Bhubaneswar: Dhanu Sankranti is an auspicious day as per Hindu mythology and is celebrated in Odisha with great joy on the first day of lunar Pousha month. Special puja is offered to Lord Jagannath on this day, when people also worship the Sun God.
It is on this day that the Sun enters Sagittarius and so the name, Dhanu Sankranti. This year, it is being observed on December 16.
When Celebrated?
In Odisha, Pousha is considered the month of plenty. After gathering crop, a festival is organised to celebrate the hard labour and the good harvest. A special delicacy made of sweetened rice flakes, Dhanu Muan, which is also offered to Lord Jagannath.
People observe this period for a month until Makar Sankranti. They refrain from doing anything auspicious – marriages, thread ceremonies, engagements, house-warming ceremonies – during this period. Instead, they take part in kirtans and go on a pilgrimage.
Dhanu Muan
It is a dry delicious sweet made out of puffed rice (called khai/ lia in Odia), ghee, cashew nuts, coconut slices, cardamom (elichi), cinnamon (dalchini) and sugar. It resembles nutri-grain bars in its texture.
Pahili Bhog
Devotees flock to Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri to partake ‘Pahili Bhog’ offered to the sibling deities on Dhanu Sankranti. This offering would continue for a month till Makar Sankranti.
According to the temple tradition, during this month, Mahalakshmi, the consort of Lord Jagannath visits her father’s house and the ‘bhog’ is prepared by the mother of the deities.
She prepares delicious cakes made of cheese, grams and other sweetmeats every day starting from Dhanu Sankranti to Makar Sankranti.
Dhanu Jatra
The world famous Dhanu Jatra is also held during this period in Bargarh.
During the 11-day festival, Bargarh town becomes Mathura of the Dwapar Yug. The biggest open-air theatre depicts the various episodes of Lord Krishna’s life.
One of the episodes is based on Krishna’s visit to Mathura to witness the ‘Bow ceremony’ organised by Kansa. He invites Krishna and Balaram on the occasion of Dhanu Yatra with the evil intention of killing them.
This annual festival showcases scenes right from Lord Krishna’s birth to the death of the demon king.
Dhanu Yatra is organised to celebrate the victory of good over the evil. River Jeera represents river Yamuna across which is situated village Ambapali that turns into Gopapur where Krishna was brought up.
