Jamai Shashti

Amidst the dynamic festivities of our country, Jamai Shashti is one such occasion among Bengalis which is celebrated not only to build affectionate bond between the son in law & the in laws, it also is a custom that is celebrated towards a strong family bonding &wellbeing of the children in the family.

Jamai, as we all know, means Son in law & Shashti literally  means sixth.  Jamai Shashti is celebrated on the 6^th day of Shukla Paksha of Jyeshtamonth(or the 2^nd month of the year) as per the Vedic Calendar. The festival originated ages ago as a part of women’s socio religious duty.

Typically, the rituals start early in the morning by the mother-in-law. She bathes, she worships Shashti Devi & she cooks all the possible Bengali delicacies for her beloved daughter & her husband. Hilsa fish& Bengali Sweets are one of the “must haves” that are considered indispensable in most of the Bengali occasions & what else could be better than feeding the Jamai with the best to show case love & affection!

Patriarchally, this could be interpreted as one of the imperatives where the importance of having a strong male presence is evident apart from safe & sound family ties. However, this thought process has been in debate among evolved women of today’s day & age to have a Bou Shashti i.e., a similar occasion for daughter in laws & them being the centre of attention for their sheer ability to strike a parity or may be more with the males in the family.Be it relationships, finance, emotional strength & the list can go on. The intent is to harp that at an energy level we all are one & hence both the genders are entitled for the same amount of love, affection & attention for theirvalued contribution in their families.

On a lighter note, the Bengal Pattachitra art by Kalpana Chitrakar show cases the fun part of Jamai Shashti, where the son in law is fed, loved, teased & pampered. He surely is in a state of ultimate bliss receiving all theattention beyond what he might have actually desired for 😊

Quintessentially, Bengalis are known for their affinity towards food, rest, fun & wit. This is one such occasion to have another gathering, another day of leave from work& siesta after that soulfully satiating lunch.

Kalpana has used natural vegetable colours in this painting. The strokes, expressions & the dynamics of colours showcase the modalities of Bengali culture effortlessly.

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Hope you enjoyed the read.