Context: Recently on the special occasion of Ashadhi Bij, the Kutchi New Year the Prime Minister has greeted the people.
About this festival

• Ashadhi Bij/Beej is the 2nd day of Shukla paksha of Ashadha month of the Hindu calendar (June – July).
• The Kutchi people of Gujarat celebrate their Kutchi New Year on this day.
• This day is associated with the beginning of rains in Kutch, Gujarat.
• On this festival, the people check the moisture in the atmosphere to help predict which crop would do best in the coming monsoon.
• Moisture in the air makes the seed and soil gain weight. If the pre-monsoon air has a lot of moisture in it, that is a fairly good indication that the season will be well.
• Kutch is largely a desert area, therefore people living there value rain very much.
• Ashadhi Beej is celebrated mainly at two places in India – Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, UP and Mulesh Mahadev in Umreth, Gujarat.