Devi/ Goddess Annapurna- Veneration of the deity of food and nourishment

Festival of Worshiping the Goddess Annapurna- Ultimate G iver of food and nourishment The festival of worshiping goddess Annapurna o...

Festival of Worshiping the Goddess Annapurna- Ultimate Giver of food and nourishment

The festival of worshiping goddess Annapurna occurred on 27th March this year in my house. It’s a blessing to be able to worshipped Annapurna. In Sanskrit Annapurna means the giver of food and nourishment. She is the Hindu goddess of nourishment. Anna means "food" or "grains". Purna means "full, complete and perfect". She is an avatar (form) of Parvati, the wife of Shiva.

Annapurna is the goddess in hindu mythology who is full, complete and perfect with food and grains, who gives nourishment, who is the strength of Shiva, who is the grantor of knowledge, who takes away all fear, who is the Supreme welfare, who manifests truth and efficiency, who is beyond Maya, who is the cause of creation and dissolution, who is adi sakthi (ultimate power)

Physically, Annapurna is described as holding a golden ladle adorned with various kinds of jewels in her right hand and a vessel full of delicious porridge in her left. She is seated on a throne. In some depictions, Lord Shiva is shown standing to her right with a begging bowl, begging her for alms. It is said that she does not eat a morsel unless all her devotees have been fed in her temple.

Worship began on before that very day with when we have brought mother’s idol to our home with heart full of love and ears full of note of music. Mother was in pure red Banarasi sari and with gold ornaments looked stunning and spectacular. When we human are worn ornaments it makes us look beautiful but in this case it was just opposite. It seems ornaments were looked beautiful because goddess/mother wore them.

From very early morning of 27.03.2015, the puja began with chanting of mantras and blow of conch shell (Shankh) and noise of drum beating. All puja arrangements were gathered in front of mother’s idol like fruits, flowers, accessories, Clothes others. The atmosphere was full with the divine smoke of thurible and incense’s aromatic smell. It seemed that there is no hazard, no stress in life, the only thing prevailed in this world was divine peace and tranquility.  I am running out of word to describe that celestial and heavenly ambiance. The Puja was followed by oblation of fire at the afternoon and waving of 108 lights in the evening.

All our relatives, friends, neighbors were invited in our house. They started coming from the morning of the day. They all brought garlands, sweets, and clothes, fruits along with their love and devotion to offer their puja to the goddess. A small pandal was made in our adjacent area to prepare the cooked food which was offered to Devi Annapurna in her worship period. Three different types of food were prepared to offer to mother in 3 parts of the day, Morning, Afternoon and evening. Whole day, our house was floated with people and their love and devotion. All the people who came to participate in our puja had their launch or dinner or both in our house. Whole was passed like twinkle of our eyes.

Day after 27^th we gave immerses of mother’s idol but our heart and the mind could not accept the truth. Thus, coming back home was something that the brain opposed, and all ignored part of the Puja celebration somewhere were realm our heart. This way Mata/mother Annapurna take place with as much solemnity in our heart and show that all is in one’s hand- it her.

I finish my writing with chanting the mantras of mata Annapurna for all my friends-

“Om Annapurne sadaa purne,

Sankara praana vallabhe, Gyaan vairagya sidhyartham, Bikshaam dehee ch parvati.

Mathaa ch Parvati Devi, Pitaa devo Maheshwara, Bandhawa Shiva Bhakatas ch, Swadesho Bhuvana Trayam.”

Translation-

Oh Annapurna, who is forever complete and beloved energy of Lord Shiva. Oh Parvati give me the alms of Your grace to, awaken within me spiritual knowledge, attain freedom from all worldly desires and attain spiritual goal of my life.

My mother is Goddess Parvati, my father is the Supreme Lord Maheshwara (Shiva). My relatives are the devotees of Lord Shiva, and the three worlds are my Motherland.