were associated with the midnight

worship of the Goddess. It also heralded the onset of the

winters. My friends worshipped the Goddesses Lakshmi and

Saraswati and Lord Ganesha.<br><br>Do we need a specif day

to worship a specific goddess? Maybe we do, maybe we

do not. All I know is, where is there is love, there

is Shri (prosperity, another name for Lakshmi).

[Guest guest]

Dear Baburoy, Namaskarm!<br>Thanks for the

interesting note on diverse method of worshipping Devi in

different parts of India.<br>Let me supplement more

information on Sarawati Puja in Kerala. The day of Vijay

Dasami is very important for Malayalis. Unlike other

parts of India, this is the day for the “Vidyarambham”

for Keralites. Vidya means knowledge (education) and

Arambham means starting. In other words, the day of

starting of education (learning). You will find long

serpentine queues in front of Devi temples or Sastha (Guru)

temples in Kerala. Children in the age group of three to

three and half (before their formal school education

starts) are undergoing Vidhyarambham. Saraswati Yamam

(the time before dawn) is the auspicious time for

performing vidyarambham. The Acharya would be seated in the

Saraswati Mandapa. The child will be seated on the lap of

his/her father or grandfather in front of the Acharya.

Acharya will open the mouth of the child and write the

first letters using a golden ring dipped in honey that

“Hari shree Ganapathaye Namah, Avighnamastu’. Thus the

child is receiving the first letter in his/her life

that may open the floodgate of further education in

his/her life. The mother or other relatives surrounding

the child would recite for and on behalf of the child

a sloka during this time, “Saraswati Namasthubhyam

Varade Kamarupini, Vidhyarambham Karishyami

Sidhirbhavatu Me Sada”. And the Acharya will help the child

guiding his/her tender middle finger write the same

wording on sand or rice which has already made ready

beside him. The child then give the Guru dakshina (fees)

to the Acharya and prostrates before him.<br>This

unique custom of Vidhyarambham, I believe, take place

only in Kerala. This is an eventful moment in the life

of children and their parents. Not only Hindus, but

the people belonging to other religious groups are

also celebrating Vidhyarambham in Vijayadasami day.

For their convenience, other public places like

Sahithya Academies, and the houses of Sanskrit scholars

would be equipped to perform the

Vidyarambham.<br>Basically keralites are giving more importance to education

rather than money or any other material benefits. This

is may be the reason for the diversion of

celebration in the form of Saraswati Puja.<br>

<br>HariOm!<br>Devan