Bhubaneswar: Maidens are celebrating ‘Kumar Purnima’ with much fanfare across the state on Wednesday.
This autumn festival is one of the most popular and important festivals of Odisha.
When is it celebrated?
Kumar Purnima is a harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day of Hindu lunar month of Ashwin (September–October). It marks the end of monsoon.
Why is it celebrated?
Kumar or Kartikeya, the handsome son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, was born on this day. He was very good looking and young girls always wished for a handsome husband like him. Therefore, the kumaries (maidens) celebrate this festival to get a good-looking husband like Kartika.
Morning ritual, ‘Anjula Teka’
The kumaries wake up before sun rise, bathe and get dressed to perform ‘Anjula Teka’ ritual.
The girls wear new clothes and offer a palmful of prasad including ‘Khai’, ‘Janhi’ (striped gourd), cucumber, banana, coconut, betel nut to sun, which is called ‘Anjuli’.
“We are celebrating this festival with much enthusiasm. We all woke up early in the morning and performed all the rituals. We offered ‘Anjula’ to the Sun God near ‘Chauran’ of our house,” said Pragyan Priyadarshini Sahoo from Patrapada here.
Though she is a lecturer in a college of Rourkela, she has come to her village for this festival only.
Evening ritual, ‘Chanda Puja’
Evening ritual is almost the same as those performed in morning except ‘Chanda chakata’, which is offered to the moon.
The girls wait for the moon and raise the ‘Chanda chakata’ to the moon. It is believed that if the girls will seefresh moon and offer ‘Chanda Chakata’, they will get a young and attractive husband. They use Khai, Ukhuda, jiggery, sugarcane, banana, Chhena (cottage cheese) and talasaja to prepare the prasad.
The girls lay out the prasad on a plate in the shape of half moon and then offered to the moon.
Kumara Punei Janha Lo…
The young girls sing /Kumara Punei Janha Lo… Phula Baula Beni…’ while performing puja in the evening. This is a special Kumar Purnima song.
Kumarotsav
To mark the festival, Kumarotsav is celebrated in most part of the state. Chandamama Volunteers’ Organisation in Patrapada is also organising Kumarotsav.
They are organising a painting competition on the theme, ‘Kumara Purnima Janha’. It will be followed by a cultural function. A ramp show on the theme #Me Too campaign will also be held.
Khichdi bhoga will be given to the participant as well as the audiences.
Besides, the girls play a game known as ‘Puchi’. Young boys used to play Pasha (Chess) and other indoor games and country games also.
This day is also observed as the birth day of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth.
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