Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the people of Odisha on Raja Parba festivities being held across state.
“Greetings on the ongoing Raja Parba festivities being held across Odisha. May this auspicious period bring with it an abundance of good health and prosperity. May there be happiness all around,” he tweeted.
Raja Parba, also known as Mithun Sankranti, is a three-day long festival celebrated with great enthusiasm and grandeur in Odisha. The festival is dedicated to honouring Mother Earth and celebrating womanhood. It will conclude on June 16.
‘Raja’ is derived from the word ‘Rajaswala’ which means menstruating women. Each and every woman is compared with the Bhudevi and given a special place during this festival. She allowed to take a break from household chores on these days. The women don’t walk barefoot, do not scratch the earth and refrain from grinding, tearing anything apart, cutting or cooking.
It begins with ‘Saja Baja’ when young girls take bath after anointing their bodies with turmeric paste and all preparations are done to celebrate the three-day festivities. On Wednesday, they wore their best attire, adorned themselves with ornaments and alata for Pahili Raja. There were games of cards and ludo and swings. The second day is called Mithun Sankranti; the third day is called ‘Bhu Daha’, or Basi Raja. The fourth day i.e. the last day of the festival is called Basumati Snan.
On the last day, people give bath to mother earth or Bhumi with turmeric paste flowers and put sindoor or vermillion. They offer different types of fruits and sweets and seek blessings of Mother Earth.
The festival is also synonymous with varieties of cakes (pithas) – Poda Pitha’, ‘Manda’, ‘Kakara’, ‘Arisha’ and ‘Chakuli’.
