The Shree Swasthani Bratakatha, a popular month-long ritual of fasting and recitation of Swasthani script observed by the Hindus since Poush Full-moon day kicked off on Monday. The festival based on the Hindu mythology is observed from the full moon day of Poush to the next full moon day.
Going by the tradition, Nepalis, especially the Hindu women, observe the festival by worshiping Goddess Swasthani and observing fasting and reading out the holy story book-Swasthani -which mainly narrates the stories of those of Goddess Swasthani, God Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Swosthani literally, means one’s own place, or the original place of an individual, which symbolically means knowing the true Self or having Atma Gyana.
The Swosthani Brata Katha begins between a dialogue between Kumari ji and Agastya Muni, in which the story of creation of the Universe and the development of various worlds and creatures inhabiting the world including human beings are narrated in an interesting manner.
Devotees- married and unmarried alike- take a holy bath to begin with the ritual and wear clean clothes, trim nails and perform worship rituals in the morning thereafter reading out the stories and take austere meals in the afternoon throughout the month. Devotees also observe fasting and involve in extensive worships during the period to appease Goddess Swasthani described in the Skanda Purana, a holy text, as the Goddess having four-handed with Chakra, Trident, Lotus and Sword in each hand, as mentioned in the Hindu scripts.
It is believed that the married women who observe the fast would be blessed with longevity for their spouses while unmarried ones are bestowed with suitable marriage partners. Women wear red clothes and bangles during the one-month period, as it is believed that red colour brings them good luck.
The rituals associated with the Swasthani Katha takes place on the bank of rivers in various Hindu shrines across the country the main shrine being the Shalinadi situated in Shankhu, the north-east outskirt of the Kathmandu Valley. Devotees from various parts of the country have reached the banks of Shalinadi River, on the first day of the month-long festival on Monday and observe fasting, take a dip into the river and offer prayer to the Goddess.