Festivals of Orissa

Rama Navami
Savitri Brata
Samba Dasami
Sital Sasthi
Sume-Gelirak
Uda Parab
Viswakarma Puja
Visuba Sankranti
Bali Yatra
Joranda Mela
Magha Saptami
Taratarini Mela

The birthday of Lord Rama is obersved as Rama Navami on the ninth day of the light half of the month of Chaitra. Though there are very few temples dedicated to Rama in Orissa, this festival is widely celebrated by the performances of Ram Leela based on the famous epic Ramayana

Beginning from this day, the performances continue for over a month in places like sambalpur & other parts of Western Orissa. Some observe fast on the day & take food only after visiting the temple. There are several centers where the performances are held with great sanctity. the Ram Leelas held at Asureswar in Cuttack District and at Dasapalla are well known.

The Amavasya in the month of Jyestha is known as Savitri Amavasya or Savitri Brata. This day is most auspicious for the married Hindu women whose husbands are alive. They observe it as a vow with great devotion and pray for the long lives of their respective husbands.

The Brata has been named after Savitri. In Mahabharata and other epics, the story of Savitri & Satyabana is elborately described. Savitri was the beautiful daughter of King Aswapati of Madra Desa. She was unparallel both in virtue and beauty. As a suitable groom couldn't be found out, her father gave her complete freedom to choose her own partner in life. With a brand of veteran ministers, she traveled many countries in search of a suitable partner but couldn't find anyone. While returning, she came across a handsome young man. He was engaged in cutting woods in the jungle. The young man was none other than Satyaban, a prince in exile who was living in the forest with his blind father Dyumatsen. Savitri selected him as her life partner.

But Narada forecasted that he would die young. Then the king asked Savitri to choose another person. But Savitri was firm in her decision and married him. She left the palace and lived with her husband in the forest. As a devoted wife and daughter-in-law, she took all the pains to take care of them.

Gradually, the ordained time for the death of Satyaban drew near. One day, while cutting wood in the jungle, he fell down from the tree and expired on the lap of his beloved wife, Savitri. Then Yamaraj appeared to take away the soul of Satyaban from his body. Savitri pleaded Yamaraj not to separate her from her husband. She stated that if he were to take away the soul of her husband, she would also follow him. Yamaraj was taken aback at such a request and explained that it was impossible.

Instead, he promised to grant one boon instead of that. Savitri cleverly asked for three boonsand Yamaraj, in haste, conceded to it. Savitri could regain the kingdom of her father-in-law by his first boon and get back his eyes as the second boon. The third boon was that she would be the mother of one hundred sons; and without a husband it would be impossible to be a mother. As a Sati, she could not take another husband. Yamaraj being outwitted and moved by the devotion of Savitri, returned her the life of Satyaban. Both of them lived happily everafter.

All Hindu women observe this festival and worship as a Devi. The moral of the festival is to teach the women to be virtuous, devotional and painstaking, like Savitri.

In the early morning, women take purificatory bath and wear new clothes & bangles. They apply vermilion on their foreheads & the hair-parting line. Images of Savitri are never made. The grinding stone (Sila Pua) is represented as Savitri & worshipped. Wet pulses & rice, mango, jackfruit, lemon, banana & other fruits are offered as Bhoga. After observing fast for the whole day, they simply take the bhoga.

The tenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Pousha is known as Shamba Dasami. This day is dedicated to the worship of the Sun God and is peculiar to Orissa.

There is a legend attached to the festival, which tells about how and when the festival started. Shamba was the most handsome son of Krishna who was also very proud. He never paid any respect to his elders & spent his life in licentious habits.

Once, he came across Narada who is revered by all gods & goddesses. But Shamba didn't pay any respect to him. Narada made a false allegation against him before Krishna, that he had seen him in love-play with Gopis who are to be respected like his mother. Enraged with this, Krishna cursed him to be afflicted with leprosy. Shamba lost his handsome features. Narada never believed that the curse would be so severe & he repented & asked Shamba to go to Maitreya Bana to sit in penance  to receive the blessings of Sun God who can only cure him from the disease. Shamba sat in penance for twelve years. Sun God cured him from the disease & the day he was cured is being observed as Shamba Dasami.

This festival is prevalent among the Brahmins of the State. It is believed that Shiva became furious after Jagara Amavasya and was cooled down only by marriage to Parvati. So, this marriage festival of Shiva & Parvati is called Sital Sasthi and is held in the ninth day of the bright fortnight of the month Jyestha.

During this festival, the elderly brahmins of the village act as the parents of the bride & bridegroom and all the formalities of a Brahmin marriage are observed.

The Bondas of Koraput are an interesting primitive tribe. They live on hilltops & lead a secluded life. Their interaction with other tribes are very rare. Among many festivals of the year, their most important festival is known as Sume_Gelirak.

Youth look forward to this festival as it gives them ample freedom in all respects. Festival starts on Sundays & continues for ten days. During the first few days, they worship their traditional Godlings & demons. The Sisa or the tribal priest performs the rituals of sacrificing animals & birds and propitiating the deities with liquor. Singing & dancing follow.

This festival is observed in places like Mayurbhanj& Keonjhar. The participating devotees are called Bhakta.

In a village field, a long staff is fixed horizontally on a perpendicular pole. The Bhaktas, after having bath & other rituals move in a dancing procession to this place. They are accompanied by a cheering crowd & loud beating of drums. A huge congregation at the field awaits their arrival. Then, one by one, they are tied to the horizontal staff with a long cloth at the shoulders. Ankle-bells are fitted on their feet.

In India, months & years are counted on the basis of lunar or solar eclipses. According to the solar system, the month is counted from Sankranti & in lunar system, it is calculated from Purnima. Visuba Sankranti is the first day of the month. In northern India, it is called Jala Sankranti. In southern India, it is called Pongal and in Orissa it is called Pana Sankranti. It has been named so, because the main drink offerring, pana is prepared on this occassion.

It is only two occassions namely Mesha Sankranti & Tula Sankranti, that the sun fully shines on the equator. Further, on these two dates, the length of days & nights remains equal. After Mesha Sankranti, sun moves to north as our country is situated to the north of equator.  So, from this day of first movement of the sun from Mesha Sankranti, the New Year is counted. This day is considered to be an auspicious day all around the year.

Exactly on the dates of Karam festival, the tribal people of Koraput observe the festival of Bali Yatra. Beginning from the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Bharab & continues upto full moon. The festival begins with Nuakhia feast during which, new rice is eaten. The festival takes the name from the planting of various grains in the wet sand brought from a nearby stream & their installation on a structure called Bali Yatra or sand house. The biggest baliyatra in Orissa is celebrated in Cuttack.

This is an occasion for a number of other celebration also. Men & Women wear fancy dresses & rejoice by drinking, feasting, dancing & singing. In some areas, a swing is set up with its seat studded with sharp nails & on this a Beiju (a witch doctor) is made to swing. Goats, fowls, & pigeons are sacrificed. Later, the Beiju walks on the bed of live charcoal. He dances in the trance for all three days with intermittent rest.

This is celebrated on the seventh day of new moon of Magha. This day is set aside for worship of Sun God at Konark. This is the most popular & colourful festival of the place. Lakhs of pilgrims from different parts of country & outside visit Konark to watch the festival. In fact, this is the second largest festival in Orissa, next to Car Festival of Puri. The pilgrims take holy dip in Chandrabhaga & welcome the rising sun with prayers.

Khandagiri Mela is held during this period for seven days.

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