August 23, Kohalpur, Rishi Panchami, celebrated on the day of Bhadra Shukla Panchami, is being celebrated by Nepali women today by worshiping the seven sages including Arundhati.
The women get up this morning and go to the nearby rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. They brush their teeth with 365 Dattivans (stem of a plant) and bath with cow dung, mud, and ashes.
Although fasting and worship of Haritalika (Teej) is a scriptural practice performed by both men and women, Rishi Panchami Karma should be performed only for women, according to a classical description of Nepal Panchang Nirnayak Samiti Chairman and theologian Pvt. Dr. Ram Chandra Gautam informed.
There is a religious belief that worshiping Atri, Gautam, Bhardwaj, Jamadagni, Vashishta, Kashyapa and Vishwamitra along with Arundhati on the day of Rishi Panchami can get rid of any defect including menstruation.
On the day of Rishi Panchami, a large number of women devotees have been flocking to the Risheshwar temples across the country, including Teku and Mulpani in Kathmandu, for worship.
Call not to bathe in rivers including Bagmati
The Metropolitan Police Circle Boudha has baned to bath in rivers, lakes, ponds and other places during the Rishi Panchami festival due to the coronavirus epidemic.
On the occasion of Rishi Panchami, a group of women from Gokarneshwor and Kageshwari Manohara municipalities used to bath in the upper part of Gokarna Barrage where Bagmati is relatively clean.
Thousands of women from the two municipalities on the left and right side of the river, about seven kilometers from Gokarna to Sundarijal, used to bath in Rishi Panchami.
The Gokarneshwar Mahadev Temple was not allowed to be crowded on the day of Gokarne Aunshi.
He said that arrangements have been made to keep the police on the banks of Bagmati, Manohara and other rivers since this morning. According to the Bouddh police, the group’s bathing in the river could spread the corona infection.
