(July 13 to August 12, 2022)
Nightingale fast is started from Ashadh Shukla Purnima and is observed till Shravan Purnima i.e. for one month. This year this fast is to be observed from 13th July to 12th August. This fast is observed by women. In this fast, Mata Gauri is worshiped and worshiped in the form of a cuckoo. Before starting the fast, this resolution should be taken:
I will observe this nightingale fast by following celibacy for the satisfaction of Shiva and Gauri to attain good fortune including wealth and food etc.
Bathing has special significance in this fast. There are different methods of bathing on different days of the fast. These methods are based on the substances and medicines used in the bath. The first twenty-four days are classified into three parts of eight days each and there are different methods for these three classes. There is a separate method for the remaining six days. The body is massaged by soaking ground gooseberries and mixing oil in it for the first eight days. After that, for eight days, 10 medicines mixed with water are bathed. These ten medicines are: koot, jatamasi, both types of turmeric, mura, shilajit, sandalwood, vach, champak, nagarmotha.
After these eight days, again after soaking the powdered vacha in water for eight days, take a bath with that water. After that, in the last six days, one should take a bath with the water of ground sesame, amla and Sarvoushadhi.
After bathing every day, the cuckoo made by the pithi should be worshipped. Naivedya should be offered to Sesame, Tandul etc. After this one should pray:
तिलस्नेहे तिलसौख्ये तिलवर्णे तिलामये। सौभाग्यधनपुत्रांश्च देहि मे कोकिले नमः।।
After the prayer, the following story should be heard:
Satiji's father Daksha organized a big yagya. All the gods and goddesses were invited to this yagya, but their daughter and son-in-law Lord Shiva were not invited. Satiji decided to go there without invitation out of her father's affection and stubbornly took permission from Lord Shankar. There was a great insult to Satiji and Lord Shiva, which Satiji could not bear and left her body by jumping into the Yagya Kund. When Lord Shankar got the news of the death of Satiji, he became very angry and sent his own clan, Veerabhadra, to break the yagya of Daksha Prajapati.
Virabhadra, on the orders of Lord Shiva, broke the yagya and mutilated many deities. In such a situation Lord Vishnu became very worried and went to Shankarji and made a humble request to him to bring the deities back in their form. Hearing the prayer of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shankar brought all the deities to their former form, but he did not forgive Satiji and cursed her that she should remain as Nightingale for 10 thousand years. Suffering from this curse, Mother Sati lived in the form of Nightingale in Nandan forest for 10 years, after which she fasted for one month after getting the birth of Parvati, as a result of which Lord Shiva was again received as her husband.
At the end of the day of Shravan Purnima, the said Nightingale Deity should be donated to the Brahmin or mother-in-law and mother-in-law, after adorning it with clothes and ornaments with gold feathers and eyes of gems. By observing this fast, a woman gets unbroken good fortune and she does not have any shortage of sutta, splendor etc.