Upvaas (Religious Vows) this Sanskrit word is really made up of 2 elements ‘Up’ meaning near and ‘Vaas’ meaning staying or residing. This means that staying near to god or rather experiencing continuously beatitude of God is known as Upvaas. One has to practice severe austerities while observing these vows. They are control over taking (speech), control...

Mithila celebrates its scores of religious festivals and fairs of great local fervor. Each festival is unique in style and is characterised by colour, gaiety, enthusiasm, feasts and heterogeneity of prayers and rituals. Need not to mention traditional Indian festivals like Ramnavami, Dassehra, Diwali and Holi are also feted with great extravaganza in...

Maithili, an Eastern Indic language, is spoken in Mithila. Maithili has previously been considered a dialect of both Hindi and Bengali. Today Maithili, is recognized in the Eighth Schedule of Indian official languages. Maithili sounds sweet and soft to outsiders, who often cannot tell whether an argument is taking place. The Mithila region is rich with culture...

Chhatihar: On the sixth day of birth. Shashthika (Sathi) Bhagwati is worshiped in the evening on a special alpana. The mother and child wear new yellow clothes.Things required are: Purhar Patil, Deep, Earthen pot, Fan made of bamboo (beeain), Kajrauta, Shahi Kant, Knife, Chura, lava, paper, red ink. Namkaran: On the 11th or 12th day of the birth of the child or...

Artistic activity among all tribal cultures is an integral part of life. It has a well defined function socially, evolving from their interaction with nature and interpretation of its mysteries. It usually serves as a channel of communication with non-human forces, spiritual or otherwise. Maithili painting, known for their vibrant lines and striking colours, age...

The various hereditary,endogamous castes, called jati, are ranked on a scale of superior to inferior, marked by traditional rules of interaction and sanctions against certain kinds of interactions, especially intermarriage and interdining. The principal castes of Mithila are as follows: Brahmans: Maithil Brahmans are the highest ranking caste and also, in...