Rishi Panchami, a festival celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra, was observed by Nepali women today with the ritual worship of Arundhati and the seven revered sages, known as Saptarishi.
In the early morning, women across the country participated in traditional rituals by bathing in nearby rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. They brushed their teeth with 365 stems of Datiwan, applied cow dung, mud, and ash to purify their bodies, and performed ceremonial baths. Popular riverbanks like Bagmati, Manohara, and Rudramati were filled with women carrying out these rituals, as the waters in these areas are considered clean enough for sacred bathing.
After completing the purification, women worshipped Arundhati alongside the sages Atri, Gautam, Bharadwaj, Jamadagni, Vashishtha, Kashyap, and Vishwamitra, in a ritual known as the Rishi Panchami Puja. The day is named after the practice of honoring the seven sages, or “Rishi,” hence called Rishi Panchami.
Religious scholar Dr. Devmani Bhattarai explained that there is a long-held belief that worshipping the Saptarishi, including Arundhati, on this day frees individuals from sins, making this a scientifically significant festival.
As part of the Rishi Panchami fasting, women consumed a single meal of grains such as Sama, Kaguno, roots, and tubers after the ritual bath and puja. Temples dedicated to the sages, such as the Risheshwar Temple in Teku and Mulpani in Kathmandu, were filled with female devotees seeking blessings and observing the fast.
The Rishi Panchami celebration also marks the conclusion of the four-day-long Teej festival. This year’s Teej began last Thursday with the traditional ‘Dar’ feast. On the second day, women observed a fast on Bhadra Shukla Tritiya, offering prayers to Uma Maheshwar for family welfare. The third day, Bhadra Shukla Chaturthi, saw the conclusion of the Haritalika fast with prayers to Lord Ganesh.
The Teej festival officially ended today with the ritual baths, offerings, and worship of Arundhati and the Saptarishi.
