Sital Sasthi / Gotta Seddha

Basanta Panchami reminds me  those days of  my childhood...  In the evening we had been tired of day long celebration of Saraswati-puja.. On returning home we used to ask grandmother for diner-she would say ' wait.. your celebration is over..now it is of mine.. tomorrow is my day..you can not go to the kitchen room( a separate mud housed was marked as kitchen cum dinning room).. I am arranging for Sijan..’ Yea- we had to wait till sijan-preparations were not made.

Grandmother used to clean the whole kitchen room.. Ganges- water was sprinkled  everywhere..the oven was cleaned and rubbed with cow-dung.. it will not be used  from Panchami evening to next day noon.. A complete rest was given to the oven.On panchami at day time she prepared the delicious dish  with nine gradients made of pulses, whole baby brinjal,  whole shims , whole potato, whole peas, pui-sak  etc.  No spices were added ..all ingredients were boiled and a thick  slippery palatable  juice cum mixture was prepared. Sijan means boiled.. as the dish is prepared by boiling it is named as Sijan.Again. It is called Gotta-seddha..Gotta seddha  means vegetables were not cut and pulses were not split ted..everything was in its whole form.  The pan containing Gottaseddha was placed religiously and it would be shared next day in cool condition. Similarly rice was cooked and kept for cooling. It will be taken next day as Panthabhat,  These two things are must for offering to the deity. Next day we have had to eat those as offerings.  In addition , there were fries of potato,pumpkin, brinjal for tomorrow’s dishes. However, these were not related to Sasthi puja. Similarly, fish were fried and cooked but kept in other places away from the main alter of Sasthi. For our mouth watering grandma used to prepare sour curry with Kul 9ber)..it was named tak ambal.

By this time the kitchen room is decorated with white designs by chalk-dust  (chak-khuri). Mango twigs were placed at the main entrance of the kitchen room. Sil-nora was washed repeatedly. These twins were erected uprightly position.  Pradip (candle) was lit up. It will light up whole night. A hurricane was kept in the kitchen .. this will illuminate the whole room. At the base of sil-nora, turmeric paste was kept. In a separate small bowl  Sindur-paste was poured and offered to the deity.

Narikel kul is a must offering to  Sitala sasthi.  The whole deity (sil-nara) was decorated with marigold.Chandan, dhups were placed beneath the deity. Silnara is now Sitala sasthi devi.

 

Next day in the morning I recall the old lady who was called SastiBuri used to come at our house. She used to read in a melody voice about the Sasthi Puja etc. What I understood Sitala Sasthi is done for the welfare of sons and daughters and pro genies. Sitala Sasthi would protect off-springs from from difficulties and adversaries.  Thus, Sitala Sasthi deity got a premium place in the heart of families.  Belief does not require  queries. Obedience is the rule.however, my grandma used to  venerate the Goddess and  worship by her heart . The tradition was bestowed to my mother later. By turn Krishna-my wife and others got it. Yesterday she was busy with Sitala Sasthi.  Oh..there was some modifications this year.. as I lost my brother recently  there would be no Gotta seddha this time.. It is a mark of respect to my brother. Krishna promised to make Gotta Seddha on other day.