WHEN: Bhadrapad/Bhadon (August/September)

The puja of Dubdi Saate is performed on the seventh day of the Shukla Paksh in the month of Bhadon. This is done to overcome the ill effects of any unseen disaster and for peace in the house.

On this day, only food cooked a day prior (basi food) should be eaten.

HOW: Preparation for the puja

• Photo of Dubdi Saate
• Red soil
• Pata/low wooden stool
• Milk, water, roli, chawal, flowers, dakshina
• Kalash of water
• A tender thorn from the shrub of baer (berry)
• Moth and baajra soaked over night
• Moi: This is made by mixing, baajra flour with sugar and ghee
• Food cooked a day prior
• For Baayna a katori with soaked moth, baajra and some money for offering
• If you have married daughter or sister residing in the same city, Baayna is sent to her house the previous day

Method of performing puja

• On a wooden pata the image of Dubdi Saate is drawn with mud. Nowadays people perform puja to the printed picture of Dubdi Saate also.
• Puja is performed by offering water, milk, moi, moth, baajra, flowers, roli and mauli. Then the person performing the puja applies a tikka on her forehead.
• A tender thorn from the shrub of baer is coated with moi and made into a small ball and swallowed.
• In a small bowl keep soaked baajra, moth and money and take out Baayna. Sprinkle roli 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 can be sent to the temple.
• The katha of Dubdi Saate is read. While listerning/reading the katha a few grains of moth and baajra should be kept in the hand. Later they should be put in water in the kalash.
• Then the katha of Bindaayakji (Lord Ganesh) is read.

Udyaapan: 

• In the first year of the marriage, the girl performs the Udyaapan of Dubdi Saate.
• The puja should be performed as above.
• However, the Baayna offered to the mother-in-law should consist of some soaked grains of moth and baajra placed in 13 small portions in a thaali with a saree blouse and some money placed over this. This should be given to the mother-in-law after touching her feet.

Katha of Dubdi Saate

There was a Sahukaar who had seven sons. As soon as the six sons got married they, along with their wives died. Hence with great apprehension, the Sahukaar prepared for the marriage of his seventh son. One of the sisters of the Sahukaar, while coming to attend the wedding, met a potter on the way to her brother’s house. During the course of their conversation, the potter told her that her nephew could be saved from certain death if she performed the Dubdi Saate puja, ate food that had been cooked a day in advance, and did the opposite of all the wedding rituals to be performed. Also, he advised her to be ready with milk and a trap to catch the snake at the time of the wedding ceremony.

The sister reached her brother’s house where preparations for the wedding were in full swing. As soon as she entered the house, she started cursing. Everyone felt highly offended but no one reacted. When the groom’s baaraat (wedding procession) prepared to leave for the bride’s house, she forced the wedding party to exit from the back door. Just then, the front door fell down. Everyone was filled with relief, but despite their disuassion, she was bent on joining the baaraat. After some distance, when the party stopped to rest, the aunt insisted that they rest directly under the rays of the sun instead of the banyan tree close by. Just then the banyan tree fell. Everyone praised her foresight.

The aunt was adamant that the baarat should enter from the back door instead of the front door. Just then, the front door fell down. When it was time for the bride and the groom to sit next to the holy fire, the aunt too sat down with an earthen pot full of milk and a trap. Halfway through the ceremony, a snake appeared. It was about to bite the groom when the aunt placed a pot of milk before it. The snake started drinking the milk instead and the aunt trapped it. A female snake appeared on the scene and begged her to set the male snake free. The aunt agreed to this on the condition that the female snake bring back to life six sons of the Sahukaar with their wives. The female snake did as she was asked to do and left with her mate.

The Sahukaar was extremely happy to be reunited with his sons and their wives. The youngest son got married with great rejoicing. When the family came back to the Sahukaar‘s house, they performed Dubdi Saate puja and followed all the rituals.

Dubdi Saate Mata, as you gave joy and happiness to the Sahukaar and his family, so also give happiness to the narrator of the katha, the listeners of the katha and the followers of the katha along with their families.

Bindaayakji /Ganeshji ki Katha is read after one reads the festival katha. A few grains of moth are kept in the hand while listening to the katha. After completion of the katha, they 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 used to worship Ganeshji everyday and everytime Ganeshji would encourage her to seek a boon. Everyday 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 advised her to ask for lots of 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. 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 the katha, the listeners of the katha and the followers of the katha along with their families.

Bindaayakji (Shri Ganesh) ki Katha (2)

A young boy had a fight with his family and left his home saying he will return only after meeting Ganeshji. As the boy reached a dense forest, Ganeshji thought to himself that the boy has left home taking 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 as to 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 for one 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 the katha, the listeners of the katha and the followers of the katha along with their families.

Bindaayakji (Shri Ganesh) ki Katha (3)

Bindaayakji, in the guise of a man, went around with a few grains of rice and a spoonful of milk requesting one and all to make kheer for him. Everyone laughed at him and said it was not possible to make kheer with such little quantity. Finally one old woman agreed to make the kheer. She got a very small vessel to cook. 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 got tempted to eat the kheer. She took out a bowlfull of kheer, 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 lots of wealth that would last her for her seven generations.

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