February 14, 2025 11:22 am
February 14, 2025 11:22 am

Poush Shukla Purnima: One month Madhav Narayan fasting, Shali Nadi Fair begins

Shalinadi (Kathmandu), 13 January: A month-long rigorous Madhav Narayan fast has begun in the eastern part of the valley with the desire to fulfill one’s desires. A crowd of devotees and devotees has gathered in Shalinadi since morning. The Swasthani fast and Sankhu Shalinadi fair have begun today, according to the Shree Madhav Narayan Swasthani Fast and Shalinadi Improvement Committee. Shankharapur Municipal Corporation spokesperson Radhakrishna Shrestha informed RSS that preparations have been made to have more than 200 devotees, including women, men and seven priests, participate in the fair. It is said that the determination of the fast will be made by this afternoon.

“For four days, the devotees can take a bath at 5 am, then worship Ganesh, worship Mahadev and Parvati daily at noon, and in the evening, there will be a parikrama program from Salkhatol to Jyotirlingeshwar and Sankhu Bazaar with Sahasradhara,” he said. The devotees are required to take water from the main priest of Madhav Narayan in the evening, then they should not touch shoes, slippers and eat salt.

Rules of Madhav Narayan fasting

It is an ancient rule that for a month, a fasting person should not touch salt, fish, meat, spices, animals, shoes, socks, beggars, menstruating women, or people wearing shoes or slippers. A fasting person should not consume any beverages other than milk and water.

Fasting 

Historian Prakash Shrestha ‘Sakwa’, who is researching the Madhav Narayan fast, said that there is a rule to eat only milk, rice, ghee, knife, sugar, chiura, kerau, orange, lapsi, sugarcane, ginger, red radish and Patane spinach. “On the day of Bhima Ekadashi, the fast is observed twice. After the fast, there is a rule to eat only fruits including orange, sugarcane, yam, pindalu, milk, etc. If the food contains hair, barley, sesame, millet, corn, wheat, soybeans and things that are prohibited to eat during the fast, the food should be left out. For such a situation, one can keep chiura, knife, ghee etc. nearby and eat from another plate without getting up from where one is sitting,” he said.

A fasting person should not get up while eating. If they get up, other people who are eating with them should also stop eating. After getting up, they should not eat again.

What fasting people should not do

The fasting person should not ride a vehicle. Even when sick, they should not take medicine. They should not wear the clothes or bedding of relatives. They should not touch or use soap or other objects when bathing. They should not use toothpaste or mouthwash. The fasting person should not wear sandals, sit on a table or bed. They should end the fast by walking barefoot for a month.

foreign trip

The devotees begin their journey abroad from the Triodashi of Magh Krishna. On the first day, they must prostrate themselves from the Shalini River to the Vajrayogini Door. On the Chaturdashi of Magh Krishna, they go from Sankhu to Vajrayogini and Pashupati. The next day, they go from Pashupati to Pharping. The next day, they go from Pharping to Sankhu. This journey ends on the first day of Magh Shukla Pratipada.

From Magh Shukla Tritiya, people travel from Sankhu to Panauti and stay for one night. There is a tradition of returning from Panauti to Sankhu the next day. The festivals of Sri Panchami and Lagala Saptami are celebrated in Sankhu. There is also a tradition of feeding kheer (tasmi) to the devotees on Magh Shukla Navami, i.e. Drona Navami. On Magh Shukla Ekadashi, people travel from Sankhu to Changunarayan. There is a rule for foreign travel that one returns from Changu the next day to Sankhu.

Places to eat abroad

 

During a foreign trip, a place to eat is also specified. When going from Pashupati to Pharping, Sano Gaucharan, when coming from Pharping to Sankhu, Shankhamul, when coming from Panauti to Sankhu, Bhokhusima located in the middle of Banepa and Nala, and when coming from Changu to Sankhu, the place to eat is specified. During a foreign trip, the fasting person should take with them chiura, orange, knife, ghee, sugar, lapsi, red radish, ginger, etc. Jayaram Shrestha, a local of Sankhu, said that there is a tradition of eating if close relatives break their fast and boil milk and take it with them.

On the Chaturdashi of the first day of the month of Magh Shukla, the Ashwamedha Yajna, or fast, is performed on the full moon day. The day after the Ashwamedha Yajna, the devotees perform Magh Gaon (Miga Puja). There is a fasting rule that the devotees of Madhav Narayan should stay awake on the day of Shivaratri. Female devotees should wear red clothes and tika. There is a rule that male devotees should not wear red tika. Before daily worship, men should apply sandalwood tika.

It is described in the Puranas of Shiva, Skanda and others that Parvati observed this fast in the Satya Yuga on the advice of Lord Vishnu and obtained Mahadev as her husband. It is believed that the fast of Swasthani was started in all three worlds as per Parvati’s command. There is a story that Parvati sent sage Narada to Swargalok, Saptarshi to Matryalok, and Aswatthama to Patalok to explain the fast of Swasthani.

Those who fast in Sankhu say that they follow strict rules to fulfill their wishes and for the happiness and joy of their families. Parbati Kharel, who has reached Sankhu from Bhaktapur to celebrate the Madhav Narayan Mela, says that she has come here to fulfill her wishes. She is also accompanied by friends.

He said that they too have been following the rules as the wishes of those observing the fast are fulfilled. This fast has been observed every year from the full moon of Paush to the full moon of Magh, with the idol of Shri Madhav Narayan, the form of Lord Vishnu, as a witness.

Picture of Phatam B. Gurung

Phatam B. Gurung

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