Bhubaneswar: Raja Parba, a three-day festival celebrated with great enthusiasm and grandeur, kicked off in Odisha on Saturday. The festival, dedicated to honouring Mother Earth and celebrating womanhood, will conclude on June 16.
A unique festival celebrated each year during the month of Asadha, is based on the belief that Bhudevi (earth) menstruates during this period and prepares herself for future agricultural activities.
‘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 in this festival. She would not have to work for 4 days and be allowed to take rest. They don’t walk barefoot, do not scratch the earth, do not grind, do not tear anything apart, do not cut and do not cook.
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 would wear their best attire for Pahili Raja. There will be 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.
“Banaste dakila gaja
barasake thare asichhi raja
ani kete sajabaja”.
The first lines of the festival song mean” The elephants are calling in the forest, the once in a year festival has come, bringing loads of adornments with it”.
The festival is also synonymous with varieties of cakes (pithas) – Poda Pitha’, ‘Manda’, ‘Kakara’, ‘Arisha’ and ‘Chakuli’.
It is believed that Prithivi or Mother Earth goes through regeneration, which is likened to menstrual cycle, these three days and this is reason enough to celebrate. Though primarily an agrarian festival, Raja is celebrated with fervour by young girls and women across all classes in rural as well as urban areas of Odisha.
The three days are referred to as Pahili Raja, Raja Sankranti and Bhuin Daaha (Sesa Raja). Mother Earth is given complete rest for three days and hence no agricultural activity like ploughing and sowing. She is then given a ceremonial bath (Vasumati Snana) on the fourth day
The Celebration
Streets in cities and villages wear a colourful look on all the three days with young girls decked up in their best finery and new attire, enjoying the festival. They decorate their forehead with chandan cheetas, and apply alta on feet glittering with silver anklets. The girls are also forbidden to walk barefoot on these days, and they instead wear footwear made of banana stalk or areca nut shells.
Paan
Eating paan (betel leaf) on these three days has almost become a ritual. Paan sellers in the city offer interestingly flavoured paans, especially for Raja. Varanasi Paan Bhandar at Saheed Nagar here has the widest range of Raja paan. The shop offers around 10 flavours of paan, apart from specialties like dry fruits, ice and fire paan.
Raja Doli
Beautifully decorated swings are hung from trees and the sounds of laughter reverberate everywhere. Swinging is one of the major highlights of the festival.
Girls shun cooking during the festivities, and their favourite pastime is to take turns on swings hanging from tree branches.
Pitha (Traditional Pancakes)
The smell of happiness wafts through homes and streets as traditional delicacies (pithas) are freshly made and relished. Poda Pitha comes to everybody’s mind at the time of raja. It is famous in the Jagannath cult. Arisa Pitha, Kakara Pitha and other types of pithas are also made.
