How to observe Swarna Gowri Vrat

Swarna Gowri Vrata is practised mostly in Karnataka and other places in South India. This celebration is also known as Gowri Habba or Swarna Gowri Vrata. During that day, devotees worship the goddess Parvati. Mainly married women and young girls in a family are observing the Swarna Gowri celebration. On that day, after bathing they were dressing up neatly and started to conduct puja at home. Houses, temples or whatever it may be, create a shrine and adorn it by using mango leaves, turmeric, tulsi and sandalwood paste. Devotees are making the idol of the goddess with turmeric. But today, people are choosing the ready-made idol of the goddess to be placed in the house. The idol is kept on a bed of rice with a Shiva linga and Ganesha idol. To conduct puja, 16 knotted thread is used to tie the hands of the people. After that, prepare 'Bagina ' by using various items. To perform puja, it is necessary to include turmeric, a mirror, kumkum, bangles, comb, rice, cereals, Devotees are offering one plate of bagina to goddess and others are given as gifts to married women. Yet, the idol is bathed in milk, curd, ghee, honey and water. Following that offering aarti and singing bhajans. The rituals of Vrata will not be completed after puja. In many places, devotees worship Lord Ganesha and goddess Gowri. After worshipping, the idols are immersed as part of the ritual. There is a story behind Swarna Gowri Vrata that was said by Lord Shiva to his son Lord Murugan about the importance of Swarna Gowri Vrata. Goddess Parvati wished to marry Lord Shiva. Unfortunately, Lord Shiva was unable to return his love to goddess Parvati due to the grief caused by the death of his wife Sati. But Lord Shiva was the only person in her mind and she was determined to marry him. And so the goddess Parvati started to do penance in a forest. She was the only one who observed this Vrat to marry Lord Shiva. For those who do Swarna Gowri Vrata can bring wealth and well being. According to Hindu belief, those who practise this Vrata can bring wealth and well being. The unmarried women will be blessed with a good husband and the married women will enjoy a peaceful and blissful family life when he observes this puja.