KARTIKA PURNIMA

Celebrated In : Throughout Orissa Other Festivals : Biota Bandana & Bali Yatra Deity : Lord Shiva In the month of : Kartika (October - November)

Time For The Festivity The whole month of 'Kartika' is considered to be the most sacred among all the twelve months of the year. During this month all the pious Hindus refrain from eating fish, meat or egg. All of them take pre-dawn bath and visit temples as a matter of routine. The last five days are considered more sacred, in which there is wide participation. Taken together the days are called 'Panchaka', the last day being the "Kartika Purnima". Every day they take food only once in the afternoon which is known as 'Habisha'.

A Five Day Celebration For all the five days the women after purificatory bath in the early morning draw beautiful flower-designs around the 'chaura' (a small temple like structure with a 'Tulsi' plant overhead) with colour powders produced indigenously. Fasting for the day is commonly observed. Most of the Shiva temples get crowded with devotees offering prayers to Lord Shiva who is said to have killed the demon 'Tripurasura' on this day. Group singing of 'kirtans' and loud beating of 'Mrudanga' and cymbals continue for the whole day.

Boita Bandana - An Ancient Festival Another festival that takes place in the morning is significant to the ancient history of Orissa. This reminds the maritime glory of the State. In olden days the 'Sadhabas' (Sea traders) used to sail off to distant islands like Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Ceylon etc. for their trade by huge boats ('Boita'). The women of the community were giving them a hearty send off on this day. The days are now gone, but the memory is still alive. Now, people float tiny boats made out of cork and coloured paper or bark of the banyan tree while reminiscing the past glory. This is called "Boita Bandana".

The next fortnight of the month is spent propitiating the dead ancestors. In every evening, a covered but perforated earthen pot carrying an earthen lamp inside is hoisted to a pole to help guide the ancestral spirits to descend on their respective villages and homes. The members of a family light a bunch of jute-stalks with the invocation "Oh! The ancestors come in the darkness and go in the light." This is called "Badabadua Paka".

Bali Yatra In the city of Cuttack and some other places huge images of "Kartikeswar" are built and worshipped. At night they are taken out in procession and are immersed in the river Mahanadi, near a Shiva temple. Exactly at this place a big fair known as "Bali Yatra" is held for about three-four days. The name of the festival has two significances. Some are of opinion that on this day the Sadhabas were sailing off to Bali and therefore, the name. Some others believe that 'Sri Chaitanya' the great Vaishnavite saint of Bengal on his way to Puri landed on this day at Cuttack after crossing the sand-bed (Sand is 'Bali') of the river Mahanadi.

Thousands of People congregate at the fairground where innumerable varieties of goods are bought and sold. People also enjoy boating with friends and family in the moonlit night.