Odisha celebrates Raja festival
Odisha celebrates one of the important festival, Raja Parba for three days during the mid of June, preferably starts from 14th June and ends in 16th. During this period, the state remains in a state of jubilation and celebration.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020
Key-Points:
It is a festival that is of great importance for the people who depend upon agriculture for their livelihood.
The word Raja itself in Odia means menstruation and it’s a conjecture that mother Earth goes for three days long menstrual cycle during this period. So, in this occasion no activities like tilling, construction or any other that hurts mother Earth are done.
These three days of the menstrual cycle of earth ends in the fourth day with Basumati Gaadhua which means the bathing of mother Earth. In this eve people worship mother Earth by bathing pieces of stone as it’s a replica and pray for a prosperous agricultural year in the days to come.
This ritual of celebrating the menstrual cycle of Mother Earth through Raja festival is an acknowledgement of the fact that the society had no taboo regarding the menstruation of women in past days. It was treated as normal in the society where today women are kept in segregated place during their periods and are not allowed to enter a temple treating them impure.
One last important aspect of this Raja festival is the acknowledgement of nature’s contribution to human life and humans’ duty for the maintenance of good health of nature. This mutual relation is very much essential for the promotion of sustainable development along with the protection of nature.
Way forward:
During Raja festival, not hurting mother Earth for three days is exactly the promotion of sustainable development goals of the United Nations for protection of earth through climate action, and the women’s liberation and menstrual hygiene are in the line with sustainable development goal of gender justice for women.
This highlights the fact that the festivals of our society have a greater practical and philosophical Dimension that is often essential for a sustainable universe and egalitarian society for all. Indeed Raja Festival is one of such kind.