Jitiya Puja is a Hindu festival celebrated in various parts of India and Nepal. It is also known as Jivitputrika Vrat and is observed by mothers who want to pray for the long lives of their children. The festival is celebrated from the seventh to ninth lunar day of Krishna Paksh in Ashwin month. The Vrat is a Nirjala Vrat, where the fast is done without water as well as food for 24 hours. The Jivitputrika Puja is performed on the eighth day of Krishna Paksh in Ashwin month. The festival is celebrated mostly in Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
During the festival, women collect sand from the river in a bamboo basket in the early morning so that no one can see them and put eight types of seeds, such as rice, gram, corn, etc. They sing songs for eight days and dont eat onion, garlic, meat. In Nepal, Jitiya is an important festival of Nepali married women of Mithilanchal and Tharu woman of Eastern and Central Nepal. Jitiya vrata is performed for the wellbeing and long life of her sons. It is performed on Aswin Krishna Ashtmi usually during Pradosh time. Nepali women observe Nirjala fast (without water) on this day and break the fast next day on the end of Ashtami.
The festival has several legends surrounding it. One of them states that a female eagle and a female fox, who lived in a jungle near Narmada River, were friends. One day, they saw several women gather at the river to perform the puja and fasting and wanted to perform it themselves. They performed the puja and fasted for their children. However, the eagles child died due to a snake bite. The fox suggested that they pray to Lord Krishna to bring the child back to life. Krishna restored the life of the child with his divine powers, and the child was known as Jivitputra, later known as King Parikshit who carried on the legacy. Hence mothers pray on the day that Parikshit’s life was returned, to ensure their children’s well-being.
