KATHMANDU, Sept 11: Two days after celebrating Teej, women of Nepal again throng the nearby water sources and Shiva Temple to observe Rishi Panchami on Panchang Tithi of Shukla Paksha in Bhadra according to the Hindu calendar. 

Women in Kathmandu and surrounding areas thronged to Salinadi of Sankhu from early morning Saturday before continuing the rituals of Rishi Panchami.

It falls on the fifth day of Shukla Pakshya in the Nepali month of Bhadra. It is a traditional festival to worship the Sapta Rishi or the seven sages. Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama Maharishi, Jamadagni and Vashishtha – were created by Lord Brahma, who is also known as ‘the creator of the universe’ in Hinduism, to help mankind and provide them education.

On this day too women observe fast and perform rituals which are considered to relieve a person from all the sins of his or her present or past life. Lord Brahma himself is the one who narrated the story of Rishi Panchami. 

According to him, there was a simple Brahmin named Uttank who used to live with his wife Sushila. Their daughter, who was a widow, also lived with them. One night, several ants covered the body of the daughter and the parents were astonished to see this. They became extremely worried and immediately called a sage, so that he could mend the situation.

The Rishi whom they called was a learned sage and he explained the reason behind the trouble. He made them aware of the sin that their daughter committed in her previous life. He told them that their daughter had entered the kitchen during her menstruation.

The rishi advised the daughter to perform certain rituals on the day of Rishi Panchami to purify her body and soul, so that this way, she would be relieved of the sin that she has committed. Following the instructions given by the sage, the daughter performed all the customs with absolute devotion. This set her soul free from the Dosha. Therefore, this little yet powerful story becomes a platform that explains the significance of Rishi Panchami. Rishi Panchami is the road to peace and sanctification of the soul, mind and body.

 
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