Puri: When the entire State is celebrating Raja festival, which marks menstruation of Mother Earth, with mouth-watering Pithas, swings and special paans, residents of Kundeswar village in Puri district have their own unique tradition to mark the three-day extravaganza.
As per their tradition, young girls and women of Kundeswar village performed Kandhei Bahaghara (doll marriage) yesterday to mark the festival. Decorated as bride and groom, marriage of two dolls was solemnised at the village as per Vedic rituals.
Accompanied by band, Baaja and Barat, hundreds of villagers from and around the village reached the house of the bride on occasion of Pahili Raja yesterday and the marriage was solemnised by a priest. A lavish feast was also organised for the villagers. The tradition of doll marriage had been initiated by a woman in the village long back to create awareness against dowry system, sources said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted the people of Odisha on the occasion of Raja Sankranti and tweeted in both Odia and English.
"On the special festival of Raja Parba, my greetings to the people of Odisha. May this festival enhance the spirit of joy in our society," the PM wrote in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1007442004173783040
Today is the second day of the three-day Raja festival which is observed to celebrate womanhood and fertility of Mother Earth, who is believed to be passing through menstruation for three days and given a ceremonial bath on the fourth day.