Mangala Gowri Puja Legend

The various Vrathas that are observed in Hinduism is based on a story. The general idea of the story remains the same but the characters and incidents change from region to region. This Shravana Mangala Gowri Vrata Katha is from Karnataka known as Mangala Gowri Haadu. The shloka or song (prayer) narrated during the puja is also referred as Mangala Gowri Haadu.

Long long ago a boy who was studying under a guru went from house to house seeking alms. This was a tradition then and the Guru and shishya only took what was needed for the day. But strangely this boy refused alms given by the queen of the land and took alms from other women. The king and the queen of the land were staunch Shiva devotees but did not have any children.

The queen and the king discussed this strange incident and the next day, the queen again offered rice to the young boy. But the boy did not accept it. The king came and asked why he was not taking the rice from the queen. The boy said that the king and queen did not have children and it would not be wise to take alms from a couple who is unlucky. The king got angry and said only Lord Shiva can decide who should be lucky and unlucky. The king who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva soon realized that the boy was Shiva in disguise. He then prayed to forgive his arrogance and asked to be blessed with a child. Shiva blessed the couple but said their child will only live for sixteen years.

A boy, Chandrasekhar, was born to the couple and soon time passed by and the boy became a teenager. The king and the queen remembered the words of Shiva and decided to send young Chandrasekhar, who was fifteen, to Kashi. It is believed that those who die at Kashi will never be born again. Young Chandrasekhar was informed about his fate and without any other option he followed his uncle to Kashi. On the way, the young boy saw several new things. In a garden, they met a lovely princess. The boy and the uncle heard the princess discussing the glory of Mangala Gowri Puja. It was the Shravan month and the girls were performing the Mangala Gowri Vratha. The princess was saying that whoever she marries will live a long life because she performs the Mangala Gowri Puja with pure heart and devotion.

The boy and the uncle moved forward and they met a prince who was sick. He explained to them that he was to marry the princess of the kingdom tomorrow but he was ashamed to go in front of people as he has fallen sick. The prince asked Chandrasekhar to help him out by appearing in the marriage function. Chandrasekhar agreed. Young Chandrasekhar appeared as the groom and the first day of the marriage function passed away smoothly. That night Chandrasekhar was to turn sixteen. He explained about his fate and about the real prince to the princess and decided to leave next morning to Kashi.

But that night the princess saw a snake approaching Chandrasekhar; she grabbed a handful of unbroken grains used to perform Mangala Gowri Puja and threw it on the snake. The snake fell dead. She took the snake and hid it in the Kalash used to perform the Mangala Gowri Puja. Chandrasekhar left the next morning and he left his wedding ring there. The other prince took the place for the day’s wedding ceremony but the princess was not ready to marry him. She said firmly that Chandrasekhar was her husband and she will only sit next to him.

Chandrasekhar reached Kashi and a year passed. He did not die. The strength and devotion with which the young princess performed the Mangala Gowri Puja saved him. While returning back to his kingdom, Chandrasekhar again reached the same spot. He longed to see the young princess even though he believed that she was happily married to the prince.

Chandrasekhar heard that the princess was in the habit of feeding all the people who passed by her kingdom. He went and sat among the people who was partaking the food offered by the princess. Soon the princess appeared. She was closely examining all the people who were eating. She has been doing this from the day Chandrasekhar left; she was sure that one day he will pass by her kingdom.

In no time, the young princess recognized Chandrasekhar. She showed him the wedding ring. The young Chandrasekhar could not control his tears. He said he did not die. The princess said she knew it and explained what happened on the night when he turned sixteen.

Soon they got married and lived happily there after.

Also Read How to Observe Mangala Gowri Puja?

The story of Bheemana Amavasya – Bhagirati Nadi Hogi

Bheemana Amavasya Vrathaa is observed in Karnataka on the Amavasya (new moon day) in Ashada month is based on an unparalleled devotion of a young girl for Lord Shiva and Parvati. Women and girls conduct special puja on the day for a happy and prosperous life and for the wellbeing of brothers and husbands. The popular story, or Katha, associated Jyothi Bhimeshwara puja is known as Bhagirati Nadi Hogi.

Legend has it that once a Brahmin couple decided to travel to Kashi to pray to Lord Shiva. But they had a daughter, a young girl, and the couple was not ready to take her with them as they did not want to risk her life. The journey was long and they were not sure whether they will make it safely.

So the Brahmin couple decided to leave the young girl with their elder son. The elder son was married and they left the daughter with him and said that if they did not return he should get her married.

The parents did not return after a year and the brother and his wife was worried that they would have to marry her off. He did not want to spend money on her and instead he had an eye on the property and money that the father had left for this daughter.

The brother one day happened to hear a strange announcement made by the King of the region - "the son of the King died yesterday and he would like to have him married before he is taken to pyre." No one was ready to take the offer but the greedy brother did. He and his wife dressed up the young girl and took her to the King and got her married to the dead prince in exchange of gold.

After the marriage ceremony, the king, the soldiers and the young bride carried the corpse to Bhagirathi River to burn it. But suddenly there was a heavy rain and all the people except the young bride left. The King asked her to come with him as she is now a princess but she did not go with him. Instead, she decided to stay with the dead prince. Looking at the dead body of the prince she thought this would not have happened had her parents were here.

The night passed and next day was Ashada Amavasya and the puja day. She remembered her parents observing the Vrata. She took bath and dug up clay from the riverbank and made two lamps. She made wick from fiber of a fallen tree and did the rituals as her parents used to do. She also made mud balls instead of the kadubus.

While she was performing the puja, a young couple appeared there and asked her what she was doing with the corpse and what was this puja for. She explained her fate and said she was now alone and there was no one to break her Bhandara or mud balls. The young man agreed to break it. He smashed the balls and blessed her – Dheerga Sumangali Bhava (Have a long and happy married life). The young girl smiled and said how can that be, my husband lies there dead.

The couple looked at the dead prince and asked her why she has not woken him up. Go and wake him up. Hesitantly she shook the prince and he opened his eyes. She could not believe her eyes. Soon she realized who the couple were but when she looked up they were gone.

She prayed to the divine couple – Shiva and Parvati – and narrated to the prince all that happened.

When the king and the courtiers returned to burn the corpse, they found the young girl and prince praying to Shiva and Parvati. The word soon spread and from that day people started strictly observing Bheema Amavasya in Ashada month with the kalikamba lamps – lamps made from mud.

Read Also: How to Perform Bheemana Amavasya Vratha?