Kathmandu, 1 February: The devotees who are observing a month-long rigorous fast of Madhav Narayan at Shalinadi in Sankhu are embarking on their second foreign trip from today.
Every year, from the third day of Magh Shukla, devotees of Madhav Narayan travel from Sankhu to Panauti, stay overnight, bathe at Trivenighat, and worship Madhav Narayan. After completing their daily rituals on Saturday morning, devotees are preparing to travel from Sankhu to Panauti via Bhaktapur and Banepa, informed Bikash Man Singh, Chairman of the Shri Madhav Narayan Swasthani Vrat and Shalinadi Improvement Committee.
The devotees of Madhav Narayan, who will reach Panauti this evening, take a bath at Trivenighat in Panauti on Sunday morning and perform special worship to Madhav Narayan there. After bathing and worshipping, the devotees take a circumambulation of the cultural city of Panauti on Sunday. On the fourth day of Magh Shukla, on Sunday, after completing the circumambulation of Panauti, the devotees have lunch at Bhokhushi, located between Banepa and Nala. After the Bhokhushi meal on Sunday afternoon, the devotees return to Sankhu. The devotees of Madhav Narayan celebrate the Shree Panchami and Lagala Saptami festivals in Sankhu.
There is also a tradition of feeding kheer (tasmi) to the devotees on the day of Magh Shukla Navami, i.e. Drona Navami. On the day of Magh Shukla Ekadashi, the third foreign trip is made from Sankhu to Changunarayan. The next day, there is a rule for the foreign trip to return from Changu to Sankhu. While traveling to Changu, there is a fasting rule that the devotees have their lunch after returning to Sankhu. This trip by the devotees of Madhav Narayan has been considered a foreign trip since ancient times, says Prakashman Shrestha Sakwa, a local who has been studying and researching the religious and cultural issues of Sankhu.
Earlier, devotees of Madhav Narayan have also made a pilgrimage to the Vajrayogini, Pashupati, and Sheshanarayan temples of Dakshinkali Municipality from Shalinadi on the afternoon of Magha Krishna Chaturdashi. The first pilgrimage is a two-night and three-day fast. The second pilgrimage is usually two days and one night. The third pilgrimage is also a two-day and one-night tradition since ancient times.
There is a fasting ritual that the devotees should bring along with them when traveling abroad, such as chiura, orange, knife, ghee, sugar, lapsi, red radish, ginger, etc. A local from Sankhu, Jayaram Shrestha, said that there is a food ritual that can be eaten if close relatives break their fast and boil milk. Volunteers are also accompanied by the devotees during the foreign trip. There is a fasting ritual that the devotees travel abroad barefoot. Volunteers help the devotees.
