Saturday, January 02, 2010

Laxmi Puja and Month of Margasir in Odisha

After the month of Kartik(in the middle of September) there is a month Margasir(in between month September to November) in Odisha.This month is very strictly month in Odisha.People obey this month otherwise they will penalize according to Laxmi Mata( Wife of God Vishnu/Jagannath).In Thursday people worship Laxmi Mata.


There is a story about Laxmi Mata .

A woman named Sriyachandaluni(a shedule tribe people) who worshiped goddess Laxmi Mata in Odisha. Laxmi mata visited all the streets and villages on Thursday of Margasir.But can't see clean houses and saw some people who aren't obeying the hindu rules like some are eating fish and mutton on Thursday .At the last time she found the Sriya chandaluni's clean home . At that time Balabhadra ( elder brother of Lord Jagannath ) saw Laxmi Mata was going to Sriya Chandaluni's home.He became angry at that time.He asked Jagannath ,where is Laxmi, she had told you i.e.where was she going and scolded Jagannath.Jagannath couldn't tolerate his elder brother's angry voice. Jagannath asked Laxmi and didn't allow Laxmi Mata to enter in the room(Sree Mandeer) .Then Laxmi Mata asked Jagannath to give her to give divorce .But Jagannath told there is no custom like divorce in their caste.Laxmi Mata gave all the jeweleries and all types of clothes which were given by Jagannath in their marriage.Jagannath refused to take all the jewelleries .But Laxmi Mata hadn't taken the jeweleries.She had left Shree Mandir and she cursed the both gods, told they would not get any type of food for nearly about 12 years and also didn't go to her father's (Lord Barun) home.

She had prayed Biswakarma (a god who made house for other gods) to build a house for her.Biswakarma made a home for goddess Laxmi.Then Laxmi mata called Asta Betal ( a type of thief in the area of god state) and told them to steal all types of assets from Sree Mandir.But they told Balaram is an angry god and they can't do this type of job.Then Laxmi Mata prayed sleeping goddess .Jagannath and Balabhadra were in a dip sleep in the night they don't know about Asta Betal .Asta Betal had gone to Sree Mandir and ate all types of foods and stole all the assets from Sree Mandir .

In the next day Jagannath and Balabhadra got up from bed at noon.They were searching for water and they couldn't got a little water from Sree mandir.Jagannath was full of hungry that time, So he had gone to the kitchen and searched food .But he couldn't found any food and came to the out side from the kitchen room.Balabhadra discovered Jagannath's face was became black with the black color from the kitchen.After that they went to the house of bada panda (who is the chief priest in Sree Mandir) .But the wife of Bada Panda couldn't recognized the both god.She thought two thief were coming to her home.So she closed the doors of her home.So they returned from Bada Pandas home with out getting food and after that they had gone so many places .They were became very poor as then as a beggar.One day one beggar give them some food .At the time the air god slathered and wasted all the foods.So they couldn't eat also the beggar's food that time.The beggar told you both were Laxmichhada( Laxmi left them) and in the near of the sea there is a woman ,she gave food him, and also advised both the god to go there to getting food.They also go there .At that time jagannath was became very hungry .He hasn't power to walk a few step.After some time they reached at the exact place.The house owner is a woman and she had some maids .Jagannath and Balabhadra didn't see the house owner .So they asked the maids to give them some food and started singing with the Sanskrit slokas(Vaidik Mantras).The house owner who is a woman( Laxmi Mata) heard the voice of Jagannath and Balabhadra and recognized both the gods.She told the maid " ask them what they want from us and told we are the schedule tribe people will they take food from us.The maid asked the exact question to the two brother.They told to give some new cooking pots and all new item for cooking.The maid brought all the types of new items for cooking and gave them.Jagannath started cooking .But according to Laxmi mata's advice the god of fire didn't touch to the sticks.So he couldn't cooked the rice.At that time Balabhadra became so much hungry .He told what were you doing and he taken the charge of cooking .He also couldn't success in making cooking .He broke the pot which is made by soil and told the maid to gave them food.The maid asked the proprietress (Laxmi Mata) .Laxmi Mata told to ask them will they take food from us (schedule caste people) .Jagannath and Balabhadra told there is no rule at the end of life and agreed to eat in a schedule tribe peoples' house .After bath they entered to the home and sat in the dining table and waited for food.According to Laxmi Mata's advice she gave food at the elder brother's tray first and went to the kitchen room to bring food for Jagannath.But when she came she astonished .There is no food on the tray of Balabhadra .She asked about this .Balabhadra told we are very hungry so I ate quickly please don't mind.Jagannath told the foods are tasting like their home food .In the last time the maid brought podapitha( a special type of cake in Odisha).In this moment Jagannath confirmed about the proprietress is Laxmi Mata . He asked the maid about the owner of the house .But the maid refused to tell.

After so many request she told the owner is a woman.Balabhadra told Jagannath please leave this room quickly because we can't get back our life as they would hang us on a gibbet.Jagannath told brother we are the owner of the house .So don't worry.Jagannath entered to the inner room where Laxmi devi stayed and requested to go back to their Sree Mandir then Laxmi devi asked to do certain rules ie there is no difference between the higher caste people and lower caste people ,richest people and poorest people in our temple and allow her (she will visit all the villages in the month of Margasir).Jagannath told there is no rules for you.Please go back .Jagannath, Balabhadra,Laxmi devi and all the maids went to the Sree Mandir.From that time ,there is no difference between richest and poorest and also higher caste and lower caste people at Odisha.So month of Margasir also brings proud for Odisha.