Jivit Putrika' in Sanskrit, Jiyatiya in Hindi, and Terai Madhesi women in Nepal observe 'Jitiya' as an exciting festival celebrated for the happiness, joy, and progress of their children and it is celebrated as Jivit Putra Parva. Jivit means living and Putra means son or a generic connotation for children, be it son or daughter. Putra means son but not confined to male connotation, in general, Putra resembles to the reliable and responsible children, Jitiya is a celebration of wrata anticipating a responsible son and daughter and their wellbeing.
This festival is celebrated on Krishna Paksha on the eighth day of Ashwin. This festival is especially celebrated by mothers for their surviving sons. It has been a tradition for women to worship Lord 'Jeetmahan Gonsai' and fast for 24 hours without even drinking water.
First of all, today I start with a collection of stories based on the glory of Jitia:
Once upon a time, on the banks of the river Narmada, there was a village called Kanchanavati, which was ruled by King Malayaketu. On the west bank of the river was a desert called Valuhata, on the same bank was a winged tree inhabited by a female eagle, under which lived a female fox.
Eagle and fox became friends and one day, like other women in the village, they decided to observe the waterless fast of Lord Jeetmahan Gonsai, but coincidentally on the same day the dead son of a rich merchant was buried underneath their shelter tree.
Although the eagle maintains the fast like other women, the fox breaks the fast by not being able to suppress the strong desire to eat the carcass. In the next birth, both the eagle and the fox are born in the same house and as sisters in a Brahmin family.
Eagle is born as Shilvati and the fox is born as Kapurvati. Shilvati marries a man named Buddhisen and sister Kapurvati marries King Malayaketu. Shilvati has seven beautiful sons and Kapurvati's son is dead, so she is very sad and disappointed. Kapurvati is jealous of her sister, she conspires to kill the seven sons of Shilvati and telling the king to their head in a red cloth and send it to sister Shilvati. But when Lord Jeetmahan Gonsai finds out about this, he saves Shilvati's seven sons and immortalizes them by giving them nectar (Amrit). In this way, when the pot wrapped in red cloth reaches Shilvati's house, it turns into a gift full of fruits instead of human heads.
Unable to bear her sister's happiness, Kapurvati now arrives at her house and tells her everything. While saying this, Shilvati remembers the story of her previous birth where she observed the wrata as an eagle for the grace if Lord Jeetmahan Gonsai.
From this time onwards, it is believed that mothers started the tradition of fasting in Jitia festival for the protection of their children in a reverent manner of Lord Jeetmahan Gonsai.
This fast is a wonderful example of motherly love and motherhood, not just confined for any wealth or prosperity. On the first day of this festival, which is celebrated for three days from the seventh to the ninth of Ashwin Krishna Paksha side, it is customary to get up in the morning and take a bath in a nearby reservoir or river and offer mustard oil and 'khar'. Mothers only eat clean food on this day after bathing.
Jivitputrika's second day is 'Ashtami' and this day is also called 'Khar Din'. Khar is a type of grass and is found abundantly on the banks of the river in the Terai. It is used for various religious and social activities as well as to cover the roofs of houses in the villages. The third day is called Paran and food is eaten on this day. Sometimes mothers have to fast for three days without water especially when singular Tithi resembles for two days.
How the Tharu community celebrate Jitiya?
Similarly, Jitiya is taken with equal importance in the Tharu community. The women of Nawalparasi and Chitwan celebrate Jitiya with importance for three days, taking Jitiya as a victory. Lord Bishnu, Shiva, and Lord Surya are worshiped. Jitia festival is celebrated with traditional attires, music, and dance songs. The worship of nature is also an important part of the victory of the Tharu community. The dance performed by the Tharu community in Jitiya is called 'Zyamta'.
This community has a special song of the water deity sung in Brahmathan which is called 'Jatsari'. There is another traditional special song sung by Tharu women after cutting the branches of the people called 'Darkatoni'. All the songs and dances are performed under the open sky in Jitia festival. In the Tharu community, the branches of the peepal are cut and the rice plants are uprooted along with Peepal branches and kept in the middle of the village. The place thus prepared is called 'That'. In our multi-lingual and multi-cultural country of Nepal, the Jitia festival brings together people from many communities, languages , and cultures.
Especially the special dishes of this festival, which is very popular in the Mithilanchal of Nepal, are 'Jhor Bhat' i.e. Jhol means soup of vegetables and ordinary rice and 'Noniko Saag' and 'Maduwa' i.e. Kodo bread.
The taste of food may change with time and in the kitchen, but a mother's love for her child has been equally sacred and full of motherly sweetness for centuries. May all the children of the mother be protected, may all the children love the mother, may Jitia's offerings and blessings help to make the entire Nepali society strong and strong in cooperation, Jitia's best wishes!
World Suicide Prevention Day 2020
Observed on September 10th, every year, World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.
I fundamentally focus on two things today,
Suicide is preventable
Having faith in breathe
World Health Organization facts:
-Close to 800 000 people die by suicide every year. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts.
-Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts families, friends, colleagues, communities, and societies.
-Suicides are preventable. Much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community, and national levels.
Ending self-due to physical, mental, behavioral, and social reasons is called suicide or suicide. Although people of any age commit suicide, the latest statistics show that suicides are especially prevalent among young people between the ages of 15 and 29. The number of suicides is high in Nepal as well, which is constantly coming from different parts of the country. Especially, after this CIVID pandemic, lockdown, business losses, and solitude is largely the suicide rate across the world, in Nepal above 2200 people have committed suicide in-between these 5 months of lockdown and closures.
Therefore, today, on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, the Nepal Psychiatric Association has been organizing a program to spread public awareness against the growing suicide by lighting candles at Maitighar Mandal Kathmandu. Due to COVID lockdown and social distancing organizing, this program is under question mark. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 800,000 people die each year worldwide due to suicide.
Many people believe that unable to bear the pain causes suicide. Life without pain and despair is less interesting and lowly challenging. Happiness and sorrow are two sides of life, one should always strive to grab even a marginal minute after being born as a human being. For some, mental health can be a cause of suicide. Mental health brings people to the point where they don't even realize they're going to ruin their own lives. Such people should be given special attention by their relatives and friends.
In a country like Nepal, economic problems are also the main cause of suicide. Many poor people have died due to the inability to repay the loan and the daily grind of loan providers. There are reports of Nepali who have gone abroad and committed suicide because they encounter absolute loneliness and humility there. People have decided to leave the world, sometimes after being betrayed by their girlfriends and sometimes after being humiliated in certain situations or context.
Whatever the reason, this life delivered by our mothers after suffering a lot of pain in her womb for 9 months is not to commit suicide. Recurring suicide news makes the audience sad, makes the acquaintance cry, and even gives a wound to the relative which can never be healed.
The thought of suicide is a benevolent thought within oneself. Taking every joy and tears of life positively, this thought will never prevail. As long as there is breath, every suffering can be erased, even unsuccessful people can get a second chance at any turn. We all are precious, life is not a competition, and being alive is the biggest victory and supreme possibility to pursue our dreams, isn't it?
Have faith in the breath
Asthami Shradhaa
With the commencement of the Sorha Saddha may all the godlike Pitri in the Pitri realm between heaven and earth obtain salvation, may all the Pitri cross the Baitarni River, and may the ancestral love be maintained.
May the blessings of the ancestors be maintained, May goodness and good wishes are maintained, and we are the remnants of the ancestors in today's form, aren't we? Tarpan, Diyo Puja, Vishwedeva Brahman, and other pujas can be performed before the appointed time. There is a belief that if the Pinda is not donated at this time, the Pitris will not get it. Sanatana Philosophy largely acknowledges the importance of Pitri in the existence of life and the universe.
In Vedic Sanatan Sanskrit, Pitrikarma i.e. shraddha is usually performed twice, regular shraddha is performed on the tithi of death and another shraddha is performed during the period of Sorha shraddhas. May peace and happiness prevail in every family with the commencement of this year's Sorha Shraddha
Stretching from Purnima to Amavasya of Bhadrapada, this Pitri Paksha has its peculiar importance. Nepal's most downloaded mobile application "Hamro Patro" redefines you and simplifies the cultural, scientific, and social importance of every event and on this convoy, let me elaborate this Asthami Shradhha for you.
Asthami is the eighth day of the lunar month. This is the day that is highly considered to perform Shradh of those who passed away on the Asthami tithi of any month.
During these 16 days of Tithis, Hindu Sanatana followers perform the Shradhaa karma of their ancestors on the respective Tithis of their demise, irrespective of the month or Sukla or Krishna Paksha. This day is important for performing Shradhha or Tarpan of the ancestors who died on this Tithi. Blessings of ancestors who visit their descendants during this period of Sorha Shradhaa is highly anticipated and acknowledged. This year came with COVID adversities, circumstances are unusual but strong hope of returning to normal is further strengthened.
Meaningful wishes.
Suyog Dhakal
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