Friendship Day: From rituals to reverence, the legacy of Mitan

August 4, 2024 3 min read

Raipur | Correspondent: Friendship Day, enthusiastically celebrated across the world honoring the bond that ties us together in the name of mutual affection.

Exchanging friendship bands to sharing heartfelt messages and gifts the essence of this day remains universally cherished.

In Chhattisgarh, Friendship Day is not just a celebration but a sacred promise, often considered stronger than any blood relation.

This tradition is deeply rooted in the region’s cultural fabric, reflecting a belief in the enduring power of friendship to build and sustain communities.

In this tradition of making friends, there are no restrictions based on age, caste, or class.

Once a friendship is formed, it is maintained throughout life, often valued more than blood relations.

Mitan Badna

This tradition of making friends is called Mitan or Mitanin ‘Badna.’ The term ‘Badna’ signifies the formality of a contract.

Two men or two women choose a day to become Mitans and take part in the Mitan Badna ceremony.

During this ritual, friends exchange symbols of their bond—flowers in some places, Ganga water or Tulsi leaves in others.

A small ceremony follows, involving the worship of Gauri-Ganesh and Kalash. Afterward, the individuals solidify their friendship by giving each other a holy item.

In some regions, there is also a tradition where friends get each other’s names inked on their hands, similar to a permanent tattoo, as a symbol of their lifelong bond.

However, due to social norms, this tradition has not extended to friendships between opposites. Thus, a man cannot become Mitan with a woman.

Bonds across generations

These friendships have various names basically depending on the exchanged items, namely Bhojali Mitan, Daunapan, Gangajal, Sakhi, Mahaprasad, Godna, and Gajamung.

For instance, during the month of Shravan, paddy seeds are sown and worshiped on the seventh day in a ritual called Bhojali.

This Bhojali is immersed on the second day of Rakshabandhan, and friends become Bhojali Mitan by placing the Bhojali in each other’s ears.

Once formed, these friendships last a lifetime and extend to future generations.

Mitan means a companion in every happiness and sorrow, supporting each other through weddings, mundan ceremonies, and all of life’s significant events.

This enduring tradition highlights the deep value placed on friendship in Chhattisgarh, where friends remain steadfast companions throughout life.

Friendship Day-Yarana-Dosti

This tradition of Mitan also extends into the political arena of Chhattisgarh. For example, US Singhdeo of the royal family of Sarguja and Praveen Prajapati, a former Rajya Sabha member from Sarguja, formed a Sakhi bond.

Though Praveen Prajapati has passed away, the connection between the Singhdeo and Prajapati families remains strong.

Similarly, the long-standing friendship between BJP senior MLA Badridhar Diwan and Kedarnath Vajpayee, who became Mitans early in their lives, is often cited as a notable example in the state.

Once a friendship is established as Mitan or Mitanin, there is a unique tradition of not addressing the friend by name.

Instead, friends use terms like Mitan or the specific tradition under which they became Mitans. For instance, if friends were made through the exchange of Prasad, they will refer to each other as Mahaprasad for life.

Similarly, if a Mogra flower was exchanged, they would address each other as Phoolmongra or Mongrafool.

Divine Form

There have been several instances, when two kids arguing are called Mitan, ensuring their conflicts are resolved and lifelong disputes are avoided.

The concept of divine friendship emerges when two friends regard each other with the same reverence and respect reserved for deities.

This profound bond elevates the friendship to a spiritual level, where each friend is considered equal to a god.

The respect and honor they show each other reflect a belief that their friendship is as important as a divine relationship, highlighting a level of commitment that goes beyond ordinary friendships.