Kujlaya is a festival celebrated by the people of
Madhya Pradesh. It is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapad (August-September). This festival celebrates the reunion of the legendary queen, Malhana Devi, with her daughter who was married to the son of an enemy king.
The preparations start nine days before the festival. Wheat or barley is sowed in small baskets filled with black soil and manure. On the day of Kujlaya, women tie a sacred thread called ‘rakhi’ on the wrist of their brothers and husbands. In the case of unmarried girls, they tie ‘rakhi’ in the wrist of their future husbands.
On the next day, the baskets containing the seedlings are taken out in a procession to the river. The procession is accompanied by singing of ceremonial songs. The seedlings are immersed in water, while the green shoots are distributed among the people.
