Raja Parba

Raja Parba is a festival observed in the Indian State of Odisha, mainly to commemorate the fertility of the earth, at the break of the season, which occurs during the beginning of the Solar month Mithuna, because of which fact, this celebration is also called Mithuna Sankranti.

The festival is attributed to the mensuration of Boomi Devi, the consort of Lord Jagannath in Puri, symbolically expressing the moistening of the soil with showers indicating the monsoon season.

This being a four day festival, each day is designated with a significant festival name, such as first day being called Pahali Raja, Second day as Mithuna Sankranti, the third day being Bhudaaha or Basi Raja and the final day is assigned for Vasumati Snan, similar to a function where a girl attaining age is given sacred and ceremonial bath on the fourth day of her mensuration.

As many traditional families still follow in homes, special cakes like Poda Pitha are prepared and distributed to mark the celebration of Boomi Devi getting the status of fertility and progeny.

History

This festival is observed time immemorial, on the faith and belief that the mother goddess Earth Boomi Devi who is the consort of Lord Vishnu has her menstruation and during that first three days, she is given rest and on the fourth day which is called as Vasumatigadhua, people celebrate the occasion with lot of festivities. The term Raja must have emerged from Rajaswala, which means a menstruating woman and during medieval period the festival had become more popular a holiday for farmersenabling them do the worship of Bhudevi.

As in Hindu homes where women in periods would  remain at a distance for three days  because of impurity not touching any utensils or household items, and  given full rest, so also the Mother Earth is left on full rest for three days and all agricultural operations get suspended.

The festivity begins on the fourth day of Raja Parba and this is an age old practice particularly in Odisha State.

The Festival

During the first three days the women of agricultural families are given a break from even household work and they engage themselves in playing indoor games of traditional nature. The unmarried girls wear new dresses and decorate their feet with sandal wood or turmeric paste.All people undergo restrictions in walking on earth. Generally eatables which are special for celebrating girls attaining age in a traditional home, which include various cakes and puddings made out of rice flour like Podopitha and Chakuli Pitha are prepared and distributed. Girls spend their time by playing swings on tree branches while aged ladies resort to playing Cards, Ludo and few traditional games of the villages.Young men engage themselves in sports and games like Khabbadi.  The Raja gita, a folk song special to this region is sung by the people during this festival expressing their joy.

As one goes through the significance of the festival, basically it is for the agricultural community, but it is also a festival of the unmarried girls, who are going to be the potential mothers. They all observe the rigors of the girls in menstrual period, rising before dawn, doing their hair, anointing their bodies with turmeric paste and oil and then taking the sacred bath in a river or tank on the first day. For some reason, they do not take bath for the next two days, which is actually prohibited. They are not allowed to walk bare-foot, they are not supposed to scratch the earth, shall not grind or tear any object, should not cut anything and do not cook. However, they are seen well dressed up well during all the first three eating cakes and other rich food items, enjoying themselves, also singing and swinging I Ram Doli, Chakri Doli, Dandi Doli etc, which are different kinds of swings.  On the fourth day, which is Vasumati Snan day, they join all others to celebrate the Raja Parba festival.

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