Gauri Habba 2023: Celebrating the Divine Feminine

Gauri Habba, also known as Hartalika Teej, is an Indian festival celebrated with great enthusiasm in Karnataka, India. It is a festival dedicated to the epitome of femininity, beauty, and purity – Goddess Gauri. 

Women from all walks of life come together during this festival to celebrate and offer prayers to the goddess. It is a time of great joy and devotion that is marked by various rituals and traditions, including the installation of Gauri idols in homes and temples, through Mangala Gauri Vratam, the singing of traditional songs, and the exchange of gifts and sweets.

Since the Gauri Habba and Mangala Gauri Vratam during the auspicious event holds great significance for people, the rituals need to be performed with sincerity and dedication. And a professionally trained Vedic pandit can only help ensure the effective completion of the ceremony. 

SmartPuja– an online pandit booking platform- adds a layer of spirituality and reverence to the festival by helping devotees find expert, experienced pandits for their religious ceremonies. We are a team of more than 1200 trained Vedic pandits who are experts in performing 400+ unique pujas and ceremonies, astrology and e-puja services. 

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Gauri Habba 2023 

Mangala Gauri Vratam or Swarna Gowri Vratha will be celebrated on 18th March, 2023. Gauri Puja Muhurat 2023 begins at 06.06 AM and ends at 08.34 AM.

Details about Gauri Habba Festival 

Gauri Habba (Festival) is celebrated in households a day before Ganesha Chaturthi. Gauri Maa, a very fair complexioned incarnation of Goddess Parvati, is worshiped for her ability to bestow upon her devotees power, courage and valour. She is the most powerful of all the Goddesses and is the very incarnation of Aadi Shakti Mahamaya.

During the festival Gauri Idol is worshiped along side Ganesha’s idol and is usually brought a day before the onset of Ganesha Chaturthi. It is usually placed for three days – first day is the arrival (Avahana), next day is worship , and on the third day Mata’s idol is given a warm visarjan and immersed in water along with Ganesha Idol. Arrival of Goddess Gauri in homes is considered to be the herald of health, wealth, happiness and prosperity.

In the lunar month of Bhadrapada (a Hindu month) Goddess Gauri is welcomed at her patent’s house. The next day Lord Ganesha, her son, comes as if to take her back to Kailasa. The Swarna Gauri Vrat is performed on the occasion to appease the Goddess. It is a significant festival in parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu. This festival is also celebrated as Hartalika Teej in Maharashtra and other North Indian states.

Swarna Gauri Vrat

On this day, women and young girls are in new/grand traditional attire. They make either Jala-Gauri or Arishinada-Gauri (a symbolic idol of Gauri made of turmeric) and bestow her for Puja. These days ready-made beautifully painted and decorated clay idols of Goddess Gauri can be bought along with Ganesha statues.

Swarna Gauri Vrat Rituals 

• The goddess’s idol is mounted in a plate, with a cereal (rice or wheat) in it.
• According to the Vrat ritual, Asthis pooje is to be performed with ‘suchi’ (cleanliness) and ‘shraddha’ (dedication).
• A mandapa is built around the idol and decorated with banana stem and mango leaves.
• The Gauri is decorated with decorations made of cotton, vaster (silk cloth/saree) and flower garlands.
• Women get their ‘gauridaara’ (a sacred thread with 16 knots ) tied to their right wrists, as blessings of Gauri and as part of the Vrat.

Another specialty of this festival is that the ‘Tavaru Maneyavaru’ (married woman’s parents / brothers) send Gauri Habbada – Mangaladravya (a form of gift) to the married girls of their family. These days some send money as representation of Mangaladravya. The festivities continues to the next day with the celebrations for Lord Ganesha’s Festival .

Significance of Gauri Habba

The festival is considered an auspicious event in the married women lives, and they observe Mangala Gauri Vratam on Gauri Habba, praying for the blessings of Goddess Gowri for their husbands and blissful married life. 

Gauri Habba also has a special significance for unmarried women. They worship Goddess Parvati on this occasion and pray for a good husband like Lord Shiva. 

Gauri Habba Rituals

• The idols of Goddess Gauri are typically made of natural materials such as clay, and are decorated with flowers, jewelry, and other ornaments to make them look beautiful and divine. 
• Once the idols are created, they are decorated with great care and attention to detail. 
• Flowers, garlands, and other decorative items are used to enhance their beauty and create a sacred atmosphere.
• The idols are then installed in homes and temples, where they are worshiped with great devotion and reverence. 
• The installation is a solemn and sacred ceremony, and is usually performed by a priest or pandit.

Gauri Habba Customs

Prayers

During Gauri Habba, people offer prayers to Goddess Gauri, seeking her blessings for the well-being and prosperity of their families. These prayers are usually performed in homes and temples, and are often accompanied by the singing of hymns and devotional songs.

Offerings

Offerings such as fruits, flowers, and sweets are made to the goddess as a sign of devotion and gratitude. The act of making offerings is seen as a way of expressing love and reverence towards the goddess and seeking her blessings for a happy and prosperous life.

Significance 

The act of making offerings and performing prayers is a way of connecting with the divine feminine and seeking her blessings for a fulfilling and happy life. This ritual is seen as a way of expressing gratitude towards the goddess for her benevolence and seeking her continued blessings for a bright future.

Frequently Asked Questions