Raja Sankranti Festival of Orissa
Name of Festival : Raja Sankranti Festival
Time of celebration (Month)
It is a 3 day festival and celebrated in the last day of the solar month of Jaishtha (May-June).
Major Territory of Celebration
Raja Sankranti Festival is celebrated in the Orissa , India
About Festival
Raja Sankranti is also known as Mithuna Sankranti , Ashad Sankranti and Swing festival and it is one of the major festivals of Orissa. It is supposed that the Earth goddess had started to menstruate on the first day of the Raja and after the third day she is taken to a ritual bath and returned to normalcy. Raja Sankranti Festival is a 3 day festival –
First day is ‘Pahili Raja’
Second day is proper Raja Sankranti
Last or third day is ‘Basi Raja’.
Peopel celebrated this festival in order to welcome monsoon season.On these day men and women avoid touching the earth.These 3 days there is a complete stoppage of work and especially boys and girls take to the swing and sing the typical Raja songs.All people enjoys the merry-making, feasting and display of gymnastic feats and playing games.
A major highlight of the festival is the special swings prepared for women and girls on huge banyan trees in villages.People believed that the three-day period of Raja Sankranti is meant for unmarried girls who will be getting married in the coming year.
