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Varanasi, 20 November (HS). The 17-day Mahavrat ritual of Mother Annapurna started from Wednesday, the fifth day of Krishna Paksha of Margashirsha month. Mahavrat will end on 7th December. Matarani’s Mahavrat is for 17 years, 17 months and 17 days. In the morning on the first day of Mahavrat, Mahant Shankar Puri of the temple gave 17 knotted threads to the devotees. Which was tied with full enthusiasm by women on their left hand and by men on their right hand. Devotees who start Mahavrat with a resolution will eat fruits only once a day. Use of salt is prohibited in this.
Mahant Shankarpuri of the temple told that the devotees who observe Mahavrat for 17 days do not face shortage of food, money and wealth throughout their life. In this Mahavrat, devotees give up food for 17 days. He told that this ritual will conclude on December 7. On December 7, the idol of the Mother Goddess will be decorated with paddy earrings. Next day on 08th December, paddy bundles will be distributed among the common devotees as Prasad.
It is noteworthy that the temple of Mata Annapurna is the only temple in the entire country where devotees offer their first ear of paddy crop. Farmers of various districts of Purvanchal offer the first ear of their paddy crop to the Mother Goddess. Then they keep the same earring as Prasad in their second paddy crop. Farmers believe that by doing this their crop yield increases. The devotees of Mother Annapurna never face shortage of food, wealth, opulence and happiness.