Sharjah: Women Perform Choodi Puja to Seek Divine Blessings
News & Pics: Shodhan Prasad
Daijiworld Media Network - Sharjah
Sharjah, Aug 27: The month of Shravana has begun bringing with it an atmosphere of festivity. 'Choodi' puja, which is special to married women (muttaide), is performed with utmost devotion on Fridays and Saturdays. This year Sharvana month began on August 11 and will end on September 8.
On Friday August 27 members of the Vishwakarma Seva Samiti gathered at a private residence in Sharjah to perform Choodi puja. The puja, attended by several families, started at around 10 am and went on till 2 pm with bhajans by Narayana Seva Samiti members, aarti and mangalarati followed by maha prasada, a vegetarian buffet lunch. Married women offered each other Choodi, flowers, bangles, applied haldi and kumkum on the forehead and took blessings of elders as a tradition.
About Choodi Puja
The newly-wed couple in the family celebrates their 'Prathama Choodi' (first Choodi). The families of both bride and groom participate in this traditional programme.
Specific type of grass, flowers and leaves like 'Garike Hullu', 'Anvali', 'Nerale Hoo', 'Mitai Hoo', 'Ratnagandhi', 'Ratha Hoo', 'Karavira' 'Sevantige' and 'Nerkadi' are tied up together to prepare the Choodi.
On the occasion of the Choodi puja, 'Tulsi puja' and 'Hostilu puja' are also performed. Women get dressed in a traditional way, light up the lamp in front of the 'Tusli katte' and place flowers, betel leaves and Choodi on it and also on the main entrance door to conduct the puja. Several traditional rituals are performed on this occasion. The puja is conducted before noon. Ladies offer the betel leaves to their husbands and seek blessings and gifts. Later they go to their relatives' houses and exchange the Choodi.
A mixture of puffed rice, coconut and jaggery is prepared and offered during the puja. Panchakajjaya, a sweet made of five ingredients, is also prepared by some people.
The word Choodi comes from the Kannada word ‘Soodi’ meaning a tied bundle. Flowers and herbs are arranged in a small bundle as part of the main ritual. The bundle typically comprises four to five flowers like (Ratnakanthi, Shanka Pushpa, Gauri Pushpa), Darba grass and two or three herbs.
The Tulsi puja is followed by the worship of the sun. The Choodi is offered to Tulsi and next a puja is performed at the entrance of the house followed by a puja in the puja room.