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Rakshya Bandhan celebrated with fervour in State

– Photo: Lingaraj Panda

EMOTIONAL MOMENTS: A woman applying vermilion on her brother’s forehead on the occasion of ‘Rakhi Purnima’ in Berhampur Circle Jail on Saturday.

BERHAMPUR: ‘Gamha Purnima’ a festival related to agrarian tradition of the State was celebrated on Saturday. It is also the full moon’s day which is celebrated as ‘rakhi purnima’ to commemorate the relationship between brothers and sisters.

This day is believed to be the birthday of lord Balaram. Cattle and bullocks were worshipped and decorated with colourful rakhi by their owners. They were fed with traditional delicacies. In the city many Telugu families owning cattle also took part in this traditional celebration ‘Gamha Purnima’ by Oriyas.

Usually Telugu cattle owners worship their cattle in the month of Kartik. Specially made Rakhi was also tied to the deities at Jagannath temple in Puri and Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.

As per the Oriya tradition families called up their ‘purohit’ to reach their home and tie rakhi on their hands with the utterance of mantras. “It is a traditional effort to make people remember the bond that one has with his soul,” said Oriya poet, Pabitra Dash. Keeping alive this spiritual tradition a special ‘Rakshya Bandhan’ celebration was organised in the Berhampur circle jail campus.

The female members of the spiritual organisation, ‘Prajapita Brahmakumari’ tied rakhi to the hands of 666 inmates of the jail in a special function held under the guidance of senior superintendent of the circle jail, Bankim Mohanty.

Sisters of inmates had reached the jail gates at early morning to tie rakhi on the hands of their brothers.

The jail authorities had made special arrangements to allow prisoners to celebrate ‘Rakshya Bandhan’ with their sisters.

As part of this agrarian tradition of the festivities, ‘Gamha Dian’ was also organised at different streets of the city for children as well as youths. They ran and jumped over makeshift ramps to grab fruits and other gifts hung to a rope at a height.

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