Margashirsha Manabasa Gurubara -First Pali

About Margashirsha Manabasa Gurubara -First Pali 2025

Manabasa Gurubara(ମାଣବସା ଗୁରୁବାର) – First Pali

Manabasa Gurubara is a regional festival celebrated by Odisha people and its neighbouring states like Chhattisgarh, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Basically, this festival celebrates by Odia Hindus in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. This festival is celebrated mostly by Odias.

In this festival, people worship Goddess Mahalakshmi during the harvesting of paddy and other grains. Some people also said that it is a fast for Vaibhav Lakshmi. Devotees believe that the Goddess herself comes to every house to remove pain and sorrow. This Vrat comes on every Thursday of Margashirsha month. The Puja starts on the first Thursday of the month and ends on the last Thursday of the Margashirsha month.

Ingredients ofr Gurubara Manabasa Vrat Puja

In our Sanatan Dharma, Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. She bestows all types of wealth and property to the devotees. She blessed the devotees with prosperity and wealth as well as provides a happy long life.

It is widely believed that Goddess Lakshmi is resides and pleased where there is cleanliness and calm environment. She worships on the first Thursday of the month. People arranged all kinds of Puja material like white paddy, whole urad, Sugarcane Piece, Raw Amla, Mustard Flowers, Radish, Kantei Koli (a type of berries), Mango Leaves, and ingredients to make Naivedyas at their homes. But in the rituals it is mentioned people can do offer homemade Prasad only to Goddess Lakshmi at the place of worship. Before starting Laxmi Puja, people clean their house, place of worship thoroughly.

Women mostly worship this Puja in their house only. They make Jhoti Pyre, Rangoli on the floor and place of worship.

The rule is, this puja can be done only at home. In other pujas, women worship together. But Manabasa Lakshmi Puja has to be done alone at home. Outsiders are not allowed in this puja. Women will not go to any other house during the puja going on. Everyone worships in their respective homes.

Gurubara Manabasa Puja Process

Before the puja begins, the women of the house wake up early in the morning and after taking a bath, wear clean clothes. After that, keep a chowki called “Mana Khatuli” made in the wood. Keep a red cloth on that.

Then bathe the Mata Lakshmi idol and take a bowl called Mana. Fill the Khatuli in paddy after that keep mana on that, again fill with paddy.

Then keep Goddess Lakshmi’s idols on the Mana and cover with a red color chuniri.

Then, instal Kalash in left side of Lakshmi. After that offer water Gandhyukta Jalam (a water mixed with Kumkum, Chandan, Guggul, Rose water, perfume) to the Lakshmi for Asana and Padasana.

Then offer clean water called “Shudh Jalam” to the goddess.

After that offer Vastram and Shringar samagri such as Kumkum, kajal, scented red flowers, Sindoor, Chandan paste, Haridra to the Maha Devi.

Then offer Sugarcane piece, a small branch of Amla leaves, raw amla, mustard flowers etc.

Then Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped with incense stick, ghee lamp, fragrance, flowers, and other rituals.

In this puja, only home-made Naivedya is offered to Maa Lakshmi.

After this, "Lakshmi Purana" is read. This Purana is recited on every Thursday of Margashirsha month.

Then according to the ritual, during the day or at lunch time, some special prasad is made in the house like Manda Pitha, Kaakara, Chitau, chakuli, Vada, Saag, Dahi Pakahala, khichdi or kanika etc. which is dear to Goddess Lakshmi.

Before evening, worship Mahadevi by offering incense, lamp, fragrant flowers and naivedya to Goddess Lakshmi.

Then it’s the time, mata’s chowki is lifted and placed at the place of worship in your house.

In Lakshmi Purana, it is mentioned everything what should be done during the Manabasa in all palis. on the first Thursday, what should be done on the second Thursday, what should be done on the third and last Thursday, along with the method of worship, such worship has been explained in detail.

This is a traditional worship. It is said that to get the blessings and prosperity of Goddess Lakshmi, it is mandatory to perform this worship in every house in Odisha.

The Story of Manabasa Gurubara Fast

According to Odia mythology, one day Goddess Lakshmi came to visit the houses of her devotees on Thursday of Margashirsha month. There was a low caste woman named "Shreya" who belonged to the Chandal caste but she was a great devotee of Goddess Lakshmi. She used to worship Goddess Lakshmi with great devotion and love. Seeing her faith and devotion, Mother Lakshmi stayed at her house for some time.

After a few days she returned to her home Jagannath temple. Jagannath's elder brother Balarama asked where she was coming from. Lakshmi told, that I am coming from the house of Shreya Chandalini, then Balarama got very angry and said that you have come to the Sri Mandir from the house of a Chandal?

You desecrated the Sri Mandir, then Balaram told Jagannatha to get out of this temple. Hearing this, Lakshmi felt very sad and also got angry, she said that there is no need for me to go am going from here.

Lakshmi got angry and wanted to take revenge for this. Because everyone knows that where there is Lakshmi, everything is good and auspicious, where there is no Lakshmi, there is nothing auspicious and good. As soon as Lakshmi left, after some days, there was a shortage of food seen in the temple, the laborers and priests working in the temple stopped going to the temple, then Jagannath and Balarama who is known as Balabhadra. Both of them tried to cook food themselves.

But Lakshmi convinced Agni Dev that he cannot appear. Then these two brothers became worried about cooking food and they were very hungry after all. Then they went out and started asking for something to eat, but no one gave them food, nor water to drink. They kept wandering for many days. They did not find anything anywhere. Jagannath knew that nothing can happen without Lakshmi, and he also knew about the anger of the elder brother. When both the brothers kept wandering hungry and thirsty for many days. Then Jagannath said to Balabhadra, brother listen to me, let's bring Lakshmi back to the Sri Mandir, otherwise our situation will remain the same. We cannot do anything without Lakshmi. Then Jagannath and Balabhadra together brought Lakshmi and Mata Lakshmi came back to live in the Sri Mandir. As soon as Lakshmi came, there was prosperity and happiness returned in the Sri Mandir. It seemed as if the dried plant had come alive again.

From this story we learn that whatever God has created, all are equal, no one is high or low by caste. We don’t have any caste, we have only a caste that is we are human being. Devotion and love towards God is everything, there is no caste or creed.

So, this is all about Manabasa Gurubara for First Pali. Again, we will discuss Manbasa, the second Thursday of Margashirsha month.