Narmada Jayanti today: All you need to know about this auspicious day

Besides being the day that commemorates the Sun God’s birth, the Saptami Tithi of Magha Shukla Paksha also marks the day when the Narmada river came into being. The sacred river originates from Amarkantak, in Madhya Pradesh and meets the Arabian Sea after flowing through Gujarat. This year, Narmada Jayanti will be observed today. Read on to know more about it.

The Saptami Tithi began at 8:17 AM on February 18 and shall end at 10:58 AM on February 19.

The Narmada Jayanti is a festival that celebrates the birth of the Narmada. Devotees take a bath in the holy waters of the river on this day. And the ritual bathing is believed to be similar to taking a dip in the Ganga on auspicious days or the Purnima Tithi (Full Moon Day).

Age-old belief suggests that people can rid themselves of their wrongdoings/ sins by bathing in the Narmada on the day she manifested on the planet as a river. Thus by taking a dip in the water of the Narmada, one gets blessed by her.

Interestingly, the month of Magha is known for being a month for bathing in holy rivers and awakening the spiritual side. Moreover, it is dedicated to both Lord Shiva and Vishnu.

Devotees take a bath in the sacred water during Arunodaya (sunrise) and pray to the Goddess Narmada (hailed as Narmada Maiyya) for good health, wealth, peace and joy. However, one may bathe in the river during any time between sunrise and sunset.

After bathing, devotees offer deep (lamp), dhoop (incense), pushpa (flowers), haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermillion) to the river.

Some devotees even light lamps made of wheat dough and place them on the banks of the river. In the evening, devotees gather to pay their salutations to the sacred river by performing the Aarti.