Jitiya festival concludes

By Our Correspondent,Janakpur, Sept. 16: Women from the Madhesi and Tharu communities celebrated the religious and cultural Jitiya festival, praying for the well-being, longevity, and prosperity of their children in the Mithila region on Monday.

The festival, which began on Saturday with the ‘Nahay-Khay’ ritual, concluded on Monday morning, celebrating the ‘Paran’ ceremony.

During this festival, women observe a strict fast, praying for their children’s long life and happiness. 

On Monday morning, the devotees prepared various dishes such as taruwa (fried vegetables), rice pudding, sesame sweets, and papad, offering them to Lord Jitmahan to break their fast.

On this occasion, women cleaned their homes and courtyards, bathed in rivers, ponds, or wells, and began the worship by offering items like khalhi (a kind of oil), mustard oil, vermilion, ghirau leaves, holy basil leaves, and incense.

During the festival, devotees traditionally worship Lord Jitbahan by offering prasada, sponge gourd leaves in the evening. 

Before sunrise, they begin the fast with a special meal called ‘Otagan’, consisting of curd, beaten rice, sweets, and other special dishes shared with family members.

The fast is considered formally complete the next day with the Paran ceremony, after consuming tulsi leaves along with food.

 In Janakpurdham and other towns and villages of the eastern Terai, women celebrated this festival joyfully, praying for the longevity of their children and the welfare of their families.

According to a legend associated with the Jitiya festival, during the Dwapar Yug, at the time of the Mahabharata war, Draupadi was devastated by the loss of her sons, who were killed by Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya. 

She went with her friends to Rishi Dayumya to express her grief.

 The sage advised her that worshipping Lord Jitbahan, a truthful man who had received boons from Lord Bishnu through penance during the Satya Yuga, would protect children from untimely death and ensure their health and longevity.

 Following this advice, the tradition of worshipping Lord Jitbahan and observing the fast started and has continued among the Terai communities to this day.