27 April, 2010

Aanvla Navami

The festival of Aanvla Navmi is celebrated with joy by women. Women pray for the success and welfare of their family on the day of Aanvla Navmi. 

According to Hindu calendar, the festival Aanvla Navmi is on the ninth day of Shukla Paksh (waxing Phase of moon) in the month of Karthik. In 2009, the Aanvla Navmi is on October 27.

Preparation for the puja

Anvla navmi Puja is of special significance for women. This day ladies perform special puja and pray before Indian Goose Berry Tree or Aanvla (Amla) tree. If the aanvla tree is not present in close vicinity of the house, a small branch of the tree can be brought to the house for performing puja.

Requirements:
  • Indian Goose Berry Tree or Aanvla (Amla) tree or branch of the tree.
  • Water in a kalash
  • Milk
  • Roll, moli, chawal, jaggery, batasha
  • Raw white thread, moli
  • Doop, deepak, matchstick
  • Money for offering
  • Saree, blouse—piece and dakshina for Brahminis (optional)
  • Blouse piece (either red, yellow or pink in color)
Method

Puja of Aanvla Navmi is performed by women for the well being and prosperity of their family. On the day of Aanvla Navmi, women rise up early in the morning and then take bath and wear new or washed clothes (Pure).

All women of near by places gather and move to the place where aanvla tree is present and if the tree is not present then branch of the tree is brought and set in mud or kalash filled with water.

Puja is always performed in a particular direction. This puja for Aanvla Navmi is performed while facing towards east. First, water is offered to the tree followed by milk, moli, roli, chawal, jaggery, batasha, aanvla, blouse piece and some money.

Deepak and Dhup (Lamp) are lit before the tree then all ladies put tilak (Auspicious red color Mark by roli) on their forehead.

The special trend of Parikrama is practiced in which women revolve around the tree for 8 or 108 times and while moving they wrap the raw white thread or red moli (Red sacred thread) around the aanvla tree.

After performing Parikrama, all women sit together and read or listens Katha associated with Aanvla Navmi. Katha of Bindaayakji is read after the katha of Aanvla Navmi. There is also the practice of keeping few grains in the hand during katha and later placed in kalash filled with water placed near aanvla tree.

There is also tradition of inviting the Brahmini for food and presenting clothes and dakshina (money).

Women should include goose berry or Aanvla in their food on the day of Aanvla navmi.
   
Katha

There was a Raja who used to give away 40 kgs of aanvla made of gold to the Brahmins every day and then only ate his food. One day his son objected to his generosity saying that they will be left with nothing if the Raja continued his charity.
 
The Raja felt very unhappy and along with his Rani left the palace to live in a jungle. A week passed by. As the Raja could not offer aanvla to the Brahmins, he did not eat. On seeing the plight of the Raja, the God was worried that the Raja might die without eating. That night he told the Raja in his dream to have his food assuring him that everything will be made alright.

In the morning with the blessings of the God the Raja found lots of wealth and a tree of Aanvla with fruits made of gold. The Raja along with his Rani gave away the gold fruits to the Brahmins, performed the puja and took his meals.

The news about the generous Raja spread in the surrounding villages. In the meanwhile, the Raja's son and daughter-in-law had lost their kingdom and were very unhappy. After hearing about the generosity of the Raja, they came to him looking for some work. The Rani recognised them instantly but the son did not know that the generous Raja was his father. Rani told the ministers to employ them with high salary but instructed them to assign very little work to them.

One day Rani called her daughter-in-law to give her a bath. As she was giving Rani the bath the daughter-in-law started crying. On inquiring, she told that Rani has a black spot on the back which was similar to that of her mother-in-law whom she and her husband had insulted. Rani told her that she indeed was her mother-in-law. The son and daughter-in-law were very regretful and asked for forgiveness. Raja, Rani, son and the daughter-in-law all started living happily together and daily gave aanvla to Brahrnins.

Hey Almighty, as you blessed the Raja and the Rani by giving them wealth and happiness, so also bless the narrator of the katha, listeners of the katha and the followers of the katha along with their family.



 

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