Sudasha Brata: As Odisha immerse in celebration to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, know all about it

The Chaitra Navratra is celebrated across the entire country. In many places apart from Goddess Shakti, Lord Ram, and Ram Navami are also celebrated with great fervour. But it is only in Odisha that Sudasha Brata or vrata is celebrated on Chaitra Dashami to welcome and worship Goddess Lakshmi. The state has many unique practices and festivals and Sudasha Brata is one of the special ones.

What is Sudasha Brata?

It is the tenth day of the Chaitra Navratra when this festival is celebrated. A married Odia woman performs puja with full devotion to Goddess Lakshmi and prays for the overall well-being of the entire family members. The Brata is observed when on the tenth day of the Chaitra Navratra, the moon is in the waxing phase which means in Shukla Pakshya, and the day is Thursday.

Hindus believe that Goddess Lakshmi is not present where there is garbage, ugliness, dirt, and uncleanliness. Rather she loves clean homes and is always present in homes where the atmosphere is vibrant, clean, and happy. That is why Odia women clean their houses before they perform the puja. They traditionally decorate the house with the beautiful Jhoti Chita that is prepared from the paste of rice powder.

The Sudasha Brata puja is performed in the wee hours early in the morning before the sun rises. Before performing the puja, the Odia married women wear a sacred brata thread on their right arm. It is a ritual to dip the threat in haldi water before tying it on the arm with 10 knots. With every knot 10 different names of Goddess Lakshmi are chanted. This particular thread is kept till the next Sudasha Brata.

On this day during the puja, the 10 number is considered to be the most important. Everything offered to the Goddess Lakshmi should be in 10. For example, the flowers must be of 10 varieties, the lotus must be of 10 petals or the fruits must be of 10 varieties and the chenna bhog also must be of 10 types.

The puja is incomplete without the Sudasha Brata Katha and only after reading it, offering bhog, flowers, and fruits, and doing aarti the Brata is considered completed.