Bibaha Panchami festival being observed

Kathmandu: The Bibaha Panchami festival is being celebrated across the country today (Monday) by worshipping and paying homage to Shree Ramchandra and Sita.

The festival bearing religious and cultural significance is observed on the fifth day of Shukla paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) in Marga month according to the lunar calendar.

It commemorates the wedding of the Hindu God Ram and Goddess Sita that took place in the Tretayug. The Bibaha Panchami is celebrated with gaiety and religious fervor especially in the historic city of Janakpur today, with thousands of devotees offering prayers at the famous Janaki temple since early morning.

As per Hindu mythology, King Janak of Mithila, Sita’s father, proposed a test of strength for the suitors of his daughter: to lift the great bow of Lord Shiva. Warriors, kin, and chieftains came from afar, but no man could lift the bow.

Ram, a prince from ancient Ayodhya, lifted the bow with ease and when he tried to string it, the bow shattered into pieces. Ram and Sita were married in Janakpur, the capital city of ancient Mithila kingdom, and their marriage is celebrated to this day.

Each year, idols of Ram and Sita are brought out in procession and their Hindu wedding ceremony is reenacted during a weeklong religious festival. As per Mithila culture, various events such as matkor, tilakostsab, and swayambar are held in addition to the marriage ceremony (RSS).