Biruda

Biruda is a mixture of five seeds of crops used for worshipping and blessing during the Gaura Festival. The mixture is made up of gahat, guraus, kalau, gahu and mash. This festival is mainly celebrated in far-western region of Nepal and the Biruda mixture is mainly eaten in this region. In Gaura festival it is believed that god Mahesh (Shiv) got married with goddess Gaura (Parwati).

In the day of Biruda, panchami is kept with water in a copper pot to make them wet. The next day the mixture is washed and water is replaced with full customs and worship of Goddess Gaura. Next day this process recontinues. Finally, fourth day from panchmi called astami, all women who wore a sacred thread dubi dhaka fast for good fortune of them and their family members. Whole day women worship goddess Gaura chanting different mantras and folk songs. At last near to end every one gets up, Biruda and fruits are kept into cloths and the cloth is pushed towards sky every one start to catch any thing they can, it is believed that it is good for fortune to catch these things.