CURATED BY – YASHPAL SINGH JAT | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Anuppur, Teej and Chaturthi were celebrated together on Thursday. Women kept fast on Chaturthi. Offered arghya to the moon at night. Women of Maheshwari community kept fast on Satudi Teej. Worshipped the moon at night. Offered arghya and accepted prasad of dishes made of Sattu. Before this, Sattu was passed. Made various dishes made of Sattu, ate them as prasad.

Women of Maheshwari community worshipped Nimdi in the evening.

Satudi Teej was organized by Maheshwari Mahila Sangathan Shahdol President Sadhana Mantri and Anuppur President Shashi Inani. Giving information, he said that the Satudi Teej festival celebrated all over Rajasthan on Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha Tritiya 22 August 2024 is a festival of the special tradition of this state. But it holds special significance for the Maheshwari community. The reason is that according to the belief of evidence, on this day 72 Umrao, the ancestors of the Maheshwari community, were revived by the grace of Lord Mahesh.

This is the mythological belief

It has been propounded through the ancient beliefs of the origin of the Maheshwari community that 72 Umrao were transformed into stone statues due to a curse. Then their wives pleased Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati with their penance. Lord Shiva gave life to those Umraos again. On getting life again, these Umraos immediately abandoned weapons like swords and other weapons and took up scales and established Maheshwari community. When Lord Shiva gave life again to Umraos, they felt hungry. As there was no other food available, on the order of the Lord, sand balls were made and Lord Shiva converted those sand balls into Sattu balls by using mantras.

By eating these Sattu balls, our ancestors pacified the fire in their stomachs and started a new life journey from Kshatriya Varna to Vanik Varna as Maheshwari.

This is how this festival is celebrated

Just as our ancestors had eaten the balls by cutting them with swords and daggers, similarly even today the tradition of cutting the balls with silver or gold coins is going on. On this day, when 72 Umraos were brought back to life with the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the immense happiness of their wives had taken the form of a festival. Women who were engaged in penance for many days broke their fast by consuming raw milk, cucumber, lemon and sattu provided by the Lord in the forest. Similarly, even today, Maheshwari women keep fast on Teej day, worship Neemdi in the evening, see the moon and offer arghya and break their fast with raw milk, sattu, cucumber and lemon.

Wishing good luck from the moon

Arghya is offered after the moon rises at night. While offering arghya, they say - chains for gold, necklaces for pearls, Argh deity of the moon on Badi Teej (Kajal Teej), life is brave-bhartaar. After offering arghya, the Pinda (sattu) dice is made bigger. The husband or brother breaks a piece of the Pinda (makes it bigger) with a silver coin. The husband breaks the fast by making his wife drink 7 sips of raw milk. Women take out Kalpana and give it to their mother-in-law and sister-in-law to seek blessings for unbroken good fortune. After this, they give a leaf of the worshipped Neemri along with Sattu and say, "Neemri is sweet." It is believed that by saying this, they win everyone's heart with their sweet behavior at their parent's and in-laws' places.