Pavitropana is a festival celebrated in Gujarat on the same day of Rakhi Purnima in the month of Shravana. As per legends, Gujaratis generally worship lord Shiva and they are highly loyal to their religious beliefs. On the auspicious day of Pavitropana, people go to the nearby temples and offer water to the Shivalingas, with prayers to the Lord for his blessings. It is their general belief that whoever worship Shiva and prays on this auspicious day will be forgiven for all his past sins.
History of Pavitropana:
Bhavishya Purana has a mention of this festival as Putrada Ekadashi. It tells a story as narrated by Lord Krishna regarding how the Ekadashi in the month of Shravana became sacred. It is like this: In the beginning of Dvapara Yuga the kingdom of Mahismati-puri was ruled by King Mahijita. He had no son and hence his entire kingdom was unhappy. It is believed that a married man having no son will not be happy in this life and will not get salvation. The king’s efforts become futile and he was not lucky to have a sun. He sought the advice of learned men. He told them that even though he had not committed any sin to any one, God has not blessed him with a son. He requested everyone to find out the reason and a solution for this. Finally, as advised by the learned men, the King, Queen and the citizens of the kingdom observed fast on Puthrada Ekadashi. Subsequently the royal couples were blessed with a son who became the heir of the kingdom.
Rituals of Pavitropana:
Pavitropana is considered to be an auspicious day for the worship of Lord Shiva, the three eyed God. The rituals of Pavitropana involves Pavitras, a few cotton threads and kasa grass, which are carefully twisted, secured together and soaked in ‘Panchgaivya’ and then fastened around Shivalinga. Cow is considered as the most sacred animal in Hindu mythology and ‘Panchgaivya’ is a mixture of five products from cow, namely, cow’s ghee, milk, curd, urine and excreta.