Bijeesha Budhathoki
July 20, 2021
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A tulasi math. Wikimedia Commons
Many Nepali households are busying themselves planting and worshipping tulasi, also known as holy basil, at their yards Tuesday morning. They are preparing for the beginning of the four-month festival Chaturmas.
Beginning the day of Harishayini Ekadashi in June/July, Hindus in Nepal and India mark a special period dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his embodiments for the next four months until the day of Haribodhini Ekadashi in October/November, and it is known as the Chaturmas (literally, four months).
This long festival sounds strange for the majority of the new generation in Nepal though it still holds significance in the lives of their predecessors. So what is it anyway?