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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: Aug 16: It began with ‘Shravan Shivratri’ and will end with Gokulashtmi. Yes, the month of festivals and celebrations has begun with great pomp. Salute to the spirit of Navi Mumbaikars who came out of the 26/7 deluge to bask in the glory of a new and bright sunlight! The eighth month of the year, August, boasts of as many as eight festivals. It’s also the season of romance with rains showering love to all and the festive holidays are the much-awaited endowments, especially for the newly wedded!

For the Rajasthani women, the beginning of the month marked ‘Sattu teej’ or ‘Hariyali teej’. “On this day, we fast for our husband’s well-being. It’s a ‘Nirjala’ fast where even a drop of water is forbidden. At dusk-break we eat ‘Sattu-mithai’ and break the fast,” says Tanuja Sodani, a Vashi resident.

The month is also the time when the ‘bam bam bhola’ is worshipped by ardent devotees. Women fast on four continuous Mondays for their husbands or to-be husbands! “Both married and unmarried women fast on four ‘Shravan Mondays’. We can have water, fruits and other things during this fast. Some break the fast the next day and others break it the same very day after sunset,” says Rani Dwivedi, New Panvel resident.

Nag Panchami was another prominent festival that was celebrated throughout the city on Tuesday, 9th August. For many, Nag Panchami is celebrated to invite Lord Ganesha as mythology has it that Lord Ganesh is the son of Lord Siva. So, it’s important to please him first. Others believe that the ritual first begun when the snake population on earth got imbalanced resulting in death and destruction. So, Nag began to be worshipped so that the destruction due to its rage is prevented. “Nag panchami is an important festival of the Maharashtrians. We bring in clay Nag at home who is worshipped by the male head of the family at dawn break. Later in the evening, it is taken to a nearby Shiva temple. It’s like a pre-invitation to lord Ganesh,” says Aarti Hirlekar, CBD Belapur resident.

But for many residents, rituals are not really important. They are definitely awaiting the festivals but for other reasons. “Fortunately most of the festivals this year are either on Friday or Monday so we get an ‘extra weekend day’ and we can holiday at Goa or Mahabaleshwar,” quips an enthusiastic Renu Bishram, a Vashi resident.

While most citizens think the Bishram way, many say they would religiously follow the rituals of the festivals and prefer not going out. “For Raksha Bandhan it’s the brother who goes to the sister to tie ‘rakhi’ round his wrist. So, though Raksha Bandhan falls on Friday adding another day to the weekend, we wouldn’t go anywhere as I’ll expect my brother who stays at Pune to come over and then we will have loads of fun,” says a 14-years old Srishti Chatterjee, Panvel resident.

So, while it’s an opportunity for many to go out and holiday, for others it’s time to wash off sins and confess to their gods. But whatever it is, the festive month is on and it’s celebration time!

Swati Pandey