Source::image: Nepali Sansar
The Gaura festival, which carries the original identity of the Far West, is being celebrated with great fanfare. From the hilly districts of the Far West to Kailali and Kanchanpur in the Terai, the beauty of the Gaura is now overshadowed.
Cultural experts say that since ancient times, Parvati (Gauri), the demigod of Lord Shiva, as the daughter of Himalaya and Menaka, has been worshiped as Gauradevi.
According to the tradition, married women wear twine as a sacrificial ritual, like men in this region. Women, like men, wear twine and thread as a sacrificial act and recite the Vedic mantra of Lakshmi. It is believed that worshiping Gaura, especially the husband and family members, will make them healthy and long-lived and bring happiness and prosperity to the family.
Durvashtami Day (today) is an important day for Gaura. It is also called Athewali. On this day, women take Gouradevi to the yard with sagun phag. All the women gather together and sing Athewali along with Biruda to worship Gaura. According to the occasion, a religious story is presented between Athewali and Athewali. This story is told by all women.
After that, there is a tradition of decorating the copper plate with cow dung, dubo, and barley sesame, along with Mangal Geet (Sagun, Phag). The five grains (meat, wheat, kaalu, and gurus) are brought into the copper pot along with the chanting of Sugan Phag Gayan. Biruda is considered a symbol of the goddess and is worshiped by offering sandalwood, akshata, flowers, incense, lamps, fruits, etc.
It is a tradition to keep the soaked towel on the head and sing Sagun and Phag, then take it to the water spring and wash it five times with Sagun singing. There is a tradition of making an idol of Gauradevi of Sanvadhana in a stream and then worshiping it with biruda and sandalwood, akshata, leaves, incense, lamps, fruits, etc. On the day of Saptami, the girl gathers paddy, savandhan, kurzo, etc. from the field, wraps it in a red cloth, or ghumti, makes an idol of Gaura, and brings it to the house. The gaura is placed in a pot and installed in a pure posture. Maheshwar is also established by making a yellow cloth on a wooden pirka.
Men's Deuda games start on the second day of Athewali in various temples. Dhusko, Dhumari, and vertical games based on gods and goddesses and mythological stories are presented. Gaura is a festival that carries importance from religious, social, cultural, literary, mythological, historical, and other diverse points of view.
Gaura is a special festival for women; in this festival, women worship and wear Gauri's thread. Just as men are sanctified after bratabandha, similarly, women are sanctified after gaura. It is a game played for fun on the occasion of Deuda Gaura.
Saptami and Ashtami are considered special days of Gaura. Far-westerners from India and other countries return home to celebrate the Gaura festival. In Kanchanpur's Mahendranagar, various organizations have also organized a Deuda competition on the occasion of the Gaura festival._Rss
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