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Fairs & Festivals of Orissa |
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Chandan
Yatra
Chandan Yatra marks the conclusion
of the cycle of religious festivals observed
in the famous shrine of Lord Jagannth at Puri
followed by similar other shrines of Orissa.
The festival, starting from Akshyaya Trutiya,
lasts for twenty-one days and is held in the
month of Baisakh at the height of the summer
heat when Chandan (sandle-paste) and water are
essential to keep people cool. As the Hindu
deities are modelled on the behaviour of human
beings, they are also given the same
treatment. During this festival they are taken
out of the temples in procession for
perambulation in water on floats or boats. The
richly decorated boats are called 'Chapa'.
'Chapa' is the Oriya equivalent of 'float'. In
most of the Vishnu as well as Shiva temples
the festival of the 'float' marks the
conclusion of the prime annual festival and it
is celebrated with much pomp and eclat. The
belief probably is that the deity having
concluded his ceremonial perambulation with
all attendant paraphernalia on land, must have
his aquatic sojourn before He returns to the
sanctum of the temple to come out only for the
next festival.
This festival is most elaborate in Puri and
attracts thousands of pilgrims from far and
near. On all the twenty-one days the entire
road from the shrine of Lord Jagannath leading
up to the Narendra Sarobar (a sacred tank in
Puri town) along with the houses on both sides
is decorated. At some places, especially in
front of Maths (monasteries) or at cross-roads
big toranas (arches) are erected where the
idols take casual rest and receive offerings
The representative images of the deities
installed in temples such as Madanmohan
(representing Lord Jagannath), Laxmi and
Saraswati are taken in a richly decorated
palanquin by the sevakas accompanied by
priests, musicians and dancers to the Narendra
Sarobar at night. The tank is profusely
lighted with thousands of spectators milling
and jostling all around in expectation of the
arrival of the procession. The principal
deities are also followed by different deities
from different shrines of the town. After
reaching the Narendra Sarobar, the images are
then placed on different well decorated boats
and they are rowed for a long time by the
Sevakas. During the rowing ceremony Devadasis
(temple-dancers) dance and sing on the boat.
Generally, the colours chosen for the boats
are red and white and they are so designed to
look like huge swans floating on water. The
peculiarity of the ceremony is that
Madanmohana with Laxmi and Saraswati rides on
the white coloured raft where-as Ramakrishna
with pancha Shivas rides the red one. All the
deities on the boat take several rounds in the
water which continue till early hours of the
morning and then retire to the respective
shrines.The last day of the festival is called
Bhaunri (Bhramari or circle) when special
elaborate arrangements are made.
Most of the important festivals of Lord
Jagannath at Puri are also followed in all
other important shrines of Orissa. Following
tradition of the Puri the images are taken out
in procession on planquins to the nearby tanks
and perambulated in water on boats. In all
such temples it is observed only for the last
three days. After the ceremony which usually
takes place at mid-night, people enjoy
performances of dance, drama and music
specially arranged for this occasion.
At Bhubaneswar the Chandan festival of Lord
Lingaraj is observed in Bindu Sarobar, a huge
tank near the temple. Here, the float is moved
to the Mandapa in the middle of the tank. The
mandap is an inlet-like structure which is
more an elevated platform.
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Religious Festivals
Major Religious Festivals:
Mahashiva Ratri, Durga Puja,
Ganesha
Chaturthi, Lakshmi
Puja, Deepavali,
Dusserah,
Dola
Purnima (Holi),
Akshyaya Trutiya,
Gahma
Purnima,
Makara
Sankranti, Ashokashtami,
Nuakhai,
Basanta
Panchami, Hingula
Yatra, Prathamastami,
Baseli Puja,
Janmastami,
Raja
Sankranti,
Chaitra
Parba, Kartika Purnima,
Rama Navami,
Khudurukuni
Osa, Savitri Brata,
Dhanu Yatra,
Kumar
Purnima, Shamba
Dasami, Sital Shashti,
Magha
Saptami,
Visuva
Samkranti,
Viswakarma
Puja.
Jagannath Temple Festivals
Major
Jagannath Temple Festivals:
Rath Yatra,
Chandan
Yatra,
Devasnana Purnima,
Basanta
Panchami,
Chitou
Amavasya, Nava
Kalebara.
Special festivals
Major Special Festivals:
Puri
Beach Festival,
Konark
Festival,
Kalinga
Mahotsav,
Raja Rani
Music Festival,
Shreekstra
Utsav, Ekamra Utsav,
Dhauli Mahatsova,
Folk Dance Festival,
Khandagiri Festival,
Konark Dance & Music
Festival,
Parab
Festival
Tribal Festivals
Major Tribal Festivals:
Chaita Parva,
Karama
Festival, Bali Jatra,
Sume-Gelirak,
Bija Pandu,
Kedu Festival,
Maghe Parab
Fairs & Exhibitions
Major Fairs & Exibitions:
Bali
Yatra, Magha Mela,
Taratarini
Mela, Joranda Mela,
Makar Mela
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