what is jitiya vrat

Jitiya Vrat is a Hindu festival celebrated by mothers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and other parts of India. It is also known as Jivitputrika Vrat. The festival is observed for three days, from the seventh to ninth lunar day of Krishna-Paksha in Ashwin month. The festival is celebrated to pray for the well-being and long life of their sons. Women observe a fast on this day, which is usually Nirjala fast (without water) and break the fast on the end of Ashtami. Sometimes, when Ashtami begins in the afternoon, women may have to fast for two days. 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. The festival of Jitiya Jivitputrika Vrat will be celebrated from October 6 to October 8 in 2023.