Gaurī Tṛtīyā 1968: San Francisco, California

Gaurī Tṛtīyā, observed on the third day (Tṛtīyā) of the bright fortnight (Śukla Pakṣa) of the month of Bhādrapada, is one of the most important women's festivals in Karnataka and to a somewhat lesser extent in Maharashtra. In Karnataka it is known as Svarṇa Gaurī Vratam (the vow of the golden Gaurī) and it is the single most widely observed festival by married Kannada women. On this day, the day immediately before Gaṇeśa Caturthī, Goddess Gaurī (the golden form of Pārvatī) visits the homes of her devotees. She arrives first, before her son Gaṇeśa, just as in real life a mother precedes her son in entering a new home.

The ritual preparation begins well in advance. Married women procure a Gaurī idol made of gold, silver, or turmeric: the golden color of the idol referencing the epithet Svarṇa Gaurī, "the golden-hued Pārvatī." The idol is installed in the home on a decorated platform (maṇṭapa), surrounded by banana plants, mango leaves, flowers, kuṅkuma, and turmeric. The priest or the senior woman of the household performs the āvāhana (invocation) drawing Goddess Gaurī into the idol from the heavens. Throughout the day, women offer sixteen forms of worship (ṣoḍaśopacāra), chant her names, and sing traditional Kannada songs (bīsu) in her praise. Special foods including hoḷige (sweet flatbread), kaḍubu (steamed rice dumplings), and pānaka (jaggery drink) are prepared and offered.

The festival carries deep significance beyond ritual. Svarṇa Gaurī Vratam is, at its heart, a celebration of the wife-mother figure: Pārvatī herself, who persevered through tapas (austerity) to win Śiva as her husband and went on to become the loving mother of Gaṇeśa and Kārtikeya. Women who observe this vrata pray for the long life and health of their husbands, for the prosperity of their households, and for the welfare of their children. The day after Gaurī's visit, Gaṇeśa arrives, and on Gaṇeśa Caturthī, the two deities are worshipped together. After the conclusion of Gaṇeśa Caturthī celebrations (anywhere from 1.5 to 10 days later), Gaurī is also ceremonially immersed or sent back to her divine abode, mirroring the immersion of Gaṇeśa: mother and son departing together as they arrived together.