WHEN: Jyeshtha (May/ June)

Amavasya, in the month of Jyeshtha, is called Badh Amavasya. On this day, women pray to the banyan tree for the long lives of their husbands.

WHAT: Preparation for the puja

• If there is no banyan tree in the vicinity, then a branch of the tree is either planted in a small pot or placed in a small vessel filled with water for performing the puja.
• For baayna: in a katori, keep soaked chana and some money.
• If a married sister or daughter resides in the same city, Baayna is sent to her house the previous day.
• Water in a small kalash.
• Roli, moli, chawal, jaggery, fruits, soaked chana, money for offering.
• White raw thread, dhoop, deepak, matchsticks.

HOW: Method of performing puja

• Worship a banyan tree located in your neighbourhood or its branch, either planted in a pot or placed in a small vessel.
• Puja is performed by offering water, moli, roli, rice, jaggery, soaked chana, fruits.
• Dhoop and deepak are lit and money is offered.
• Tikka is applied to one’s self.
• Tear a portion of the leaf of the banyan tree, roll it tightly, tie it with moli thread. This is then tied to the chain you are wearing.
• Moli and cotton thread entwined together are tied around the banyan tree while doing seven or eleven parikrama.
• The story of Badh Amavasya is read or listened to. While listening, a few soaked chana are taken in the hand. After completion of the tale, they are put in the kalash water.

The story of Badh Amavasya

There was a king who did not have any children. After performing several yagnas and pujas, the king was blessed with a daughter, who was named Savitri. Astrologers warned him that his daughter would become a widow after being wedded for 12 years.

Savitri married a man named Satyavan. Savitri was a devout worshipper of Parvati Mata and did Badh Amavasya puja. Savitri served her in-laws, who were blind, with love and affection. After 12 years of marriage, on Badh Amavasya day, Savitri took permission from her in-laws and accompanied her husband Satyavan to the forest to cut firewood. 

While Satyavan was chopping down a tree, a snake bit him and he died. In grief, Savitri started crying. Just then, Shivji and Parvati Mata were passing through the forest. Savitri fell at their feet and begged them to restore her husband back to life. They told her as it was Badh Amavasya that day, she should worship the Badh (banyan) tree and wear jewellery made out of Badh leaves. Savitri performed the puja with great devotion. Her jewellery made out of Badh leaves turned into pearls and diamond jewellery.

When Dharmaraj (the god of death) arrived to take Satyavan’s soul, Savitri begged him not to do so. Moved by Savitri’s pleadings, Dharmaraj told her to ask for a boon. Savitri requested him to grant her three boons – eyesight for her in-laws, a son for her parents and a hundred children for her. Dharmaraj blessed her.

As Dharmaraj was about to take Satyavan’s soul and leave, Savitri stopped him by saying, “If you take away my husband, how will I have children?” Dharmaraj said: “You were destined to be a widow but, because of your devotion towards Parvati Mata and the puja offered to Badh tree, your husband will become alive”.

Badh Mata, as you blessed Savitri with the life of her husband, so also bless the narrator of this story, its listeners and your followers, along with their families.

Bindaayakji /Ganeshji ki katha is read after this story. A few grains of rice are kept in the hand while listening to the tale. After completion of the story, rice grains are left in the water of the kalash kept for puja.

• Bindaayakji /Ganeshji ki Katha is read after one reads the festival katha. A few grains of rice are kept in the hand while listening to the story. After the story’s completion, rice grains are left in the water of the kalash kept for puja.

Bindaayakji (Shri Ganesh) ki Katha (1)

There was a blind old woman who had a son and a daughter-in-law. The old woman worshipped Ganeshji every day and every day Ganeshji encouraged her to seek a boon. Every day, she would say: “I don’t know how to ask” and Ganeshji would respond: “Take advice from your son and daughter-in-law”. 

The old woman asked her son as to what she should ask from Ganeshji. The son recommended that she ask for wealth. Not satisfied with this, she went to her daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law requested her to ask for a grandson. Still not satisfied, she went to her neighbour. 

The neighbour told her that she should request Ganeshji for good health. The old woman was still not completely satisfied. She wanted to please everyone. 

The next day Ganeshji again told her to ask for a boon. The old woman said, “I should be able to see my grandson drinking milk from a cup made of gold”. Ganeshji said, “You are a very wise woman. In one wish you have asked for everything.” Saying this, Ganeshji disappeared, and the old woman got wealth for her son, a child for her daughter-in-law and eye-sight and good health for herself.

Bindaayakji, as you have blessed the old woman, so also bless the narrator of this story, its listeners and your followers along with their families.

Bindaayakji (Shri Ganesh) ki Katha (2)

A young boy fought with his family and left home saying he would return only after meeting Ganeshji. As the boy reached a dense forest, Ganeshji thought to himself that the boy had left home in his name, so no wild animal should harm him. 

Ganeshji took the form of an old Brahmin and went to the boy. He asked the boy where he was going. The boy replied that he was going to meet Ganeshji. The Brahmin told the boy that he was Ganeshji and told him to ask a boon. The boy thought for a while and then said, “I would like to have lots of wealth and sumptuous food served to me by a girl who is as beautiful as a rose flower”. Ganeshji said, “You will get whatever you have desired”. On reaching home, to his delight, the boy found a beautiful young girl in a palatial home waiting for him with sumptuous food. The boy told his parents that he got all this wealth with the blessings of Ganeshji.

Bindaayakji, as you blessed the boy, so also bless the narrator of this story, its listeners and your followers along with their families.

Bindaayakji (Shri Ganesh) ki Katha (3)

Bindaayakji once disguised himself as a man and went around with a few grains of rice and a spoonful of milk requesting people to make kheer for him. Everyone laughed at him and said it was not possible to make kheer with such little quantity. 

Finally, an old woman agreed to make the kheer. She got a very small vessel for cooking. Bindaayakji asked her to bring a large vessel. The old woman got a big kadhai. As soon as she put the kadhai on fire and poured the spoonful of milk with rice in it, the kadhai became full. Bindaayakji told the old woman to make kheer and keep it ready till he came back.

The kheer was ready but there was no sign of Bindaayakji. The old woman was tempted to eat the kheer. She took out a bowl full of kheer and cooled it. She hid behind the door, saying, “Jai Bindaayakji” offered it as prasad to Bindaayakji and ate it. When Bindaayakji came back, the old woman offered the kheer to Him. Bindaayakji said that he had already eaten the kheer when she had offered it to him as prasad. Bindaayakji blessed the old woman with wealth that would last her for her seven generations.

Bindaayakji, as you have blessed the old woman, so also bless the narrator of this story, its listeners and your followers along with their families.

• Baayna is taken out. Sprinkle roli and chawal on the Baayna. Apply tikka to yourself. Covering your hands with saree pallu/odni rotate them over the Baayna four times. Then give it to your mother-in-law seeking her blessings.
• Baayna could also be given to your elder sister-in-law, nanad (husband’s sister) or any woman elder to you.
• If you are alone in the house, you can keep the Baayna in the puja room and later either give it to a Brahmin or it can be sent to the temple.

Udyaapan/Ujman

For Udyaapan, place a little halwa in 13 heaps in a thali. Keep a saree, a blouse piece and some money on top of it. Covering both your hands with the saree/odni, go over the thali four times. Offer it to your mother-in-law seeking her blessings.