Nori Nom

The holy month of Shravan brings the onset of festivities throughout India, with many regional variations. In Gujarat, Nori/Noli Nom is celebrated on the 9th day of the month by women to pray for the well-being of their children.

All over Gujarat, women dress in bright, festive clothes and worship Norio/Nolio (mongoose). For this rather elaborate pooja, a norio is made from juwar flour, and its eyes are made from desi vaal beans (aka butter beans or field beans). It is then covered with kanku (red turmeric powder) and robed in a saffron-colored cloth or the petals of marigold flowers. Diyas made from juwar flour are lit during the pooja to symbolise the triumph of light over evil. The eyes of the norio are painted with kajal, also to ward off evil and the norio is bathed in milk.

This ritual has its basis in folklore. There are various long and short versions of this story, but here’s the short version. One day a woman, devotee of Bhagavan, leaves her infant child asleep in its cradle to get water from the village well, in the care of a pet mongoose. As she returns home, she sees the mongoose all covered in blood. She assumes the mongoose killed her son so in anger, she throws the pot full of water at the mongoose which kills him. As she enters her house, she discovers a dead snake near her safe and sound infant, still asleep like an angel. She realises that the mongoose fought with the snake to protect her child and deeply regrets her actions. From that day onwards, she starts worshiping ‘norio’, and lo and behold, we have the Nori Nom festival. Importantly, faith and devotion in Bhagavan, will provide you protection.

Childless couples also celebrate Nori Nom as a vrat. It is said that if they fast all day, break the fast with the Nori Nom pooja and eat the Vardu as prashad, they will be blessed with a child. Nori Nom also coincides in India with the annual harvest of kathol (beans), so another reason to offer a prayer to norio is to ask for his help to protect the harvest from rats.

To celebrate this day, delicious food will be freshly prepared by our Rasoi Team. Mug nu Vardu is rather special, made from traditional recipe, with nine varieties of sprouted beans and ‘lots of love’. Vardu is served with Juwar no Rotlo and all the trimmings!

Come and enjoy the day at BPM with family and friends with a seat down meal!

Booking in advance essential:

• YOU MUST BOOK IN ADVANCE if you are attending this event
• This helps us to plan for seating & catering – for both seat down and take-away meals
• BOOKING can be made in advance by PHONE, WHATSAPP or completing the BOOKING FORM below
• Tiffin take-away order DEADLINE: by WEDNESDAY 23rd JULY. Orders will NOT be accepted after this date.
• We will NOT TAKE ANY Tiffin booking on the day of event

Entrance fee:

• £4.50 per person (inclusive of sit down meal at BPM)
• £5.50 for pre-ordered Take Away plastic container Tiffin 

Payment options:

• We can take cash on the day for entrance fee and pre-booked tiffin orders – both require booking in advance by phone, Whatsapp or completing the booking form below
• Or pay online using the bank details below

General running order:

• 11:00 – 2:30pm – Noriyadev Pooja
• 12:00 – 1:00pm – Gorni participants
• 12:00 – 2:00pm – Takeaway Tiffins
• 12:30 – 2:30pm – Sitting Meal

Sponsor:

• Sponsor this event
• Contact Ashwin Parmar via email: ashwin.parmar@bpmsamaj.org.uk OR call on 07712 787927