It is said as one day Dhanurmasa pooja during the Brahmi muhurtha or the Punya Kaal or the Maha Punya Kaal equals 1000 years of daily pooja.
Offering of Pongal (in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh), Mudganna (called as Huggi in Karnataka) as naivedya is the most sacred offer for Lord Vishnu. Basil is one more thing that is more important and auspicious to offer to the Lord.
The 30 pasuras of Thiruppavai will be recited to wake up Lord Venkateshwara at Thirumala instead of Suprabhatham.
During this month, Ekantha Seva will be performed to the idol of Lord Krishna instead of Lord Venkateshwara.
Lord Venkateshwara will be offered daily with 1. Seera (wooden plougher), 2. Pongal (mudganna in Kannada, pongal in Tamil & Telugu), 3. Sundal (boiled peas) and 4. Dosa during this month.
Lord Vekateshwara will be decorated with two parrots during the Dhanurmasam. One is made of gold and the other is made with flowers. Apart from these two parrots one more will be place on the left should of the Lord.
In 1000 AD, Makara Sankranti was on Dec 31 and now it falls on January 14; after 9000 years when Makara Sankranti will be in June.
Kaathyaayani Vrath – Legend and Benefits:
Gopikas are the young damsels who lived in Brindhavana / Vrindhavan. They had great desire to make Lord Krishna (Lord Vishnu incarnation) as their husbands. So they performed a vratha called “Kaathyaayani Vratha” during the Dhanurmasam. The Twenty-second Chapter contains thirty-eight verses, describing how the gopis prayed to the goddess Katyayani and obtained Krishna as their husband. They installed an idol of Goddess Durga on the shore of the River Yamuna worshipped her by offering sandalwood pulp, lamps, fruits, betel nuts, newly grown leaves, and fragrant garlands and incense in everday for thirty days in the Dhanurmasam.
The Gopis chanted the following manthra during their worship. It is as follows:
Om katyayani maha-maye
maha-yoginy adhisvari
nanda-gopa-sutam devi
patim me kuru te namah.
For 108 times. And the last time should finishing reciting the next tow lines.
iti mantram japantyas tah
pujam cakruh kamarikah.
It meanse “O goddess Katyayani, O great potency of the Lord, O possessor of great mystic power and mighty controller of all, please make the son of Nanda Maharaja my husband. I offer my obeisances unto you.”
Katyayani Pooja Vrath / Vidhi:
- First get up by early morning 03.30 and take a bath
- Install an idol or a photo of Goddess Durga in your pooja room. Then lit a lamp, Panchamruth, sandal wood pulp, flowers, fruits, 3 betel leaves & 2 nuts, newly grown leaves, incense, etc,.
- Chant Maa Katyayani’s Mantra for 108 times
- Performing Sankalp to seek the blessings of the Goddess
- Show Aarti
- Do Vastra Dahan (offering clothes) if possible to the poor people
Benefits:
Kathyaayani Vrath – One who has obstacles or delay in marriage, they can perform this vrath. This should be done early in the morning just as like Dhanurmasa vrath, but dedicated to Goddess Durga. Offer the Pooja Samagri as per your possiblility. The Hindu scriptures says that, the desire for marriage get’s accomplished by performing this vrath.