By: Rajanikanth Shenoy, Kudpi
Pics: Prakash Kamath Kanthavar

Mangalore August 18, 2007: Shraavan is the month when GSB Hindu women celebrate many festivals and offer many poojas. Choodi Pooja is one of them.

Legend has it, that Demon Jalandhara's wife Vrinda was very beautiful and chaste. She was also an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. To save the world from the grip of the demons, Lord Vishnu was awaiting an opportunity to demolish the wicked Jalandhara that would be possible only if Vrinda loses her chastity.

When Jalandhara is away one day at the war front, Lord Vishnu is believed to appear before Vrinda in the form of her husband and has connection with her. Vrinda loses her chastity and as a result, Jalandhara loses his life in the battle field.

Later, Vrinda realises that it was not her husband Jalandhara but Lord Vishnu who had connection with her, thereby snatching away her chastity along with her husband's life. Being devotee of Lord Vishnu, she has faith that Vishnu's act was aimed at the welfare of the world. Lord Vishnu suggests her to offer Choodi Pooja to the Tulsi plant during Shraavan month, which ascertains chastity and fortune for women. She offers the pooja before noon and thus, Choodi Pooja came into existence!

Women perform Choodi Pooja every Friday and Sunday of Shraavan Maasa (Month). A newly married woman performs her first Choodi Pooja in the presence of many elderly women, separately in her home and her parents' home.

The name Choodi resembles the Kannada word 'Soodi' or a tied bundle. The arrangement of flowers and herbs used to make choodis also resembles the ethnic Japanese Flower arrangement 'Ikebana'. Choodis are believed to have cooling and healing effect on the heads of the women who wear them.

A standard Choodi requires many flowers and herbs to be collected, as mentioned here -

1. Ratnagandhi
2. Ratha Pushpa
3. Gauri Pushpa
4. Kaaylya Dolo (Crow's Eye)
5. Anwaali
6. Aarati Pushpa
7. Kangani Pushpa
8. Shanka Pushpa
9. Mithaai Pushpa
10. Cat’s Nails
11. Wild Grass (Dibrankoru)
12. Plantain yarn (Vaayu) for tying.

Making Choodis is a work of art and the formation of flowers and herbs should look balanced in colour and texture.

Women personally pick the fresh flowers and herbs where they are available freely. They carefully select the ingredients and make the Choodis and arrange them in a tray.

Next, they prepare a prasadam(Offering) sweet, normally puffed rice(Aralu)  with jaggery and grated coconut flavoured with a hint of cardamom. Alternately, they use Beaten Rice (Avalakki) instead of puffed rice. Sometimes, Panchakajjaaya or five ingredient sweet is prepared and offered.

The door step (Hosthilu) are decorated with chalk designs (Rangoli or Humbraa Chalk)

First, pooja is offered to Tulsi plant with a brass pedestal lamp, water drops fed to the Tulsi plant and also consumed by the one offering the pooja (Aachamana). Kaajal and Kumkum are applied to Tulsi as a symbol of womanhood, sweet is offered, followed by Soorya Namaskaara(Sun Worship).

Then Choodi is offered to Tulsi and aarati (Flame) is shown to Tulsi.

Later, they offer pooja and Choodis to the Door step (Hosthilu). Finally, all the gods within home are offered similar pooja and Choodis.

The remaining Choodis are offered to elderly women by the younger ones. They all wear the Choodi in their hair locks. In return, the elders also present a choodi to the younger ones. For the next four weeks or eight days, GSB women will be busy, going from house to house, offering choodis and receiving choodis!

There is also a custom, that the wife offers the first Choodi to her husband along with a worshipped coconut, especially when a 'Vaaina Pooja is performed. 'Vaaina' is a clean shaven coconut with spots of Kumkum and haldi on it, believed to bring happiness and goodwill for married women.

Superstition apart, Choodi Pooja is symbolic where a woman feels complete within her married life. This pooja also gives scope for women to keep social contact with their families at least once a year!