I don't know whether Bipodtarini puja observed outside Bengal or not. Some Hindu Bengalis also not follow this. I have a question on this.
Question: In this puja who observe fast are have to eat 13 luchi( Puri) at a time and nothing else on the day. From where this ritual came?
I have compiled this answer after consulting two books that i have namely BenimAdhava's Bengali Panchanga' and a prayoga book called Brihat Visuddha Nitya Karma Puja Paddhati (this book has all the details of how to do the Vrata Puja & from the panchanga book's description of Vratas chapter i took the Vrata katha and other information).
Vipad means dangers, calamities. TArana from TrAna means to protect or to save. So, VipattArini is the Goddess who protects devotees from dangers and calamities.
Godddess VipattArini is actually Goddess DurgA. This can be confirmed from VipattArini Puja mantras as well as the Sankalpa mantra given below.
The main mantras used in the PujA are
Durge durge rakshani swAha or Hrim vipattArini durgA devyai namaha
and which prove that the Gooddess we are worshiping as VipattArini is Goddess Durga herself.
Also, the Avahana mantra viz:
Om hrim VipattArini durgA devi ihA gaccha ihA gaccha etc
proves the same.
The DhyAna Sloka used in the PujA also proves that it is Goddess DurgA's pujA.
KAlAbhrAbhAm... DhyAyedurgAm JayAkhyAm tidasaparivritAm sevitAm sevitAm siddhikAmyai.
Also, from the sankalpa mantras used in this vrata we find:
..... YAvAdvipannAshapurvak sasukhAvaidhavyakAmA SrivipattArini DurgApritikAmA..Sri VipattArini vrataham karshyAmi.
....
.. For destroying all the dangers and calamities that are looming large on me, for the increment in my happiness , for preventing widowhood (for women) , for pleasing Goddess DurgA, i am performing Sri VipattArini Vrata..
And, this sankalpa mantra also depicts the fruits that one achieves upon completing the vrata.
The vrata is to be done in the Hindu AshAda month (which ended just few days back) And, the day has to be either tuesday or saturday and it has to be on a day that falls between sukla tritiya to suklA navami tithi (sukla is bright phase of the moon) of the aforementioned month.
Ghata (kalas), mango leaves, coconut, one set of naivedyam, 13 types of flowers (the number 13 is important in this Vrata), 13 types of fruits each sliced into two halves, 13 types of whole fruits, 13 red mauli threads, 13 durvAs , 13 beetle leaves and 13 beetle nuts.
On the day before the vrata, day one should consume only
havishaya anna(vegetarian food without onion, garlic etc). On the vrata day after the completion of the puja, the vrata katha has to recited and listened to by sitting on an asana. After that is done, the fast must be broken while still sitting on the same asana. The foods that are recommended to be consumed to break the fast are fruits, sweetmeats, and/or luchi (puri). Thirteen knots are made in the the red mauli threads (with each knot carrying a durva ) and are then worn by the males on their right hand and females on their left.The Puja of Goddess Durga has to be done by appointed Brahmin priests following the prescribed rules like GhatasthApana etc. And, as per one's capability, charity and fees are to be duly given to the priests for successful completion of the vrata.
This story, which i have translated from Bengali, has to be listened before breaking the fast.
In ancient times, in the Vidarva kingdom, there was a king whose wife (the queen) was a great devotee of Mother Goddess and was a very faithful wife to her husband too.
The queen sincerely took the VipattArni vrata and completed it. At that time she also befriended a muchini (a low caste woman, the wife of a cobbler).
Almost regularly the queen used to gift the muchini with many eatables, fruits etc.
The muchini was terribly poor but upon receiving daily gifts from the queen, the desire of gifting something to the queen in return also grew big in her.
And, when she expressed her desire to the queen , the queen said "Okay i will demand it from you someday". But many days elapsed still the queen did not demand anything.
Finally, on one day, the queen said to the muchini " I have heard that you people cook a meat (that is forbidden for the Hindus to consume) very well. Why don't you bring some for me. Let me also see how good that meat actually is?"
The muchini was very happy thinking that finally she can gift something to the queen.
She, thus, cooked the forbidden meat with great care and brought it to the palace after having covered it with some cloth. The queen will obviously not taste the meat but will only see it ( this the muchini thought in her mind).
Although the muchini took great care to hide the meat but servants in the palace somehow still saw it and brought the incident to the king's notice.
The king was furious as a result and said to the queen " Show me what that muchini brought for you. If it is something forbidden (the king already heard what it was from his servants) then i will cut your head off (as a punishment).
The queen got pale in fear and started crying and praying to Goddess VipattArini Durga.
Unable to bear the devotee's pain and distress, Goddess came and whispered in the queen's ears " Dekhoge sob phool hoi gece" ( Go and see, all that [forbidden meat] has been converted to flowers.
The queen then brought those flowers and showed them to the king. The king reprimanded his servants and the queen's danger was thereby averted. Thus the greatness of VipattArini spread among the masses and the vrata became widely known.
Hope this helps.
