Kathmandu. People of the far west and middle west are celebrating Ujyali Gaura and Durvashtami festivals today by worshiping Duvo along with Uma Maheshwar. Although this festival is celebrated in the month of Bhadra according to the lunar month, this year it is celebrated on Shravan Shukla Ashtami because sage Agastya rises before Bhadra Shukla Ashtami.

Prof. Toyraj Nepal, a theologian, says that according to the lunar calendar, the year in which the sage Agastya rises before the month of Bhadra should be celebrated on the day of Shravan Shukla Ashtami. The gaura celebrated in Shukla paksha is calledlight, and the gaura celebrated in Krishna paksha is called dark. That is why Gaura this year is called Ujyaali. For the first time fasting, there is a rule that fasting should start from Shukla Paksha, i.e., Ujyali Gaura.

Gaura should not be celebrated even after the sun has gone into the sign of Virgo, i.e., after the month of Asoj. It has been mentioned in texts such as Mansakhand, Nijhar Sindhu, Hemadri, etc. that Gaura should be celebrated when the Sun is in the sign of Leo, i.e., in the month of Vadha. Gaura is considered a historical and original festival by the people of the Far West and Middle West regions. With the increase in the number of people living in the Far West and Mid-West regions of the capital, this festival has started to be celebrated here as well.

Deuda culture expert singer Nandkrishna Joshi informed that this festival was started in the western region of the country to commemorate the fulfillment of the wish of Parvati, the daughter of the Himalayas, in the Satya Yuga, in the Bhadra month of the rainy season, without fear of water, forest, land, or animals.

For worshiping Gaura, five plants Kush, kaas, sama (fennel), titepati and apamarga are used to make the shape of the goddess. According to Deuda cultural expert Joshi, there is a tradition of bringing the goddess made in this way to a clean house in the village on the day of Bhadra Krishna Ashtami. It is customary for the village hero to bring the goddess in. It is believed that no one should see it when it is brought in like this.

The villagers gathered at the house where Gaura is to be brought in, the hero takes him so that they cannot be found when they search. For this festival, on the day of Shravan Shukla Panchami, the seeds of banana, barley, masang, mas and gurans are soaked and kept, this is called Biruda. On Ashtami, Biruda is offered as Prasad after worshiping Bhagwati. ‘, he said. After worshiping for two or three days, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Napari Devi is worshiped in a river, well, pond or reservoir.

There is a tradition that the goddess should not be bathed when she is pregnant. After bathing the goddess, there is a tradition of enjoying by singing hymns, songs etc. Just like Teej is celebrated in other parts of the country, in the West this festival is celebrated especially by women.

Durvastami
This Ashtami is also known as Durvashtami, as Duvo is also worshipped. There is a religious rule to worship Uma Maheshwar during this festival, with the wish that the children will spread the same way as the two are spread. Gaura and Durvastami festivals are also celebrated with the wish that the children are good and full of qualities and that life and health are good.

The theologian Nepal also said that there is a classical belief that Duvo should not be worshiped if the entire Jyeshtha and Moola Nakshatra fall on the day of Ashtami. It is a classical belief that if Jyeshtha and Moola Nakshatra do not fall during Ashtami Tithi, then Duvo should be worshipped.

It is mentioned in the religious text Hemadri that if you worship Duvo and Gaura on this day, you will get good luck, have children, and achieve success. On this day, the people of the Far West enjoy singing Deuda songs and dancing. Even in Tundikhel, Kathmandu, on this day, people from the Far West entertain themselves with Deuda songs and dances. With the increase in the settlement of far-westerners and middle-westerners in the capital, this festival has started to be celebrated here as well.