Second Tuesday of Chaitra Month Observed
Kakatpur: Yesterday marked the second Tuesday of the Chaitra month. Following traditional customs, married women observing the Chaitra Mangala Vrat offered worship at the village path-side shrine, known as “Panthhei,” praying for the well-being and prosperity of their husbands and children.
From the first Tuesday of Chaitra, the Panthhei shrine in the village path had been opened for rituals. On this day, women bathed early in the morning, poured turmeric water over the shrine, adorned it with vermillion and kohl, and decorated it with flowers and tender mango leaves. They offered various fruits and roots as offerings near the shrine.
In essence, Panthhei Puja is a form of worship dedicated to Maa Mangala. Women perform this ritual every Tuesday for five consecutive Tuesdays in the month of Chaitra to seek blessings from the goddess. They observe a fast (Osha) and conclude the ritual on the final Tuesday of the month with a grand celebration.
This devotional practice transforms the villages—from Puri to the countryside—into a spiritually charged environment during this holy period.
