In Maharashtra, Gauri Poojan coincides with Ganesh Chaturthi, when the Goddess Gauri visits homes a day or two before the Ganesha idol is installed. Goddess Gauri is considered the mother of Lord Ganesha, and they are worshipped simultaneously.
The boat owners consider it a great honour to receive the Goddess on their boat. Aaarti (waving the sacred fire in front of the deity) is performed when the Goddess arrives on deck, and blessings are taken from the scared fire of the aarti.
Villagers hold up an umbrella to protect the Goddess from rain as devotees line the way, seeking darshan (sight) of the deity and praying for her blessings.
On the first day, families come together to clean and decorate their homes and the community spaces. Homes are decorated with flowers, rangoli (intricate patterns made with coloured powders), and oil lamps.
Koli women play a central role in all the rituals and celebrations. Dressed in traditional attire and jewellery, the women of the household purify the home, perform the puja (prayers of devotional homage) rituals, and prepare the offerings with sincerity and devotion.
In coastal Maharashtra, Jyeshtha Gauri is typically worshipped as a metal facemask attached to an anthropomorphic body adorned with traditional Koli attire and jewellery. A Nauvari saree, a type of saree worn by Koli women, is offered to the Goddess and changed every year.
Sixteen special food items are prepared and offered to the Goddess as naivedya (sacred food offerings). These include sweet items like modak (Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweet) and kheer (sweet pudding). It is believed that the deity partakes in the essence of the food, which is then distributed to the devotees as prasad (blessed food).
A devotee in a state of trance during aarti (the ritual of waving the sacred fire in front of the deity). The aarti ceremony is a communal activity, often involving the entire neighbourhood, and performed by elder members of the family.
Goddess Gauri is associated with fertility, and the theme of abundance is recreated inside the house, with fruits and floral hangings tied with mango leaves, a symbol of fertility and prosperity.