Swasthani Vrata Katha

The Swasthani Vrata Katha is the most widely read, recited, and listened-to devotional text among Hindu laity in Nepal. Originating in the late sixteenth century, the Swasthani tradition encompasses three interrelated elements: the goddess Swasthani, revered as the goddess of "e;one's own place"e;; the goddess's story (katha) and its annual recitation; and the month-long ritual vow (vrat) undertak...