A crowd has gathered at the historic Siddhanath Mahadev Temple in Bhangaha Municipality-5, Siddhapur. Other times also offered but during Mahashivaratri quintals and quintals of eggplant is offered in the temple.
There is a tradition of offering utensils in the temple according to the vows after the leprosy has been cured. Therefore, Mahashivaratri festival is also an opportunity for the poor to earn income. During the festival, the poor earn a good income by selling bel leaves, dhatura pools and loads of fruits and eggplants (vows offered to Shivaji by making one eggplant on each side in a thick bamboo captero). Although the petals, pomegranates and fruits of Bel Datura are collected and brought free of cost, the shopkeepers say that they have to pay some price for the weight-bearing eggplant.
The farmers who have reached the Shivalaya premises have earned good income after the devotees who took vows of eggplant on special occasions paid the required price. According to Palti Sardar Bantar of Bhangaha-4, Palar Basti, they have earned more than Rs. He said that a good amount of money has been saved for the Mahashivaratri festival after two eggplants and a bamboo basket were sold at a good price due to the importance of the festival.
Farmers who produce eggplant have also found a market on the occasion of the festival. Since the devotees do not make any special bargain in the vow material, good income is earned from its sale. Farmer Satyanarayana Yadav of Bhangaha-4 said that he has been selling eggplants at the Siddhanath Mahadev Temple premises for the last 10 years.
At the Siddhanath Mahadev Temple, on the day of Mahashivaratri, a leprosy patient vows to carry a load of eggplant last year before the disease is cured. Therefore, eggplant growers and small traders who make loads say that this opportunity has been a good opportunity for them as there is a lot of sale of eggplant in the annual festival. There is a general understanding that eggplant should not be eaten due to health problems including itching, itching, herpes and lupus and health workers have also suggested it.
Chandrakala Devi, a resident of Jaukh Basti in Manarashiswa Municipality, said that she had come to the temple to take an oath after taking a vow to cure the disease. Farmers say that they have got a good opportunity to exhibit their other agricultural produce in the fair which is held on the occasion of the festival.
Ram Bahadur Thakur, another farmer of Bhangaha-4 says that the general interest in his produce has increased as there is a sample exhibition of seasonal and non-seasonal vegetable crops in the fair. Similarly, teenagers from poor families have earned good income by selling bel leaves, Daturo pools and fruits on the occasion of Mahashivaratri festival.
Anarvati Raya, a 15-year-old girl from Ankar, a neighboring village, said that she earned Rs. On the occasion of the festival, most of the adolescents are seen selling bel leaves, Datura pools and fruits in the Shiva temple premises including Tuteshwarnath, Jaleshwarnath, Mangalnath, Siddhanath and Kameshwarnath.
Pawankali Sada, a 17-year-old girl, who was found at the Jaleshwar Nath temple premises, said that she has been using her personal expenses for the last three years as there is no capital in bel leaves, pomegranate and fruits. In the district, especially among the poor community, the festival of Mahashivaratri is of great importance in order to earn some money without investing one's own money. He said that even though a small amount of capital is required for making khantera and bhanta, it can be collected by searching for bel leaves, dhatura pools and fruits in the same way.
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