Ayudha Puja
ayudha puja sanskrit आयुध पूजा romanized āyudha pūjā lit worship tool hindu observance fall ninth day bright half moon cycle day per hindu calendar month septemberoctober popularly part navaratri festival navaratri festival observed country festivity widely marked ayudha puja possesses slight variation veneration practice across india principal goddess worshipped ayudha puja saraswati goddess learning lakshmi goddess prosperity parvati goddess power occasion implement employed people various profession walk life customarily venerated weapon soldier tool artisan book student religious significance occasion commemorate victory goddess durga mahishasura conquest lanka rama south india occasion primarily dedicated saraswati practice educational material book pen pencil musical instrument equipment venerated signify victory knowledge ignorance contemporary era tradition occasion retained consecration computer typewriter mobile phone manner practiced past weapon warfare orissa tool traditionally used cultivation like plough war like sword dagger inscription writing like karani lekhani metal stylus worshipped celebrated karnataka erstwhile mysore state “ayudha puje” kannada ಆಯುಧ ಪೂಜೆtamil nadu ayudha pujai tamil ஆயுத பூஜை telangana andhra pradesh aayudha pooja telugu ఆయుధ పూజ kerala ayudha puja malayalam ആയുധ പൂജ astra puja odia ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ପୂଜା ayudha puja odisha shastra puja marathi आयुध पूजा खंडे नवमी ayudha puja khande navami maharashtra karnataka erstwhile mysore state “ayudha puje” kannada ಆಯುಧ ಪೂಜೆ two hindu legend relate festival popular legend also practiced symbolically maharaja mysore alludes one legend said vijayadashami day arjuna third five pandava brother retrieved weapon war hole shami tree hidden proceeding forced exile completing vanavasa exile period year including one year agyatavas living incognito embarking warpath kauravas retrieved weapon kurukshetra war ensued arjuna victorious pandavas returned vijayadashami day since believed day auspicious begin new venture karnataka ayudha puja celebrated general public one day original festival day vijayadashami ayudha puja day another legend prebattle ritual involving yagna ritual sacrifice part ayudha puja considered subrite navaratri festival start rainy season propitiated launching military campaign practice prevalent past practice narrated tamil version mahabharata epic ritual prevalent tamil nadu ‘kalapalli’ “sacrifice battlefield duryodhana kaurava chief advised astrologer sahadeva propitious time performing kalapalli amavasya day new moon day one day start kurukshetra war iravan son arjuna also spelt aravan agreed victim sacrifice krishna benefactor pandavas smelt trouble devised plan persuade iravan representative pandavas also kauravas krishna suggested yudhishthirathe eldest pandavas sacrifice aravan goddess kali part ayudha puja sacrifice kali blessed pandavas victory kurukshetra war tool implement vocation first cleaned tool machine vehicle device painted well polished smeared turmeric paste sandalwood paste form tilakam insignia mark kumkumam vermillion evening previous puja day placed earmarked platform decorated flower case weapon war also cleaned bedecked flower tilak placed line adjacent wall morning puja navami day worshipped along image saraswati lakshmi parvati book musical instrument also placed pedestal veneration day puja disturbed day spent veneration contemplation karnataka erstwhile mysore state maharaja mysore ancient navaratri festival started family tradition within precinct palace royal family performs ayudha pooja part navaratri inside palace ground ritual observed first veneration weapon mahanavami day ninth day followed “kushmanda” pumpkin sanskrit– tradition breaking pumpkin palace ground weapon carried golden palanquin bhuvaneshwari temple veneration tradition festival traced vijayanagara empire ad ad became naada habba people festival raja wodeyar – viceroy vijayanagara ruler seat power mysore reintroduced vijayanagara practice celebrating navaratri festival ad set rule celebrate navaratri devotion grandeur gala nine day durbar maharaja performs puja temple palace precinct followed grand procession main thoroughfare mysore city bannimantap caparisoned elephant bannimantap place maharaja worship traditional shami banni tree prosopis spicigera legend tree traced mahabharat legend arjuna hidden weapon war significance shami tree veneration seek blessing tree rama also said worshipped success desired avocation including war campaign festival also celebrated lot fanfare throughout state village rural area every village community observe festival fervour conflict several occasion community first right perform pujas generally ayudha puja village begin sacrifice sheep smearing bullock cart sheep blood kerala festival called ayudha puja saraswati puja part tenday puja ceremony also named festival autumnal equinox observed three week date equinox practice followed veneration two day involves opening day called pujaveppu meaning keeping implement veneration closing day festival called pujayeduppu meaning taking implement back veneration pujaveppu day tool machine instrument including vehicle musical instrument stationery implement help one earn livelihood worshipped closing day taken back reuse village kerala ayudha puja observed great reverence several martial art form folk dance also performed day tamil nadu golu festival celebrated navaratri period occasion doll predominantly deity hinduism artistically arranged sevenstepped wooden platform traditionally marapachi wooden doll representing perumal thayar also displayed together dominant location top step platform erected specially occasion ninth day navami day saraswati puja performed special prayer offered goddess saraswati book musical instrument placed puja pedestal worshipped tool placed ayudha puja vehicle washed decorated puja performed occasion followed vijayadashami celebration culmination tenday festivity maharashtra festival celebrated ayudha pujashastra puja vijayadashami navaratri saraswati puja weapon vehicle agricultural equipment machine metal item worshipped leaf shami tree marathi आपट्याची पानेसोने marigold flower dhaan grown day navaratri marigold flower special significance navaratri day saraswati puja performed book musical instrument etc worshiped alongside goddess people perform ritual called simollanghan crossing boundary village collect leaf apta tree leaf signify gold people visit others home evening distribute gold leaf mark love respect royal navaratri celebration take place various place like kolhapur vijayadashami vidyarambham kullu dussehra saraswati