Orissa Review * December - 2006

Uniqueness of Odiya Festivals

Pratap Kumar Dash

Each culture has its uniqueness and that shapes not entangled by the so called westernised our mind uniquely. Culture is very much relevant materialistic ultramodernity. It has tried to maintain to maintain a retired art of living. The varieties of its uniqueness in its dance, drama, festivals, rituals, refined elements of culture can only make its rites, handicrafts and in creativity. community alive, active and developed. Writers In dance, we have Devadasi and Gotipua like Erik Fomm view that these refined elements tradition from which Odissi dance has been of culture can be maintained only by conscious derived. We have Sambalpuri, Chhau, Paika, individual or by conscious communities Karamaa and Santali dances. In this way, the collectively. We already know that collective days of Dushara, Kumarapurnima, Dola, Raja consciousness can only maintain the sanity of mind and tribal festivals are marked by arrangement of of a community. It can only determine longevity games and dance competitions. Games of poochi of a civilization. This sanity of mind can be (standing or sitting position and body twisting sport maintained by having change in daily way of life. of girls) and game of Doli (a sport in swing) and Change can be brought by having dance, drama, kabadi are common on these occasions. In festivals, sports and games, rituals, rites, feasts, addition, we have the rural dance, dramas like handicrafts, creative and welfare works of Duari Nata or Bharat Leela, Daskathia, communities. Writers like Aldous Huxley and Paalaa, Sankirtan, Desia Nata, Dhuduki and K.M. Munshi have expressed their views Rama Leela. We have filigree, pottery, wooden beautifully regarding culture. According to them works, applique, stonegrafting of varieties with culture is a matter of inheritance of social tradition (Laterite and granite), weaving craft and artistry which are natural, useful and very much inspiring. of many varieties. Similarly, we have speciality in In this context, time has come to evaluate the performing Pujas of many varieties. We would validity and the utility of different aspects of Odiya like to represent here some of the popular facts culture. We have to underline its varieties and its of Odiya puja tradition. refinement. We have to see how it maintains longevity and harmony. However, as matter of Infact, the people of Odisha are lovers of fact, we dare say that Odiya culture has something pujas. These pujas of different occasions are unique and powerful which has kept its people marked by religiosity and festivity. As a matter of intact even now. It still maintains odiyaness. It is religiosity, they worship gods and goddesses

48 Orissa Review * December - 2006 befitting to the different occasions. On these molasses in which scraps of coconut, black occasions, they use different natural elements like pepper, ajowan and cardamum are added. This plants, flowers and fruits in a unique way. Each dough is turned into cakes pressing into handful puja has its unique purpose and therefore the way size with the use of Ghee. In the month March, of worshipping, the use of plants, flowers and fruits comes Dola festival which makes the Odiya are also distinct and purposive. The use of plants, agricultural new year. On this occasion of Dola, fruits and flowers etc. mark the Odiya primitive people of Odisha prepare various items. But as well as vedic tradition of worshipping nature Muan (round shaped cake made with puffed too. Each of these religious occasions are marked paddy plus molasses) and raasi khaja (cake of by preparations of different cakes and sweets sesame), cake of chanaa khaja are also which are quite different in taste and type from prepared. Then comes panaa sankranti or meru one another. An account of these cakes and in the same month or sometimes in the month of sweets of varieties that marks Odiyaness is given April. On this occasion, a special syrup or panaa here. (there is difference between panna and sharbat). As per the calculation of months, the year This is prepared with water, sugar, blackpepper begins with January that comes in pousa and powder, coconut scraps, pasted banana, mango magha. This month generally marks the beginning scraps, and cheese is the special addition. It is of festivities which has emerged from the tradition also called cheese panaa. Then in the month of of puja only. Odiya festivals start with Bakula June comes Sabitree Brata in which another kind (Baula) Amabasya (the new moon day of Mango of special food is prepared. It is prepared from bud). On this occasion, mango bud is specially ripen fruits and vegitables. This food is prepared collected and used to worship the lords (specially in a raw form. This is called chakataa (a well to Laxmi and Narayana). The bud of mango is mixed food). In this, the main item is gaja mung used exclusively on this occasion because people (germed mung) with which the ripen jackfruit, of Odisha take it to be an auspicious thing. On pasted banana, coconut scraps, scraps of this occasion, along with other cakes and sweets, cocumber, molass and cheese can be added to atakali is prepared specially. It is made from make a paste of the whole materials. Next cames sundried rice powder and molasses. In the same Raja in which the special food item is podapitha month, the popular new year of Telugu people (cake made from sundried rice powder plus occurs. It is called Pongal. It is the day of Makar molass, scraps of coconut, black pepper powder Sankranti. In Odisha, the fluid Makar is the etc. are mixed and kept on fire to be baked). attractive food item on this occasion. It is made Then it is cut into bite sizes. On many occasions from raw sundried rice (called Makar Chaula) of pujas, Odiya people prepare food items like powder plus sugar plus scraps of coconut, black chakuli or chitau or idli plus kheeri. But on the pepper powder or ginger scraps, banana paste next day of Dwitiya Osha, (that falls in the month and milk. The next typical festival of the month is of September) Ghaanta curry (or curry of mixed Sankata Chaturthi. This is the occasion when vegetables) is very interesting. It is a curry of mixed Lord Shiva is worshipped. On this occasion a vegetables, coconut pieces and addition of kind of food item called Bindi (or some call it germed mung is special. Lots of curry is eaten by hundi) is prepared. It is also prepared by making Odiyas on this occasion. Then comes khali (boiled dough of sundried rice powder) and phalabadhaa Astami. It marks the biginning of

49 Orissa Review * December - 2006 occasion of Dashera in the month of October, In January, (i.e. Pausa and Magha) falls Hindu Homes celebrate this 8th day of Dashera Baula Amabasya when mango flower is by eating New food. Some families prepare worshipped specially to commemorate the newkheeri (Frumenty) prepared from newly welcome arrival of it in the mango trees. It suggests pounded rice whereas some others eat newly that people offer it to the lord for its new prepared flattened rice called chuda. They present appearance and people hope for a good deal of at least eight types of fruits and vegetables for the mango production in the current season since offering of goddess Durga, the goddess of all mango is an important fruit for Odiyas. primitive power. Kumar Ustav or the day of In August falls Gamhaa Purnima, when Kumar Purnima follows Dashara. On this cattle are taken care of. This is the occasion when occasion special Kakaraas (stuffed cakes from a kind of plant named gaigendalia is collected flour of wheat or rice) and Muan (prepared with and the cattle are patted with it when they come fried paddy plus molass) are offered to goddess back home in the dusk after grazing from the Laxmi. fields. Apart from these kind of food items, On Sasthi Oshaa or Sathi Oshaa that falls various other types of sweet cakes like aarisha, on September, again varieties of plants and trees mandaa, chitau, stuffed idli, gainthaa etc. are come to a special use. On this occasion of prepared in diffeent festivals. worship, Bajramuli (clerodendran serratum), All these food items are vegetarian and Olua (amorophophalus), Amla (Emblra based on certain food value. These are digestive, officinals), Bana Saaru (saggitaria) mango sweet and full of vitamins. The food items like (mangifera indica) and branch of plum tree is kakaraa, manda, chakuli and aarisha may be little collected and bound together. The children of the heavier, but they provide seasonal taste. Such family are beaten with the bundle of branches of food items take ghee because according to Odiya plants after due worship is over. tradition, ghee is the pure edible. Although rice, On the occasion of Diwali, people pay dal, curry and fried vegetables are staple food sruddha to their forefuthers. On this occasion of items of Odiyas, still a slight change in the process worship, street Baalungaa (paddy groun without of making food items adds to life of Odiya eating cultivation) and a creeper (Tecana undulata) are system. important. Another valuable focus is based on the On the occasion of Maanabasaa, people relevance of plants, trees, fruits, roots and flowers make a decorated piece of paddy bundle called present in Odisha. As per the vedic and Aryan Dhanamentaa. It marks worship of goddess tradition, Odiyas inherit the tradition of Laxmi. In the same month of November falls worshipping nature variously. Stones, animals, Kaanji Amlaa, a festival when Kaanji (a curry birds, water, hills and many other natural worldly in which raddish, pumpkin, bhursunga leaves stale elements bear godly testimony for them. The rice water, stem of potherh and brinjal etc. are elements are worshipped or used for cultural and put together). On this worshipping place the stems festival purposes very systematically and ofpoi creeper (Basella rubra) and a small plant religiously. named koilekha (hygrophila spinosa) is collected

50 Orissa Review * December - 2006 and placed at the place of worship. In the same Use of branches of black berry to make month falls Daanda Panhraa / Baata Oshaa On makeshift altar or a religious stage is to be noted this, a kind of plant (achyranthus aspara) is in Odisha. These religious places are decorated collected and placed at worship. with belt of mango leaves. Both the trees suggest Similarly Juna (Eragrostis cynosuroides) is great auspiousity of Odiya puja occasion. The used to prepare ghantaakarna materials on the banyan, peepal and neem trees are the incarnation day of Rekhaapanchami that falls in the month of God in the earth. Scientists may find scientific of November. Kumarpurnima is celebrated with relevance of these things now-a-days but the leaf of ridge guard (luffa acuntagula) flower and relevance of them have already been understood its leaves offered to goddess Laxmi. by Odiya people thousand years back. This provides us the idea that Odiya way of life is purely In Odiya worshippings, the role of natural, cultural and scientific. Dubaghasa (cynodon), barakolipatra (plum leaves), jackfruit leaves, plantain leaves and mango twigs are commonly placed on various purposes. Tulsi for Lord Jagannath and Bel for Lord Shiva are the purest leaves that the Odiyas Pratap Kumar Dash is a Lecturer in English, Ranpur are to worship. College, Ranpur, Nayagarh-752026.

Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launching the Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana at Nachuni on 9.11.2006. Shri Biswabhusan Harichandan, Minister, Rural Development, Industries & Law and other dignitaries are also present on the occasion.

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