The annual Swasthani Brata Katha and Madhav Narayan Puja commenced today. This month-long religious observance begins every year on Poush Shuklapurnima and concludes on Magh Shuklapurnima.
With the initiation of the Swasthani and Madhav Narayan rituals, devotees thronged the Shali River in Sankhu, Kathmandu, early this morning for a ritual bath. According to religious beliefs, bathing in the Shali River and worshipping Madhav Narayan is said to bring spiritual merit.
The observance begins on Shukla Chaturdashi with devotees trimming their nails, taking a ritual bath, and wearing clean clothes. Devotees worship Lord Shiva in the afternoon after their morning bath. In the evening, there is a traditional practice of narrating and listening to the Swasthani Brata Katha, a story from the Kedara section of the Skanda Purana that recounts a dialogue between Kumar and Agastya about the significance of the Magh month.
