Raja festival in Odisha: Know how it is associated with agriculture

Most of the festivals are connected to agriculture in one way or the other. So is the Raja festival. Odisha’s Raja festival is a unique one as mother earth is worshipped during this festival.

This festival is celebrated for three days. The first day of the festival is called ‘Pahili Raja’, the second day is called ‘Majhi Raja’ ‘Raja Sankranti’ or ‘Mithuna Sankranti’, the third day is ‘Bhudaha’ or ‘Basi Raja’ or ‘Sesha Raja’. 

Notably, ‘Pahili Raja’ falls on the last day of month ‘Jyestha’ and ‘Raja Sankranti’ on the first day of month ‘Asadha’, celebrating the beginning of the rainy season. 

As women are compared with mother earth, as the former menstruate, the latter too is believed to be undergoing her menstrual cycle during this festival. This is why all agricultural activities like tilling and digging are suspended during this festival. Just like a menstruating woman, mother earth is allowed to take full rest without any tampering. 

Farmer here believe the earth’s fertility becomes double and the first shower of monsoon makes it ready for agricultural activities. The first tender drops of south-west monsoon make the farmers happy as the summer-parched earth gets relief and becomes ready for future agricultural activities.

The festival’s association with mother earth can be understood from the fact that the fourth day of the festival is called ‘Basumati Snana’. On this day, after undergoing three days of her menstruating period, women give a ceremonial bath to the grinding stone, considering it as mother earth.