Shani Amavasya (Part XIII)

Bhadrakali Worship on Shani Amavasya:

Even Bhadrakali is worshipped on Shani Amavasya Day. At home, placing blue-colored beautiful Bhadrakali photo for worship is auspicious. We should not choose a photo with a furious Devi. She was sent by Durga Devi to drink the blood of Raktabeeja before it fell on the earth because blood was the way the demon would rejuvenate himself into several demons. This happened during the Devi’s war with the Demon Mahishasura. She drank several drops of Raktabeeja’s blood; so She can resolve all our problems, if we worship Her with devotion.

If we are worshipping Her on a Saturday, we have to decorate her photo with blue cloth and blue flowers. While making a Gajavastra for Her, we should use the color blue (Ink, Food color, Robin blue, etc.) instead of kum kum or turmeric, on it. It is auspicious to offer sesame flowers while chanting Kali Chalisa and Kali Ashtotra.

For the additional Shani Worship with that of Bhadrakali, we have to take a small steel bowl and fill it with black sesame seeds. A piece of Shami plant (Tamil – Vanni and Kannada – Banni) is stuck into the sesame seeds and Shani pooja is performed to it. Then, this plant is consigned to running water or placed below a pipal tree roots. If we place a Shami plant on the Western side in our house, in the balcony or in the garden, we can light a lamp with sesame oil or mustard oil and regularly perform Shani pooja to it. Some people stick an iron wire or a big iron nail in the soil, near the Shami plant for the Shani pooja.

To be continued…