Kathmandu, January 12
The monthlong Swasthani ritual began on Thursday. The ritual, which involves reading of Swasthani Bratakatha at Hindu households and worship of Goddess Swasthani in the presence of family members and devotees, begins at the full moon of Push and ends a month later.
During the ritual, Hindus, especially women, observe a sort of penance for a month by bathing at the Sali River in Sankhu.
A day before starting the Swasthani Bratakatha (reading from the Kedar Section of Skanda Purana that covers a conversation session between Kumar, the elder son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and Sage Agatsya), devotees parry their nails, take a bath and put on sacred clothes. They take a bath in the morning and offer puja to Lord Mahadeva (Shiva) in the afternoon.
In the evening, people read out the Vratakatha and offer Prasada to the audience. Reading a chapter each day, they complete 31 chapters and conclude the ritual by paying obeisance to Goddess Swasthani.
As per scriptures, Satidevi, daughter of Dakshya Prajapati, observed this fast wishing to have Mahadeva as her husband. At the end of her monthlong festival, her wish came true, according to the rituals.
