KATHMANDU: Hindu women across the country are observing Rishipanchami today, marking the conclusion of the Teej festival.
Rishipanchami is observed primarily by women who have reached reproductive age as a day of purification and devotion. Devotees fast and worship the Saptarishis—the seven revered sages in Hindu mythology—with the traditional belief that the rituals cleanse them of sins believed to have been incurred during menstruation.
As part of the rituals, devotees wake up early and bathe in nearby rivers, ponds, streams or lakes. They then cleanse their bodies using 365 stems of Apamarga, a medicinal plant, along with cow dung, sacred soil and ash.
The ritual fasting begins with a morning bath followed by prayers and worship. Devotees traditionally consume a single meal consisting of grains, wild fruits, kandamul (edible roots), vegetables and guava before continuing their fast.
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