Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

The vivid cultures of Nepal are an invaluable resource, one that Nepalese are trying to conserve. One of the festivals, Shree Swasthani Brata Kathaa is among these. This year the month-long notification of stories of Lord Siva and lots of different Gods and Goddesses focusing on the Goddess Swasthani was launched on January 25 and would be to complete on the afternoon of February 23.

At its heart, the Swasthani Brata Katha is an anthology of mythical Tales narrated by Lord Kumar, the elder son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, a saint, to Agastya Muni.  A popular ritual among Hindus, the recitation of Swasthani Brata Katha, which is devoted to Goddess Swasthani, begins from Poush Shukla Purnima (the full moon day in mid-January) and continues for a month until Magh Shukla Purnima (the complete moon day at mid-February).  Daily fasts and recitation of stories that were mythological mark the month-long celebrations.

Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

The Swasthani Katha publication has 31 chapters dealing with how one Goma Brahmani reunites with her son Nawaraj, who becomes the king of Lavanya, as a result of the fasts of Goma.  The stories are mainly about devotees, who commit sins from ignorance but are redeemed by the grace of Goddess Swasthani.  There is also the narrative of the goddess Parvati, who observes the Swasthani rituals expecting to get Lord Shiva as her husband.  In fact, the story of Parvati is the main focus of the first few chapters. A couple chapters are about the sufferings endured by Lord Shiva's first wife Sati Devi and Shree Swasthani delivers her.  It is thought that Goddess Swasthani assisted Goddess Sati to overcome her troubles following the latter, upon hearing about her husband, Lord Shiva immolates herself in Dakhsya Prajapati's Yagya. 

Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

The stories may be viewed as a kind of prayer. A girls worship Goddess Swasthani for good husband during this festival.  Married women quickly (observe Brata) for the well-being of the partners while unmarried women aspire to get good husbands by fasting.  Since the color red is believed to bring good fortune, Ladies wear bangles and red clothes during the month.  The devotees take a holy bath in the morning, wear clothing, trim nails, and eat a meal once a day after reading segments of this book. The rituals associated with the Swasthani Katha happen on river banks in various Hindu shrines.  A river in Sankhu on the northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, Sali-Nadi, is said in the Swasthani Barta Katha and is thought to be a place to go to throughout the entire month.  Thousands of devotees flock to worship Goddess Swasthani to the Sali-Nadi river, every year.

Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

"We have learned that if we recite the story and fast, our fantasies will come true and we will find a fantastic life "Swasthani Katha concludes by offering 108 holy threads, 108 Selrotis, 108 fruits, flowers, sandalwood, clothes, money, and sindur (red vermillion powder) into Goddess Swasthani.  But when a girl celebrating the fast doesn't have a husband or a kid, she should release the offerings around the river. On the one hand, Goddess Swasthani is introduced as a source of power for many gods and other creatures equally.  On the flip side, the story shows a frequent woman, Goma, being murdered and condemned for not complying with social standards "In the narrative, Dhungana told when she's only seven APEX, Goma is condemned to wed a 70-year old guy.  "Such practice is still being reproduced through the Swasthani Brata Katha, in addition to other rituals like the Garud Puran and Kul Devata Pooja," he laments.  However, Dhungana also acknowledges that Swasthani Brata Katha has "improved the literacy skills of many Nepali women" by providing them with an opportunity to read a text regularly for a whole month. "We ought to query the unacceptable and unequal power relations between men like Shiva and girls like Goma, Parvati, and Brinda (Jalandhar's wife)."Questioning injustice does not mean we are against our religion, he points out.  "Should our society still appreciate the action of Bishnu after he rapes Brinda in her home?  Can Brinda deserve a punishment that is heinous like rape because of her husband's misdeeds?  It's ironic but we stay silent when Lord Bishnu rapes Brinda".

Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

Shree Swasthini Barta Katha is not a single story. It includes various tales to elaborate on how great people overcome their troubles with goddess boon. All these stories are of Sawsthani Devi God Shiva along with other gods. It is thought that Mata Sati overcame from her troubles following burning herself at Dakhsya Prajapati's (her dad)  Yagya, after her father-insulted Lord Shiva with the help of Swasthani. And, with all the energy, the Swasthani Brata Kathaa Mata Sati triumph over Mahadev as a husband again and reincarnate as Mata Parvati.

Swasthani Brata Kathaa in Nepal 2020

This Brata thought of as a convention since the Swasthani Katha takes place in the bank of rivers from Hindu shrines. Though individuals Throughout the Nation worship Swasthani and listen, Brata Katha, Salinadi That's described in the Brata Katha located in Madhavnarayan as well as Kathmandu and worship goddess Shree Swasthani Goma Brahmani, Chandrawati is visited by people.

To mark this Swasthani Katha, girls take Bratha (vow of fasting) for the well-being of their husbands, or so as to acquire a fantastic moral husband, to get a month-long. They wear red, which will be an indication of good luck for Nepalese women. Family members gather in a space in the morning or day amid chanting of hymns out of Shree Swasthani Brata Katha scripture recording divine feats of Swasthani Devi. Innumerable episodes, a breakdown in chapters, depicting the devotees' sufferings, and redemption, in a state of salvation, is read with the guru or the member that is elderly chanting the hymns. It's thought by just adhering to the rituals prescribed that anyone celebrating the ceremony per month accomplishes a state of innocence and solemnity and will have his/her wishes granted. On the concluding day of Bratha Katha, after the completion of this month, the ritual occurs. On that day on a copper plate, the symbol of Om Kar is to be painted along with a Sivalingam of sand is to be erected on it. Afterward, puja (worship) of this Sivalingam occurs.

In this way, this puja is done with listening to the stories of God and Goddess and taking fast believing that the wishes of people will be fulfilled after worshipping and listening to the Swasthani Brata Katha.

Jai Sambhu, Bhole-nath

Swasthani Puja