Bakth Matha Karma Jayanthi in 2024

When is Bakth Matha Karma Jayanthi?

Bakth Matha Karma Jayanthi is a regional public holiday in India celebrated in the state of Chhatisgarh. It takes place 10 days after Holi, which means it falls in March or early April in the western calendar. It has been a state holiday since 2020.

Traditions of Bakth Matha Karma Jayanthi

Karmabai was a Jat known as- Bhakt Shiromani Karmabai. She was born on January 20th 1615 in the family of Jiwanji Dudi in the village Kalwa situated in Nagaur district. She was a devotee of Krishna, like her father. 

Once upon a time, her father had some business to attend to out of town, so he instructed her to offer the food to the lord and that she should only eat afterwards.

Karma was very young and she took this instruction literally. The next morning she woke up early and made khichdi (a dish of rice and lentils) as an offering for the Lord. But when she saw that the Lord had not eaten the food, and not wanting to disobey her father, the innocent Karmabai did not eat anything at all and still waited for the lord to come and eat first. 

Lord Krishna was very impressed by her determination and showed mercy on her. He himself appeared before her and ate her khichdi. He followed the same routine until Karmabai's father returned. When her father returned she told him everything, her father was shocked and didn't believe his daughter. Karmabai pleaded to Lord Karma to appear again to prove her story. And the merciful lord Krishna did appear once more to keep his devotee's respect.