Madhushravani
मधु श्रावणी
HinduMadhesi / Mithila
Dates
| 2083 BS | Date to be announced | Date to be announced |
| 2084 BS | Date to be announced | Date to be announced |
Madhushravani (Maithili: मधुश्रावणी) is a multi-day Hindu festival celebrated in the Mithila region by newly married Maithil women, particularly Maithil Brahmins. It is believed that Goddess Parvati observed the Madhushravani Puja's fast first and continued to have Lord Shiva as her husband in all her births. According to legend, this festival is like a penance. It is an ancient festival practised in the region by the newly married Maithil women.
The 15-day festival lasts from the Panchami of the Krishna Paksha until Tritiya of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Savan.
Observances
It is customary for brides to wear clothes and jewelry given by their in-laws. All the materials of the Madhushravani Puja arrive from in-laws one day before the Puja starts. Participants pluck flowers and worship idols of Bishari Mata, Nag Nagin, Kechua, Elephant, and Mother Gauri with various kinds of fruits, flowers, and sweets. and then listen to the story of Shiva Vivah. During the puja, the story is told in 14 sections, including Maina Panchami, Mangala Gauri, Prithvi Janma, Mahadev Katha, Gauri Tapasya, Shiva Vivah, Ganga Katha, Bihula Katha, and Bal Vasant Katha. Rural women sing Madhushravani songs. The streets resonate with melodious Maithili folk songs. On the seventh, eighth and ninth days of the Puja, khir is offered as prasad. Each evening, women try to please Shiva by singing Aarti, Suhag Geet and Kohbar. The women eat arava food once a day. The women offer milk and lava to the Nag Devta in the morning and evening. On the last day of the festival, the brides undergo a difficult test. The hands and feet of brides are cauterized with a cotton Temi by placing betel leaves on it and burning the Temi.
