The Threechhathi festival, dedicated to the well-being and longevity of children, is being celebrated today in the western Terai region. Women in Bhairahawa and nearby areas such as Dhakdhai, Bethari, and Marchwar are observing this festival with fasting and religious rituals.
The festival, traditionally observed the day before Krishna Janmashtami begins with the worship of kush (sacred grass). Women gather at religious sites, carrying offerings on mahua leaves, which include mahua fruits, yogurt, and tinni rice. They collectively worship kush and then apply mahua fruit, yogurt, and tinni rice as sacred tika on their children, blessing them with longevity.
Throughout the day, the women listen to religious stories and prepare meals with tinni rice, which they eat together. The fast involves consuming natural fruits, delicacies, yogurt, mahua, greens, and tinni rice as offerings. It is also customary to brush their teeth with a mahua twig during this fast.
The festival coincides with the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna’s elder brother, Balram. According to tradition, on this day, it is considered inappropriate to consume any grains cultivated through plowing, in reverence to Balram’s birth.