Women mark 'Madhushravani' in Mithila region

By Laxmi Chaudhary,Janakpurdham,Aug,1: 'Madhushravani' is considered an important festival in the Mithila region. 

This festival has kept alive the cultures of the Mithila region. The unique festival of Madhushravani, a 13-day ritual, is observed by the newlywed women. It teaches the way of life for married women. 

This year, this festival started on July 26 (Friday) and will conclude on August 7 (Wednesday).  

Madhushravani festival is celebrated for 13 days from Saun Krishna Paksha Panchami to Saun Shukla Paksha to Tritiya. 

The festival has brought joy to the Mithila region, including Janakpurdham. 

Every day, the newly married women pick up various flowers and leaves, which is known as ‘Phool Lodhi’. There is a tradition of worshipping by singing songs in the temple after keeping the lowers beautifully in a bamboo basket. 

To make married life happy and wish for the long life of their husband, they perform a special worship of Gauri. The main purpose of this festival is to make married life pleasant and happy. 

Maithili litterateur Punam Jha said that women who know various stories of this festival play the role of teachers and systematically perform puja and tell the stories.

She said, "It is the culture of Mithila, it teaches them how to live at the husband’s home after their marriage, so this festival is important.”

On the first day of the festival, the newlyweds hear the story of Bishara's birth. The festival is started by worshipping five sisters Nagin to protect the husband as well as the family from snakebite.

Then, on the second day, the stories of Bihula, Bishara and Mangala-Gauri are heard and on the third day, the stories of the origin of the earth and the Samundra Manthan are narrated.

Likewise,  the stories of Sati, the mythological sweetheart of Mahadev, Ganga, Gauri's birth, Gauri's meditation and Gauri's marriage are told on other days.

Similarly, on the ninth day, the story of Gauri's mother Maina, on the tenth day the birth of Kartik and Ganesh, on the eleventh day, the marriage of Sandhya and the birth of Lily, their marriage, the story of Sukanya and the story of Bal-Basanta are told while the Gosauni story is told on the twelfth day, and the story of Ganesh told on the last day of the festival.

On the final day, there is a tradition to perform Temi (lighting the oil-fed lamp on the knees of the newly married woman). 

Nowadays, cold Temi is also used, so that women do not feel burned while performing the rituals.  

On the day of the Madhushravani festival, it is mandatory for newlyweds to perform worship with their husbands. 

After performing worship, the festival is formally completed after the elders of the family recite the mantra and give them blessings.