Aada-halud vrata

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Aada-Halud vrata or Aada-Haldi Vrata (Bengali: আদা-হলুদ ব্রত) is one of the unscriptural or feminine vows of bengali Hindu society in West Bengal and bangladesh.^[1]

The married women of Bengali Hindu houses in rural Bengal observe this vrata on the Sankranti of the month of Chaitra. Brtini gives ginger (Aada), turmeric (Halud) along with a handful of paddy plants to a married woman every day for the whole month of Baishakh from Sankranti of Chaitra month (mid-April to mid-May).^[1] This ritual has to be observed every four years. The purpose of the vrata is to remove the food shortage in the world forever.^[2]

Being a feminine vow, no mantra or priest is required to observe the vow.^[2]

In the first phase of observing the Aada-Halud vrata, the women have to collect the necessary ingredients i.e. paddy plants, coriander, ginger, turmeric, sandesh or such sweets and a few paise.^[1]

In the second phase, a married woman has to pay a handful of paddy, a handful of coriander, five ginger, five turmerics, five sandesh or similar sweets and five paisa, every day from Sankranti of Chaitra month to the whole of Baisakh.^[2]

In the same way, two married women have to observe the vow in the second year, three women in the third year, and four women in the fourth year.^[2]

After observing the vrata in the fourth year, during the celebration, on the Sankranti of the month of Baisakh, four widows are carefully fed and given red-bordered sarees, cows, noa, vermilion chupari, head rubbing, alta and dakshina. Bratini then gave the first year's main woman a silver vermilion box, gold-plated Noah, fan, comb, mirror, a towel and one rupee dakshina.^[1]