In scriptures it has been written that women should not touch anyone neither she should perform any religious rituals during the time of menstrual period. If mistakenly she touches others or someone touches her that sin can be erased by doing fasting on Rushi Pancham day. Females should not touch even the utensils of the house.
 
The story behind this festival goes like this. Once there was a lady who was not following the rules of the above-mentioned period. In next birth she became dog and her husband became a bull. Both were suffering the tortures of this birth. Sometimes they were not getting food to eat. Days, months and years rolled on. Once a saint met to the owner of that bull and dog and asked him to do fasting of Rushi Pacham with his wife just to liberate the dog and bull from their painful life.   As per the advice of that saint the man started doing the fasting of Rushi Pancham. After some time he got the blessings and boon of God to make those animals free from their pain. This is the reason that women keep a distance with males during this period and pass their maximum time in singing devotional songs. As time flew the people of modern world do not understand the significance of Rushi Pancham but those who are spiritual definitely understand its importance.