Raja Sankranti

Raja is also considered as one of the chief festivals of Odisha. RAJA, the 3 days long festival in Orissa, is the most celebrated festival among all the festivals in Orissa. No doubt Dussehra, Diwali and Holi are celebrated with great enthusiasm religiously nation wide, but RAJA is a unique festival which is celebrated differently and locally with full of entertainments, games and joys. Although it is celebrated all over the Orissa, it is more enthusiastically observed in the costal belt of Orissa.

First day of Raja is known as the Pahili Raja, then the middle day is Raja Sankranti which is the auspicious day among all these 3 days and the last day is know as the Bhudah. fourth day of Raja festival is also celebrated in the name of “Basumata Puja”. During this festival Mother Earth or “Basu Mata” is considered to be a menstruating woman. Hence digging of soil or tempering it in any way is strictly prohibited. The Mother Earth is said to undergo pollution due to menstruation and given rest just like a woman imposed wit h several restrictions.

Raja is also considered as one of the chief festivals of un-married girls. Young unmarried Girls in the house are advised not to cook or do any work for these 3 days. Mostly older ladies in home and sometimes men do all the household works for these 3 days in order to make their girl kids and children free to enjoy the festival at its full length.Girls are seen in colourful new dresses and put Alata in their feet. Their only job during these 3 days is to engage themselves in merry making activities, playing cards, eating and distributing paans, singing songs while playing the swings.  

Rajo Sankranti is incomplete without the traditional Raja folk songs sung by young girls while enjoying the Swings ( Dolis ) in branches and trees. Paans are the main elements in this typical festival of Orissa and young girls distribute special Paans to their near and dear ones for these 3 days. Poda Pitha ( a special cake ) along with other home made cakes and variety of sweets are the major gourmets of all these 3 days. Special Non-Veg delicacies mostly typical Orissan Mutton curry is also seen in almost every household during one of these 3 days.

Raja festival in Orissa is truly a manifestation of woman empowerment. But the festival is not strictly confined to girls these days. In fact everyone in the home and in the entire village, be him or she is an elder member or a small child or young mass, enjoy this festive fever equally as enthusiastically as the young girls enjoy. Boys join girls in playing the swings, elderly persons enjoys playing Cards and Ludos, women engage themselves in decorating homes, watching movies and singing songs etc. to make the entire 3-day long festival a worth living. It Reminds me my school and college days, when I was a part of these merry making festival every year in my village.