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 Gowri Habba is a popular Hindu festival that is celebrated in the state of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It is celebrated on the day before the Ganesh Chaturthi. This festival is observed with great devotion and excitement all over the state. On this occasion of this festival, Goddess Gowri is worshiped throughout India and the devotees seek courage and power from the Goddess during this festival.
Also known as the Swarna Gowri Habba, this festival worships the incarnation of the Aadhi Shakthi Mahamaya. It is believed that on the day of the celebration of the festival that Goddess Gowri comes to earth like any other married girl who visits her parents' house. The next day, her son Ganesha comes on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi to take her back to Kailasha.
On the auspicious occasion of the Gowri Habba, Swarna Gowri vratha is performed to please the Goddess of power and courage. Various rituals are performed to mark this day. The married women take bath in the morning and prepare to celebrate this day with great religious fervor. They wear new clothes and dress up beautifully. Young girls are also beautifully dressed up. Then the rituals of ‘sthapana’ of either jalagauri or arishinadagauri are performed. Beautiful clay idols are built these days to worship the goddess.
The idol is placed on a plate, which is decorated with cereal. The worship of the goddess is done with cleanliness and utmost dedication. The women and girls visit the house of their relatives and friends. The place for the worship is beautifully decorated with banana stem and mango leaves. The idol is also beautifully decorated with garlands and others decors. The ladies tie a sacred thread with sixteen knots to their right wrist and seek the blessing of the goddess.
Bagina is a major part of the Gowri Habba festival. To make the puja successful, at least 5 baginas are prepared. These are prepared with packet of turmeric, a small mirror, black bangles, coconut, a comb, baLe bicchoLe, kumkuma, black beads, blouse piece, dhaanya, rice, green dal, tur dal, wheat or rava and jaggery, which is cut in a cube form. These baginas are distributed to the married women. Married women’s parents send the items of Gowri Habba to them. On the occasion of the Gowri Habba, the newly married women are invited to their in-laws home and are served various delectable festive delicacies.
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