Raja Parva
Encyclopedia
Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti is a four day long festival and the second day signifies beginning of the solar month of Mithuna from, which the season of rains starts. It inaugurates and welcomes the agricultural year all over Orissa
, which marks, through biological symbolism, the moistening of the sun dried soil with the first showers of the monsoon in mid June thus making it ready for productivity.
undergoes menstruation during the first three days.The fourth day is called as Vasumati gadhua or ceremonial bath of Bhudevi.The term Raja has come from Rajaswala(meaning a menstruating woman) and during medieval period the festival became more poular as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship of Bhudevi,who is the wife of lord Jagannath
.A silver idol of Bhudevi is still found in Puri Temple aside Lord Jagannatha.
s are made of which Podopitha,and Chakuli Pitha
are main.People play a lot of indoor and outdoor games.Girls play swings tied on tree branches whereas aged ladies play Cards and Ludo
.Many villages organise Kabbadi matches among young men. The Raja gita (a folk song sung by the people is:
(Banaste dakila Gaja,barasake thare aasichhi Raja, asichi raja lo gheni nua sajabaja' (meaning the Raja carnival has come with the pomp and pleasure of newness)
(Pana khia Rasika Pati, khoji buluthila Rajanka hati, dhali deigala sirare, raja hoigale rajare (Meaning the while the lucky charming man chewing betel was blessed with the wondering elephant with the kingship)
with turmeric paste and adore with flower,sindoor etc.All type of sesonal fruits are offered to mother Bhumi.The day before first day is called Sajabaja or preparatiory day during which the house ,kitchen including grinding stones are cleaned,spices are ground for three days.During these three days women and girls take rest from work and wear new Saree,Alaktaka,and ornaments.Its similar to Ambubachi Mela
.
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, which marks, through biological symbolism, the moistening of the sun dried soil with the first showers of the monsoon in mid June thus making it ready for productivity.
Mythology
It is believed that the mother goddess Earth or the divine wife of Lord VishnuVishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
undergoes menstruation during the first three days.The fourth day is called as Vasumati gadhua or ceremonial bath of Bhudevi.The term Raja has come from Rajaswala(meaning a menstruating woman) and during medieval period the festival became more poular as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship of Bhudevi,who is the wife of lord Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
.A silver idol of Bhudevi is still found in Puri Temple aside Lord Jagannatha.
Rituals and customs
During the three days women are given a break from household work and time to play indoor games.Unmarried girls decorate themselves with new fashion or traditional Saree and Alatha in feet.All people abstain from walking barefoot on earth.Generally various PithaPitha
Pitha , or pithe is a type of cake or bread common in Bangladesh and India, especially the eastern states of Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the northeastern region. Pithas are typically made of rice flour, although there are some types of pitha made of wheat flour...
s are made of which Podopitha,and Chakuli Pitha
Chakuli Pitha
Chakuli Pitha is an Oriya flat, rice based fried cake traditionally made in the state of Orissa.-Ingredients:Rice flour , black gram , refined edible oil most favorable will be ghee or mustard oil,salt .It traces its origin during early 4th Century BC when Buddha had tasted the Chakra apoopa from...
are main.People play a lot of indoor and outdoor games.Girls play swings tied on tree branches whereas aged ladies play Cards and Ludo
Ludo
Ludo may refer to:* Ludo , a board game of the Cross and Circle game family* Luděk Mikloško Czech football goalkeeper.* Ludwig II of Bavaria, nicknamed 'Mad King Ludo', a king of Bavaria who reigned between 1869 and 1886...
.Many villages organise Kabbadi matches among young men. The Raja gita (a folk song sung by the people is:
(Banaste dakila Gaja,barasake thare aasichhi Raja, asichi raja lo gheni nua sajabaja' (meaning the Raja carnival has come with the pomp and pleasure of newness)
(Pana khia Rasika Pati, khoji buluthila Rajanka hati, dhali deigala sirare, raja hoigale rajare (Meaning the while the lucky charming man chewing betel was blessed with the wondering elephant with the kingship)
Observances
It falls in mid June,the first day is called Pahili Raja,second day is Mithuna Sankranti,third day is Bhu daaha or Basi Raja.The final fourth day is called Vasumati snan,in which the ladies bath the grinding stone as a symbol of BhumiBhumi
Bhumi can mean:* Bhūmi, Hindu goddess of the earth**also, earth as a classical element in Hindu tradition* Bhumi , the ten stages a Bodhisattva advances through in the path to become a Buddha...
with turmeric paste and adore with flower,sindoor etc.All type of sesonal fruits are offered to mother Bhumi.The day before first day is called Sajabaja or preparatiory day during which the house ,kitchen including grinding stones are cleaned,spices are ground for three days.During these three days women and girls take rest from work and wear new Saree,Alaktaka,and ornaments.Its similar to Ambubachi Mela
Ambubachi Mela
The Ambubachi Mela is the most important mela celebrated in the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam. This yearly mela is celebrated during the monsoon season that happens to fall during the assamese month Ahaar, around the middle of June, when the Brahmaputra river is in spate. It is the celebration...
.