Jitiya Festival celebrated with much fanfare

By Our Correspondent,Barahakshetra, Sept. 26: Jitiya Festival, celebrated by women from the Tarai region, was observed with much fanfare, worshipping Lord Jitvahan on Wednesday.  

Every year, on the Ashtami of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashwin, women in the Tarai celebrate the Jitiya festival. 

The festival, which falls during the Pitri Paksha, is celebrated in different ways by different communities according to their traditions.

Women observe a fast starting 24 hours in advance, worshipping Lord Jitvahan with prayers for the well-being, peace and longevity of their husbands and children. They observe a fast in devotion to Lord Jitvahan, praying for the overall development and prosperity of their children.

A local, Vibhishana Kabirath from Barahakshetra, Prakashpur,  said that the festival is celebrated for three days, in the Saptami, Ashtami, and Nawami tithis of the Krishna Paksha in Ashwin, with devotional songs, hymns and storytelling in addition to fasting.

Before beginning the fast, women take a ritual bath in rivers, ponds, or lakes and offer curd and flattened rice on gourd leaves, praying for the long life of their children while remembering their departed ancestors.

 The fast starts on the morning of the Asthami of Ashwin at 4 am, and after a day-long waterless fast, it concludes with the worship of Lord Jitvahan at 10 am the next day, as informed by resident Raichan Chandravanshi.

 According to him, idols of Lord Jitvahan have been installed in various public places and temples in the Barahakshetra Municipality of Sunsari, where communal worship is being held.

In the Kali Temple of Barahakshetra-9, women from the Chandravanshi and Kabirath communities have celebrated Jitiya by collectively worshipping Lord Jitvahan. 

Similarly, the Tharu Welfare Society celebrated the occasion in Wards, 4 and 9 of Barahakshetra Municipality with cultural programmes and traditional displays. On the premises of Ram-Janaki Temple in Prakashpur Bazaar, women from the Rauniyar community, along with those from other communities, worshipped Lord Jitvahan for the prosperity and happiness of their families.

Until a few years ago, the Tarai women used to perform the rituals at their homes, but in recent years, they have started observing the fast and worshipping collectively by installing idols of Lord Jitvahan.