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The festivals of Odisha, deeply rooted in its cultural heritage, showcase a rich tapestry of traditions and artistic expressions. One of the most iconic festivals is Ratha Yatra, where enormous chariots carry deities through the streets of Puri, drawing devotees and tourists alike.
Durga Puja, Diwali, and Holi are celebrated with great enthusiasm, adding vibrant colors to the cultural landscape. Odisha’s festivals also feature classical dance performances like Odissi and traditional music, which resonate with the state’s artistic spirit. These celebrations offer a captivating glimpse into the heart of Odisha’s culture, where ancient traditions meet modern enthusiasm.
Ratha Yatra,Puri,Odisha
Ratha Yatra is one of Odisha’s most celebrated festivals, where massive chariots carry deities, including Lord Jagannath, through the streets of Puri. It’s a grand procession drawing devotees and tourists from all over. Car Festival (Ratha Yatra) is dedicated to Lord Jagannath. The huge deities of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are taken for a religious Yatra on the chariots to the Gundicha temple for a 9 Days. People of Orissa actively participate in the Rath Yatra. The people have always been connected to this traditional festival of Orrisa.
Believed to be as old as the Jagannath Temple, Puri – the Ratha Jatra or the Chariot Festival as its popularly called outside India is a unique festival in more ways than one. This is the only festival in India, where the deities are taken out of the temple premises. People of all religion, caste and creed join in and revel in the sea of humanity that Puri transforms into.
CHANDAN YATRA,ODISHA
Also known as Gandhalepana Yatra, it is the longest festival of Orissa which is celebrated at Jagannath temple at Puri. The 42-day long festival is celebrated by worshiping the deities with sandal mixed water. The deities are taken out of the temple for a holy patron in water in the traditional boats called ‘ Chapa’. The boats are beautifully decorated generally in red and white colour to give the resemblance of a swan floating in the water. The conclusion of the pompous festival is marked at the Vishnu or Shiva temples in Puri. Thousand of pilgrimages gather to take part in the celebration of this great festival of Orrisa.
Dola Purnima
Dola Purnima is one of the most popular festivals in Orissa. Worshipping of Radha and Krishna in the swing festival is the main event during the six-day long festival. The festival is also known as Dola Yatra Or Dola Purnima From the Falgun Dasami day, the idol of village deities, especially that of Krishna, are carried to all the homes in the villages. The idols are carried on a decorated palanquin, known as Vimana, and singers and musicians accompany the procession. In each house the deity is offered Bhog – sweets made from the recent harvest and fruits. In return, the deity distributes different colours abhir for the Holi festival.
Prathamashtami:
Prathamashtami is a unique festival in Odisha, dedicated to the firstborn child. Families celebrate their eldest child’s achievements and offer prayers for their well-being. Prathamashtami falls on the Astami tithi of Krushna Paksha in the Odia month of Margashira. This festival is in honour of the eldest child (podhuan)) of the family. Odia culture and rich tradition endorses everything in mother nature related to family values.
One of its kind festival, Prathamashtami is all about showing love to the firstborn of a family, so as to make him/her learn the family value system and making them ready for the upcoming responsibilities. In the Jagannath culture, Prathamashtami is a religious tradition that prescribes maternal uncles to present gifts to their nieces/nephews. According to tradition, Lord Madhab of Niali Temple is considered the maternal uncle of triad of Puri. Thus every year, servitors of Niali Temple offer new clothes to Lord Jagannath and his siblings during this festival.
Durga Puja:
Durga Puja is observed with great fervor, honoring the goddess Durga. Elaborate pandals are set up, and cultural performances are organized during this festival. Durga Pooja is the most important festival of Orissa which is magnificently celebrated all over the state of Orrisa.
It is celebrated in the month of Ashwin or Kartik, (September or October as per the English calendar). The streets and lighted up and Pandals are decorated to set the spirit of festivity among the people. The huge idols of Durga Maa along immaculate in the Pandals.
The chants of Mantras and morning and evening Artis can be heard to mark the grand celebration of this festival. Durga Pooja is celebrated for three – four days in Orissa and holds an important significance for the Hindu devotees.
KALINGA MAHOTSAVA,ODISHA
Kalinga Mahotsav holds great religious significance for peoples of Odisha and India. This festival is celebrated with the purpose to encourage people to follow the path of peace and calm, and not fighting with each other. This festival is organized by Art Vision, in collaboration with Orissa Tourism and Nalco the great organization those wanted to promote tourism in Odisha.
The Vishwa Shanti Stupa located in state capital Bhubaneswar also popular with the name Peace Pagoda, is used as the venue of this festival. In previous era our state Odisha was popularly known as Kalinga. It’s the witness of the great fight between Emperor Ashoka of Maurya Dynasty and King of Kalinga.
In that bloodiest battle thousands of people died and the King Ashoka realized his mistake, he decided to not fight again in his life and converted to Buddhism. Upagupta a great Buddhist monk helps him in adopting the religion of Buddhism.
Kalinga Mahotsav is a festival celebrated each year to pay tribute to that great Kalinga of history. Thousands of Odia people from various districts and cities come to join in this festival and in everyone’s heart these is a special attraction for this occasion.These festivals add color and vibrancy to Odisha’s cultural calendar, each with its unique significance and customs.
Rajo:
Rajo Parba is a four-day-long festival which is fondly celebrated all over the state of Orrisa. This festival is celebrated to bring prosperity in agriculture fields and also to celebrate womanhood. The festival is dedicated to Basu- Mata , the Earth Goddess and during this festival, all the agriculture activities are stopped to allow the Goddess to rest. It is believed that during this period the Goddess undergoes her menstrual cycle, and to respect the womanhood of the Mother Earth, all the activities such as ploughing, plucking, cutting tree that can hurt nature are prevented.
Mahabisuva Sankranti (Pana Sankranti)
Mahabisuva Sankranti is celebrated to mark the Odia New Year as per the Odia Calendar in the month of April. The festival is also known as Pana Sankranti. Pana- a drink made from Misri and water is hung over the Tulsi plant to represent the rain. This festival is very auspicious for farming and agricultural activities in Orrisa. On this day special offerings are made to Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, and Hanuman. Devotees pay a visit to the Devi temples and pray for their great year ahead.
Magha Saptami
One of the most famous and most celebrated festivals of Konark temple is Magha Saptami. On this day thousands of people gather on the shore of Bay of Bengal to offer their prayers to the sea. Devotees take a holy dip in the sea near Chandrabhaga beach and welcome the rising Sun with prayers. This festival also marks the beginning of grand fair at Khandagiri near Bhubaneswar which lasts for a week. The shore of Bay and Bengal and the offerings made to the Sun temple add the feeling of festivity among the people of Orissa.
Konark Festival
Dedicated purely to the beauty of Konark Sun Temple and the elegance of Odissi dance, this festival is beyond religions and customs. The festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the ancient beauty of the Konark Temple. As the sun sets down, the temple wears a vibrant look with lights adding on to its beauty. Konark Dance Festival is organised by Odissi dancer Gangadhar Pradhan’s Odisha Dance Academy at Konark Natya Mandap in Konark. Famous classical dancers get together to be a part of this extravagant celebration which is fondly enjoyed by the people from around the globe.
Makar Sankranti or Makar Mela
Makar Sankranti or Makar Mela is another important festival of Orrisa. The festival is celebrated when the Sun enters the orbit of Capricorn and by this time harvest of new paddy, sugarcane crops are over. On this auspicious day, people of Orissa offer prayers and food to the Sun God to have a healthy and prosperous life.
Naukhai
Nuakhai is the agricultural festival observed by people of Western Odisha & in some Chhattisgarh region in India. Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season. It is the most important social festival of Odisha but particularly of a high significance in Western Odisha and adjoining areas. The word ‘nua’ means new and ‘khai’ means food, so the name means the new crop that the farmers harvest marking the start of the harvesting season. In recent years the festival is celebrated all around the country by people of Orissa who have migrated to these places.
Chatar Jatra
Khond People from the Kalahandi district in Odisha celebrate Chatar Jatra by worshipping their family Goddess, Maa Manikeswari. Maa Manikeswari is represented with a bamboo stick tied in a black cloth. The celebration starts at the night of Durga Ashtami. On the next day, on Dura Navami, the Goddess is carried around on 3 km long Jatra. The people celebrate by performing Ghumura dance. Animal sacrifices are also a part of the festival.
