SUDASHA BRATA ODISHA | SUDASA BRATA KATHA

 Sudasa Brata is observed by the people of Odisha. In this brata  Goddess, Laxmi ascribed. It's an old belief that in this festival Goddess Laxmi worshiped for wealth and well fairness of  family. 

TABLE OF CONTENT
SudasHa Brata 2023 Dates
Why Sudasa Brata Celebrated
Sudasa Brata Puja Bidhi Pre-preparation Morning-Puja/Bala Bhog Thread and 10 knots Afternoon Puja / Sankudi Bhog Evening Puja
Sudasa Brata fasting and Food/Prasad
Sudasa Brata Katha
Sudasa Brata Gita PDF Download

Sudasha Brata 2023 Dates

Sudasha brata is observed during the waxing moon period (Sukla Pakhya). According to the Hindu Calendar 10th day of the waxing moon, the period falls on Thurs Day ( Guru Bara and Sukla Dasami) then it will be the Sudasha Brata. 

Each year the Sudasha Brata date and time difference. It may fall 2-5 times in a year.

Sudasha Brata 2023

• 2 March 2023

Why Sudasa Brata Celebrated

Sudasa means good Condition

Brat means thread which has 10 knots on 10 names of Goddesses Laxmi.

So in Sudasa Brata people worshiped Mata Laxmi for good wealth and health and married women tied the thread(brata) on their arms throughout their life.

Normally married women of Odisha observed this festival.

 

Sudasha Brata Puja Bidhi

The preparations for this puja starts one day before.

Pre-preparation

Like the other festivals of Odisha, this brata pre-preparation starts one day before. This means on Wednesday the house was cleaned very well.

Chita

Then ladies' draw Lotus flowers and  Goddess Laxmi's feet designs on the floor which is called Chita with rice paste. Normally this work is done before ladies go to bed so that it can dry throughout the night.

Morning-Puja/Bala Bhog

On Puja Day ladies wake up early in the morning, take a holy bath and then wear white sarees. 

Then they place the idol of Sri Mahalakshmi on a small plank at the Puja place called Puja Astan for maa Laxmi. Normally the idol of maa Laxmi is made up of brass and the seating place is also made with brass or wood. Then they decorated the puja Astan with flowers.

Normally it is believed that the white color is the favorite color of Mata  Laxmi. So all types of things used for maa Laxmi like flowers, prasad should be white in color.

They then offered Dhupa, Dipa, sandal paste, and sindur to maa Laxmi and then offered different kinds of fruits as prasad which is called Bala bhoga.

Morning puja ends here.

Afternoon Puja / Sankudi Bhog

Then they start preparations for the afternoon puja. In the afternoon puja, Manda pitha offered to Goddesses Laxmi as prasad.

Manda Pitha

Manda pitha is the main offering of this festival. It is made up of rice flour and grated coconut. 

Ladies started preparations for mana pitha. 10 Manda offered to Goddess Laxmi as prasad. After prepared manda pitha, they started preparations for afternoon puja.

In this puja, they recite the Sudasha brata folk song and tied the knot on the thread which is called brata in odia. 

Thread and 10 knots.

The scared thread which is called brata is the most important thing of this puja. Its made up of with 10 rounds of thread( Dasa khia suta) which may be white or yellow in color.

Ladies tied 10 knots on the brata by reciting the 10 names of Goddess Laxmi.

First knot – Prathama ganthi – Sri Lakshmi Narayani
Second knot – Dwithiya ganthi – Sri Kamaalini
Third knot – Trithiya ganthi – Sri Hari Raa Priya
Fourth knot – Chathurtha ganthi – Sri Padmaalaya
Fifth knot – Panchama ganthi – Sri Kamala
Sixth knot – Sashta ganthi – Sri Chanchala
Seventh knot – Sapthama ganthi – Sri Bhigneseni
Eighth knot – Ashtama ganthi – Sri Sindhura Dhulani
Ninth knot – Navama ganthi – Sri Dhurgathi Naashini
Tenth knot – Dashama ganthi – Sri Vishnu Paatharaani

After tied the knot and the folk recitation completed then they offered the prasad to the Goddess and tied the brata on the arms and take blessings of mata laxmi and the elders of the family. The after noon puja completed.

Evening Puja

In the evening puja, Chhena pana is offered as prasad to Goddesses and the puja is completed for the day.

Sudasa Brata fasting and Food/Prasad

In this brata ladies who observed this, keep fast throughout the day, only eat the 10 Mandas which offered to Goddesses Laxmi as prasad. Manda Pitha is the main offering of this festival.

Sudasha Brata Katha

There is a legend behind this brata. According to the legend, there was a Brahmin couple named Bishnu Kar and Laxmibati who lived in Avanti Nagar. They observed this Sudasa Brata. Once the Brahmin lady lost her brata when she went to the river to take a bath.

Then she went to the king and promised the king to full filled her wish. Then she begged the king to give the brata of the queen so she can start the Sudasa Brata again. Now the king has to keep his promise and give the queen's brata to the Brahmin Leady.

Then the king now lost his kingdom and lived life like a beggar. Then the story moved on. 

At last, the queen once again observed the Sudasa Brata and the king backed his kingdom and prosperity. 

Sudasa Brata Gita PDF Download