Parashar's

Posted by Prabhat Ranjan on August 15, 2010 at 8:02 PM

edited version....

Over 4 crore people of this region are though not very rich andthey have to hunt livelihood mostly in other parts of India, but theirtraditional ties are very strong, they are contented and loving by nature, areGod-fearing and soft-spoken. Maithili is the main language but Bajjika andBhojpuri are also spoken. The qualitative picture of the region iswell-depicted by a Maithili poet:

"Pag-pag pokhar machh makhan

Saras bol muski mukh paan

Vidya vaibhav shanti pratik

Saras kshetra Mithilanchal theek."

(On every step you will find ponds of water. People are fond offish and makhana, produce of a water plant used in making tasty milky dish.They speak sweetly and like to chew 'paan' (betel leaf). Thus, Mithilanchalthat abounds in learning and is the symbol of peace is an enjoyable region.)

I agree with the poet because though festivals are celebrated in every part ofthe world and more lusciously in India,but people of Mithila celebrate from their hearts. Sitamarhi is an importantplace of this region and apart from this district town where Sita, the wife ofLord Rama, was born there is another important place in vicinity, i.e.Janakpur, where Lord Rama married Sita.

Diwali begins in the villages of this area with great festivity. Modernizationhas changed the way Diwali is celebrated in towns and cities where electriclights have devoured the traditional beauty of the earthen pots and excessiveuse of crackers and pollution-making fireworks has taken the place of customarynorms conducive to socialization. In towns, Diwali is a show of prosperity andLaxmi is the fondest goddess of the people. However, in the villages ofMithila, I hardly found anyone caring for Laxmi. Rather Hanuman, the godassociated with strength and wisdom, ruled the scene. Many days before Diwaliactually takes place, the villagers involve themselves in making 'Hanumanji kaJhanda', i.e. the flag of Hanuman. And this is not just a simple flag of abamboo with a red cloth on the tip. It rather resembles a blending of a mobiletemple and flag. Bamboo sticks and light wood or canes are carefully made intoframe-like pieces, colorful papers are pasted and shining metals and glassstudded on them to give the frames a beautiful, dazzling look, the image ofHanuman reposed in the lower main frame and then all the frames joined togetherin a vertical order so that it becomes a 'tower' as high as 25 meter. Thus,Hanumanji ka Jhanda is ready. On Diwali night, these 'jhandas' or flags aretaken out in a procession.

Such processions are taken out from all the villages of a cluster and they meetat a junction place, normally any famous temple of lord Hanuman in the cluster,where all the 'jhandas' are brought together a place. Drums beat, folk dancers- all men and women - go on their swing, reverberating slogans of "JaiHo" (may lord Hanuman be victorious) together with the sounds of dholaksand trumpets turn the whole atmosphere as if all were in a battle-field. Youthsbrandish their swords, participate in 'kushti' (dual fight), display theirstrength and skills in several ways, all join together and greet one anothercollectively with "Jai ho, jai ho" and then go back to theirrespective villages while 'Hanumanji ka Jhanda' will now rest at that sacredspot till next year.

The spirit of unity and collectivity, of bravery and gallantry is remarkableand one will be really fascinated that high and low, rich and poor, men andwomen all dance and sing together with utmost hilarity. When I came back fromthis joyous function and saw the whole village glimmering in the starry lightof 'deeyas' (earthen pots with ghee or oil burnt in Diwali nights) I could feelthe difference between the town and the village, between those who craved forLaxmi and those who loved Hanuman.

Two days after Diwali, Bhaidooj is celebrated. This is the festival symbolizinga sister's love for her brother and is also known as Bhratri Dwitiya andGovardhan Pooja. Rakshabandhan is all over known as festival of fraternal lovebut Bhaidooj is observed only in some parts of North Indiaand particularly in this North-Western Mithilanchal region. The association of'Hanumanji ka Jhanda' with Diwali is also a typical feature only of this areaand cannot be observed in any other part of India.While on Rakshabandhan, sisters tie a silky 'rakhi' on the wrist of theirbrothers and it is expected of brothers that they will safeguard their sisters,Bhaidooj is a festival when sisters pray for the strength and long life oftheir brothers. Instead of a silky 'rakhi', beads of raw cotton are tied on thebrother's wrist. Sisters ask their brothers to eat, apart from sweets, threesymbolic things: coconut, nut and a corn named 'vajri'. These are hard-shellededibles and especially 'vajri' is very hard to chew.

The implied meaning is that the sisters wish their brothers to be as strong asnut and like a 'vajra' (fatal mythological weapon of Indra, the god of rains).Unless brothers are strong how can they safeguard their sisters? So, Bhaidoojis, in fact, other part of the coin and a supplement to Rakshabandhan. On thissame day, Govardhan Pooja is also celebrated. This is an important festival forthe farmers perhaps associated with the joy of reaping sugarcane, wheat andother important crops of winter. However, a mythological link goes to the daysof Lord Krishna when He saved His friendly 'Gops' (milkmen) from the wrath ofIndra, the god of rains, and picked up the mountain of Govardhan like anovershadowing umbrella under which all the cows and milkmen assembled andrescued from the torrents of rain. This mythological story itself has a gravemeaning inside and similar stories, in different forms, are found in thescriptures of all the great religions.

For example, the story of Noah is well-known to Christians. The overall essenceis that those who seek shelter in the provisions of God are saved. Thus,Govardhan Pooja is also a symbolic submission to the will of God and, inpractical terms, the farmers express their happiness over the harvest they havereaped - be it sound or poor, they are content that God granted them what wastheir share. Cows and oxen, the closest friends of the farmers of Indianvillage, receive special attention on this day. Their horns are painted, colorsapplied to their bodies and generally they are given a break of rest on thisday as homage to their tireless labor.

Another significant celebration underlining the sisters' love for theirbrothers is "Shama-Chakeva". Starting some days after Diwali,Shama-Chakeva is rather a traditional game which lasts for over a fortnight.For a girl or women living in towns, this game perhaps will seem like a babies'game with dolls but I found it meaningful. In a village set-up, there are jointfamilies still surviving in most rural areas. And then there are neighboringfamilies. Girls and women relieved from their daily toils and routine work,gather in the evening and sit in a circle, light a lamp and sing songsremembering their brothers. They play with the images of Shama and Chakeva.Chakeva is the brother and the sister's name in the game is Khirlich. Shama isChakeva's elder brother's wife. A villain is also present named 'Chugla' whobackbites and tries to raise barrier between the pious love of the brother andthe sister but the reality is revealed and 'Chugla' gains nothing. As apunishment to 'Chugla', his long moustache is burnt with the burning lamp bitby bit. On the fifteenth day, his moustache would completely vanish leaving aburning mark and with this the traditional game of Shama-Chakeva is over.

The songs sung during this game reveal many truths and realities and underlinethe sisters' selfless love for the brothers. In the songs, they reveal theirgrief of separation as the brother is earning his livelihood in a remote partand does not come often to meet his sister, as the sister is tortured by thestep-mother and even exploited by the brother's wife and only her brother canunderstand her plight, as the sister is married and now going far, far awayfrom her brother and inviting him to come and meet her frequently. Their aresolemn, deep emotions in the songs of 'Shama-Chakeva' whose in-depthimplications can be understood only by those who are familiar with the Indianvillage set-up, situation of families, their problems and conflicts and, amidstall these, the holy bond of friendship and understanding between a brother anda sister.

On the sixth and seventh days of Diwali, there is a mega festival celebratedand this is not celebrated only in Mithilanchal but in the whole of Biharwith great honor and sense of sanctity and even in some parts of theneighboring state of Uttar Pradesh. This festival is known as"Chhath" (i.e. the sixth day festival). Chhath is an old festivaland, I feel, festival is a wrong word for it and undermines its sanctity. It isthe worship of Sun god. The worship of Sun is believed to be introduced in Indiaby a sect of Brahmins known as 'Mags' or Shakdweepis. Migrated from the ancientisland of Shakaat the invitation of Lord Krishna, the 'Mags' were the scholars of Ayurveda andbelieved in the material and spiritual power of the Sun as the source of allhealing. Chhath is celebrated in two parts: on the sixth day, homage is paid tothe evening sun. A proverb goes very well that everyone worships the risingSun, that is, everyone bows down before one who is gaining influence. Chhath isthe only festival or adoration in which the setting Sun is worshipped first. Onthe next day morning, homage is paid to the rising Sun. Winter starts in Indiaaround this time and rivers and ponds are clean and scenic. From every aspect,this is a very favorable season and quite conducive to cheerfulness. Men andwomen take the 'vrata' (vow) of Chhath, for three days they refrain fromanything supposed to be contrary to piety, they fast and eat only some fruits andon the day of worship they stand for hours in deep water facing the Sun andpraying and offering water to the Sun in adoration. As the water is cold inthis season, it is very difficult to stand for so many hours but Chhath demandssacrifice and one has to face these hardships radiantly and cheerfully. As forchildren, it is always a fun for them to watch their mothers baking sweet cakesand other palatable things and washing the fruits but they have to take heartas they cannot even touch anything until the offer is made to Sun god. What arethey? Even the parrots are afraid and they cannot partake from the fruitsbefore Chhath lest the Sun god will be angry. In a beautiful song of Chhath,the vower sings:

"Uje kelba phar le ghaud me o pe suga mandraye

Uje khabari janaibo Suruj se suga delo juthiaye

Uje marbau re sugba dhanush se sugga gire murjhaye".

(See the bananas fructified on the tree in a big bunch, aparrot is hovering over to partake of it. Refrain, O Parrot! or I will informabout this to the Sun God. He will shoot you with His bow and arrow and youwill fall down senseless). Such a deep sense of sanctity surrounds this highlysignificant worship.

And I was back on the eighth day. The train was packed again but my returnreservation was confirmed. The bogies were over-crowded but all were happy.Next year again .. their hopes were their companions.

Happy festivity !!