Ranna Puja () is a traditional

Hindu festival Hindus celebrate a significant number of festivals and celebrations, many of which commemorate events from ancient India and often align with seasonal changes. These festivities take place either on a fixed annual date on the solar calendar o ...

. It is mainly celebrated in different regions of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. The ritual of cooking foods the night before the puja and eating this stale food the next day is ''Arandhan'' (Cooking is forbidden on that day). At present-day, the normal mood and customs of Arandhan festival have relaxed a lot due to the busyness of modern times. However, this festival is still widely celebrated in rural areas as well as

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

's suburbs areas.

Festival

Ranna Puja is celebrated twice a year in

. Once on Sankranti in month of ''

Bhadro Bhadro ( ''Bhadrô'') is the fifth month in the Bengali calendar. Bhadro marks the beginning of autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn m ...

'' alongside Mansa Puja typically on the day of

Vishwakarma Puja Vishvakarma Puja (), also rendered Vishvakarma Jayanti, is a Hindu observance dedicated to Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods. It falls on the date of Kanya Sankranti of the Hindu calendar. It is generally celebrated every year between 16 ...

and the other one on Shitalashashti the day after Sripanchami or

Saraswati Puja Vasant Panchami , also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways ...

in month of ''Magh''.

Types of practice

An integral part of Manasa Puja is the ''Arandhan'' or ''Ranna Puja''. Depending on the place in West Bengal, the

Manasa Manasa () is a Hindu goddess of snakes. She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and ...

and Ashtanag Puja begins on any Saturday or Tuesday and on every fifth day from Naga Panchami during the Bhadro month of Bengali calendar, and on Bhadro Sankranti, Manasa and Ashtanag Puja are completed and Bisarjan is performed. On that occasion ''Ranna Puja'' is celebrated on Sankranti as a ritual. This ''Ranna Puja'' is also known as ''Bhadre Rendhe Ashvine Khaoa Utsab''. ''Ranna Puja'' celebrated on the day of Manasa Puja in Sankranti of

is called by many as ''Unun Puja Utsab''. When it is celebrated on the day of

, it is called "Buroranna". A ''Ranna Puja'' is held on the day after

in the month of Magha. That day is Shital Shashti. ''Shilnora Puja'' is performed on that day, so no fresh food is cooked.

Arrangements and materials

''Pakshala'' or ''Ranna ghars ''Unnan'' (oven) is the symbol of Mother Manasa. Hindu housewives keep Manasa pots with branches of shaluk (

Nymphaeaceae Nymphaeaceae () is a family of flowering plants, commonly called water lilies. They live as rhizomatous aquatic herbs in temperate climate, temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains five genera with about 70 know ...

) and fanimana trees in a place in the kitchen for the welfare of the family and to get rid of the fear of snakes. On the eve of the puja, a portion of the various dishes is offered to the deity, that were cooked the day before. But the main ritual of this festival is to offer the best vegetables and fish of the season to the deity.

Panta bhat Panta Bhat or Poita Bhat ( ''Pàntà Bhàt''; ''Poĩta Bhat'' or পন্তা ভাত ''Ponta Bhat'') consists of cooked rice soaked and fermented in water. The liquid part is known as Toraṇi in Odia. It is a rice-based dish prepared ...

is notable among stale foods. Those who are vegetarians have vegetarian cooking in their homes. But non-vegetarian cooking is prevalent in most households.

Ilish The ilish (''Tenualosa ilisha'') (), also known as the ilishi, hilsa, hilsa herring or hilsa shad, is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae. It is a very popular and sought-after food in the Bengal region, and is t ...

and

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

are one of the seasonal fish among non-vegetarians. Devoutes women of Bengal read or listen to the vows of the goddess at the end of the puja.

References

{{reflist, 3 Hindu festivals Festivals in West Bengal