When it comes to our festivals in JPB, which is referred to as “Tihar” meaning festival that teaches us brotherhood, love, compassion, patience, affection, respect which has passed on generations from our forefathers’ to us which indeed has become our way of life. This is the main reason for which in spite of being in a different region far from our own motherland we are all well connected to each other more and beyond like a family which binds us together and the bond getting stronger day by day and year by year.
"Nuakhai" The harvest festival of Western Odisha. Celebrated a day after Ganesh Chaturthi, Nuakhai is a festival when families eat the first produced from their farms. They first offer the Nabanna — rice prepared from newly harvested paddy crop to the presiding deities and then have their feast. Friends and relatives visit each other’s place and have grand feasts. These get togethers on this auspicious occasion is known as Nuakhai Bhetghat.“Wherever we may stay, we come back home to celebrate this festival. This is one festival, we come along with our families and feast conjointly." Many like us who can't make it to their home town get along together and celebrate it in a grand manner.
We at JPB celebrates Nuakhai Bhetghat evey year with each year bringing a lot of enjoyment and surprises.
"Chher-Chhera" alias Puspuni also famous as Pousha Purnima is an annual festival observed by people and communities of Western Odisha. Puspuni can also be read as Pus & Puni where in Pus derived from “Poush Masa” i.e, the month’s of winter and “Puni” derived from full moon. It is an unique tradition where people of the village ask for sweetmeats and delicacies after the day of "Phuspuni". They chant “Chher-Chhera” as well at many places and sing Chher-chhera song, mostly small children and aged ladies visit their landlords and get delicacies like Arsa & Manda (sweet titbits of Western Odisha). This also highlights the fact that the eldest lady patron of the house suffers from diarrhoea as a result of taking too much food on the Puspuni which symbolises that the family celebrated the festival well. It is an age-old traditional celebration of paddy crop harvesting.
JPB celebrates it in a grand manner by merry making, feast, song and dance and rejoice in giving away on this day.
"Chadkhai" the biggest food carnival in the Western Odisha. It is the day after the celebration of the Kartik Purnima, the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik. Chadakhai means “Chada” - leave & “khai” – eat; it signifies starting to eat non – veg. which means w meIllustrious to end the month-long abstinence from non-vegetarian food. This hiatus can be an entire month for the few devoted ones or 5 days (panchuka) of absence at the fag end for the most. Historic significance for the state of Western Odisha, where it is celebrated to commemorate its rich heritage. We people believe that it is a sin to eat non-veg in month of Kartika.
"Puo-Jiuntia" is generally observed by mothers to invoke the grace of Lord “Dutibahana” and marks the umbilical relationship between mother and her children. Mothers across the region observe a full day long fast and pray for long lives and wellbeing of their sons and daughters.
During the festival, Lord Dutibahana is worshiped at the open space, which is decorated with mango leaves and flowers. On the wee hours of next day, the mothers take a holy dip in the nearby river. Touching of strand of grass from head to toe seven times is the most important ritual of the festival as it is believed that it protects the children from ills and evils. Juintia is then tied on the wrists of the children. Delicacies and gifts are offered and the mothers break their fast.
"Bhai-jiuntia" also one of the famous festivals of Western Odisha. This festival signifies the beautiful relationship between brothers and sisters, it is about their bond, love, care, compassion and protection of each other. On this occasion, girls worship Goddesses Durga for the prosperity of their brothers habitually celebrated on the 8th day of the bright fortnight in the Hindu month of Ashwin; married women visit their father's place in this time of the year.
During the festival sisters' observe fast and tie the jiuntia in the wrist of their brother for their protection, prosperity and betterment and at many places often gift new clothes to each other.
"Pakhal" or Fermented water rice , the traditional food of ours, and its water “Theer". Our household is incomplete without the presence of Pakhal. Indeed it is an age-old feeling and the comfort food for every family in Western Odisha. Categorised as "Baasi Pakhal" & "Garam Pakhal". Bassi Pakhal - residual rice of the night & Garam Pakhal - cooked rice soaked.
Pakhal is often accompanied by fried green leaves, fried veggies, dried fish fry, burned and mashed potato with tomatoes, onion, papad, pickles, etc. It provides food and source of energy along with necessary electrolytes for the body it also contains microbes, anti inflammatory properties, anti viral properties, promotes secretion of immunoglobulin that fights local infection particularly in lungs and intestines a few to say. Every year 20th of March is celebrated as World Pakhal Day and so do we at JPB celebrate with members having the Pakhal with lip smacking sides with it.
"Pura Uwans" one of the most beautiful festivals of Western Odisha, unique in its very sense; celebrated in the month of Bhudo (Bhadrav) on the day of new moon or amabasya.
In the morning, the food grains available say grain, paddy, chana, etc will be offered as bhog to the God - istadebata of the house. The girls will play merrying making along with their toys made of clay as if she is cooking, the boys will pull around a decorated clay horse or bullock cart. It is to the folk-lore that the kids are educated about their households and passing on the tradition to the younger generations through an amusement or festival, girls play around with cooking and boys fiddle with farming and ploughing. All the children gather around a banyan tree to light up the horses and bullock carts called as Lanka podi in the evening.
"Sital Sasthi" is celebrated in Western Odisha, to commemorate the marriage of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati, as stated in the Siva Purana. According to the story of their marriage, Parvati performed rigorous puja for Lord Siva. Siva finally decided to marry Parvati on the eve of Jyestha Shukla Paksh Sasthi. It also marks the start of the monsoon season. Farmers celebrate it as the bringer of monsoons.
The festival is celebrated over five days. The first day is called Patra Pendi where the chosen family adopts Parvati. Two days later, Goddess Parvati’s idol arrives at the adopted parents’ house. As a part of the ritual, Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati are married in a grand procession with the devotees as a witness and the divine couple then go on a ‘Nagar Parikrama’. This journey across the town is also known as “Sital Sasthi Yatra”. Many eunuchs participate in the ceremony as Lord Siva is also known as ‘Ardhanarishwara’.
"Dhanu jatra" is a famed festival celebrated in Western Odisha and prominently known for its carnival in Bargarh. It is to celebrate the story of Lord Krishna slaying his maternal uncle Kansa represented for a period of 11 days, narrating the tale of Krishna and Kansa, through use of dance and drama making this unique.
Instead of one single stage, the entire town of Bargarh becomes an open air theatre itself. Interestingly the Kansa character, for the entire duration of the play, becomes the de facto ruler of Bargarh. He walks around the town in his regal attire atop an elephant, everyone considers him as the ruler. For the entire period, the town of Bargarh, is transported into another era, it is like entering a time machine.
"Chatar Jatra" It is the main festival of Kalahandi dist of Western Odisha region. This festivel is observed during the navratra in the month of Dashera..This festival is Dedicated for Maa Manikeswari..Lakhs of devoties from western odisha and adjoing Chattisgarh comes to pay there homage during chatar..It is famous for its animal sacrifice also.
"Sabitri Uwans" one of the religious festivals of Western Odisha, observed by married women for their husband. They keep fast on this day and offer prayers to Lakshmi Narayan and Maa Sabitri, seeking sound health and long life for their husband on the day of Amavasya in the Odia month of Jyestha.It is named after Goddess Savitri who is regarded as one of the five Satis who fought with Yamraj (Lord of death) to bring back her husband Satyaban from him. Yamraj, appeared before her to take away Satyaban’s soul. She followed her husband’s soul till the gates of Lord Yama’s abode. Yamaraj, moved by Savitri’s devotion and love for her husband, restored the life of her husband. Since then, married women have been fasting with utmost dedication to ensure their husbands’ good health and long life.