Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 19: `Bacch Dua’, a significant Dogra festival honouring the sacred bond between mothers and their children, was celebrated with traditional fervour and customary rituals across Jammu, here today.
Dogra mothers observed a strict fast, abstaining from cow milk as well as fried foods, and offered traditional dishes like Rutt (sweet rotis) and soaked black grams praying for well being and longevity of their sons.
Temples became vibrant hubs of the `Bacch Dua’ activity. Adorned in traditional Dogra attire, women assembled at their nearby temples and sang devotional folklores amidst performing age-old rituals of `Bacch Dua’.
As the elderly women were seen guiding young mothers and newly married in performing the rituals, the festival also provided a platform for younger generations to learn about their heritage from elders, ensuring the continuity of cultural traditions.
Symbolizing the bond between mother and child, this is one of the few folk festivals of Dogras and assumes significance among women.
There are different legends associated with ‘Bacch Dua’ or Govatsa Dwadashi. According to a legend, miscommunication between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law led to the latter cooking Bacch (male calf) instead of Mach (fish). On noticing this blunder, both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law prayed to God and begged Bacch back to life before the mother cow returns from fields. God granted this wish and hence women celebrate the occasion. A male child, symbolic of ‘Bacch’ has ceremonial importance in the festival.
According to another legend, from the great churning of the ocean (Samudramanthan), five wish-fulfilling cows (Kamadhenus) emerged. Among these five wish-fulfilling cows, a divine cow Nanda had also emerged. This religious observance is performed to worship this divine cow Nanda.
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