Sitapur - Mishrikh-Naimish – Chaurasi (84) Kosiya Parikrama of Holi

Mishrikh-Naimish – 84 Kosiya Parikrama of Holi

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Sleepy Sitapur turns spectacular come Holi – the five days culminating in Holi are perhaps the most central days for Mishrit. The chaurasi kosi parikrama of Mishrikh attracts hundreds of thousands. In tune with the professed Sanatanism, the Yogi government tries to promote the pilgrimage, combining both the ideological and economic agenda. Apparently, it is now becoming fashionable for the state cabinet to meet in such venues, underscoring the twin agenda. Naturally, with lakhs, perhaps, millions turning up for this very rare and unique pilgrimage, it can definitely be a centre for pilgrim tourism. It is amazing to observe the faith and devotion (shraddha) - the uninterrupted flow of people – going for the circumambulance of 12 km around the township of Mishrikh (From mishrit – after ‘mixture’ of the teerth of all the sacred rivers, as a boon for Maharshi Dadhichi, who could be Puranic prototype ‘organ-donor’ for Indian Knowledge System, donating one’s bones to be transformed into divine weapons for the destruction of wicked powers affecting the [human] world). The full course of parikrama of 84 kosi of 252 kms (1 kos = 3 kms) is said to touch all the 15 centres touched by Lord Ram as he passed this region on his vanvas. The roads, the streets, the houses, the open spaces, the shop-floors, the schools, even private houses are kept open for the pilgrims so that they may complete the parikrama in the easiest manner possible. There are any number of pandals for the devotees to find shelter and bhandaras offering free food. The whole city is covered with tents (tamboos) – people pour in with the family and friends, and with the bare minimum requirements, pitching a tent with a taat (a polythene sheet, stitched from sacks), cooking food, and finding time for the parikrama. While the aam yaatri treads on foot, there are special parikramas on elephant or chariot. There are several Naga sannyasis taking part of the pilgrimage, perhaps, after their visit to the Kumbh mela at Prayagraj. The great gathering naturally extends as a big mela, with great and affordable shopping opportunities for the pilgrims, a dip in the sacred Dadhichi kund, all sorts of pravacans, a variety of cultural programmes – religious and secular, several rides of a typical amusement park, a circus.

The state highway 21 from Sitapur to Hardoi is blocked for all sorts of four-wheelers and public transport for the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage and the control of the crowd. So for Mishrit people, it implies a camping time with the milling crowds of the pilgrims from different parts of the country.

I noticed camps from Odissa and Delhi. Perhaps there are from other parts of the country as well. The most impressive camp is that of a modern-day high-profile guru, Anil Kumar Shastri of Shri Ved Vyas Dham Trust. It is a bit away from the crowd and their tamboos – more elegant, class. He is said to have hundreds of brahmacari followers, and is said to have accomplished the complete parikrama on a fabulous chariot.

Guided by my faculty colleague Mr Sandeep Kumar, it was an enriching experience - glimpse of a culturally rich Sitapur!

Pati aur Patni - Wow!! Karwa Chauth through SDG Lens

Oct. 20, 2024 Sunday

'Pati, patni aur woh' - is a popular Hindi movie of 2019 by Mudassar Aziz (Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar & Ananya Panday) which was a commercial hit and entertainer with fidelity in a marital relationship being the central theme.  The title had been very popular after the 1978 movie of the same name by  B.R. Chopra with Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha and Rajneeta Kaur in the lead roles. 

Today, on the day of Karva Chauth, reading about it in 'amar ujala' I was inspired to reflect on the pati-patni relationships, and with several of pati-patni of my own generation and those prior to me on the canvas, I cannot but say 'wow'! What commitment, what forbearance, and hopefully, great contentment and mutual enrichment!  I hope, the modern day believers who practice such religious traditions enlarge its scope to make it a celebration of mutual commitment, devotion and support in marital life, encouraging gender equality (SDG 5)for the well-being of families, the well-being of all.

Deva-daanav battles are a prominent feature of one of the dominant Hindu traditions. And the narrative is in favour of the Devas, invariably they are the protagonists; and the Danavs, the antagonists, even when some such fights are triggered off by the villainy of some of the Devs!  So the story is about such a fight and the Devs were losing.  They were desperate, approached Brhama, who finding no way out, suggested that if the consorts of all the Devas would fast and pray with a clean heart for the victory of their husbands, And they all did exactly that - and lo, the losing battle was won around the moon rise on the fourth day of the waning phase of Moon in Kaartik month (Krishna paksh Chaturthi). It is kept by all suhagins (those 'blessed' married women with their husbands alive - one of the very few uniquely Indian concepts of the Indian grand narrative, howsoever obscurantist that may sound; modern India has not contributed a single new concept to the world) fasting the whole day without even water till the moon rise, for the long life, health and all good fortune of the husbands.  The fast is broken by receiving water from the husband at moon rise. There is a tradition that considers an unbroken 12 to 16 years of this observance; or life-long. 

The story is replicated with Draupadi having kept the karva chauth fast leading to the victory of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata battle. 

The Internet provides other stories as well: Queen Veeravati, newly married,  kept a strict fast for her husband, but fainted on account of exhaustion, and her seven brothers, not able to bear her suffer, convinced her that the moon had risen and made her break the fast. No sooner had she done that she receives the news of the untimely death of her husband, and on her way to her husband, she is met with Lord Shiva and Parvati, from whom she gathers that the false breaking of the fast as the cause. She devotion is rewarded by Parvati bringing the prince back to life, still ailing. She finds her husband in a delicate condition with needles all over his body. She is said to have kept the fast of Chauth in each of the 12 months that followed her husband's revival, and she patiently picks out one needle a day, leaving just one for the next Karva Chauth.  When she had gone out for the karva puja, her maid removed the remaining needle, and gaining consciousness, mistakes her as his queen and the real queen as the maid.  Veeravati's genuineness finally wins the husband back and queenship is restored to him.

The other story is about Godess Karva whose husband was killed by a crocodile while bathing in river Thungabhadra.  She tied the crocodile to a tree using raw yarn with the strength of her chastity and dedication, and prayed to Yama for reviving her husband. Yama didn't dare to provoke her anger and brought him back to life, while sending the crocodile to the next world. It is the inspiration for Karva Chauth, where married women fast and pray to Goddess Karva for the wellbeing of their husbands,  offering arghya to the moon.  

I was happy to read Yogesh Kumar Goyal (Amar Ujala Oct. 20, 2024 p. 11) commenting that there are today enlightened husbands who join their wives - this appears healthy, in a practice otherwise reinforcing exploitative patriarchal values. Ideally, this should happen - fasting in an otherwise overconsuming culture is itself a good health practice. Combining it with prayers with a clean heart for the well-being of the life partner is doubly healthy.  If the entire Hindu fold observes this (with this intent the whole world should do that), avoiding all food and all cooking for a day, it can immensely enhance the well-being of the common home (vasudha - which indeed is considered the family, according to an Indian axiom).  Hence, for me, it is a celebration of SDG 3 - good health and well-being. 

The images I found of the feast generally project a fasting woman waiting for the moon to rise, at times, accompanied by her (caring) husband. However, I found a few pictures of women gathering around puja materials and food.  Though the celebration in itself appears to be the celebration of patriarchal values, at least for one day it is a woman's world for themselves - though centred around the husband figure. It appears to be their fellowship and their space, which are very often absent even in this modern world.  While I don't feel, we, in the South of India, are missing anything by not having Karwa Chauth, yet bearing this spirit, zindabad karwa chauth! 

https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/posts/karva-chauth-sacred-stories-behind-the-fasting-ritual

images: https://in.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=karva+chauth+-+images&fr=mcafee&type=E211IN885G91648&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.thequint.com%2Fthequint%2F2019-10%2F9b4233d0-b074-4475-a78a-ffe541128d5e%2FiStock_1180633448.jpg%3Fauto%3Dformat%252Ccompress#id=91&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdata1.ibtimes.co.in%2Fen%2Ffull%2F540135%2Fkarva-chauth-2014.jpg%3Fw%3D1200&action=click