Rishikesh (Uttarakhand): With the Char Dham Yatra, an important Hindu pilgrimage about to kick-start from the first week of May, the married womenfolk of Uttarakhand's erstwhile Tehri Garhwal estate took part in the traditional Gaadu Ghadi ritual performed prior to the opening of portals of Badrinath Shrine by extracting sesame oil to offer the Lord.
Gaadu Ghadi is an annual function, wherein married women clothed in bright yellow sarees, from nearby villages flock the royal palace, and pound black sesame seeds while singing traditional folk songs. It's held under the aegis of Tehri royal estate for royal heir is considered as "Bolanda Badri" (speaking lord) and ladies from the family have to extract the oil themselves.
"This is a traditional ceremony, and we make sure that the oil reaches the temple a day before it opens up for the general public," said Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah, a member and first lady of the royal family of Tehri.
Once the oil is extracted, it is filled in a silver pitcher called "Gaadu Ghada" after following all the rituals and customs. The oil-filled pot is then departed from the royal palace with enthusiasm and is sent to Rishikesh. The pitcher pot is kept there for an entire day so that the devotees can have a glimpse of the holy oil. This journey of the pitcher is known as "Gaadu Ghada Yatra".
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The oil is then sent to the Badrinath Shrine, where it is used to lit lamp inside the temple as well as applied on lord Badrinath's idol everyday. The devotees believe that the extracted sesame oil mixed with special herbs helps keep Lord Badrinath warm in an otherwise cold climate of Uttarakhand.
Handed down from generation to generation by the royal family of Garhwal and the head priest of the Badrinath temple, this tradition holds a special place in the lives of the womenfolk of the state.
