Matangi Jayanti

Goddess Matangi is the ninth of the Dasa Mahavidyas. Matangi Jayanti celebrates the appearance of Devi Matangi on the earth.

She is the provider of all occult powers and one who blesses her devotees with a win over their enemies and makes them excel in all kinds of cultural activities, like dancing, music, poetry and fine arts. Ma Matangi is also known as Ucchishta-Chandalini or Ucchishta-Matangini.

The Matangi Jayanti is observed on the tritiya day of the shukla paksha in the baisakh month as per Hindu traditional calendar and April or May according to the Gregorian calendar.

Matangi is the ninth of the Dasa Mahavidyas. She is the known to be the Goddess of Voice and Music. She is also known in the name of Tantrik Saraswati who can fulfill every desire of her true devotees and bless them with prosperity and good fortune. In the Dasamahavidya stotram, Matangi has also been referred to as the manifestation, a primal force of Goddess Saraswati. She is also believed to be the feminine form of Lord Shiva, as Shiva is also known as Matanga. Like Shiva, she too wears a white crescent moon on her forehead. It is believed that she blesses those who worship her with bel leaves, and bestows on them powers of attraction.

It is also believed that Ma Matangi is a form of Devi Parvati, who to test the fidelity of her husband, Lord Shiva, had taken the appearance of a beautiful Chandala girl. Lord Shiva failed the test, and Devi Parvati decided to keep this particular avatar of hers and thus came to be known as Ucchishtha Matangini.

Ma Matangi wears a flaming red colored saree and rides on a lion. She also wears a pair of red shoes and holds red beads in her hand. Matangi in her hand holds the following – bow, shellfish, row, canopy, line, trident, akshamala etc. she is fearless in her demeanor.

The sadhaks or the devotees follow the Matangi Jayanti with the following rituals:

- Guru Vandana
- Gau puja
- Mata Abhishekam
- Guru Poojan
- Pushpa Arpan
- Mata Shringar
- Ganapathy and Navagraha Puja
- Sri Matangi Mool Mantra chanting
- Prasad distribution

Daan or charity carried out on Matangi Jayanti is considered to be extremely auspicious. Bhandara (or public meal) is also pious and yields result. In many places nine little girls are worshipped in the form of Matangi Mata and offered Prasad and gifts. Jagarans and Kirtans are also carried out in the wake of Matangi Jayanti. In various temples where Matangi Mata is worshipped, devotees pray with all their fervor. She is believed to free her devotees from all fears and grant them all wish fulfillment. It is believed that devotees who pray to her are blessed with all kinds of worldly pleasures.