‘Athawali’ Celebrated Today as Main Day of Gaura Festival in Sudurpaschim

Kanchanpur: The main day of the Gaura festival, ‘Athawali’, is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across Sudurpaschim.

Athawali, also known as Ashtami, is considered the main day of the Gaura festival. On this day, after installing Gaura Maheshwar at the place where the festival is held, women observing the Bartalu tradition sing Athawali and worship Gaura with Biruda, said Ratnadevi Bhatta, a Bartalu from Bhimdatta Municipality-7, Kanchanpur.

According to her, Athawali recounts Gaura’s life story from her birth to her marriage and describes various events in her life.

“This festival has been continuing as part of tradition. We worship Gaura Maheshwar by observing a fast,” she said. “After the puja is completed, we worship the heads of family members with Biruda and give blessings.” She added that Bartalu women also wear Dubdhago on this day.

Dubo Dhaago is a woman’s yajna. It is made by weaving yellow and black threads into a red cotton thread. Dubo Dhaago has two layers, with its red, yellow and black colors considered symbols of Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali, respectively.

According to Bartalu Kaushila Bhatta, Parvati (Gauri), the consort of Lord Shiva and daughter of mountain king Himalaya and Menaka, has been worshipped as Gaura Devi since ancient times.

“The Gaura fast is observed only after observing the fast of Putrada Ekadashi. Then, from Bhadra Panchami, the rituals of Gaura begin by soaking the Biruda,” she said. “On Panchami, women mix meat, kalau, gahat, wheat and gurus and soak them in a copper vessel.” She said women sing Mangalik Phag while soaking the Biruda.

On Shashti, there is a tradition of going to the Nwala or a stream to wash the Biruda. On Saptami, Gaura Devi is brought into the Gaura house and worshipped in a special way. According to her, Gaura observed during the Shukla Paksha is called Uzyali Gaura, while Gaura observed during the Krishna Paksha is called Anyari Gaura.

Gaura is a festival particularly worshipped by women in the region. According to Jaimati Bhatta, married women traditionally wear Dubadhago as a sacrificial offering like men, following their ancestral tradition.

For two to three consecutive days after Athawali, women play Deuda Khel at temples of local deities, while men perform Dhusko, Dhamari, Chait and Deuda Khel with drums and mizura.

Dhusko, Dhamari and Chait, which are based on stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as stories of local deities and historical events, are performed in groups.

It is believed that worshipping Gaura, particularly for the husband and family members, brings health, longevity, happiness and prosperity to the family.

The festival, celebrated with special respect for women, carries religious, social, cultural, literary, mythological, historical and other diverse significance.