Bhubaneswar, Dec 21: Today marks the Last Thursday of Manabasa Gurubara, a unique tradition exclusive to the state of Odisha. On this day, married women undertake a day-long fast, dedicating themselves to prayers for the well-being and prosperity of their families, focusing on the worship of Goddess Lakshmi.
To prepare for the puja, houses are thoroughly cleaned the day before, as it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi favors a clean dwelling. Following the cleaning ritual, the homes are adorned with exquisite Jhoti Chita, crafted from rice paste.
The puja commences during the auspicious Brahma Muhurta, occurring between 2 am and 4 am, just before sunrise, as it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits her devotees' homes during this time.
Married women participate in a sacred thread-tying ceremony after taking a ritualistic dip in turmeric water. This thread, consisting of 10 layers, is adorned with 10 knots, each tied while uttering a different name of Goddess Lakshmi. This thread is only replaced during the next Sudasa Brata.
Attired in sarees that typically combine white and red hues, women engage in the puja, offering everything to the goddess in sets of ten. This includes 10 varieties of flowers, 10 seasonal fruits, 10 chenna bhog, 10 Manda Pithas, 10 duba (Bermuda grass) bara koli (Ber/Jujube leaves), and rice grains.
The Brata Puja unfolds in three phases – morning, mid-day, and before evening. Early in the morning, mashed chenna (country cheese) mixed with banana, grated coconut, and jaggery is shaped into ten balls (Bala dhupa) and offered to the goddess. At noon, 10 Manda Pithas are presented, followed by Panaa Bhog before dusk.
An intriguing aspect of this puja is the exclusive offering of 10 'Sukla Manda Pithas'—steamed rice dumplings filled with coconut, country cheese, and jaggery—which are reserved solely for family members and not shared with others. In addition to the rituals, women observing this puja devote time to reading the ‘Brata Katha' (Holy book) on this auspicious day.
Let’s know how to prepare Manda Pithas:
- To begin making Rice Flour Manda Pitha Recipe, boil water and milk together with cardamom powder and salt.
- Add rice flour to it - part by part, while continuously stirring it to avoid lumps.
- Keep stirring it in low heat until all water is absorbed and it forms into a ball.
- Turn off the gas and cover the dough.
- In the meantime prepare the sweet filling by heating up 2 tablespoon ghee in a Pan.
- Add the coconut, country cheese, and sugar or jaggery and mix it well.
- Cook this in low heat for 7 to 8 minutes
- Now prepare the dough by applying a little oil on your palms and kneading the warm dough into a soft workable texture. Make sure that the dough is not very hot.
- Now take tennis ball sied dough, make a dent in the center and put 1 tablespoon of filling in it and close the opening. Smooth it all over to make it look like a ball. Make sure that there are no gaps.
- You will get around 8 to 10 balls. Now we should steam the Manda Pitha. Heat water in a Steamer and steam the Rice Manda Pitha or dough balls for 10 minutes.
