Gaura Parva: Festival Of Wedding of Goddess Gaura with Lord Maheswore

Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

The festival of Gaura Parva is actually the ceremonies of the wedding of Goddess Gaura and Lord Maheswore. Gauri is one of the many manifestations of Goddess Parvati, and Lord Maheswore is one of many incarnations of Lord Shiva. Thus, Gaura Parva is the celebration of the divine wedding. Gaura Parva is also known by other names such as Gauri, Gaura and Gamara. People believe that the original name of this festival was Gauri. Later on, the name Gauri has evolved first to Gaura, and then to Gamara and finally to Gora. People in general pronounce the name of Maheswore also as Mayesir. They have many holy shrines dedicated to Lord Maheswore and Goddess Parvati under different names in the mid and far western regions of Nepal.

In the mid and far western regions of Nepal and adjoining areas of India, people celebrate this festival for six days beginning on the fifth day and ending on the tenth day of the bright fortnight or dark fortnight in Bhadra (August-September) in the Vikram calendar depending on the position of planets at that time. Gaura Parva falling in the bright fortnight is called “Dholi Gora” or “Ujayai Gora” means light Gaura. Gaura Parva falling in the dark fortnight is called “Anari Gaura” or “Kali Gauri” means dark Gaura. Women taking the Gaura fast for the first time begin with the light Gaura.

Mostly women perform offerings to Goddess Gauri and God Maheswore on the occasion of the Gaura Parva. Men assist women in putting together all items of offerings, and in performing worship to these deities. Men participate in dancing, singing and merrymaking on equal footing with women. Women take the fast believing that the deities will bless them with children and happy lives.

Men and women spend most of the time during this festival singing rhythmically while performing various religious rituals. So, this festival is also known as the “loli gora” means ‘lyric gora’. Men and women describe the life of Gauri and Maheswore in the songs reflecting the difficult rural lives of women in these regions. They also describe the heroic deeds of main characters mentioned in two Hindu epics: Ramayan and Mahabharat. Recently, young men and women have begun singing amorous songs and ‘dohari’ songs on this occasion. However, parents and guardians are not favoring such songs despite the fact that the young people do not indulge in the corrupt activities. So, youngsters often stay away from their parents and guardians to sing such songs during this occasion.

Singers portray the lives of Gauri and Maheswore in the songs of the Gaura Parva as follow: Maheswore was born in a cowherd family, and Gauri was born in a rich family. However, both of them tend cows daily. When they have come of age, while tending cows one day the cowherd man noticed a beautiful woman also tending cows on another side of a river. The man and the woman started tending cows together in the forest, and have lovely days together. So, finally the poor man proposed the daughter of the rich family for marriage. The woman alone would not decide such a vital matter of life. So she asked him to go to her parents and ask them for her hands.

So, one day in the guise of a Hindu ascetic, the man went to the house of the woman’s parents and begged for alms. The mother brought the alms comprising various valuable items to please the ascetic but the ascetic refused to accept the alms rather asked for the hands of her daughter. The mother in anger spoke harshly to the beggar and told him to go away saying she would give her daughter in marriage to the Sun God or Moon God only not to any untidy ascetic.

Then, the man changed back to Lord Maheswore and the woman to Goddess Gauri. The parents were amazed very much and prostrated at the feet of those two divinities and apologized to Lord Maheswore for saying so harshly not knowing the ascetic was really a Lord Maheswore.

In addition, the popular songs describe the life of Gauri in a human form similar to the current lives of women in these regions. One day she visited her parents. Her senior brother and his spouse ignored her, as she was poor but her younger brother and his spouse treated her very well. She blessed the younger brother and his spouse with enough food and children. Seeing the richness of his brother, the senior brother and his spouse apologized to her for the bad treatment they made to her during her visit to them. Thus, the festival songs describe the rural life in the names of divinities.

On the fifth day of the bright fortnight in Bhadra, fasting women perform the ceremony of soaking five different cereals mixed together called ‘birudou’ in water. Early in the morning, women take a purification bath, and then, they wear clean and fresh clothes. Thereafter, they go to the house where they have set up the Chief Gauri called “Budhi Gora”. There, they perform the main ceremony of soaking ‘birudou’ in water following the tune of religious music and songs. Men, women and children participate in the singing. After completing the ceremony of soaking ‘birudou’ in water in the house of the Chief Gora, they move on to another house to repeat the same ceremony. Thus, they go one house after another to perform the soaking of ‘birudou’ in water at all houses of the area.

On the sixth day, fasting women perform the rituals of washing of ‘birudou’. First, they take the purification bath actually a dip in water, and then wear fresh clothes and then they gather at the house where they have set up the Chief Gora. They collect the pot containing ‘birudou’ from the house of the Chief Gora, and someone carries it on her head. Then, they go to the next house and collect a pot with ‘birudou’ and another woman carries it on her head, thus, the women visit all the houses where they have set up ‘birudou’.

Then all women carrying ‘birudou’ on their heads go to the nearest water source to perform the rituals of washing ‘birudou’. After completing the ceremony of washing ‘birudou’, they come back with ‘birudou’ on their heads. On the way singing and dancing, they visit one house after another for returning ‘birudou’. A musical band accompanies them.

This ceremony of taking ‘birudou’ to the water source at the distance of about three kilometers and washing ‘birudou’ there and returning ‘birudou’ to each house take them about five hours. Some women sign the songs depicting the lives of Gauri and Maheswore.

On the seventh day, they make offerings to Goddess Gauri and God Maheswore in the house of “Budhi Gora”.  Before performing the worship to the divine couple, early in the morning they go to the rice field and collect the plants called ‘sau’, and they make idols of Gauri from the plants and leave them nearby village. This idol is called “Gamara”.

Thereafter, they go with a musical band to collect “Gamara”. They fetch all “Gamara” and leave one “Gamara” to each house of all women moving from one house to another. Then, they take the main ‘Gamara” to “Budhi Gaura”. All women taking the fast bring their ‘birudou’ soaked in water to “Budhi Gaura”. Here, the priest makes an idol of Lord Maheswore and performs worship to Goddess Gauri and God Maheswore. Women offer ‘birudou’ to this divine couple.

While women devotees perform offerings to the Goddess and the God at the “Budhi Gora” house, youths sing and dance at the courtyard. This dance is called ‘Dueda”. This is a special performance done on this occasion of “Gaura Parva”. Two groups: one of men only another of women only sing songs in turn describing about love and friendship. This sort of song is called “dohari” in other parts of Nepal. “Dohari” means two ways. These two groups of men and women dance together holding hands of each other forming a circle in the rhythm of music.

In the evening of the seventh day, after the completion of offerings to the deities, women wear threads with seven knots that symbolize seven worlds. They do so in the belief that they will be liberated from seven worlds. After the completion of this ritual, they dance with the idols of Lord Maheswore on their heads. At that time, they stage various sorts of shows and dances. After such lively celebration, fun and enjoyment, accompanied by a musical band, they take “Gamara” home.

On the eighth day, women devotees perform religious rites to Goddess Gauri and God Maheswore at the house of Budhi Gora”. After the completion of worship, they distribute ‘birudou’: mixture of five different grains as the blessings from the divinities. On this day, women devotees wear threads with eighty-four knots. These threads are called ‘bubo dhago”. They believe that this will emancipate them from taking the births of eight million four hundred thousands different living beings on earth. Hindus believe taking the birth of so many lives is an arduous life cycle, so, people attempt to get liberated from such rebirths.

On the eighth day also, men, women and children enjoy the festival occasion dancing and singing. On this occasion, they perform a men-only dance called “dhamari”. Two groups of men perform this dance. All men dance holding hands of each other standing in a circle stepping forward and backward in the tune of music.

On the ninth day, devotees perform the wedding of “Gamara (Gauri)” and Lord Maheswore. On this day, women bring “Gamara” from their houses and assembly them together to a single “Budhi Gora” at the “Budhi Gora” house. A tradition has it that they set up “Budhi Gora” at two places in ‘Moodbhara’ of the Doti district. Women of one place go to collect ‘Gamara’ from every house of another and assemble them a single “Budhi Gora” there. Thus, women devotees of one place make “Budhi Gora’ of another. Thereafter, they hold wedding rituals to Goddess Gauri called “Gamara” and Lord Maheswore at their respective places. After the ceremony, people dance, sing and entertain the whole night.

On the tenth day, devotees decorate “Budhi Gora” and Maheswore, and then take them to the community courtyard for religious rituals and then to the temple to Pashupati to burn them down. They take “Budhi Gora” on a portable shrine carried by devotees on shoulder poles from the lower village to every house on the way to its last destination called ‘winokhala’. Similarly, devotees bring “Budhi Gora” from the upper village to the same courtyard called “winokhala’. They also bring Lord Maheswore along with “Budhi Gora”. Here, people from all difference places congregate to watch the swapping of Lord Maheswore of the lower village with that of the upper village. Thus, one “Budhi Gora” has Maheswore of another. Thereafter, they take the idols of “Budhi Gora” and Maheswore to every house on the way to the Pashupati temple where they burn down the idols of divinities. Thus ends the Gaura Parva. After the completion of the religious ceremonies, youths spend the whole night singing and dancing.

References:

1.    Bhuvaneswore Joshi, August 28, 1994, Kantipur: Dharmik Aastha Ra Rasaranga Ko Sangam, Gora Parva.

2.    Harihar Pandey, August 14, 1993, Gorkhapatra (supplement): Sundar Paschi-manchal Ko Chad “Gora Parva”

This year’s Gaura Parva starts on August 27, 2009.