Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha ( sa, ज्येष्ठ; ne, जेठ ''jēṭ''; as, জেঠ ''zeth''; or, ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ ''Jyeṣṭha'') is a
month of the
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a s ...
. In
India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year. Known as ''Joishtho'' ( bn, জ্যৈষ্ঠ ''Jyôishţhô'') in Bengali, it is the second month of the
Bengali calendar.
In lunar religious calendars, Jyēṣṭha begins on the new moon and is the third month of the year.
Traditionally, Jyēṣṭha is associated with high
summer
Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...
, and corresponds to May–June
[Henderson, Helene. (Ed.) (2005) ''Holidays, festivals, and celebrations of the world dictionary'' Third edition. Electronic edition. Detroit: Omnigraphics, p. xxix. ] in the
Gregorian calendar. In Tamil, the month is known as Aani, the third month of the solar calendar that begins in mid-June.
In Vedic Jyotish, Jyēṣṭha begins with the
Sun's entry into
Taurus, and is the second month of the year. In the
Vaishnava calendar.
Festivals
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Shani Dev Jayanti is celebrated on New Moon day i.e. Amavasya of Jyeshtha month.
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Ganga Dussehra
Ganga Dussehra, also known as Gangavataran, is a Hindu festival celebrating the ''avatarana'' (descent) of the Ganges. It is believed by Hindus that the holy river Ganges descended from heaven to earth on this day. Ganga Dussehra takes place on ...
is celebrated as the ''avatarana'' or descent of the Ganges from heaven to earth. The day of the celebration, Ganga Dashahara, the Dashami (tenth day) of the waxing moon of the Hindu calendar month Jyestha, brings throngs of bathers to the banks of the river. A soak in the Ganges on this day is said to rid the bather of ten sins (dasha = Sanskrit "ten"; hara = to destroy) or alternatively, ten lifetimes of sins.
*
Nirjala Ekadashi is celebrated on Shukla Paksha (waxing moon) Ekadashi (11th day) of Jyeshtha. It is the most sacred and auspicious Ekadashis among all 24 Ekadashis in a year. One can attain the benefits of all 24 Ekadashis by fasting on this day.
*
Vat Purnima is a celebration observed in Maharashtra and Karnataka, India. It is celebrated on the full moon day (the 15th) of the month of Jyeshtha on the Hindu Calendar, which falls in June on the Gregorian Calendar. Women pray for their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree on this day. It honors Savitri, the legendary wife of Satyavan who escaped death for her husband's life.
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Snana Yatra
The Snana Yatra ( or, ସ୍ନାନ ଯାତ୍ରା), also spelt Snana Jatra, is a bathing festival of deities celebrated on the ''purnima'' (full moon day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. It is the auspicious birthday of Jagannath.
It is ...
is a bathing festival celebrated on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. It is an important festival of the
Jagannath Cult. The deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, and Madanmohan are brought out from the Jagannath Temple (Puri) and taken in a procession to the Snana Bedi. They are ceremonially bathed and decorated for a public audience.
*
Sitalsasthi Carnival
Shitalasasthi also known as Sital sasthi is celebrated as the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, a major festival of Utkal Brahmins (commonly called as Odia brahmans) and Aranyaka Brahmins (commonly called as Jhadua brahmans) since ages.
It was sta ...
is being conducted in this month on the day of Jyeshtha Shuddha Shashthi in
Odisha for many centuries.
See also
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Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar
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Hindu units of time
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Indian astronomy
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Hindu astrology
References
*03
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