Importance of Guruvar

Thursday is dedicated to the planet Guru or Brahaspati. The planet is associated with the Guru of the Devas in Hindu mythology, he the chief priest Brahaspati. He is worshiped for good luck.

This day is also the day of  Dattatreya or Datta Guru. In my family my grandma worshipped him and so we inherited the worship. My Aai was passed on her Vrat, it's a tradition where the senior lady in the family if is unable to continue fasting hands over the tradition to a junior family member.

My mom would wake up in the morning have head bath and do some reading about Datta Guru before going about her usual routine. Thursdays in Shravan was always special, even though it is not  part of the Shravan fasting tradition. She would cook the fasting meal of either Sabudana Khichadi or Bhagar (samo seeds) and peanuts curry. On all other Thursdays through out the year it was just Doodhatli Poli with Banana.

I remember my mother doing Guru charitra parayan some times. My uncle MJK and Aruna Kaki have done several parayans after having bath and sitting with wet clothes till the reading is complete. It is a very difficult form of penance in the modern day. Doing a parayan in a single day itself is an overwhelming task and that too with wet clothes! So you know why I have not gone that way.

Though I enjoy doing all the Upvas and cooking food related to the Upvas, I am hardly a religious person. I might be spiritual though.