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Kushotpatan will be observed on September 2 on Kushi Amavasya which holds religious and cultural significance in Mithilanchal. (News 18 Hindi)
The significance and tradition of Kushotpatan in Kushi Amavasya hold a special place in Mithilanchal.
Kushi Amavasya, a festival celebrated in Bihar’s Mithilanchal, holds significant importance in the region. The tradition of uprooting ‘Kush’ (an ordinary long and thin grass) has been followed for centuries and is known as Kushotpatan. The significance and tradition of Kushotpatan in Kushi Amavasya hold a special place in Mithilanchal. On this day, the Kush, which might seem like ordinary grass, is hidden within and easily identified by the locals. This year, Kushotpatan will be observed on Monday, September 2.
Before uprooting the Kush, a mantra is chanted to reveal this practice’s hidden secrets and beliefs. Dr Kunal Kumar Jha, Head of the Department of Post Graduate Astrology at Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University, explains that Kush, despite looking like simple grass, is actually very important for religious and Vedic rituals.
This Kush is used throughout the year in various divine and ancestral rites. The mantra recited before uprooting the Kush is as follows: “Kushagraha vaste rudra kush madhya tu keshwah Kush Mule Vase Brahma Kushanme Dehi Medini”
In this mantra, the Earth (Medini) is requested to grant us Kush, in which Rudra resides at the tip, Lord Vishnu in the middle, and Lord Brahma at the root. This Kush is considered very sacred for religious purposes, and it is used in oblations for August Rishi performed after Bhadra Purnima, marking the beginning of Pitra Paksha.
There is a specific muhurat (auspicious time) designated for Kushotpatan, and this Kush is used throughout the year for religious, Vedic, and tantric activities.
The tradition of Kushi Amavasya holds great religious and cultural significance in Mithilanchal and is still observed with full reverence and adherence to rituals.