Gahma Purnami Festival of Orissa

Name of Festival : Gahma Purnami Festival

Time of celebration (Month)
Gahma Purnami Festival celebrated on full-moon day in the Month of Shravana (August)

Major Territory of Celebration
Gahma Purnami Festival celebrated in Rural Areas of Orissa

Worship in Festival
Gahma Purnami Festival is dedicated to Baladeva

About Festival
This festival is celebrated as a merry festival of ‘Gahma Pumei’ .It celebrates the birthday or Jayanti of Lord Balarama or Bhalabadra. On this day, cattle, especially plough cattle, are colorfully decorated and given special offering and are worshipped as ‘Go-Lakshmi’.

Other places of country celebrate the Full Moon day during Sawan month as Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Festival. The main ritual of Gamha Purnima festival is Gamha Dian or Gamha Diyan.

This festival has much attraction for some tribal groups like the Hill Bhuiyan of Orissa that in these lean months of semi-starvations.