The Hindu : Front Page : Cuttack decked up for ‘Raja’ festival

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Friday, Jun 13, 2008
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Cuttack decked up for ‘Raja’ festival

Correspondent

CUTTACK: With the onset of monsoon and prediction of pleasant weather, people of Cuttack district, particularly in rural areas, are all decked up for the grand ‘Raja’ festival. The three-day merriment this year is beginning with ‘Pahili Raja’ on Saturday and ending on Monday with ‘Raja Sankranti’ falling on Sunday.

Basically a festival of unmarried girls, Raja is actually an occasion for everybody to get into the celebration mode. While schools and colleges are closed for summer vacation and results of most annual and entrance examinations are published, the girls, particularly having done better in almost all the examinations, are preparing to celebrate the festival in grand style.

“I am planning to celebrate the festival as after a long gap I am having the time and occasion for such celebrations”, said Swayamshree Mishra, who topped in the Plus II Arts examination this year. Ms Mishra, who anchors programmes for a private TV channel, would spend one day for the channel anchoring programmes. She also plans to visit Lord Jagannath temple in Puri during this period.

Similarly, Saraswati Behera, also a rank holder in the same examination, has also chalked out elaborate arrangements for the festival. “She has purchased new dresses and other items for the festival and we all would be merrymaking during the Raja festival along with our relatives and friends,” said Saraswati’s brother Sridhar.

Like Swayamshree and Saraswati, girls, who have excelled in various examinations and come out successfully with flying colours, have all reasons to feel elated and make the best out of the occasion after days of hard work.

Film releases

Keeping the celebration mode alive, the Oriya film industry too has come out with some releases to bank on the festive mood. At least three Oriya movies have hit the theatre houses this season. Likewise, many socio-cultural organisations are all set to observe the festival by organizing functions so as to keep the tradition alive. Wearing new dresses with bridal attire and foot covers, the unmarried girls spend the entire three days merrymaking and playing.

Playing on the swing in groups and singing the Raja song, steamed rice cake (Poda pithha) other culinary and pan are traditionally attached to this festival. But now days, all these traditions have taken a backseat and the festival has lost its true spirit.

The age-old traditions of celebrations have given way to new approaches with the festivities limited to lavish spending on new dresses and other purchases.

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