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