2 weeks Ago By TOI Lifestyle Desk
Who is Maa Santoshi? Maa Santoshi is a respected goddess in the Hindu religion, particularly worshipped on Fridays. She is considered to be a manifestation of divine grace and the fulfiller of true and pure desires of her devotees. It is said that worshipping Maa Santoshi only started when the movie ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’ came to screen, but in reality, she was widely worshipped and looked up to even decades ago.
What her name means The name ‘Santoshi’ comes from the word ‘Santosh’ which means contentment, and the ‘Maa’ added before is a sign of respect. So, going by the name, Maa Santoshi is the Goddess of contentment and satisfaction. She is someone who makes sure that her devotees are always content, in happiness and in sickness, and have the assurance that she would never let anything evil harm them.
Her devotees believe that worshipping Maa Santoshi gives them mental peace, clarity, happiness, and satisfaction in everyday life and goals. The origin story Although much isn’t found and written about Maa Santoshi in ancient scriptures, the most popular story of how she came into being was through the movie itself. The movie showed that Lord Ganesha's sons, Shubh and Labh, wanted to have a sister on the occasion of Rakhi.
When they saw their father being tied the Rakhi, they wanted to experience the same with their sister. Lord Ganesha then conducted a ritual which resulted in the birth of Maa Santoshi, his daughter. How is she worshipped? Worshipping Maa Santoshi is simple and does not require any elaborate rituals.
It is said that Maa Santoshi only wishes for her devotees to offer regular prayers, fast, be away from material and ‘extra’ urges, and live a simple life. Devotees offer prayers to Maa Santoshi, especially on Friday, in the form of reciting her Vrat Katha. Before the puja, the usual practice is lighting a diya, doing aarti, offering prasad, and the likes.
All about ‘Shukravar vrat’ For every Maa Santoshi devotee, Friday is a special, auspicious day, and the most common thing among all her devotees is the ‘Shukravar vrat’. The fast begins at sunrise on Friday and everyone (especially women) clean their home temple, decorate the idol or image of Maa Santoshi, offer flowers to her, and light an incense to purify the space. Once the puja is done, devotees fast for the entire day, consuming only fruits (majorly bananas) and dry fruits (except pistachio and raisins).
Along with that, they only drink water or milk, nothing else. And unlike in other fasts where devotees have a full meal after evening puja, on Friday, they only eat banana, some dry fruit, milk, and the gud-chana prasad. Dont’s of Shukravar vrat While observing the Friday fast for Maa Santoshi, there are certain things that one should never do, or it can upset her energy.
The biggest thing to remember is that consuming sour foods like curd, tamarind, lemon, or pickles during the fast is a big no-no. Similarly, eating food with onion, garlic, artificial flavours, and the likes is also prohibited. Devotees also make sure to not argue, get angry, or let negativity into their minds during their fasting.
The final udyapan When a devotee starts keeping Shukravar vrat to achieve something, or with a certain intention, they need to keep a fast for 16 consecutive Fridays. After the 16 Fridays are done, they hold a ‘Udyapan’ or a final prayer to thank Maa Santoshi for her help and blessings in achieving their goal. On the day of the Udyapan, the house is cleaned thoroughly, and the puja room is decorated with flowers, lamps, and the idol of Maa Santoshi.
A prasad of gud-chana, kheer, halwa, chhole (black gram), and puri is prepared with minimal condiments. This prasad is then offered to eight children, or more, and the devotee can then stop keeping those fasts according to their wish. But, most devotees of Maa Santoshi continue keeping the fasts for all their life, abstaining from anything sour (along with other rules) on all Fridays.
(Image: All images from Jai Santoshi Mata/Facebook) Visual Stories Rashmika Mandanna dazzles in these stunning sarees! Nayanthara to Mrunal Thakur, best photos of the week Most stunning insects in the world revealed 8 essential lessons parents should teach their kids Pooja Hegde's graceful charm captivates all Malaika Arora radiates a desi princess vibe in a yellow blouse and full-length skirt Isha Talwar embraces elegance in ethnic ensembles Exploring the timeless elegance of actress Abarnathi Attractive looks of Juliana Photostories Featured In lifestyle MORE FROM E TIMES.
