Chhattisgarhi Festival : Gouri Goura Festival and Folk Song

Gaura Gauri Festival is celebrated in Chhattisgarh with great fanfare. Gaura is Lord Shiva and Gauri is Mother Parvati. This festive celebration is celebrated every year on the day after Diwali and Lakshmi Puja, ie, on the day of Govardhan Puja. This festival is celebrated during the new moon day of Krishna Kartik month Amavasya. This worship involves people of all caste communities.

In Chhattisgarh region, on the day of Deepawali worship, it is also known as Shuruhutti festival, which means the festival begins. On Diwali day, at evening 4 o'clock, people gather at a place outside the village and worship together. After that the villagers come back with the soil from the same place where they worship. After coming back to the village they make a statue of Shiva-Parvati with that soil.

Gaura rides bulls and Gauri rides a turtle. After making these sculptures, they are decorated in a very beautiful manner by placing them on a wooden pit. The four pillars are placed in four corners of the wooden pit and statute of Goura Gouri is placed on it. After this, both of them are married in a  traditional way. This is a very beautiful scene. Gauri Gauri revolve throughout the village from midnight 12 o'clock after Lakshmi Puja at night.

Two bachelor boys or girls keep Gauri Gauri on head and around them some people start Gaura Gauri songs singing and dancing. People are orbiting the entire village with singing and dancing. After this, people wishing to prosper Gaura Gauri after immersing them in the river or pond, people come back to their home.

Gaura folk songs are sing only by women. And men play folk instruments such as Mandar, Damau, Horn Baja, Dhol, Nagda, Gudum, Mohri, Manjeera, Jhumka, Dafda etc. It is called Gandwa Baja because these instruments are played by people of Gond caste only. The people of Baiga caste who worship before this festival. This pooja is called rice plating. Chanting the Gaura Gauri songs rice throw on Goura-Gouri.

Gaura Gauri Folk Song

Ek Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi ..
Tore Sheetal Chhawn ..
Chauki Chandan Pidhuli ..
Gauri Ke Hothya Mann ..
Jaise gauri o maan tumare ..
Korwan Jaisa Dhar
Korwan Aisan Dohari
Baras Sasalge Dar ..

Women are singing songs and rice is throwing on Goura-Gouri. One plate of rice, two plate of rice, ................

Dui Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi ..

Teen Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi .................. Baras Sasalge Dar ..

Char Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi ...................... Baras Sasalge Dar ..

Panch Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi .. ................... Baras Sasalge Dar ..

Chhah Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi .. ................... Baras Sasalge Dar ..

Saat Patri Raini Bhaini,
Rai Ratan o Durga Devi .. .................... Baras Sasalge Dar ..

In this song, the women are saying to Goddess Durga that O mother! we are setting up Gaura Gauri in Sandal wooden chowk, in your cool shade. We are doing arti with Kapoor. One plate ................ seven plates of rice offering to you. And if something forgets then forgive us.