Today is Hur Okdoh

Today is Hur Okdoh

Hur Okdoh marks the start of the fortnight long Herath festival for Kashmiri Pandits and it ends on Tile Aathum. Hur in Kashmiri stands for both singing and whitewashing and the word is used as a prefix to the first nine days of the festivities.Okdoh means the first day. Hur Okdoh to Hur Shiyam ( first to sixth) are normally reserved for cleaning the entire house to give it a festival look and for collecting the necessary articles like walnuts, utensils and vatuk samagri for main puja on Shivaratri day. The subsequent 3 days--hur sattam, hur atham and hur navam (the birthday of goddess Sharika), were devoted to congregational night-long prayers, preferably in temples at Ganpatyar, Chakreshwar, Pokhri Bal and Kshir Bhawani. Dyara Daham : the day of the Laxmi, the new brides come wearing new clothes and bring with them 'Herath' Bhog' (Shivratri Kharcha) i.e. presents-in kind and cash for her inlaws. Besides the new brides, all ladies who come back from their parent's homes bring presents and 'Atagat', and also 'Kangri', symbolic of goodluck and prosperity. This small gesture pleasantly enough still carries on and is treated as a very good omen.

Gada kah :On this day prescribed items of vegetables and/or fish and meat are cooked according to the custom of every home.

Wager Bah : is the day when new earthenware, specially prepared for the occasion is placed on a small circular seat (aasan) made of grass in the room traditionally reserved for daily worship (thokur kuth). Called Wagur, the pot represents the priest who, according to one prevalent belief, acted as Shiva's messenger to the Himalayas to seek his daughter's hand and also performed the auspicious wedding ceremony of Shiva with Parvati.

Herach Truvah is the day of main pooja. The eldest member of the family keeps fast for the day. Vatuk is brought by the potter which comprises a 'No't', Resh Dul, Dul, Saniwaer, Macha Waer, Dhupu Zur, Sani Potul, assortment of Parva and Taekya. These are cleaned, filled with water and then arranged in the prescribed order in the pooja room. Nariwan and garlands are tied round these items. The No't representing the Kalasha and some other pots are also filled with walnuts. The actual pooja begins in the night when all the family members assemble in the pooja room for the purpose. The Vatuk, representing various Devatas and Bhairavas, is worshipped under the directions of the Kula-Purohita (the family priest).

Salaam: Next comes Shiva Chaturdashi. This is popularly called 'Salaam'. Perhaps because on this day friends from the Muslim community would come to felicitate Kashmiri Pandits. Also beggars, bards and street dancers would come to take their due on this festive occasion, and salute the head of the family with the words 'Salaam'. On this day children receive Heraech Kharch the pocket allowance for their enjoyment. The usual pastime is a game of shells ..haraan gindun Donya Mavas: Ritualistic Puja of the Vatuk reaches its climax on the 15th day called

Dunya Mavas (walnut amavas). On this day all the flower-decked vessels are taken to a stream or river for final ritual immersion just as the images of Durga and Ganesha are immersed at the close of Durga Puja and Ganapati festivals. Before immersion, the vessels are emptied of the soaked walnuts and brought back home after symbolic Puja at the river bank. On reaching home a very interesting event was observed caleed Dub Dub or knock knock. The ladies would shut the main entrance of the house and not allow the head of the family to enter till he promised certain blessings and boons for all members of the family.

The conversation would run as follows after the head of the family knocks at the door: Q: kus chuva? (Who is there?) ; A: Ram Bror (name of the person) ; Q: kya heth? (What have you brought?) ; A: anna heth, dhana heth (food, wealth etc). Then the door was opened.

From the next day begins an arduous task of distributing the walnuts among friends, relatives and neighbours. The closer the relationship the larger is the number of walnuts given to them. The highest number, in hundreds, goes to the in-laws of the newlywed daughters. The only thing that remains is the disposal of the residual material i.e.; grass seats of the Vatuk, the flowers and Naervan tied round these pots and other such things. These are dropped into the river on the Tile Atham.