Raja festivities begin in city

Bhubaneswar: The markets are buzzing with activity with young girls on a shopping spree ahead of Raja festival, beginning Wednesday.
“I purchased new shoes, a wrist watch and many food items. Raja is a special occasion for me as I get to celebrate it with my friends and family members,” said Shilpa, a Plus III student.
With swings being synonymous with Raja, girls can also be seen crowding around hammock vendors along the city roads.

“This festival allows me some time off from household chores. But my children are not aware of the tradition associated with it. Raja Doli (swings) and Puchhi Khela have become a rare sight not only in urban areas but also in villages. We must give more importance to our age-old tradition before festivals like Raja lose their charm,” said Gita Biswal, a homemaker.
Popular belief has it that it is the time when the Earth, perceived to be a woman, menstruates. During the three days, ploughing is forbidden and unmarried girls in the countryside are feted. As girls shun cooking during the festivities, their commonest pastime is to take turns on swings hanging from tree branches.

To promote this tradition and the rich cuisine of the state, the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) is holding a four-day Raja Mahotsav on the premises of Bhubaneswar Panthanivas. Inaugurating the festival on Tuesday, tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda lauded the efforts of OTDC to popularize the age-old festival among the denizens.
Special arrangements have been made to serve different traditional Odia delicacies like poda pitha, manda pitha arisha, dahi vada, chhena poda, chakuli pitha and ghuguni, muga bundi, khira gaja and Raja pan at Panthanivas in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Chandipur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Barkul, Gopalpur, Paradeep and Yatrinivas in Konark. Raja Doli (swing) have been put up at all these places.
Besides, a food festival is being organised at the Exhibition Ground, Unit-III, with 20 leading hoteliers and self-help groups serving mouth-watering traditional food items.