Kajri Festival
This festival coincides with the Raksha Bandhan festival during July-August.
The celebration, of the festival begins on the 9th day after Shravan Amavasya. This ninth day is referred as the Kagri Navami, the festival continues till Kajri Purnima or full moon day.
It is the time, to give farewell to monsoons and start preparation for the fresh harvest. The religious minded people seek the blessings of Goddess Bhagwati to have better crop.
The rituals related to these festivals are performed only by woman, Who are blessed with a son.
On the day of Shravan Shukla Navmi, the woman folk go to the agricultural field and collect earth in leaf cups. Barely is sown in these cups. The cups are kept in a dark room. The walls and floors are cleaned with cow dung and mud. Special care is taken to keep the same, away from outside air or sunlight.
The floors are decorated with designs, drawn with rice solution. Some designs, that are drawn on the floor, are figures of a house, a child in cradle, a mongoose and a woman with a pitcher. At the end of it, the cup is religiously worshiped.
The worship is repeated for seven days till Kajiri Purnima. In all these days, they continuously pray for the well-being of their husband, children and for a good harvest.
The celebration ends on Kajrill Purnima. Women observe fast since the morning. They carry the cups on their heads in a procession to a nearby pound/waterbody to immerse it.
