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You are here : home > Indian Culture > Indian Customs and Traditions > Significance of Godhbharai - An Indian Baby Shower

Significance of Godhbharai - An Indian Baby Shower


Godhbharai ceremony is a very important and special occasion in the life of Indian women. Various rituals are performed in different parts of India during this ceremony. Read to know how baby shower ceremony is performed in an Indian way.

Pregnancy is a special phase in a woman’s life. As a woman enters this stage, she attains complete womanhood and she requires blessings from everyone to take up the new responsibility of the baby. The ritual of Godhbharai is performed in India with great zeal for this reason- to bless the mother-to-be and her yet unborn child. The literal meaning of the term is filling up the mother’s lap with delight in anticipation of the bundle of joy who is soon to arrive. The expectant mother’s lap is filled with fruits, new sarees, sweets, rice etc. Godhbharai is the Indian form of what is known as baby shower all over the world.

Various Names, but one Unified Purpose

Moreover, India being the land of diverse cultures, Godhbharai is celebrated with different names in different parts of the country. It is known as Godhbharai in North India, as Shaad in Bengal, as Dohal Jevan in Maharashtra, as Valakaappu in Tamil Nadu, and as Seemandham or Seemantham in other parts of South India. However, all these functions have one unified aim- to make the mother-to-be feel special and to pamper her. Godhbharai is a social ceremony which is traditionally attended only by the women of the family.

The Time of Celebration

This special ritual takes place in the life of a Hindu married woman during the 7th or the 9th month of her pregnancy. The odd number months are chosen for this ceremony as it believed to bring good luck to the pregnant mother and the baby. However, the 7th month is the most popular and convenient since the baby has reached a safe and stable state by this time. The occasion is planned at the end of the seventh month or the beginning of the eight month by the in laws of the expecting woman. Family and friends are invited to be a part of this ritual, and together they make merry to welcome the soon-to-be newest member of the family.

The Rites and Rituals Involved

The expecting mother is showered with gifts which include sarees, jewellery, money, and with lots of blessings from the elders for the well-being of her child. The elders also give many suggestions and advices to prepare the couple for taking up this new responsibility. The mother is dressed in her finest clothes, and decked in jewellery, and henna designs are made on her hands to make her feel special.

One of the rituals include whispering in the mother’s ears the fact that very soon a healthy, smiling, and lively baby will occupy up her lap. This is believed to be auspicious for the mother and the child. Sometimes a priest is invited to the house to chant mantras and perform religious rites for the safe arrival of a healthy baby. All the invited women folk apply Tikka (vermilion or Haldi-Kumkum) on the would be mother’s forehead to protect her from evil influences, pray for her and the baby, and then this followed by aarti to appease the Gods and receive their blessings. All these rituals are followed by a traditional feast.

In south India, a very common ritual includes immersing holy grass into the water to make the water rich in medicinal properties, and bathing the mother in it. Then a paste of banyan leaves is poured into the mother’s right nostril with a silk cloth to shower her with divine blessings.

Dancing and Games- the Merrymaking Part



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Resham
Resham.10 years ago
What kind of outfit should I wear during my Godhbharai ceremony. It is planned after a month. I have started preparing for it from now.
 
 
 
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Kajal
Kajal.10 years ago
I am in my ninth month now and during my Godhbharai in my seventh month I had so much fun. Everybody pampered me so much. Godhbharai function is a must have for every woman.
 
 
 
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Anuja
Anuja.10 years ago
Godhbharai is a very precious moment for any women. I am in my sixth month and need tips for preparing for my Godhbharai ceremony.
 
 
 
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