[This Story of Manjusha Art is provided by Manjusha Guru Sri Manoj Kumar Pandit ]
The festival of Bisahari’s is celebrated on the 17th and 18th August of every year. During this pooja there are two things that are made during this pooja. One is the “Kalash” and the other the Manjusa. The kalash is made by the Kumbhakar caste and the manjusha by the Malakar caste, each are decorated with the art of manjusa which depicts these stories and are immersed in the lake at the end of the festival. They worship Bisahari as they believe that they will get strength from her and her protection. She promises that their husbands will be protected from all the snakes. They worship Bihula to gain her strength and blessings and and also to pray for the long life’s of their husbands.
There is also a ritual in which the groom before getting married, is asked to go into a small house in which, in all the four corners of the room/house there is a painting of Bisahari. The groom has to put sindhoor to all four of the Bisaharis and only then can take his bride to the mantap and all other wedding festivities and rituals can start.This is done with the belief that since the groom puts sindhoor for bisahari first, he is married to her first and thus pleases her .The figures are called “naina jogini”
