| Temples & Legends Of
Maharastra |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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GANAGAPUR -DATTATREYA |
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| Apart from this
daily worship there are a number of festival occasions—utsavas. These are more than
fifteen in number. Out of these the one that takes place during the first four days of the
first fortnight of the month of Magha is the most popular, the purpose of the utsava being
the ‘punya -smarana’ of the Guru, Shri Nrisimha Sarasvati. It was on the first
day of the month that Shai Guru brought to an end his existence in this world, and it is
his death anniversary that is celebrated during the four days. The other important
festivals are the birth-days of Nrisimha Sarasvati, of Shripad Shri vallabha,
Datta-jayanti aad Nrisimha-jayanti. The first day of the new year, Chaitra pratipada is
celebrated with great enthusiasm and pomp. In addition to ashtagandh, gandh prepared from
Kasturi (musk) and keshar (saffron) is applied to the padukas. In the evening the jyotishi
tells the forecast for the year. The palanquin procession is taken out on this day. The
fourteenth day of the first half of Vaishakh is the birth anniversary of Nrisimha and the
main feature of the celebration is a feast held on the full-moon day. The first ten days
of the next month, Jyeshtha, are devoted to the worship of the River Bhima. On the
fullmoon day of Ashadh the Vyaspuja is performed. During the entire month of Shravan,
abhisheka is performed on the deity daily, the end or the samapti being celebrated with
distribution of food. |
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