Dashaharaa vrat

Dashaharaa Vrat (ದಶಹರಾ ವ್ರತ)

This vrat start from first day of jyeshtha maasa and ends on the tenth day of same maasa, and the tenth day, i.e, jyeshtha shukla dashami, is Gangavatarana, the descent of Ganga.

If Adhika maasa falls in the month of jyeshtha (which then is known as 'mala-maasa' ), then this vrat needs to be celebrated in mala-maasa itself. If dashami falls on the day of hasta nakshatra, this vrat gains special importance as it is beleived to wash one of ten different sins, which are :

Taking away things, which do not belong to you, forcefully from others
To torment others for no reason
Behaving inappropriately with other women
hurting others with your speech
Lying
Gossiping harmfully
Howling indecently
Scheming to rob others off their wealth
Wishing ill of others
False-fully blowing one's own trumpet

One can redeem themselves of these sins if one takes a holy dip in Ganga on jyeshtha shukla dashami day. If it is not possible, then one can invoke Ganga in the water they bathe at their homes. Or if they have collected water from Ganga whenever they had visited, that water can be added to water used to bathe. (As a madhva, Madhva-sarovara, Narasimha teertha at Mulabagilu comes to my mind as we believe there is Ganga sannidhi (presence) at these places. Or taking a holy dip at Kaveri is also be considered auspicious as this river is known as ardh-janhavi.

Taking a holy dip at Dasha-ashwamedha ghat in Kashi, on this day is considered very auspicious. Also many people light lamps with ghee and allow them to float in Ganga.

Chromolithograph, "Indian woman floating lamps on the Ganges," by William Simpson, 1867.
Courtesy : Wikipedia

Ganga Pooja : Invoke Ganga in a kalasha or Ganga-gindi. Offer gejje-vastra, arashina(haldi), kumkum, gandha (sandalwood paste) and flowers. Give arghya, by chanting the following mantra (this mantra is from Uttaradi mutt panchanga for 2012) :

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮದಂಡಸಮುದ್ಭೂತೇ ಗಂಗೇ ತ್ರಿಪಥಗಾಮಿನೀ |

ತ್ರೈಲೋಕ್ಯವಂದಿತೇ ದೇವಿ ಗೃಹಾಣಾರ್ಘ್ಯo ನಮೋಸ್ತುತೇ ||

Ganga pooja should be done with due shodashopachara (ಷೋಡೋಪಚಾರ) pooja.

Throughout dashami, we should chant the following mantra (From Uttaradi mutt panchanga for the year, 2012) :

ನಮಃ ಶಿವಾಯೈ ನಾರಾಯಣ್ಯ್ಯೇ ದಶಹರಾಯ್ಯೆ ಗಂಗಯ್ಯ್ಯೇ ನಮೋ ನಮಃ

Importance of number 10 on this day : Because Ganga descended onto earth on dashami, i.e, 10th day, the number ten occupies significance on this day, in the following form :