Festivals of India – Bhai Dooj in Bihar, Bajri Puja
Bhai Dooj is one of the most celebrated Indian festivals. It is a traditional Hindu festival observed by Indians worldwide. The festival, practiced by a sister for the well being and long life of her brother(s), celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister. This post is on a version of Bhai Dooj, the Bajri Puja of Bihar.
Origin of Bhai Dooj
Here is a bit about the history of the festival Bhai Dooj. It is believed that after killing demon Narakasura (which is celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi), Bhagwan Krishna visited his sister Subhadra. She welcomed him by applying a tilak on his forehead. Since then, the day is celebrated as Bhai Dooj. This is an incident from Krishna Avatar (one of the ten avatars of Bhagwan Vishnu), that is estimated to have taken place during Dwapara Yuga, 5000 years back.
In 5000 years so many things have changed, that include rituals and beliefs of people. The festival is celebrated in different parts of India in different ways, but the main purpose being to pray for the success and long life of brother(s).
Bajri Puja of Bihar
Puja Samigri – Items required for Godhan Puja
Bhai Dooj different Versions
North Indian states like Utar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, celebrate Bhai Dooj. Bihar celebrates Bhai Dooj as Bajri Puja or Godhan Puja. As a Bengali, I celebrate this festival as Bhai Phota. Odia people of Orissa celebrate Bhai Jiuntia.
Bajri Puja of Bihar
I had the good fortune of witnessing the Bajri Puja by a friend of mine, Sinjani Sinha. She is a lucky sister of three brothers. She choked up with emotions as she reminiscenced her childhood days when her mother would make her do the puja for her brothers.
The name Bajri is a derivation of the word bajra – which means thunder. So in essence this Bajri Puja means powerful puja, powerful like the thunder, or a puja with thunderous effects. Another reason attributed to the name of the festival is that the sisters feed Bajra, pearl millet, to their brothers. It is believed and also a proven fact that pearl millets are very nutritious.
Why Bajri Puja is Unique?
Bajri Puja is very unique, and has some shocking rituals
- The idols, the centre of worship, here are Bhagwan Yamraj (God of death) and his sister Goddess Yami (River Yamuna).
- Some devotees include sculptures of snakes and scorpions too.
- Sisters utter curses of early death on their brothers. The popular belief is that such curses remove the fear of death from their brothers’ minds.
- Women then, in an act of remorse, poke their tongue with thorns of Rengni Plant. They pray for forgiveness from Yama Dev and beg for long lives for the brothers.
- In the end the sister crushes all the sculptures with a pestle. This act is called ‘Godhan Kutai‘. Hence the festival is also called Godhan Puja.
- During Godhan Kutai, the sister is asked who she is crushing, and she answers ‘I am crushing my brothers’ enemies‘.
- Most important – men cannot witness these rituals.
In fact the puja is done in a reverse manner. First she wishes ill luck and then to remedy it she prays for good luck and deergh aayu. After the prayers are over Tilak is applied on the forehead and the protection thread is tied on the brother’s wrist. Sisters feed their brothers with the offerings made during the prayers. It usually consists of bajra and coconut.
Traditional Godhan Puja
In earlier days, when life was much simpler and people lived together as communities, fasting women would gather in one place during the early hours of the auspicious day with plates decorated with essential items for the ceremony. They make the sculptures with clay and place them all within a small enclosure made with cow dung. It is called Chakor Chandoba. Women then sit around this area and read out Holy Scriptures, legends of the festival and sing the associated folk songs.
Women make garlands of cotton, dab them with haldi and kumkum, during this Godhan Puja. The associated belief is – longer the garlands the longer the brothers live.
Bajri Puja – Godhan Kutai crushing enemies
Bajri Puja celebrated in Cities
Modernization and city life has further modified this Bajri Puja. In flats of apartment complexes, the chances of sourcing clay and fresh cow dung is nil. So a diya, eco friendly lamp made of clay, is used to represent the sculptures. This diya is crushed to pieces at the end of the rituals.
Rengini Kaanta is difficult to find, instead a wooden fork is used to poke the tongue. It is difficult to find friends from the same community, so a friend is called over, like I witnessed this puja. Folk songs are played on mobile.
In spite of all these shortcomings and adjustments, the spirit and the devotion remains the same. At the end of the day this is what matters!
When is Bajri Puja celebrated in Bihar?
According to lunar calendar this festival is celebrated in the Kartik month, the second night after Diwali (Kali Pujo for Bengalis). This year, in 2022, the time period spanned the dates 26th and 27th October.
What is Rengini Kaanta?
Rengini Kaanta
It is the thorn of the Yellow-fruit Nightshade plant. The other names are: Solanum virginianum, also called Surattense nightshade, yellow-fruit nightshade, yellow-berried nightshade, Indian nightshade, Thai green eggplant.
Conclusion
My sincere thanks to Sinjani Sinha, a yoga instructor, who allowed me to observe her prayer rituals, take pictures and allow me to blog on this unique festival Bagri Puja of Bihar.
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