Syllabus Section: Art and Culture

 

Why in news?

Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti, a 3-day festival to honour womanhood is celebrated across Odisha. Mother earth is believed to be menstruating during this period and preparing herself for the coming agricultural season.

 

About the Festival

• Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti is a 3-day festival to honour womanhood which is celebrated across Odisha.
• The term Raja has come from Rajaswala (meaning a menstruating woman) and during medieval period the festival became more popular as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship of Bhudevi, who is the wife of lord Jagannath. A silver idol of Bhudevi is still found in Puri Temple aside Lord Jagannatha. During the three days women are given a break from household work and time to play indoor games. Girls adorn traditional saree and apply alatha on foot. All people abstain from walking barefoot on earth.
• A silver idol of Bhudevi is still found in Puri Temple aside from Lord Jagannatha. In this three-day-long festival, the second day signifies the beginning of the solar month of Mithuna, in which the season of rains starts. 
• In this, the sun-dried soil is moistened with the first showers of the monsoon in mid-June marking It arrival of the agricultural year in Odisha with the land preparing itself for productivity.
• It is believed that the mother Goddess Earth or the divine wife of Lord Vishnu undergoesmenstruation (/topic/menstruation) during the first three days. The fourth day is called asVasumatigadhua or ceremonial bath of Bhudevi.

 

Source:  https://www.aninews.in/