Jyeshtha Gauri Puja 2025

 

Jyeshtha Gauri Puja 2025 is a cherished three-day festival celebrated predominantly in Maharashtra, honoring Goddess Gauri, a form of Parvati Devi symbolizing prosperity, purity, and feminine strength.

2025 schedule:

• August 31 (Sunday) – Gauri Avahan: Welcoming the Goddess into homes with rituals and decorations.
• September 1 (Monday) – Main Puja: Devotees, especially women, perform elaborate worship, offer sweets like puran poli and modak, and pray for family well-being and marital harmony.
• September 2 (Tuesday) – Gauri Visarjan: The idol is respectfully immersed in water, marking the conclusion of the festival.

Expanded Highlights of Jyeshtha Gauri Puja

• Cultural Significance: Celebrated primarily in Maharashtra, this festival honors Goddess Gauri—an elder form of Parvati Devi. She is revered as the embodiment of prosperity, purity, and feminine strength. The puja is deeply rooted in family traditions and is often passed down through generations.
• Connection to Ganesh Chaturthi: Jyeshtha Gauri Puja typically coincides with Ganesh Chaturthi. In many households, Gauri arrives a few days after Ganapati and is worshipped alongside him, symbolizing maternal blessings and divine protection.
• Traditional Rituals:
• Kalash Sthapana: A sacred pot filled with water, mango leaves, and a coconut is placed before the idol, representing abundance and fertility.
• Naivedya Offerings: Sixteen types of dishes are prepared, including puran poli, kheer, modak, and seasonal fruits. These are offered with devotion and later distributed as prasad.
• Haldi-Kumkum Ceremony: Married women invite neighbors and relatives to exchange turmeric and vermilion, symbolizing marital bliss and community bonding.
• Vrata Observance: Women observe a fast and perform puja with green bangles and sarees, which are considered auspicious in Marathi tradition.
• Visarjan Rituals: On the third day, the idol is immersed in water with chants and music, symbolizing the goddess’s return to her divine abode. In coastal regions, this is often done at sea, with fishermen seeking her blessings for safety and abundance.
• Legendary Backdrop: According to folklore, Goddess Sita performed Gauri Puja to win Lord Rama’s heart. The vrat is believed to protect husbands and bless unmarried women with ideal partners.