Jitiya (also called Jiutiya or Jivitputrika) is a three-day-long Ancient Hindu festival which is celebrated from the seventh to ninth lunar day of Krishna-Paksha in Ashvin month.

The next day, women collect sand from the river in a bamboo basket in the early morning so that no one can see them and put eight types of seeds, such as rice, gram, corn etc.

On the seventh day, they put foods for jackles and eagles on the bank of a river after bathing.

They fast and eat eight types of vegetables, rice of Arua and madua roti in the evening.

On the eighth day, they plant a branch of Jitiya (Sacred fig) in the courtyard or Akhra.

They prepare Pua, Dhooska and put eight types of vegetables, flowers and fruits in a basket.

On the next day, they emmerse the branches of sacred fig tree in a river or stream, bath and put flower garland on the neck of their child.

[6] Jitiya is an important festival of Nepalese married women of Bhojpur, Mithilanchal and Tharu woman of Eastern and Central Nepal.

Since nothing, even a drop of water, is put in mouth, the fast is also called Khar Jiutia.

It is trend or tradition to eat fish and chapatti (roti, bread) made of millet (Marua) the previous day.

[8] Tharu women perform a traditional dance called Jhamta during the Jitiya festival.

[11][12] This story is similar to Nagananda (The Joy of the Snakes), a Sanskrit play written by Emperor Harsha in the 7th century CE where Vidyadara king Jimutvahana sacrifices his life for Naga to Garuda.

He spoke to his father and asked the wishing tree to banish poverty and give wealth to men.

Even king Jimutaketu filled with hatred as the throne was firmly fixed by his son's glory.

Then Jimutvahana gave up fighting for Thorne with relatives and left the forest with his father and mother for the Malaya mountains.