Phool is Flower and pati is leaves and plants. FulPati literally means flowers, leaves and plants.
There is a tradition in Nepal of bringing nine types of Phoolpati into the pooja room of the house with a celebration in the seventh day of Navaratri Pooja. Therefore, the seventh day of Vijaya Dashami is also called Phoolpati in Nepal.
When is Saptami this year?
Saptami is the seventh day of Vijaya Dasami festival. This year Satami is on Ashwin 22, 2073. That is October 8, 2016 in English calendar.
Nine ingredients of fulpati (navapatriva)
The nine ingredients mix of fulpati is called navapatriva. Navapatriva consists of kera ko bot , darim, dhanko bala, haledo, manabriksha, kachuki, belpatra, ashok, and jayanti.
Banana plant (kera ko bot) represents Goddess Brahmani (ब्राम्हणी), who bestows peace.
Pomegranate (darim) represents Goddess Rakta Dantika (रक्त दंतिका ) who helps and blesses the worshipper.
In rice stalk (dhanko bala) lives Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Goddess Durga grace the turmeric plant (haledo) and put end to obstacles.
Goddess Chamunda resides in manabriksha, who puts end to the evil.
Ginger plant (अदुवा) represents Goddess Kalika (कालिका) who blesses mankind.
In Wood Apple Tree (bel plant) lives lord Shiva, and is the favorite fruit of Lords Vishnu and Shiva.
In the Ashok plant resides Goddess Sokarahita.
Jayanti represents Godde ss Kartiki.
What to do with Navapatrika
Navapatrika is decorated outside the house and carried inside the Dashain Ghar. It is carried inside the pooja ghar at seventh day at any time of the day depending upon the family tradition. After this, navapatrika Puja is carried out. The fulpati is kept in Dashain Ghar and worshiped along with the Jamara planted in Ghatasthapana day. Navapatrika is taken out of pooja ghar in the 10th day and Bisarjan in Holy River. There is a tradition where people bisarjan it on the 15th day with bisarjan with Jamara.
Why to bring fulpati to your home (What is significance of Navapatrika)
Bringing Phulpati brings all the nine goddess to your home. All nine plants represent goddess and all goddess represents Health, Wealth and prosperity. Entering Phulpati home is entering health, wealth and prosperity home.
What else we do in Saptami
On this day, Saraswoti, the goddess of education and knowledge is worshiped. Besides this, people following different occupations, bring the tools of their trades inside the Dashain Ghar and worship them and take them out on the 10th day only. Students and teachers do puja of their books and other study materials. Businessmen people honor and their scales and ledgers.
Tailors venerate their sewing machines and so on.
Nepali Tradition of Fulpati before the fall of Royal Regime
Navapatriva for phulpati are carried by the helpers from the royal Dashain Ghar of Gorkha via the ancient route to Jeevanpur in Dhading district. The person carrying the phulpati swims through Budhi Gandaki River instead of walking on the bridge above it or taking a boat. It is a tradition.
A group of assistant priests from the royal Dashain Ghar of Basantapur place of Kathmandu would be waiting for this person in Dhading to carry the phulpate to Kathmandu. They bring it to Jamal and from there the phulpati receives royal treatment. It is placed in a palanquin under a gold-tipped ornate umbrella. Here, the phulpati is welcomed by the Royal Nepalese Army, Nepal police and government dignitaries. An army platoon of the royal priest leads the phulpati parade to Hanumandhoka Palace
.
There are Fulpati gun fires performed by Nepali army, this is the indication to the people, that the fulpati has been entered successfully.
The Navapatrika is brought from old kingdom of Shah Dynasty, the Gorkha Durbar to Kathmandu, the capital of unified Nepal. Prithivi Narayan Shah was king of gorkha, who unified Nepal.
Bringing fulpati from Gorkha to Kathmandu signified that Kathmandu is blessed with the same blessing of Durga Bhawani equal to Gorkha.
Kings used to observe this parade in Royal days.
Nepal government is still follows the same rituals and culture. President of Nepal witness and perform the rituals instead of King now.
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