Dharmendra Jha
Myths play a very big role in the creation and continuity of culture. On the basis of the myths that represent the identity of civilization and social values, the entire Nepali society can be explored in a new way, but we have not yet started such an effort. Such myths, which are connected with the history of the associated region somewhere, are actually cultural heritage. One such myth prevalent in eastern and central Tarai-Madhesh of Nepal is the Jitiya Mahaparva.
The Jitiya festival is a very famous festival in the Mithila region.
However, the organization of this festival and its faith is not limited to the Mithila region of Nepal. In Nepal, women enthusiastically participate in this festival from Narayani East to Mechi in the Tarai-Madhesh region of Jhapa. This festival is organized with great importance among the Maithili, Bhojpuri and Tharu speaking communities living in this region.
All the above-mentioned language speakers claim that this festival is related to their culture, taking equal ownership. Regardless of the culture, the acceptance of this festival has increased in recent days and it has been found that it is celebrated in a large area. In recent times, this festival is gradually expanding as a great festival. As a proof of this, the present Nepali-speaking women can also participate in this festival. The devotees who pay reverence for this festival celebrate it with enthusiasm in the place where they live, no matter which geography they live in. On this basis, it is not unusual to say that this festival has also become a unique example of cultural inclusion in Nepal. Not only this, this festival is also celebrated with great reverence in India, which borders from Parsa to Jhapa.
This festival is called by different names in different places mentioned above. In this sequence, the words Jimutavahana and Jiutavahana are used as synonyms of Jitiya. Basically, on the day of Ashwin Shukla Ashtami, devout women celebrate this festival by fasting. Mothers fast in this festival, which is celebrated with the aim of the health, longevity and overall well-being of the children. This time, under this festival, women are fasting on the coming Saturday (September 17).
In terms of worship, this festival is considered more special than the Chhath festival. This festival, which is celebrated for three days by completing various procedures, the devotees have to complete the fast by maintaining strict discipline for about three days. The process of the first day is called Nahay Khay. This time, under this process, which will be held on Friday (September 16), the devotees take a vow to take a bath and wash and fast after being pure. On the day of Saptami, the Jimutavahana deity is invoked by worshiping in the evening. On this day, the fun tradition of Othgan in the morning (before the date change) is also maintained. Similarly, on the day of Saptami, there is also a tradition of consuming millet and fish dishes as part of the belief that one is mentally and physically prepared for fasting by eating strong and nutritious food. This is called fish-millet (millet). Organized with the wish of progeny and welfare, this festival also expects the continuity of the associated lineage and bamboo leaves are used as a symbol of the lineage.
If this festival is analyzed in a meticulous way, then it can be considered that this festival also gives importance to environmental protection. Along with the use of bamboo leaves in this festival, the banyan tree is also very important. Similarly, worship is performed in places where there is a source of water, such as ponds, ponds, and rivers. Naturally, attention is paid to the sanctity of the place of worship and in this name, efforts are made to clean and protect such places of worship and pass on the awareness about it to the future generation.
As mentioned above, this festival is the worship of Jimut or Jiyutavahana who is believed to be Lord Mahadev. On the day of Ashtami, the devotees start the festival with a ritual of purification. On Ashtami Tithi, fasting is done without food and at the beginning of Navami Tithi, the fast is immersed or concluded. Sometimes, when the period of Ashtami Tithi is extended, the period of fasting also gets extended. Experts say that this is not the case this time.
There is no exact information about when this festival started being celebrated. There are many myths about this festival, which is accepted in the society as an important ritual of cultural worship. According to the mythological beliefs prevalent in the Mithila region, there were once two sisters named Shilavati and Karpuravati in Mithila. The sister-in-law was Karpuravati queen and sister Shilavati’s husband was a nobleman in the court of the same queen. The sister not only competed with the sister but also used to maintain unbridled enmity. The sister had seven sons but the sister did not have sons. The sister could not bear this. In her eyes, the seven brothers of the sister were like the sons of Kasinger.
Once upon a time, the sister was fasting to the deity Jitiya i. e. Jimutavahana (a form of Shiva) for the welfare and longevity of her sons. The sister conspired. She kidnapped her sister’s seven brothers and sons, cut off the heads of all seven of them, and at the end of the fast, she kept each head in a basket (a large plate-shaped material made of bamboo sticks) and covered it with a red cloth and sent it to her sister as a koseli. Not knowing what was in those baskets received from her sister-in-law, the sister kept them carefully in the puja room and she got busy with other rituals of worship. On the other hand, the sister was sitting with her ears in front of her sister’s house. She was anxiously waiting for the sound of her sister’s crying. Meanwhile, her sister was involved in the puja. At the end of the puja, the sister picked up the red cloth from the basket she received from her sister. But surprisingly, there were coconut balls and not the heads of the sons. In a moment, all the seven brothers and sons came and bowed to their mother. The sons narrated Sanima’s misdeeds to their mother. Even after a long time, when the cry was not heard from the sister’s courtyard, the sister herself came to the sister’s courtyard. When she came there, she was shocked to see all the seven brothers and sons of her sister. Now it was her turn to cry. She had great remorse for her actions. She apologized to her sister. The sister forgave her sister by telling her the story of her previous birth. The sister took the offerings of the puja and died there.
According to the myth, in the previous birth, Sheela was an eagle and a camphor jackal. Both were very good friends. In the previous birth, both of them had organized the Jitiya festival together, but the fox could not complete the fast. She had said that she broke the fast in the middle and lied to the eagle and completed the festival. That is why it is believed that Karpura could not be benefited in this birth and did not have children. After this incident, the importance of this festival has increased in Mithila and it is believed that the women of every house observe the Jitiya fast.
It was also mentioned above that in today’s time, this festival is not limited to a particular culture and geography. Gradually, this festival and its importance are spreading. On this day, this festival is celebrated grandly from Ashwin Krishna Saptami to Navami in the Bhojpuri and Tharu culture of Mithila culture as well as in the Bhojpuri and Eastern cultures of Central and Eastern Nepal. Women who have children fast for the welfare of their children and those who do not have children fast for the desire to have children. This festival is completely related to family welfare. In this festival, on the one hand, there is an attempt to spread the message of living together with each other and maintaining social harmony and trust. This is also the importance of the mythological story mentioned above.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्
