Context:
At least 46 people, including 37 children, drowned while taking holy dip in rivers and ponds in several Bihar districts during the ‘Jivitputrika’ festival, officials said recently.
Relevance:
GS I: Festivals
About Jivitputrika Festival
- Jivitputrika (Jitiya Vrat) is a Hindu festival predominantly celebrated in the northern and eastern regions of India, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and parts of Nepal.
- It is a festival where mothers observe fasting to pray for the health, longevity, and prosperity of their children.
- The festival spans three days, with the key ritual being a strict ‘nirjala’ fast, meaning that no water is consumed throughout the fast.
- The fast is a display of a mother’s devotion and love, done with the belief that it will bring divine blessings upon her children.
- The festival has its origins in Hindu mythology, specifically commemorating the story of King Jimutavahana, who sacrificed himself for the welfare of others.
- The festival begins with the ritual called Nahai-Khai, where mothers take a purifying bath and have a nourishing meal.
- The second day is marked by the intense fasting ritual, and the festival concludes on the third day with Paaran, where the fast is broken with a meal.
-Source: Indian Express
