On the occasion of Rishi Panchami, a key festival celebrating Nepali women, crowds of women have gathered along the riverbanks of Bagmati, Vishnumati, Rudramati, and Manmati in Kathmandu for ritual bathing.
According to traditional customs, women are required to bathe in rivers, ponds, or other water bodies once a year on this day. Notably, the Bagmati River, especially the section above the Gokarna Barrage, is relatively clean. On Rishi Panchami, groups of women from the Gokarneshwor and Kageshwori Manohara municipalities are seen bathing along the approximately seven-kilometer stretch from Gokarna to Sundarijal. Thousands of women from these municipalities are participating in the ritual.
Women residing in the central parts of Kathmandu are using reserved public transportation to reach the river sources such as Bagmati, Vishnumati, Rudramati, and Manmati for their bath. Following the bath, women observe Rishi Panchami by performing worship and rituals to Arundhati and the seven sages (Sapta Rishi).
In the morning, women visit nearby rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes, performing rituals that include brushing teeth with Dattivana, and using cow dung, soil, and ash during their bath. Although the ritual of Haritalika (Teej) is traditionally observed by both men and women, Rishi Panchami rituals are exclusively performed by women, as noted by Prof. Dr. Ramchandra Gautam, former chairman of the Nepal Panchang Prakashan Committee and a scholar in religious scriptures.
The belief holds that performing Arundhati and Sapta Rishi worship on Rishi Panchami can absolve any impurities or mistakes made during menstruation. It is also believed that on the first day of menstruation, a woman is considered as Chandalni, on the second day as Brahmaghatini, on the third day as Dhobini, and on the fourth day, she becomes pure after bathing.
After the bath, women perform worship of Arundhati along with Atri, Gautam, Bharadwaj, Jamadagni, Vashistha, Kashyap, and Vishwamitra, which is collectively known as Rishi Panchami worship. The day of Panchami dedicated to the seven sages is referred to as Rishi Panchami.
Following the rituals, women partake in a simple meal consisting of barley, millet, root vegetables, and tubers, adhering to the fasting traditions of the day. Temples dedicated to Risheshwor, such as those in Teku and Mulpani, are seeing a large turnout of devoted female worshippers engaged in religious observances across the country.
