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Notes: All timings are represented in 12-hour notation in local time of Lancaster, United States with DST adjustment (if applicable).
Hours which are past midnight are suffixed with next day date. In Panchang day starts and ends with sunrise.
Jyeshtha Gauri Puja is a Maharashtrian festival celebrated mostly among the people of Marathi community. In Maharashtra, this ritual is observed during the Ganesha Chaturthi festival, with Goddess Gauri arriving in homes one or two days before the installation of Lord Ganesha. Goddess Gauri is considered to be an incarnation Goddess Parvati, the divine consort of Lord Shiva and the mother of Lord Ganesha. Goddess Gauri is revered as the deity of fertility, marital bliss and prosperity. Among the Koli community, She is especially worshipped as the protector of homes and livelihoods, believed to bless them with abundance and harmony in life.
In the coastal regions of Maharashtra, Goddess Gauri is generally worshipped as a single deity, i.e., Jyeshtha Gauri. However, in the interior and southern plateau regions of Maharashtra, two forms are worshipped, Jyeshtha Gauri and Kanishta Gauri, where Kanishta Gauri is often identified with Mahalakshmi. In coastal areas, Jyeshtha Gauri is usually represented by a metal facemask, which is placed on a human-like structure and adorned with traditional Koli attire and jewelry. Koli women offer a new Nauvari Saree to the Goddess every year as part of the tradition.
During the ten-day Ganeshotsava, Gauri Puja is celebrated over three days. On the first day, the Avahana, arrival and installation of the Goddess take place. The second day is dedicated to the main Puja and rituals and on the third day, the Visarjan is performed. Women play a central role in all these rituals. Dressed in traditional attire and ornaments, they purify the home, perform the Puja and prepare Naivedya, i.e., sacred food offerings with deep devotion. They also sing traditional Bhajans and folk songs in praise of the Goddess throughout the celebrations.
On the first day, family members come together to clean and decorate their homes and community spaces. Special attention is given to adorning the area where the idol of the Goddess will be installed, using a variety of flowers, Rangoli designs and Diya. The arrival of the Goddess is celebrated with music, singing, dancing and instrumental performances. Kula Purohita, i.e., the family priest ceremoniously brings the idol into the house, taking it around the home before installing it on an elevated platform. At the auspicious time, the idol is installed and invoked with sacred Mantras, followed by a grand Aarti in Her honor.
On the second day, the main Puja is performed. Typically, a Brahmin priest is invited to conduct the rituals in a detailed and traditional manner. The Kalash holds special significance during this Puja. It is placed before the Goddess, decorated with mango leaves and topped with coconut. This Purna-Kalash is considered a symbol of Mother Earth or the divine womb. In ritual symbolism, mango leaves represent fertility, the coconut signifies prosperity and the water inside the pot is likened to Amrita, the nectar of immortality.
On the main day of worship, sixteen varieties of Naivedya are presented to the Goddess. These include Modak, the favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha, and Kheer, among other traditional sweets. Great emphasis is placed on purity and cleanliness during the preparation of Naivedya. The kitchen, utensils and the individual preparing the offerings must all be properly purified. The offerings are always Sattvic, free from onions, garlic and other ingredients considered impure for religious rituals.
The worship begins with a Sankalpa by the devotees to offer Naivedya to the Goddess. The food is served on a clean plate or Banana Leaf and placed in front of the idol. Along with the chanting of special Mantras, the Naivedya is ceremonially offered to the Goddess. It is believed that the Goddess partakes in the essence of the offering and what remains is distributed to devotees as Prasada. This act of offering infuses the food with divine energy and consuming it is said to fulfill the desires of the devotees.
On this day, women observe a fast and pray to Goddess Gauri for good health, long life, children and overall happiness with prosperity. Devotees engage in the recitation and listening of legends of the Goddess. Dressed in traditional attire, women perform collective rituals and sing folk songs in praise of the deity. During Gauri Puja, families visit each other's homes, participate in the worship and share Prasada.
On the third day, the Visarjan of the Goddess is carried out with a grand procession or Shobha Yatra accompanied by songs, dances and chanting of Mantras. This farewell symbolizes Her return to the divine abode. Among the Koli fishing community, the Goddess is respectfully taken onto their fishing boats, where She is welcomed with Aarti and Her blessings are invoked. Her presence on the boat is considered a symbol of protection and prosperity for the entire year. The boat sets out into the sea where a symbolic Visarjan ceremony is performed. The facemask of the Goddess is dipped three times into the sea and coconuts; flowers and other ritual items are offered to the ocean. After this, the boats return to the shore, sprinkling sea water over the devotees as a sacred gesture. The facemask of the Goddess is brought back home and safely kept until the next year's celebration.
Thus, the three-day Gauri Puja unfolds as follows, First day arrival and installation of the Goddess, Second day main worship and celebrations and Third day Visarjan in the sea. Unlike the public Ganesha Puja held in community Pandals, Gauri Puja is performed indoors, within the home. Villagers and family members offer Bananas, Rice, Coconuts and other items to the Goddess as symbols of abundance and prosperity. When their wishes are fulfilled, they offer sweets in gratitude. Some of the offered items are used in the preparation of Naivedya and the rest is distributed as Prasada. The Visarjan procession is a vibrant event involving the entire community. Devotees take turns carrying the idol of the Goddess, stopping at homes along the way where Aarti is performed. According to belief, the boats that carry the Goddess remain protected and blessed with prosperity throughout the year. The owners of these boats consider it a matter of pride and joy to host the Goddess on their boat and perform Aarti to welcome Her aboard.
The very popular Jyeshtha Gauri Vrat Katha is described here. This story is based on a poor Brahmin who didn't even have enough money to invoke Goddess Gauri in his house. Saddened by this, the Brahmin was about to end his life when Goddess Gauri appeared before him as an old woman.
Jyeshtha Gauri Avahana is a very popular Hindu festival which is mainly observed in Maharashtra. On this day, Goddess Jyeshtha Gauri is invoked and invited into homes for three days of worship. On the following day, the Jyeshtha Gauri Puja is performed.
This marks the final day of the three-day Jyeshtha Gauri Puja festival. On this day, the farewell Visarjana of Goddess Gauri is performed. Before the Visarjana, a grand and elaborate procession is organized, in which all the local residents take part.
