Nagpur: As the monsoon reaches its final phase during Shravan, Maharashtra prepares to welcome Ganpati and the closely following Gauri festival. The season of Aashadh and Shravan, marked by abundant rainfall and renewed greenery, culminates in the grand celebration of Ganpati on Bhadrapada Shuddha Chaturthi. Soon after, families across Maharashtra observe the traditional Mahalakshmi or Jyeshtha Gauri festival.
The festival is observed according to different family traditions. In many households, Mahalakshmi is invoked on the Anuradha Nakshatra, worshipped on Jyeshtha Nakshatra, and given a ceremonial farewell on Moola Nakshatra. Some families observe the festival according to the lunar dates of Bhadrapada Shuddha Saptami, Ashtami and Navami.
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Sept 17,2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
One fascinating traditional practice is the preparation of the goddess using a structure known as ‘Kothale’. A hollow framework is filled with staple grains such as jowar, wheat or rice, creating the body of the deity. Limbs are then attached, after which the goddess is dressed in traditional clothing and adorned with jewellery.
A Feast Symbolising Agricultural Prosperity
According to tradition, the Devis are believed to visit their maternal home along with their children. Families therefore prepare an elaborate feast, traditionally without onion and garlic, incorporating all six tastes—bitter, spicy, sour, sweet, salty and astringent.
Known in parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada as ‘Mahalakshmiche Jevan’, the traditional meal can include sixteen varieties of vegetables, sixteen chutneys and salads, tamarind Panchamrut, Puran Poli, lentil vadas, Kathli, sorghum Ambil and Varan-Bhat. Large quantities of staple grains such as wheat, rice and jowar are also displayed before the deities.
Beyond its ritual significance, this abundance can be viewed as a powerful representation of the agricultural revolution and its impact on human civilisation.
From Nomadic Survival to Agriculture
The transition from hunting and scavenging to agriculture represented a fundamental transformation in human history. Once humans learned to cultivate land, sow seeds, grow crops and preserve grain for future consumption, they gained a degree of stability that was previously unavailable.
Agriculture reduced the constant pressure of searching for food and enabled communities to settle in one place. With food security, human societies could devote greater attention to knowledge, art, technology, trade and other intellectual pursuits.
The contrast is reflected symbolically in the Mahalakshmi tradition: one end represents scarcity, hunger and instability, while the other represents food security, prosperity and the flourishing of human potential.
Jyeshtha and Kanishtha: Two Contrasting Symbols
The terms Jyeshtha and Kanishtha carry particular significance in the tradition. Jyeshtha refers to the elder, while Kanishtha refers to the younger.
The Shri Sukta describes the desire to remove Alakshmi, associated with hunger, thirst, impurity and scarcity:
“Kshut-pipasa-malam jyeshtham-alakshmim nashayamyaham |
Abhutim-asamriddhim cha sarvam nirnuda me grihat ||”
The verse expresses a prayer for the removal of hunger, scarcity, stagnation and lack of prosperity from the home.
The concept of ‘Abhuti’ is particularly significant in this interpretation. The term can be associated with a state in which growth and progress come to a halt. Thus, the symbolism of Jyeshtha Alakshmi can be understood as representing the conditions of scarcity and stagnation that humanity sought to overcome.
Alakshmi and Lakshmi in the Samudra Manthan
The Padma Purana provides descriptions of Alakshmi, who is said to have emerged before Goddess Lakshmi during the Samudra Manthan. She is associated with discord, conflict and undesirable conditions and is referred to as ‘Kalahapriya’, one who is fond of quarrels.
Traditional representations of Alakshmi in parts of South India depict her with distinctive attributes, including a broom, a crow associated with her flag and a donkey as her vehicle.
Within the Mahalakshmi tradition, Jyeshtha Alakshmi is therefore invoked with the prayer that scarcity and discord stay away from the household, while Kanishtha Gauri Lakshmi is welcomed so that prosperity remains throughout the year.
Gauri, Ganpati and the Spirit of Collective Effort
Gauri, regarded as a form of Parvati, is traditionally associated with the Godha, or monitor lizard, known for its firm grip. The symbolism can be interpreted as representing the importance of maintaining a strong hold on the process of development and progress.
In many households, Ganpati is installed between Jyeshtha and Kanishtha Gauri. Ganpati is traditionally revered as the remover of obstacles and the giver of intellect and wisdom.
The resulting visual and ritual arrangement can therefore be interpreted as a symbolic narrative: humanity moves from scarcity and adversity toward prosperity through intelligence, cooperation, agricultural productivity and collective effort.
The Deeper Message of Samudra Manthan
The symbolism also connects with the larger message of the Samudra Manthan narrative. When opposing forces remain consumed by hostility and conflict, discord prevails. But when differences are channelled into collective effort, the churning produces Lakshmi—the symbol of prosperity.
In this interpretation, the Mahalakshmi-Gauri and Ganpati traditions preserve a cultural memory of one of humanity’s most transformative transitions: the movement from food insecurity and nomadic survival toward agriculture, stability and prosperity.
The overflowing grains, elaborate food offerings and festive celebrations are therefore more than expressions of abundance. They can be understood as a cultural celebration of a civilisation that learned to secure its food, build communities and use human intellect to create a more prosperous way of life.
Through Jyeshtha Gauri, Kanishtha Gauri, Mahalakshmi and Ganpati Puja, Bharatiya tradition offers a vivid ritual expression of the journey from scarcity to abundance—and a reminder that prosperity emerges when human intelligence and collective effort overcome adversity.
© Paramabhagavati Dr. Ramaa Golwalkar
