Monjhaer in Kashmiri means the lunar month of Marga Shirsha. Taeher means
yellow cooked rice mixed with mustard. It is customary for Kashmiris to cook such rice on all
auscpicious days, and on Tuesdays and Saturdays, offer it to their chosen deity and then distribute
it among neighbours, friends and relatives. But on the first day following the end of Margashirsha,
that is the beginning of the Pausha month, such rice is specially cooked, offered to the Griha devata
and Grama devata and then distributed. More often it is vowed that should a desire be fulfilled, like
getting a son, obtaining employment or finding a suitable match, the household would prepare this
rice regularly on this day every year. Coinciding with this is a very significant observance on this
day called the Matrika Pujan. Since time immemorial there has been a belief that the sound is the
Divine Shabda Brahma and that the language has originated from the sound produced by the
Damroo of Lord Shiva. These sounds, fourteen in number, are called Maheshwara Sutrani. These
are divided into eight groups, one of vowels and seven of consonants. Each group has a deity who is
propitiated on this day. Vowels begin with 'Aa' and the consonants with 'Ka', 'Ch', 'Ta', 'Ta', 'Pa', 'Ya'
and 'Sha', respectively. So the prayer is offered to the relevant deities in this order. Amayay,
Kamayay, Charvageyay, Tankadharyanyay, Tarayay, Parvatyay, Yakhshanyay and Shri Sharika
Bhagavatyay. All that we know, this day might have been fixed to initiate a student to a school of
learning and he was required to offer prayers before such initiation.
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