choodi puja

8/8/2019 Choodi Puja

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Choodi Puja

The GSB formula for complete womanhood!

Shraavan is the month when GSB Hindu women celebrate many festivals and offer manypoojas. Choodi Pooja is one of them.

Legend has it, that Demon Jalandhara's wife Vrinda was very beautiful and chaste. She was

also an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. To save the world from the grip of the demons, LordVishnu was awaiting an opportunity to demolish the wicked Jalandhara that would be

possible only if Vrinda loses her chastity.

When Jalandhara is away one day at the war front, Lord Vishnu is believed to appear before

Vrinda in the form of her husband and has connection with her. Vrinda loses her chastity

and as a result, Jalandhara loses his life in the battle field.

Later, Vrinda realises that it was not her husband Jalandhara but Lord Vishnu who had

connection with her, thereby snatching away her chastity along with her husband's life.Being devotee of Lord Vishnu, she has faith that Vishnu's act was aimed at the welfare of

the world. Lord Vishnu suggests her to offer Choodi Pooja to the Tulsi plant during

Shraavan month, which ascertains chastity and fortune for women. She offers the pooja

before noon and thus, Choodi Pooja came into existence!


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Women perform Choodi Pooja every Friday and Sunday of Shraavan Maasa (Month). A

newly married woman performs her first Choodi Pooja in the presence of many elderly

women, separately in her home and her parents' home.

The name Choodi resembles the Kannada word 'Soodi' or a tied bundle. The arrangement

of flowers and herbs used to make choodis also resembles the ethnic Japanese Flower

arrangement 'Ikebana'. Choodis are believed to have cooling and healing effect on theheads of the women who wear them.


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A standard Choodi requires many flowers and herbs to be collected, as mentioned here -

1. Ratnagandhi

2. Ratha Pushpa3. Gauri Pushpa

4. Kaaylya Dolo (Crow's Eye)

5. Anwaali6. Aarati Pushpa

7. Kangani Pushpa

8. Shanka Pushpa

9. Mithaai Pushpa

10. Cats Nails

11. Wild Grass (Dibrankoru)

12. Plantain yarn (Vaayu) for tying.


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Making Choodis is a work of art and the formation of flowers and herbs should look

balanced in colour and texture.


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Women personally pick the fresh flowers and herbs where they are available freely. They

carefully select the ingredients and make the Choodis and arrange them in a tray.


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Next, they prepare a prasadam(Offering) sweet, normally puffed rice(Aralu) with jaggery

and grated coconut flavoured with a hint of cardamom. Alternately, they use Beaten Rice(Avalakki) instead of puffed rice. Sometimes, Panchakajjaaya or five ingredient sweet is

prepared and offered.

The door step (Hosthilu) are decorated with chalk designs (Rangoli or Humbraa Chalk)

First, pooja is offered to Tulsi plant with a brass pedestal lamp, water drops fed to the Tulsiplant and also consumed by the one offering the pooja (Aachamana). Kaajal and Kumkumare applied to Tulsi as a symbol of womanhood, sweet is offered, followed by Soorya

Namaskaara(Sun Worship).

Then Choodi is offered to Tulsi and aarati (Flame) is shown to Tulsi.

Later, they offer pooja and Choodis to the Door step (Hosthilu). Finally, all the gods withinhome are offered similar pooja and Choodis.

The remaining Choodis are offered to elderly women by the younger ones. They all wear

the Choodi in their hair locks. In return, the elders also present a choodi to the youngerones. For the next four weeks or eight days, GSB women will be busy, going from house tohouse, offering choodis and receiving choodis!


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There is also a custom, that the wife offers the first Choodi to her husband along with a

worshipped coconut, especially when a 'Vaaina Pooja is performed. 'Vaaina' is a clean

shaven coconut with spots of Kumkum and haldi on it, believed to bring happiness and

goodwill for married women.

Superstition apart, Choodi Pooja is symbolic where a woman feels complete within her

married life. This pooja also gives scope for women to keep social contact with theirfamilies at least once a year!


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choodi puja

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