Bheemana Amavasya, also known as Bhima Amavasi and is an important Hindu ritual performed by women in Karnataka. Bheemana Amavasi Vrata 2018 date is August 11. Bheemana Amavasya is observed on the no moon day (Amavas) in the Kannada month of Ashada (July – August). On the day women pray for the well being of their husbands and brothers. The ritual is also known as Deepasthambha Pooja.
Jyoti Bheemeshwara Ammavasi (Bheemana Amavasi Vrata) is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Married and unmarried women and girls on Bhima Amavasai pray for the long life of their husbands, brothers and other male members in the house. A pair of lamps made using mud known as Kalikamba represents Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on the day. Special pujas are done on the auspicious day to appease the divine couple.
Thambittu Deepa or Thembittu lamp made from flour is made on the occasion and lit to cool all bad emotions like anger, frustration .
How to Perform Bheemana Amavasya Vratha
Requirements
- A pair of mud lamps representing Shiva and Parvati or picture of Shiva and Parvati or Silver lamps.
- Dough balls or Kadubus with coins hidden in them (Bhandara).
- Thembittu lamps or traditional lamps
- Turmeric roots
- Yellow thread
- Sacred thread – has 9 knots, dipped in arishina and tied to a flower (9 ಗಂಟಿನ ಗೌರಿ ದಾರ)
- Cotton
- Local flowers
- Betel leaves and Betel nuts
- bananas
- Unbroken coconut with water in it
- Fruits
- Fried things are not prepared on the day.
Preparation for the Puja
- Kadubus or dough balls with coins stuffed inside are prepared. Some people hide coins inside idili or kozhakattai. The main idea is to have the ‘bhandara’ hidden with coins.
- Make or buy a pair of lamps – it represents Shiva and Parvati and it is worshipped on the day. (Instead of kamba lamps people also use idol or image of Goddess Parvati and Shiva or a pair of silver lamp or a single lamp).
- The lamps are cleaned and decorated – with sandalwood, turmeric paste or other similar items.
- A yellow thread is used to tie turmeric root and it is tied to one of the lamps. This is Goddess Parvati.
- The lamps are placed on rice or grains in a tray and is placed facing East.
- A garland is created using cotton and is used to decorate the kamba lamps.
- A sacred turmeric thread or yellow thread is placed in front of both the lamps or tied in the center.
- Tie a yellow thread in nine places along with a flower. Keep the tied thread, betel leaves, and betel nuts in front of the lamp. It can also be arranged in a pot.
- The normal lamps in the puja room are decorated in the normal way.
- One pair of kamba lamps and the pooja accessories are used by all the women present. In some cases all participants make there own separate sets.
The Puja
- The kamba lamps are worshipped on the day. An archana with turmeric and kumkum is performed. Any shlokas dedicated to Shiva and Parvati is recited.
- Gowri Puja performed chanting the ‘Sri Gowri’ chant. You can also light the traditional lamps.
- Nivedya is offered and it includes coconut, betel leaves, betel nuts, fruits, bananas. An arati using Karpura is performed while offering the Naivedya.
- The sacred thread is tied on the right hand wrist.
The Story
The popular story, or Katha, associated Jyothi Bhimeshwara puja is known as Bhagirati Nadi Hogi. Legend has it that once a Brahmin couple decided to travel to Kashi to pray to Lord Shiva. But they had a daughter, a young girl, and the couple was not ready to take her with them as they did not want to risk her life. The journey was long and they were not sure whether they will make it safely.
So the Brahmin couple decided to leave the young girl with their elder son. The elder son was married and they left the daughter with him and said that if they did not return he should get her married. The parents did not return after a year and the brother and his wife was worried that they would have to marry her off. He did not want to spend money on her and instead he had an eye on the property and money that the father had left for this daughter.
The brother one day happened to hear a strange announcement made by the King of the region – “the son of the King died yesterday and he would like to have him married before he is taken to pyre.” No one was ready to take the offer but the greedy brother did. He and his wife dressed up the young girl and took her to the King and got her married to the dead prince in exchange of gold.
After the marriage ceremony, the king, the soldiers and the young bride carried the corpse to Bhagirathi River to burn it. But suddenly there was a heavy rain and all the people except the young bride left. The King asked her to come with him as she is now a princess but she did not go with him. Instead, she decided to stay with the dead prince. Looking at the dead body of the prince she thought this would not have happened had her parents were here.
The night passed and next day was Ashada Amavasya and the puja day. She remembered her parents observing the Vrata. She took bath and dug up clay from the riverbank and made two lamps. She made wick from fiber of a fallen tree and did the rituals as her parents used to do. She also made mud balls instead of the kadubus.
While she was performing the puja, a young couple appeared there and asked her what she was doing with the corpse and what was this puja for. She explained her fate and said she was now alone and there was no one to break her Bhandara or mud balls. The young man agreed to break it. He smashed the balls and blessed her – Dheerga Sumangali Bhava (Have a long and happy married life). The young girl smiled and said how can that be, my husband lies there dead. The couple looked at the dead prince and asked her why she has not woken him up. Go and wake him up. Hesitantly she shook the prince and he opened his eyes. She could not believe her eyes. Soon she realized who the couple were but when she looked up they were gone.
She prayed to the divine couple – Shiva and Parvati – and narrated to the prince all that happened.
When the king and the courtiers returned to burn the corpse, they found the young girl and prince praying to Shiva and Parvati. The word soon spread and from that day people started strictly observing Bheema Amavasya in Ashada month with the kalikamba lamps – lamps made from mud.
Breaking of Bhandara or Kadubus
A half-dozen or a couple of coin-stuffed kadubu is placed on a platter and male members in the family are invited. Small kids are asked to smash the kadubu. The kids keep the coin and take the blessings. Elder male members bless the females in the house. Betel leaves, sweets, fruits are distributed among female friends and relatives.
The Next Day
The lamps are placed under the tulsi plant or dissolved in water and the water is poured under a plant in the garden.
Married women observe Bheema Amavasya for nine years after marriage. If they have the lamps, it is gifted to a newly married woman or women who are performing the Bheemana Amavasya.
