Young married women return to their parents’ home for a
brief respite from the duties and obligations of living in the husband's joint
family. Parents make much of their daughters at this time, and there are many
occasions for women-only sessions of vigorous singing and dancing.
In Maharashtra, married women and young girls of
marriageable age celebrate the festival of mangalagaur,
when vigorous dancing and singing late into the night is indulged in with great
abandon. Always there is an invocation through special worship of the emotional
affinity of women to Shiva’s consort Parvati, commonly known as Gauri or just
Gaur!
In the northern regions of Rajasthan, Punjab and
UP, rains commence in the month of Sawan (Shravan), with the celebration of the
festival of Teej on the third day of the bright half of month. It is also known
as the festival of swings, when young girls and women celebrate the cooling
rains with joyous singing in the rain, while perched on rope swings hanging
from treetops. This is the occasion to commemorate the union of Shiva-Parvati,
after the successful conclusion of latter’s penances to please Shiva so that he
would take her as wife.
So many festivals
It is also known as Rakhi
Purnima a festival to celebrate the bond of love between
brother and sister, celebrated with a beautiful ritual to reaffirm the sanctity
of this relationship. It underscores the traditionally enjoined duty on part of
the brother to offer protection to his sister at all times.
In traditional societies, where there is segragation
of the sexes in public, tying of the rakhi has always served as a legitimate
avenue of socialising between young unmarried boys and girls, under the pretext
of tying the sacred rakhi thread! Many a budding romance has blossomed with
this ruse, under the observant eyes of bemused elders!
Shravan Purnima brings an important ritual for the Brahmins.
This is called Rishi Tarpan or the Shravani ceremony.
On this day they change their holy thread called the janeyu or the yajnopavit,
amidst the chanting of mantras. The three threads of the janeyu represent
adherence to vedic culture, observance of Hindu traditions and service to
humanity. In some traditions it represents the three supreme goddesses of
intellect, Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati. Many in the yogic tradition consider
the thre e threads to represent the three major nadis, ida, pingala and
sushumna. After the ceremony, sweets made of coconut are served.
In the central plains of India, especially in Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, Shravan Purnima is called Kajri Purnima, a festival observed in the farming
communities. It is celebrated to seek the blessings of Goddess Bhagwati, for a
good crop of wheat and barley, the sowing for which commences after the fury of
rains has abated.
Narli Purnima
Fisherfolk in the coastal regions have bided their time
ashore during the early monsoon months that bring torrential rains and
overwhelming tidal fury, when it is suicidal to venture on the seas.
Shravan is the month marked by a play of light showers of
rain alternating with sunshine amid verdant greenery, of a promise of a
bountiful harvest and blooming flower and vegetable gardens. This Full Moon is
the occasion when the tempestuous Varuna, Lord of the Seas and Rains is
placated by devout offerings of coconuts to the Sea. The seas are calm and
non-threatening even if it rains through this season. Fishermen set out at sea
in freshly painted boats with fluttering new flags. Fisherwomen too set out in
processions, colourfully clad in all their finery, singing and dancing on the
beaches in honour of ‘Varunraja’, as King Varuna is lovingly called.
In Mumbai especially the occasion of the Shravan Full
Moon is marked by crowded beaches throughout the day and night, with families
together soaking in the atmosphere of piety and festival revelry after a good
few months of overly wet weather. Coconut barfi again, like in the Teej
festival of North India, is the sweet flavour of the season.
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