Orissa is a confluence of the Aryan, Dravidian and Adivasi cultures . And it is
a state where three religions flourished and is thronged by pilgrims throughout
the year.Being a land of ancient and sacred temples there are a large number of
fairs and festivals celebrated in this state. There are festivals relating to each
religion, tribes and traditions. Durga puja, Ratha yatra , makara mela and many
more are comes under this categories. Besides these many seasonal exhibitions and
fairs as well as special festivals such as the Konark Dance festival, Puri Beach
festival, Rajarani Music Festival etc. There is no better evidence for this religio-spiritual
yearning in its popular form than the string of festivals that is spread over the
year.
Durga Puja festival is celebrated in between September to October every year. It
symbolises the commemoration of good over evil. The three major Pujas of the state
are the Chandimedh of Cuttack, Shahid Nagar's Durga Puja and Nayapalli's Durga Puja.
But particularly thousand year old cuttack city is famous for this festival . Here
life comes to a stand-still in the city as crowds pour over the Puja Mandaps to
enjoy the festivities. On the day succeeding 'Vijaya Dasami', the last day of Dussera,
the images are taken in a spectacular procession for immersion in the river Kathajodi.
The most famous Orissan festival is of course the Ratha Yatra or Car Festival .
It is celebrated in between June and July of every year, which attracts pilgrims
and visitors from all over the world. The 'Rath-Yatra' of Puri is celebrated with
great pomp and show and has great significance . The three dieties, lord Jagannath,
lord Balabhadra and devi Subhadra, are taken out in a chariot procession to their
summer temple for a week. On the full moon day of the month of Jyestha known as
snana Purnima, the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are brought out and
bathed on a pendal known as the snahnamandap . Then they are believed to become
indisposed and are confined to a solitary abode for a fortnight where they undergo
treatment, are offered special ayurvedic medicine boli and some special liquid diet
called sarapana. After a rest of fifteen days on the second day of the lunar month
huge chariots are pulled by thousands of people, irrespective of religion, caste
or creed to proclaim their universality and accessibility, to humanity at large.
The chariots are cleaned by the Gajapati Maharaja of purl with a golden broom to
proclaim that he is the first of the Lord's servants and on this particular day
he performs the duty of a scavenger to demonstrate socialism in action and the dignity
of labour. The deities then rest at Gundichaghar where they stall for eight days
at the end of which the return car festival i.e. Bahuda Yatra takes place .
This festival is generally famous in Puri district of Orissa. But in other parts
of Orissa this is also observed in related to Lord Jagannath . This Takes place
in the month of Vaisaksha and continues for long 42 days. But generally speaking
it is a Festival of first 21 days only. The festival Chndan Yatra started from Akshyaya
Trutiya and lasts for twenty-one days .The first period of 21 days is known as "Bahar
Chandan"or outer Chandan. During this period,the representative images of Rama,Krushna,
Madanmohan,Sridevi and Bhudevi are taken in a procession to Narendra tank.The images
of Siva from 5 Siva Temples known as "Pancha Pandavas" also accompany them to the
Narendra tank. At Narendra tank the images play in well decorated boats and are
worshipped. The second period of 21 days known as "Bhitar Chandana" is celebrated
inside the Temple. This Chandan Yatra marks the conclusion of the cycle of religious
festivals observed in the famous shrine of Lord Jagannth at Puri followed by other
shrines of Orissa.
This is known as Dola purnima and also as Holi. This is the most famous spring festival
of India. Usually celebrated in March it has special properties in its celebration
in Orissa . The images of lord Krishna are worshipped form Dashami i.e. 10th day
of the bright fortnight to the full moon day. The images are taken in decorated
vimans, small wooden temples, carried on the shoulders of bearers from house to
house where offerings are made to them. After the tour of the village the vimanas
from different villages are assembled in an open field and the time is spent in
bhajana and kirtan. Jatras and palas are also held in the area. The day after the
full moon day people throw coloured water on one another and smear each other's
faces with coloured powder . In local language it is called abira.The festival is
specially important for cattle owing to their association with the cow . They are
bathed, anointed with vermillion, garlanded and fed sumptuously. The festival is
connected with the destruction of the demon Holikasura or the she-demon Holika by
making a bonfire, for which the festival is called Holi. Such Melanas or Fairs continue
till the month of Chaitra in different places of the district of Orissa.
Conducted by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Orissa, the Puri beach festival
is a celebration in Orissa, with all its beauty, charm and fun-loving spirit. The
Puri Beach Festival is an out fun lovers fiesta. With events ranging from fashion
shows to rock shows, this Beach festival attracts visitors . Held at the beautiful
beach of Puri, it offers a unique opportunity for visitors to inter-act and enjoy
.
This is the festival celebrated to commemorate the glorious past of commercial voyages
of Orissan traders. Particularly to the islands of Bali,java and Sumatra , Orissan
Traders had their own identity for a grater business exchange. To mark this occasion
every year a big fair called "bali Yatra" is held in the bank of river Mahanadi
and infront of the Barabati fort at Cuttack . This is held on the full moon day
of Kartika and lasts about 7 to 8 days. This fair is also called as second kumbha
mela, because here a buyer can everything from needle to car , even residential
plots. Good sign is that now a days this festival has turned in to effective educational
ground for the common masses to get education about different social do's and dont's.
Bali Yatra fair held on the banks of Mahanadi River in the fort area of Cuttack
city as well at the seashore at Paradeep. To celebrate the glory of the ancient
times, the people in Cuttack as well as in the rest of Orissa float small boats
made of cork, colored paper and banana tree barks in the river and water tanks.
The ritual of launching tiny paper boats lit by lamps placed within its hollow is
known as Boita Bandana. Images of Karthikeswar are worshipped and immersed in the
waters of river Mahanadi, near the Shiva Temple, to mark the end of the month of
Karthik.
It is considered as the gem of Orissan architecture in sand stone. Belonging to
the 10th century AD; its special features a crucial turning point in the tempo of
the Orissan temple architecture . The magnificent arched gateway, the Torana, in
the front of the Mukteswar is a unique piece of stonework. The graceful feminine
figures in languorous poses are as captivating as the figures of monkeys and royal
peacocks on it. For more than 10th centuries this temple has gracefully remained
as a standing invitation to hold back the visitors .
This is also another festival related to the leela's of lord Krishna. Dhanu Yatra
relating to the episode of Lord Krishna's visit to Mathura witness the ceremony
of 'Bow'. This is colourfully observed at western Orissa , particularly at Bargarh.
The town of Baragarh becomes Mathura ,the river Jira becomes Yamuna , and village
Amapalli on other bank of river becomes Gopa. A mango grove there serves as "Vrindaban"
and a pond, as lake "Kalindi". A gorgeously decorated stage is erected in the heart
of Bargarh to serve as the Durbar of Kansa. An elephant is engaged for the royal
transport. The origins of the Dhanu yatra at Bargarh are unclear, but it has been
organized since 1948 annually. Different acts of Puranic descriptions are performed
in this festival. Observed for 11 days preceding Pausha Poornima - the full moon
day of Pausha in December-January, this is the spectacular Dhanuyatra of Bargarh
in the western part of Orissa, about 350 km from Bhubaneswar. Dhanuyatra is the
theatrical presentation of Krishna Leela of Devaki with Vashudev till the death
of Kansa as described in the scriptures. The entire episode is reenacted. Generally
observed in typically rituals this festival has its own identity world wide.
It is nodoubt that the Sun temple at Konark is the crowning glory of the temple
architecture of Orissa. As a tribute to this majestic monument; eminent classical
dancers of India get together during the Konark Festival every year from 1st week
of December to present live performances of their art. At the sun set , the open-air
auditorium against the backdrop of the floodlit temple reverberates with the beats
of Raga and Tala to fill the air. The classical extravaganza is a journey through
ecstasy. Resistlessly it can be said that this is really really an open air auditorium
calssical extravaganza.
Popularly known as the Deba Snana Purnima, this Festival takes places in the month
of Jestha. This is the first occasion in the course of a year when the deities Jagannath,Balabhadra
and Subhadra along with Sudarsan and Madanmohan are brought out from the Temple
and taken in procession to Snana Bedi located in the North East corner of the temple.
The deities are bathed there . Here,Jagannath and Balabhadra are dressed like Lord
Ganesh with the head of an elephant.
Makar mela is celebrated in makar Sankranti with gusto in mid-January when the Sun
enters the orbit of capricon. The sun god is worshipped with great fervour and enthusiasm
by one and all. The festival can be best enjoyed at Kalijai i.e.an island in Chilika
lake ( see chilika page) Atri, Ghatgaon, Keonjhar, Jashipur and Jagatsinghpur.
The ‘Taratarini Mela’ is one of Orissa’s biggest fairs, takes place on each Tuesday
at Taratarini Pitha which is about 30 km from Berhampur town . Of the month of ‘Chaitra’
i.e. from around mid-March to mid-April a grand congregation takes place on the
3rd Tuesday here which a a typical feelings for all the devotees thronged here all
over the stae.
Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped in this occasion with joy and celebration. Particularly
in Orissa's Dhenkanal town and some part of kendrapara town this festival is very
very famous . Observed with much pomp and ceremony in both the places, it commences
from the fullmoon day of aswin and continues for a period of one week.
This festival is celebration on the birthday of lord Nrusingha in NrusinghNath,
on the holy day of Baysakh Chaturdashi. This abatar is in the form of a cat to protect
the life beings from the Mushika Datya. A rat Vampire, who is hidden inside the
Gandhmardan Mountain and Lord Nrusingha is sitting in the entry point of that rat
hole is in the idol form which attracts lakhs of devotees.
Saraswati, who is the patron goddess of learning and arts in Hinduism is worshipped
all over India especially in Orissa. LOrd ganesh , who is also a patron of all good
starts, widely worshipped almost all part of Orissa particaularly on ganesh chaturdashi.
Ashokasthmi is celebrated in the month of March and April every year. It is a mini
Rathyatra of Lord Shiva at the Lingaraj temple.
Raja Sankrati is celebrated in some part of orissa particularly in the month of
June . It is celebrated mainly by women. Mainly women welcoming the first showers
celebrate it. Mostly it is a 3-day festival and some part of Orissa it is also celebrated
for five days.
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