Santoshi Mata or Santoshi Maa is mainly worshiped by women of North India. The name Santhoshi Mata literally means “the mother of contentment or satisfaction”. Goddess Santoshi Maa is a symbol of love, contentment, forgiveness, happiness and hope. The Goddess, considered to be a daughter of Lord Ganesh, is believed to have a calm nature and offers her followers with happiness and peace. It is believed that fasting and praying Sanotshi Mata for 16 consecutive Fridays brings peace and prosperity in one's family. According to one legend, the sons of Lord Ganesh, Shubh and Labh, wanted to know the importance of Raksha Bandhan and wished to have a sister. Thus, Lord Ganesha created Maa Santoshi. As she fulfilled the wishes of her brothers, she was named Santoshi then.
The ritual
The vrat or the ritual of Santoshi Maa should be held on Fridays, which is considered as her day of birth.
Following is the procedure to perform the Santoshi Maa Vrat.
You are required to collect the following things for the Santoshi Maa Pooja
Starting Santoshi Mata Puja
1) Select the appropriate place for worship and clean it thoroughly.
2) After taking bath on Friday morning, place the photo in the pooja place, decorate it with flowers and place a small Kalash.
3) Offer prayers to Lord Ganesh, to have success in business, to remove poverty and destruction of evil, then mother Riddhi Siddhi. Prayer to wealth, gold, silver, pearl, and other gems.
4) Read the story of Santoshi Maa. Make the listeners say "Santoshi Mata ki Jai" all the time.
5) Before reading the Santoshi Mata story, fill water in the kalash, and on top of it, keep a small bowl filled with channa and jaggery. At the end of the story, perform Santoshi Mata Ki Aarti and sprinkle water in the vessel in every corner of the house.
6) The remaining water should be poured into the Tulsi plant.
7) Distribute the Prasad to the listeners.
8) During the day, ensure not to eat or touch anything which is sour such as Curd and Lemon. This is to be strictly followed. Otherwise, it may lose the benefits of fasts and prayers. Fasting can be observed the entire day or only one time in a day.
9) This way, you need to do this for 16 weeks on Friday.
Udyapan - Completing the Santoshi Maa Vrat
After completing the 16 weeks, you will be required to do Udyapan - that is offering food to kids. Udyapan is the closing ceremony of this ritual. On this day also, you should read the story and perform Aarti, like the Vrat, and then distribute the Prasad. Keep in mind that there should not be any sour item in the house and you should offer food to eight boys. If the children are closely related to your family, do not call from outside. However, if there are only fewer children from close family, you can call children from the Brahmins, relatives or neighbors’ children. You should not give them any sour item or money. They can be given Dakshina, cloth or fruits.
--
Related Posts
Santhoshi Mata Ki Aarti Hindi Lyrics
How to Observe Ekadasi Vrat
How to Observe Pradosh Vrat
How to Observe Sabarimala Vratam
Astrological Remedies for Kuja Dosha
How to Observe Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat
Tips to Perform Goddess Lakshmi Puja
--
The ritual
The vrat or the ritual of Santoshi Maa should be held on Fridays, which is considered as her day of birth.
Following is the procedure to perform the Santoshi Maa Vrat.
You are required to collect the following things for the Santoshi Maa Pooja
- 1 Kalash (a pot which contains water)
- Betel leaves
- Flowers
- Camphor for aarti
- Incense Sticks
- Diyas (an oil lamp usually made from clay, with a cotton wick dipped in ghee or oil)
- Turmeric
- Vermillion
- Photo of Santoshi Maa and a book which contains the story
- Coconut for kalash (continue with the same coconut till you complete Pooja)
- A wooden stool for placing the idol
- Rice mixed with turmeric
- Dry whole channa (chickpeas), jiggery (unrefined brown sugar made from palm sap) and green banana for Prasad
Starting Santoshi Mata Puja
1) Select the appropriate place for worship and clean it thoroughly.
2) After taking bath on Friday morning, place the photo in the pooja place, decorate it with flowers and place a small Kalash.
3) Offer prayers to Lord Ganesh, to have success in business, to remove poverty and destruction of evil, then mother Riddhi Siddhi. Prayer to wealth, gold, silver, pearl, and other gems.
4) Read the story of Santoshi Maa. Make the listeners say "Santoshi Mata ki Jai" all the time.
5) Before reading the Santoshi Mata story, fill water in the kalash, and on top of it, keep a small bowl filled with channa and jaggery. At the end of the story, perform Santoshi Mata Ki Aarti and sprinkle water in the vessel in every corner of the house.
6) The remaining water should be poured into the Tulsi plant.
7) Distribute the Prasad to the listeners.
8) During the day, ensure not to eat or touch anything which is sour such as Curd and Lemon. This is to be strictly followed. Otherwise, it may lose the benefits of fasts and prayers. Fasting can be observed the entire day or only one time in a day.
9) This way, you need to do this for 16 weeks on Friday.
Udyapan - Completing the Santoshi Maa Vrat
After completing the 16 weeks, you will be required to do Udyapan - that is offering food to kids. Udyapan is the closing ceremony of this ritual. On this day also, you should read the story and perform Aarti, like the Vrat, and then distribute the Prasad. Keep in mind that there should not be any sour item in the house and you should offer food to eight boys. If the children are closely related to your family, do not call from outside. However, if there are only fewer children from close family, you can call children from the Brahmins, relatives or neighbors’ children. You should not give them any sour item or money. They can be given Dakshina, cloth or fruits.
--
Related Posts
Santhoshi Mata Ki Aarti Hindi Lyrics
How to Observe Ekadasi Vrat
How to Observe Pradosh Vrat
How to Observe Sabarimala Vratam
Astrological Remedies for Kuja Dosha
How to Observe Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat
Tips to Perform Goddess Lakshmi Puja
--
If this santhoshi maa vrata is in telugu it will be helpfull to andhraras
ReplyDeleteIf santoshi Maa puja performance is in telugu it may helping to andhraras
ReplyDeleteHello, i want to do Udyapan for Santhoshi maa ki puja, i have so many doubts, ihave been doing this puja from past 3 years and till now din't perform Udyapan (i want to continue this pooja as long as possile in my life) shall i continue like this , are do I need to do Udyapan??? every friday "I only do pooja,don't eat sour things", but i cook normal food for my family (which includes rasam, for my kids) till now Maata Santhoshi blessings are with us, if we do Udyapan in home for 8 neighbour boys, hardly they can spend 1 hour with us and then go, is it possible for them to stay away from sour!!!! how can i say their parents, not to give any sour things to them ??
ReplyDeleteIs it o.k., if i call 8 boys to our home and offer puri's, kheer, chana-gud, books, pencils ?? in our telugu book it says Udyapan day we should offer flowers, chana-jaggery, bangles , kumkum-haldi to 8 GIRLS (kanyas), which one should i follow.
now a days in temples they are telling just pay some amount of money, we will do rest of all, how far it is possible??? like this i have so many doubts, but one thing i am sure , if i continue doing pooja like this for i am so happy and peaceful doing like this, Maa Santhoshi really Baavana maatra santhustai namah
please give me your valuable suggestions, ideas etc, it would be very helpful
regards...Sri
Jai Santoshima
DeleteThis is from my knowledge from pooja books, my own experience, and experience of my friends. So, please take what is applicable to you.
DeleteSince you are doing it since three years and by maata's blessing all is well, you can continue forever only do udyapan once every year. You can pay for udyapan in a santoshi maa temple. They do it very well there. If you are close to a temple, go to the temple when they are doing udyapan. if not also, it is ok. You and your family follow the niyamam(fast etc.) and let the temple do the udyapan. I believe the key here is sradha and belief in the devi. again, this is just my experience and thoughts so please take it as you wish.
Jai Santhoshi mata JAI JAI Santhoshi mata
ReplyDeletejai ma santhosi
ReplyDeleteIn santoshi maa vrat...can i keep fast and not perform puja ...will it count? And I am not doing puja
ReplyDeleteI only got 5 boys on the udyappan day. Will it be fine to give prashaad to 5 boys or it has to be 8 only.
ReplyDeleteCan I take medicine during the santoshi
ReplyDeleteMata vrat .
Where should I put the coconut and betel leaves
ReplyDeleteHi. Should I keep the coconut in the Kalash for 16 weeks without changing the water and coconut? Once after the pooja is done, can I take santhoshi mata picture and put it along with other idols or should I place maatha in the same place for 16 weeks? Please post your suggestions ASAP.
ReplyDeleteShould I do the vrat strictly for 16 weeks or can I do for 5 weeks tto? I know someone who had done only for 5 weeks
ReplyDeleteM performing this vrat more than 3 years, after 3 years I had lemon suddenly, is my vrat being briken.
ReplyDeleteM performing this vrat more than 3 years, after 3 years I had lemon suddenly, is my vrat being briken.
ReplyDelete"I really appreciate your effort and time for writing this article.
ReplyDeleteIt is very informative and reader friendly.
Never for a single moment i felt bored.
Thanks"
Hi, I completed 2nd Friday fasting. But on the pooja mandap I placed 2 mosumbi and 4 bananas along with beetle leaves. Is that OK? But I did not eat any sour food that day. Also I ate modal in the evening first before the Chana dal and jaggery. Is that ok?
ReplyDelete