दत्तात्रेय जयंती · દત્તાત્રેય જયંતી
Birth anniversary of Lord Dattatreya, the combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Especially revered in Maharashtra.
Dattatreya, born to the sage Atri and Anasuya, embodies Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva together, usually shown with three heads, six arms, four dogs and a cow. Anasuya's chastity was tested by the three gods themselves, who came as beggars demanding to be fed unclothed; she reduced them to infants and fed them, and they were reborn as her son.
A seven-day Gurucharitra parayana leading up to it. Temple worship, bhajan, and pilgrimage to the Datta shrines. Fasting until moonrise.
Sattvik food, and sunthawada in Maharashtra. Sweets distributed after the evening aarti.
Strongest in Maharashtra and northern Karnataka, where the Datta sampradaya is large, Ganagapur, Narsobawadi and Audumbar are the principal shrines. Also observed in Gujarat and Andhra. Relatively unknown in North India.
