Now that Ambubachi— India’s greatest festival that celebrates the inherent fertility of women— has begun, let us run over certain similarities in women-centric rituals of this period. These are celebrated almost all over India — from up north and the east to the upper Deccan —just before or at the start of the monsoons. First comes Vat (banyan) Savitri that is faithfully observed by women for the welfare of their husbands and family in the month of Jyestha (Jaistha) mainly on the Purnima day (25th May in 2025) though a large section observes it on Jyestha Amavasya (new moon or the dark day) that was on 10th June in 2025.
Then comes Raja (pronounced raw-jaw) in Odisha which begins on the 2nd day of the month after Jyestha, ie, Asadh — 14th June in 2025. The last is Ambubachi, exactly 5 days later, celebrated with great enthusiasm in Kamakhya, Assam, as well in neighbouring Bengal and other areas. All are for women, mainly by women. Directly or indirectly, all focus on fertility— especially Rajo and Ambubachi that coincide with the early monsoons.
Vat Savitri is observed with vrat or brata (fast) by women on Jyestha Purnima all along the Ganga belt and beyond upto Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, while women in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and some parts of south India celebrate the same festival on Amavasya (new moon) of that month. The Vat Savitri Vrat legend worships Savitri, a devoted wife who defied fate to bring her husband, Satyavan, back to life, by engaging with Yama, the god of death. There is a similar tale of Behula in Bengal.
Women wake up early, dress in traditional sarees, wear bridal jewellery, with, maang tika, bindi, kajal and other adornments, and carry puja thalis to a Banyan tree. Diyas are lit before photos of Savitri and Satyawan. perform puja around a Vat tree, tying red or ochre strings all around it, chanting mantra. Much depends on regional traditions, but the theme is the same. The banyan tree, incidentally, symbolises both longevity and fertility.
Odisha celebrates its unique annual Raja festival in honour of women — who are feted and spared from their daily chores for four days. Menfolk serve them and cook food for them and the first three days are called Pahili Raja, Raja Sankranti and Basi Raja. During the festival, people do not walk barefoot on the earth as it is believed that the earth should be given rest before the monsoon rains fall on it.
Hinduism is the only religion that admits and celebrates the female cycle — though menses carried a stigma in Brahmanically ‘pure’ rituals... It is good that the wheel has turned a full circle and the stigma once attached to the monthly cycle of women is almost gone. Society has been made to realise that men just cannot celebrate women as devis and female prowess where religion is concerned, but treat them badly in real life.
So, farmers take a break from agricultural work. Both customs obviously worship the earth and pray for fertility, especially with the monsoon impregnating the soil. In fact, women swing a lot during Raja and thereby enjoy the ritual of “keeping their feet away from mother earth”.
On the last day, Vasumati Snana, a grinding stone, symbolising goddess earth, is given a ritual bath by women with turmeric paste. Then, it is adorned with flowers and fruits are offered to the mother earth.
The next festival is Ambubachi, that starts on the seventh day of Asadh, and is popular in Assam and Bengal, that had strong link with Tantric religion. It is from the 22nd to the 25th of June this year. The main centre is at Kamakhya temple on Nilachal Hill near Guwahati— where strong traces of its Tantric past are evident. Thousands gather here for the annual mela.
The temple that has an emblem of the female organ is closed for four days as the goddess is said to be menstruating. Incidentally, earth and nature are not disturbed during these four days in eastern India. On the 25th of June morning, the ritual period ends and the temple is cleansed and made open to the devotees to enter again. The re-entry is celebrated with fanfare, offerings, and prayers.
The worship of the earth and bountiful crops gave rise to the concepts of Shri Devi, Maha Lakshmi, and Shakambhari Durga. Hinduism is the only religion that admits and celebrates the female cycle — though menses carried a stigma in Brahmanically ‘pure’ rituals. But there were historic civilisations like Mesopotamia, where the great goddess Ninhursag was sacred for her fertility and her ‘blood of life’ was also worshipped. It is good that the wheel has turned a full circle and the stigma once attached to the monthly cycle of women is almost gone. Society has been made to realise that men just cannot celebrate women as devis and female prowess where religion is concerned, but treat them badly in real life. Nowadays many consider these ancient festivals to be rather patriarchal, as men’s reciprocation is not insisted on, and their point is worth noting