Pavitropana

Pavitropana is a festival of Gujaratis. It is celebrated on the very same day of Rakhi Purnima and falls in the month of Shravana. According to the legends, Gujaratis are the staunch believers of religion and generally they worship lord Shiva. On this auspicious day, most of the people offer water to the Shivalingas in the nearby temples, offer prayers to Lord Shiva and seek his blessings. It is believed that whoever, prays on this auspicious day, all his past sins are forgiven.

This festival has also been referred to as Putrada Ekadashi in Bhavishya Purana. In this Purana, Lord Krishna has narrated the story of how the Ekadashi in the month of Shravana came to be sacred. He states,"At the dawn of Dvarpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Since he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. "A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next." The King tried hard to beget children and continue his lineage. But it seemed that lady luck had turned against the king. As years progressed, he became anxious and called for an assembly of advisors. He told that he had never committed any sin or did anything wrong to anyone. Yet the Gods have not blessed him and the kingdom with a son. He asked everyone to find out the reason for this.

The Ceremony of Pavitropana involves Pavitras, a few filaments of cotton and sometimes kasa grass which are closely entwined, knotted together and soaked in a mixture of Panchgaivya (cow's ghee, milk, curd, urine and excreta).

Pavitropana or the Shravana Purnima is considered as an auspicious day for the final poojan of the three eyed God. In the Pavitropana ceremony, a few twisted filaments of cotton are soaked in panchagaivya (mixture of cow's ghee, milk, curd, urine and excreta) and then fastened around the Shivalinga. Panchagaivya or the five products obtained from cow which is the most sacred animal according to the Hindu mythology.