16-days Mahalakshmi Vrat
Manabasa Gurubar 2025: Dates, Decoration, Puja Items, Ritual Significance… Manabasa Gurubar Puja Arambha (Pratham Pali) (commencement) in 2025 begins on Thursday, 6 November 2025 according to the Odia calendar, marking the first (Pratham) Gurubar of the Margasira month.
Manabasa Gurubar 2025 Schedule
The festival continues for five consecutive Thursdays in Margasira, each known as a Pali:
Pratham Pali – 6 November 2025 – Arambha or beginning of Manabasa Gurubar Puja
Dwitiya Pali – 13 November 2025 – Second observance
Trutiya Pali – 20 November 2025 – Third observance
Chaturtha / Sesha Pali – 27 November 2025 – Fourth observance
Sesha Pali (final) – 4 December 2025 – Concluding puja
Ritual Significance
Manabasa Gurubar is dedicated to Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and is observed by Odia women on each Thursday of the Margasira month (November–December). The ritual is linked to the agricultural harvest season, symbolizing the goddess’s blessings over newly harvested paddy, placed in a traditional bamboo pot called Mana.
Thus, Manabasa Gurubar Puja Arambha falls on 6 November 2025, marking the beginning of the sacred Margasira Lakshmi Vrata.
How to prepare house for Manabasa Gurubar puja
To prepare the house for Manabasa Gurubar Puja, follow these traditional and important steps:
House Cleaning and Decoration
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Thoroughly clean the entire house, as Goddess Lakshmi prefers purity and cleanliness.
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The entrance and doorstep are often plastered with cow dung or red soil.
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Draw beautiful designs called Jhoti Chita (rice paste rangoli) from the main entrance to the puja room. Common motifs include lotus flowers and footprints of Goddess Lakshmi, signifying a divine welcome.
Puja Area Setup
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Select a clean and neat place, usually a low table or wooden plank (called a “khatuli”).
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Spread freshly harvested white paddy grains on the table.
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Place a bamboo measuring pot called Mana filled with rice grains on the table.
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Decorate the altar with betel nuts soaked in turmeric water, fresh vegetables, flowers (like marigold or tulsi), colorful cloth, and a diya (lamp).
Items to Prepare
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Picture or idol of Goddess Lakshmi (and optionally Lord Jagannath).
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Oil lamp, incense sticks, kumkum (vermilion), turmeric, betel leaves, and fruits.
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Traditional Odia sweets and cooked rice for offering.
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Water in a clean vessel for abhisheka (ritual bath).
Additional Rituals
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Women wake up early, take a ritual bath, wear clean clothes, and perform the puja with devotion.
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The puja offerings (prasada) are consumed only by family members, believed to bring prosperity and blessings.
This preparation honors Goddess Lakshmi’s visit to the home and facilitates a successful Manabasa Gurubar Puja.
What items are needed for Manabasa Gurubar puja
For performing Manabasa Gurubar Puja, a wide variety of sacred items are traditionally prepared in Odia households. These symbolize prosperity, purity, and devotion to Mahalakshmi.
Essential Puja Items
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Idol or photo of Goddess Lakshmi (and optionally Lord Jagannath)
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Mana (bamboo measuring pot) filled with newly harvested rice or paddy
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Two Manas – a large one filled with paddy and a small one filled with black gram or moong
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Kalasha or Lota (metal or clay pot filled with water) with mango leaves and a coconut on top
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Jhoti Chita materials – rice paste, paddy, and brush for creating traditional motifs
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Red cloth or Maa Lakshmi’s Bastra and Chunri for decoration
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Dhoopa (Jhuna), camphor, sandalwood paste, and incense sticks (agarbati)
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A pair of red bangles (Shankha), three betel nuts (Gua) washed in turmeric water, and kaudi shells
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Sindura, haladi, and chandan for tilaka
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Mirror, comb, kajal, betel leaves, and flowers (especially white or yellow)
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Paddy bunches, arua chawal (unbroken rice), and turmeric pieces
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Diya (oil lamp), ghanti (bell), and shankha (conch) for ritual arati
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Pithas and food offerings such as kheeri, kanika, dalma, saga bhaja, kakara, bara, and chakuli
Scriptural and Support Materials
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Manabasa Laxmi Purana book for recitation during the puja
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Cloth for aasthana (altar) and brass or bronze thali for offerings
Preparation Rule
Before the puja, ensure the home is cleaned, and avoid cutting nails, sweeping, or cooking non-vegetarian food on the puja day.
These items collectively complete the Manabasa Gurubar Puja Samagri, ensuring a traditional and auspicious worship setup.
Manabasa Gurubar dates in 2025 and their significance
The festival of Manabasa Gurubar in 2025 will be celebrated on five consecutive Thursdays of the Margashirsha month (after Kartika Purnima), according to the Odia calendar. It honors Goddess Mahalakshmi, symbolizing prosperity, purity, and equality.
Manabasa Gurubar 2025 Dates
| Pali (Phase) | Date | Day of Week |
|---|---|---|
| Pratham Pali | – 6 November 2025, | Thursday |
| Dwitiya Pali | – 13 November 2025, | Thursday |
| Trutiya Pali | – 20 November 2025, | Thursday |
| Chaturtha Pali | – 27 November 2025, | Thursday |
| Sesha Pali (Final) | – 4 December 2025, | Thursday |
Spiritual Significance
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Each Thursday (Gurubar) of Margashirsha is dedicated to Mahalakshmi, who is believed to personally visit clean and pure homes to bless devotees with Aishwarya (wealth) and Sukh Shanti (well-being).
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The word “Manabasa” refers to filling Mana (a traditional bamboo measuring pot) with freshly harvested paddy, symbolizing gratitude to the Goddess for a good harvest.
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The puja also links strongly with the Lakshmi Purana, written by Balaram Das, where the Goddess defies caste discrimination by visiting the home of Shriya Chandaluni, an outcaste devotee.
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The legend represents equality, purity, and empowerment of women, as Lakshmi is portrayed as a force of social justice and prosperity.
Ritual and Cultural Essence
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Devotees clean their homes, create Jhoti Chita with rice paste, and worship the Mana filled with grains.
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Married women and girls read the Lakshmi Purana and perform fasting and bhajans during each Thursday to invoke peace and fortune.
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The festival reinforces Odia beliefs that cleanliness draws divine energy, and the Goddess chooses to reside where harmony and purity prevail.
Thus, Manabasa Gurubar 2025 will begin on 6 November 2025 and end on 4 December 2025, celebrating the sacred connection between Lakshmi, prosperity, equality, and domestic purity.