Gadbade Festival

During the festival season, which starts from Raksha Bandhan and ends at Dewali, there are countless festivals celebrated in India. Gadbade festival is also one of them. Gadbade festival is a forgotten festival just like the Sanjhi Mata festival. Similar to the Sanjhi Mata festival, Gadbade festival is also celebrated in North India especially in the Punjab and Haryana.

What is the Significance of Celebrating Gadbade Festival

Gadbade festival is celebrated on Sharad Purnima, which generally comes during the month of October or November.  This is the full moon night, which comes just few days earlier of Dewali festival.

Sharad Purnima has its own importance in Hindu religion. It is believed that Moon light of Sharad Purnima is very pure. People worship the Moon light with different methods and celebrating the Gadbade festival is one of them.

According to the history goddess Lakshmi was born on Sharad Purnima and celebrating the Gadbade festival can bring more wealth and prosperity in the house.

According to Srimad Bhagvad, famous Raas Lila of lord Krishna and Radha also took place on the night of Sharad Purnima.

Besides these reasons there are many other reasons are also there for celebrating the Gadbade festival but the main significance is that by lighting the Gadbade lamps, devotes prayer for the health, wealth and prosperity for their family members.

How Gadbade Lamps Looks?

Gadbade lamps are made with the mud. You will also find some cuts on these Gadbade lamps. This cuts not only made to decor the Gadbade lamps but they also help to pass the oxygen air to the lamps which is essential to light the Diya placed inside the Gadbade lamps.

You can find many shapes and designs of Gadbade lamps in the market. Even these days you can find beautifully decorated Gadbade lamps which are decorated using various colors and stones.

How to Decor a Gadbade Lamp at Home

Decorating a Gadbade lamp at home is really a fun. You can use your own creativity to décor your Gadbade lamp. If we talk about the traditional method, Gadbade lamps are decorated in the same way as the Sanjhi Mata is decorated.

First, the white color base is used to paint the Gadbade lamps, which is made by crushing the raw rice and mix some amount of water in it. After that all natural colors can be used to décor the Gadbade lamp like, you can use turmeric, Henna or any other natural color.

You can also print the Gadbade lamp with painting colors and can place some kind if stones and sparkles to the Gadbade lamp.   

How Gadbade Festival is Celebrated

Gadbade festival is celebrated by lighting the Diya or lamp, which is made with mud. This Diya is placed in-between the Gadbade. Once placed in the Gadbade, it looks really very beautiful just like the decoration lights you use to decorate your homes during Dewali Pooja.

After placing the Diya in the Gadbade, ladies of the family worship the supreme power(God) and offer homemade pure vegetarian food to the God. Food is prepared in pure Desi Ghee. Along with this special food, Halwa or Kheer is also prepared.

After offering the food to God the food is distributed to the all family members. After that elders of the family use to gift some amount of money to the young children. Generally, the coins are gifted and these coins are placed in the Gadbade lamb. Placing the coins in the Gadbade is a Shagun. Elders can also gift the paper money of any other type of gift item to the young children.

In villages, children use to go every home and demands money from elders and elders use to gift them with open heart.

Final Words

These festivals like Gadbade can bring a new happiness to our life. Even if you do not believe in the old rituals, we still advice to celebrate such festivals like Gadbade. Our culture and our beliefs are like soul of our nations. We should bring awareness in today’s youth generation so they can get to know about out rich culture.