KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 16

The month-long Shree Swasthani Bratakatha dedicated to Hindu goddess Swasthani that kicked off on Poush Shuklapurnima concluded today.

The festival, a ritual of fasting and recitation of Swasthani script observed by Hindus, is usually observed from the full moon day of one month to the next full moon day. It falls from January to February.

According to the rituals, devotees broke their fasting this afternoon after conducting a puja. Professor Dev Mani Bhattarai, chief of Theology Department of Nepal Sanskrit University (Balmiki Campus), said the devotees would remain awake throughout the whole night and immerse the prasad and offerings in the holy rivers tomorrow.

According to tradition, Nepali Hindus observe the festival by worshipping Goddess Swasthani, fasting and reciting the holy story book, Swasthani, which mainly narrates the stories of Goddess Swasthani, God Shiva and other deities.

Devotees take holy bath to begin the ritual, wear clean clothes, trim nails and perform rituals in the morning reciting stories and taking austere meals in the afternoon throughout the month. Devotees also observe fasting and involve in extensive worship during the period to appease Goddess Swasthani.

It is believed that the married women who observe the fast will be blessed with longevity of their spouses, while unmarried ones are bestowed with suitable marriage partners.

Women wear red clothes and bangles for a whole month as it is believed that the colour red brings them good luck. The rituals associated with Swasthani Katha take place on the river banks in various Hindu shrines across the country, including Shalinadi in Sankhu, the north-east outskirts of Kathmandu valley.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.