Katyayani Vrata Starts Now

Stealing the gopis garments from Krishna book ...


Stealing the garments of the gopis ...

Katyayani Vrata is where young marriageable daughters of the cowherd men of Gokula in Braja, worshipped Goddess Katyayani and took a vrata or vow, during the entire month of Margashisha, the first month of the winter season, to get Lord Krishna as their husband.

During the month, they ate only unspiced khichri, and after bathing in the Yamuna at sunrise, made an earthen deity of the goddess on the riverbank, and worshiped the deity with aromatic substances like sandalwood pulp, and lamps, fruits, betel nuts, newly grown leaves, and fragrant garlands and incense. This follows the episode where Krishna takes away their clothes while they were bathing in the Yamuna River.

Every day early in the morning the young daughters of the cowherds (gopis) would take one another's hands and, singing of Krishna's transcendental qualities, go to the Yamuna to bathe. Desiring to obtain Krishna as their husband, they would then worship the goddess Katyayani with incense, flowers and other items.