RAJA – The Festive of Odisha

RAJA Parva

Name of Festival: Raja or Mithun Sankranti or Swinging Festival

Celebrated on: The 1^st day of the month of Asadha (June-July)

Importance: Celebrating the arrival of Monsoon

Celebrated in: Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Puri

Mithuna Sankranti/ Raja:

Raja or Raja Sankranti (Swing festival) or "Mithuna Sankranti" is one of the most important and enjoyable festivals of Odisha. It is celebrated on the first day of the month of 'Asadha' (June-July) during the onset of monsoon. However, it is celebrated all over the state, but more passionately observed in the coastal district of Odisha. Basically, it is celebrated till three days as Pahili Raja, Raja and Shesa Raja. But in some places, however, it is celebrated as Fourth Raja also known as the ‘Basumata Puja’ or ‘Bhoomiran’.

Monsoon Welcoming Festival:

It inaugurates and welcomes the agricultural year all over Odisha, which marks through biological symbolism, the moistening of the summer parched soil with the first showers of the monsoon, thus making it ready for productivity. All three days of the festival are considered to be the menstruating period of Mother Earth. Conceiving mother earth to be a woman on menstruation, which is a sign of fertility. All agricultural activities remain perched during these three days of celebration. As in Hindu homes menstruating women remain secluded because of impurity and do not even touch anything and are given full rest, so as to the Mother Earth is given full rest for three days for which all agricultural operations are stopped.

Myth beyond it:

The Raja is for the girls, by the girls and of the girls. To some extent it is also for budding mothers. On the very first day, they rise before dawn, comb their hair, smear their bodies with turmeric paste & oil and then take the purifying bath. Girls are not given any manual work during Raja. Even, they have no time to bathe for the rest two days. They don't walk bare-foot, scratch the earth and carry water. Neither they ground grains nor cut and cook.

Most Entertaining Festival:

As all agricultural activities remain suspended, the young men of the village keep themselves busy in various types of country games, the most favorite being 'Kabaddi', Card, Dice (Pasa), Ludo and Chess etc. Competitions are also held between different groups of villages. The newly- married couples are invited to in-laws house (Sasur Ghar) as special guest on the eve of Raja. Son-in-law (Jamat) is treated as like as the king of his Kingdom. Sister-in-laws (Sali) are enjoying most of the time in marry-making with their Son-in-law (Bhinoi). All nights 'Yatra' performances or 'Gotipua' dances are arranged in some villages. In some villages, “Goddess-Rajobati” Puja is also observed.

Magic of Raja: Merry-go-round

In Raja, they are spending long jolly hours with more interestingly moving up and down on the various kinds of improvised Swings such as 'Ram Doli', 'Charki Doli', 'Pata Doli', 'Dandi Doli' and Baunsa Doli etc. Basically, these swings are made by proud brothers of all lovely sisters. They also help to move the swings like Ram Doli and Chakri Doli which are too heavy to run by girls. Another common thing during these times is that unknown newcomers naturally come up from every nook and corner of the villages.

Melody of the Festival:

During all the three consecutive days, they are seen in the best of dresses and decorations, eating cakes and rich food at the houses of friends and relatives, rending the village sky with their cheerful impromptu songs. Songs especially meant for the festival, speak of love, affection, respect, social behavior and everything of social order that comes to the minds of the singers.  Songs are composed extempore. Many out of these songs are through sheer beauty of diction and sentiment, the symbol of Odisha’s folk poetry.

Mother Food: Dough Cake

The special variety of cake prepared out of recipes like rice-powder, molasses, coconut, camphor, ghee etc. goes in the name of "Poda Pitha" (burnt cake) and “Manda Pitha” (vacuum cake). The size of the cake varies according to the number of family members. Cakes are also exchanged among relatives and friends. Young girls do not take rice during the three-day festival and sustain only with this type of cake, fried-rice ('Mudi, Chuda’) and vegetable curry. Young people are also busy in preparing delicious non-vegetarian food items like Mutton, Chicken etc.

Man behind Festival:

While girls thus scatter beauty, grace and music all around, on the eve of the onset of the monsoons, boys (young man) will not give them even a minute's respite for practically four months (July-October)  making them one with mud, slush and relentless showers, their spirits keep high with only the hopes of a good harvest. Most probably, in the month of October/ November when rice (paddy-Dhan) comes in houses, the joy of farmers (Man) will be as thrice as before.

 Prahallad Sahoo(20-06-2013)