Pavitropana

Pavitropana is the most popularly celebrated festival in Gujarat. The festival falls on the very same day of Rakhi purnima, ie, on the full moon day in the month of Shravana. Like all other festivals in India, rakhi too is influenced by the many facets of the wide cultural spectrum of India.

Pavitropana Rituals
Gujarati people are very big devotees of Lord Shiva. People of Gujarat offer water to the shivalingas in the temples throughout the year. Shravan or rakhi purnima is considered to be a very auspicious day for worshipping Lord Shiva. On this day special prayers are offered to Lord Shiva and seek his forgiveness for any misdeeds done. On the purnima, people offer water and pray to Lord Shiva. The ceremony of Pavitropana includes a few twisted filaments of cotton are soaked in panchagaivya (a mixture of cow's ghee, milk, curd, urine and excreta) and then fastened around the Shivalinga. The threads are soaked in panchagaivya as the cow is the most sacred animal in Hindu Mythology. So, celebrate the joyous day of Pavitropana and seek the blessings of the Lord.

Reference from Bhavishya-Purana
This festival has also been referred to 'Putrada Ekadashi' in Bhavishya Purana. In this particular purana, Lord Krishna narrates the story of how the Ekadashi in the month of Shravana came to be sacred. He said, "At the dawn of Dvarpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next." The King tried hard to beget children and continue his lineage. But it seemed that Lady Luck had turned against the king.

After a decade, he became anxious and called for an assembly of advisors. He told them, that he had never committed any sin or did anything wrong to anyone then why he is not blessed with a son. He asked everyone to find out the reason for this.

Various types of Pavitras
With the change in time, the method of worship has also changed. The sacred thread also called 'Pavitras' have undergone an immense change over the years. Now-a-days, one can easily find Pavitras made of Gold, Silver, Pearls, or Silk instead of the customary cotton. The temples are especially decorated for the festival and people also celebrate it at home decorating the Shivaling in their home temple. This sacred should be removed everyday before the deity is washed.