Tharu Women Observe Jitiya Festival with 36-Hour Fast for Family Wellbeing

kathmandu | Tharu women in Nepal’s Terai region are currently observing the Jitiya festival with a 36-hour fast. This festival, primarily celebrated by the Maithil and indigenous Tharu communities, began on Tuesday. It is observed with the hope of ensuring the long life, prosperity, and wellbeing of their children.

According to Basudev Chaudhary, a Tharu priest, Jitiya is a significant festival in the Tharu community. He explains that mothers take the Jitiya vow to protect their children from untimely death and misfortune. This belief is rooted in a common saying, "You survived because your mother took the Jitiya vow."

Originally celebrated in the eastern Terai districts, Jitiya has now spread to Kathmandu in recent years. Much like Hindu women celebrate Teej, Tharu women observe Jitiya from the seventh day of the dark fortnight of Ashwin (Aswin Krishna Pratipada) to the ninth day. The festival fosters family harmony and is a time to share love and blessings. Traditionally, newlywed and married women, who have moved into their in-laws’ homes, return to their parental homes for family reunions during Jitiya.

The festival is also seen as a symbol of sibling love. Brothers invite their sisters to their maternal homes, treat them to special food, and send them back with gifts, including new clothes.

Legend has it that Jitiya is a challenging fast to keep, expressed in the popular Tharu saying: "Jitiya is difficult, mothers feed their children and fast with full plates before them." The festival is rooted in Hindu mythology, specifically the Bhavishya Purana, which describes how Lord Shiva informed Parvati that worshipping Jimutvahana would protect their children from premature death.

On the seventh day, known as 'Nahai Khay', women begin the festival with a ritual bath and offerings, marking the start of their fast. Wednesday, the eighth day, is when women will observe a strict 36-hour fast, consuming no food or water. During this time, they gather in groups to listen to stories about Jimutvahana and sing devotional songs. In various locations across Udayapur, grand Jitiya celebrations are being held, bringing communities together.

The festival concludes on the ninth day, with women breaking their fast after bathing and making offerings of beaten rice, curd, and sugar to their household deities. This marks the end of the sacred observance.

The ritual of 'Nahai Khay' on Tuesday also includes a special practice known as 'Telkhari', where women offer mustard oil and pith to Jimutvahana using a bottle gourd leaf. This oil is then applied to their heads as part of the ritual. In the Tharu tradition, on this day, women eat fish and millet bread, a practice known as 'Machhamaruwa'. Those who are vegetarian eat rice pudding made from newly harvested rice grains.

As part of the observance, no food or even saliva is swallowed during the fast, making it one of the most rigorous festivals. For the Maithil women, this festival is a crucial part of their culture, celebrated to ensure the long life and happiness of their children.